Safety and Wellbeing

## **Trigger warnings**

Due to the nature of the Universe we are playing in, this LARP regularly explores themes of war and its
aftermath, genocide, violence, crime, death, torture, mental illness and other
harrowing themes. You should note that due to this, it is not generally
suitable for players under 18.

Also the above will not be warned of specifically so should be expected to be addressed at any event in plot, NPC
interactions and personal role play.

The game will not generally
address themes of sexual assault or sexual violence. You are still able to
include these concepts in your backstory, but you should be aware that they
will not come up in game plot, and you should check OOC that people you will be roleplaying are ok with this before doing so.

You are not permitted to role-play any serious sexual assault even if all those involved are ok with it.

Any incidences of violence
towards children will be warned for ahead of time in event packs and will be
‘off camera.’ As with the above guidelines on sexual violence, players are welcome
to include this in their backstory and to mention and role-play around this
subject but should do so sensitively and with consideration.

If anyone choosing to attend one of our events as a player or crew
is aware that they have specific triggers that could cause them distress, we strongly encourage them to talk to us ahead of time so that we can prepare them
for what may occur/arrange for that particular role-play to be carried out
after they have been given time to remove themselves from the immediate
area/offer guidance as to whether it is integral to plot and therefore, as a
last resort, discuss if the event is suitable for them to attend.

## **Equalities Statement**

In any LARP game, it is important to be very clear on what is
acceptable both in and out of character. Conflict is often at the core of LARP
plot and this is part of what makes it fun. It is not our intention to
constrain any role-play or interfere with the idea that IC (In Character)
actions and words have IC consequences.

It is, however, useful to have guidelines to minimise the chances
of IC actions causing OOC distress.

## **OOC**

We (Lightning Bug LARP) will not discriminate on the grounds of
gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnic origin, body size, physical
appearance, religion (or lack of), sexuality, disability, marital status or age
(with the exception of the above referring to the unsuitability of the events
for those under 18). We expect our players to abide by the same rules and sexist,
racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or sizeist language or actions will
not be tolerated.

We aim to make our game as safe a space as possible for everyone
and to promote an atmosphere that actively encourages this. However, given the
nature of the hobby, some events may not be held at sites where all plot is
fully accessible to those with disabilities – we will do our best to make
adjustments for this and try to make everything as accessible to everybody as
we can – do let us know if we’re failing and we’ll try to do better.

## **IC**

This game takes place in a future universe; we
have actively chosen not to reproduce existing states of oppression and
discrimination, partly because it is not cool or interesting but mostly because
we believe LARP should be an escapist hobby for everyone, which includes people
who may have to deal with discrimination in real life.

It is not acceptable to IC use racist,
homophobic or transphobic language. These are not forms of discrimination we
have any intention of exploring in game and we do not feel anything is gained
from doing so.

We do have a number of people roleplaying
companions and other sex workers in the system. In the Serenity ‘verse, you
should note that Companions are usually well respected, at least among the Core
and Border worlds. However, this view is by no means universal, especially on
the Frontier or extended to non-registered sex workers.

If you do choose to play a character who is
involved in sex work, you should note that there might be negative role-play
around this, including use of offensive language, for example ‘whore’ as well
as people self-describing as such. In this, as in all LARP, there should be a
clear line between what is role-play and what is not and we expect everyone to
remember this.

We also touch on ableist language and
attitudes, especially around mental illness and
substance abuse. It is ok to portray characters with mental illness and issues
of this nature and portrayals of the after effects of traumatic military
service are core to a lot of characters. You should, as with all role-play,
avoid offensive portrayals of people with mental health issues. This means
avoiding generalised and offensive stereotypes and common misconceptions about
people with mental health problems or playing it 'for laughs'. If you choose to
include a particular concept in your role play, try to do so sensibly and
realistically.

A lot of role-play takes place
around the religious aspects of society and these are real world religions,
most commonly Buddhism and Christianity. However, this game takes place in a
society where these and other religions have changed and evolved over several
centuries and it should be understood that those who IC adhere to these faiths
will not always adhere to the rules and mores of today’s followers.

The Firefly/Serenity universe is
one where Chinese culture has mingled with American culture and this is one of
the things that makes it so much fun to play in. Players are ok to use Chinese
names, wear Chinese clothes and accessories as part of their portrayal of this
blending of two cultures but we ask that you do so with due sensitivity and
being mindful about cultural appropriation.

