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What Is Empire?
Live Roleplaying Event
Empire is the UK's largest live roleplaying game welcoming players from all across the United Kingdom and beyond. We run four weekend-long Empire events each year, with most players choosing to camp on site.
Each event is a political summit held at Anvil, the Imperial capital. Players are invited to portray the influential figures coming together to make the crucial decisions that determine the actions of the Empire. While there is a larger world beyond Imperial borders, our game is about the fate of the Empire and the political battles to lead it. In addition to the political struggles, the events feature epic battles with live combat as the players who chose to take the field fight to defeat the Empire's enemies.
Empire is designed to be a game of difficult choices. Success is not guaranteed, and one of your character's ambitions might be thwarted simply because other characters opposed you. It is a highly political game - most situations that you encounter have no perfect outcome, someone always has to compromise.
If you are new to live roleplaying then it's worth reading our new player guide to find out why more and more people each year are choosing to take part in this amazing hobby.
Unique Fantasy Setting
Empire takes place in an original fantasy setting, rather than a historical one. The world has its own defined canon; our wiki lays out what is and is not true in the game world. This makes Empire feel more real - as players have a common understanding of what does and does not exist and what is or is not possible in the world their characters inhabit.
There are ten nations in the Empire, and every player must belong to one of them. Your choice of nation is the most important decision to make when creating a character. Each nation has its own unique history, culture and clothing. Members of a nation camp together; take the battlefield together, and usually support each other politically. Our wiki has more information on each of the ten nations.
Faith is a powerful motivation in the setting, but unlike many roleplaying games there are no gods in Empire. Instead, the focus is on morality with priests debating philosophy and the seven virtues. Priests wield secular power in the Synod and the faithful have subtle powers that focus on the creation of roleplaying effects designed to motivate their followers. Our wiki has more information on the Way, the official religion of the Empire.
Magic is a fact of life in the setting, rather than being mysterious or sinister. There are many ways to wield magic in Empire; magicians cast spells on the battlefield to strike down an enemy or perform powerful rituals at Anvil to change the world. Artisans create valuable magical items, while apothecaries use magical herbs to create beneficial potions.
Character Driven
Empire is a sandbox game in the sense that you will be entering a completely open world that you are free to explore and influence. There is no grand narrative being created by us, rather the campaign consists of the stories that emerge from the responses of the player-characters to current events as collectively, they run the Empire.
You are part of a game with thousands of participants all playing together at the same time. You work with - and often against - other player-characters to determine what happens next. In this sense we strive to make Empire like the real world; there is no predetermined outcome and you are free to make your own choices within the constraints of the setting.
This means that it is really important to think about your character, their place in the setting, and what they aim to achieve. In many roleplaying games, your character's skills and abilities are crucial because they determine how you deal with the plot that is written for you. In Empire, your character's motivations and goals are crucial because they determine the story you create for yourself as you interact with others.
Player Vs Player Politics
At its heart Empire is a game of politics that is deliberately player versus player (PvP). That means that if you are going to be active in the politics of the Empire then the majority of antagonists that you encounter along the way will be the characters portrayed by other players. The game is designed to encourage many different forms of political rivalry, so you'll need to find allies to help you as you seek ways to advance your agendas and defeat your rivals.
Although Empire has a strong emphasis on PvP politics, the game has been designed to discourage physical violence between characters. The setting is a very lawful one, with magistrates and militia who will investigate any murder and try to execute those responsible. The aim is to make assassination the last act of desperation that is the result of a long-simmering political rivalry, not the first choice in any conflict between characters.
Because of the emphasis on political conflict, it’s important that everyone who takes part tries to separate the actions the character takes from the person playing the character as much as humanly possible. Just like actors aren't responsible for what their character does in a play or a film, the rules remind people to keep the conflicts as part of the game and not spill over. We want characters to compete with each other and to push their rival agendas, but for everyone to attend Empire together as friends despite that.
Player Vs Monster Battles
The ongoing military campaigns against the enemy nations that surround the Empire complement the game's politics. These battles are player versus monster (PvM). If your character chooses to take the field, then you will be facing off against several hundred enemies who are "monsters" - volunteers who are playing a role created and briefed by our team just for that battle. They are there to give you a dramatic and difficult fight, where victory is possible but far from assured.
All the combat is done for real, so if you take part in one or more of the fights then you'll be trying to hit your opponents with your weapon and they will be trying to hit you. Everyone has to pull their blows so that they land with as little force as possible but there is always a risk of bruising or injury for those who choose to fight.
There are two big battles each weekend as well as many smaller quests and skirmishes. Taking part is completely optional - around half of our players do so each event. However, if you do take the field for a big battle as your character, then you must volunteer to monster the other battle (we have to get our hundreds of orcs from somewhere!). We strive to make monstering as enjoyable as possible, and we provide a mask and an armoured breastplate for our orcs, so if you're just starting out then all you need to monster is your basic costume and a weapon if you've got one.
Player With Player Interactions
Politics and battles are just part of the appeal of Empire for many players. A huge part of the game is focussed on the interactions between players which aren't directly political or confrontational. The game supports a wide a range of character interactions which are broadly cooperative in nature. Beyond the cutthroat politics and the adrenaline of the battlefield, Empire is a world you can live in.
Trade and commerce are an important part of the game, with many characters striving to make as much money as possible. There are many things to buy and sell, with a position in the Imperial Bourse as the ultimate prize - bringing prestige and wealth to those who can afford it. Characters can trade resources as well as crafted goods such as potions and magic items. You might also use in-character money to buy a cake, a song, a seat or a piece of jewellery that players make and then sell as their character. Almost everything is on sale in Anvil!
Religion and magic are just as important as trade. In addition to being politically powerful, the Imperial Synod is the starting point for many religious and philosophical conversations as characters debate the Virtues and the teachings of the Way. Magicians meet in the Imperial Conclave to decide matters of magic but they also share knowledge and learning and seek assistance to perform powerful rituals.
Entertainment and culture provide yet more opportunities for players to interact with each other. You might attend a play at The League theatre, or join in the music and singing at the Navarr camp during “Songs and Stories”. Every nation has its own festivities and every event there are festivals and celebrations. Anvil comes alive at night with parties and singing, across the camps.