With all of the above, we trust
you, our players and crew, to use your common sense and not simply portray
offensive and inaccurate stereotypes but act with respect for those who attend
these events.

It is compulsory to have read and agreed to abide by
our anti-harassment and alcohol policies in order to book for our events, and
you can find these on our website, facebook group files, or available from any
committee member.

## Combat Safety

### **Unarmed**

Care should be taken when using unarmed
combat. If you are under the effects of alcohol or tired to a point where you
can no longer safely use unarmed combat, then don’t do it! You should aim to do
strikes open-palmed to upper arms with appropriate non-contact mock-fighting at
a safe pace.

### **Melee**

Any melee weapons must be LARP-safe and must be weapons-checked at
sign-in before being used. Any weapons found not to be safe must be locked in
your vehicle or put in your bunkroom/tent in your bags so they won’t accidentally
be used. During combat be sure to pull your blows. Under no circumstances must
a weapon be used to stab, even if the weapon is designed to be safe to do so.

### **Bows**

All arrows and bolts must conform to the Mike Stringer/“Second
Skin” standard and bows must not exceed 30lbs at a draw length of 28 inches.

### **Thrown**

Thrown weapons must be larger than an eye socket, be of a safe
foam and/or latex construction and must not have a solid core or solid
weighting.

### **Ranged**

Ranged weapon props must be Nerf/toys,
non-firing replicas, airsoft guns or blank firing of a sufficient quality to be
appropriate as props with in the setting.

**Guns must**
not under any circumstances have any batteries, ammunition, blanks or other
such items installed and you should not bring any of the above to an event.

Guns and all other weapons will be safety checked as you check in
to the event and random checks may occur at any point.

## Non-Combat Props

Any non-combat props such as tools, utensils and boxes must be of
a sturdy construction and possess no protruding sharp edges. Medical props such
as syringes must not have needles attached and any drug phys-reps must be of a
substance that is safe to consume should any mix-ups occur.

Any Out of Character medications should not be stored in an In
Character medical bag and should be kept in private places or clearly marked
‘OOC medication – do not use’. Conversely, please use your common sense and do
not consume anything that looks like medication without first checking it is
not. Some players use sweets or similar to represent pills – if in doubt and
you are being given something by an IC medic it is totally ok to drop OOC for a
moment and just check what you are putting in your mouth!

Any electrical, pneumatic or mechanical props need to be examined
by the organisers before being used and we would strongly urge you to contact
us well before the event so we can advise you as to their suitability. Any
electrical systems must be cleared for use with the organisers beforehand.
Mechanisms must not have any exposed moving parts such as transmission systems
that may cause injury.

## **Refs**

   Game referees will be introduced during the player briefing at the start of an event. They will typically be in IC clothes rather than stereotypical high vis jackets. They may also play NPCs or their own player characters at times. These team members are your first port of call for rules queries and situations requiring formal rulings.

The Ref team will sometimes bear a specific symbol on a pice of clothing, either a T-shirt or Hoodie. This will allow you to quickly identify who is a Ref, even if they are in IC cloathing.

It is pictured here for reference.

## **First Aid and medical cover**

The first aiders will be
introduced during the pre-event briefing so as many people as possible know who they
are. A game team member will be designated to report all problems/injuries to.

## **Calls and Gestures.**

### **IC Dead People**

Anyone with their finger in the air is invisible and cannot be
seen – for example refs when briefing players, or crew members who have
finished monstering an encounter and need to get back to the monster room
without being shot at.

### **OOC calls**

The following calls are out of character information calls used
for safety or organisational purposes.

### **Man down**

Shouted when someone is injured OOC. **When you hear this call stop roleplaying**
immediately and remain stationary until instructed otherwise**. If it is**
obvious that a nearby player or ref has not heard the call, please repeat
it/inform them. Do not repeat this call yourself, otherwise the game team or
first aiders may not be able to tell who is hurt and where they need to be.

### **Time Freeze**

Stop roleplaying. This call may be used for
safety reasons, or more frequently when the refs need to simulate something or
give out information that your character would be able to see/feel/hear etc.
You may be asked to close your eyes and/or hum to mitigate any 'surprises'
being put into place.

### **Time out**

Roleplaying has ceased for the weekend. Well
done! We finish with a standard debrief and perhaps a quick description IC of
what is about to happen to player base in the near future.