FIRST LANDS OF EXILE 2.0 ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome to Lands of Exile: 2.0 (debuting in 2024)! We’re so excited to share the details of the new iteration of the game we have all come to know and love! Below you will find an overview of that new world- not everything will be revealed today, so be on the lookout for more comprehensive information in the coming months.
New World, New Problems, Same Great Storytelling
The Goal of Lands of Exile 2.0 is to improve on what works, add new things that will bring exciting changes, and cast off what held us back. But first, here is your first in-universe look at the new Lands of Exile:
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The Exiled Lands have become the fate of all mortal creatures. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors lived in a promised land alongside fae and even the gods themselves– the Eternal Lands. All of that prosperity came crashing down in the Cataclysm. The knowledge of those events survives to this day only as myth and legend, as varied as the people that endured it. But the end result is well known; all of us were cast out of that land and banished across the sea. Though now separated from the gods, civilization flourished once more. The call of home stayed in the hearts of all. Throughout history there have always been those who attempted the treacherous journey to return. Many never returned, and those that did only recalled a futile attempt that led to them being rebuffed. Eventually governments could not spare the resources to explore with no gain and the endeavor fell into the hands of various factions formed along more eclectic lines. As much as our new homes were already a hardship, some fifty years ago they took on a new, even more horrible burden. Almost one in every three people was struck down by a deep and supernatural sleep, unable to be stirred from their unconsciousness. They stayed alive in some form of suspended state, left as a reminder for those of the waking world what they had lost. Some died from the unseen events of their dreams, some remain in slumber, and some have begun to awaken. They tell stories of facing horrifying nightmares, and all that awoke found themselves forever changed– sometimes, even physically. Inexplicably, it turns out that those rare few (known as "Awakened,") can not only survive the journey across the sea, but step foot back in the Eternal Lands.
The first steps home in thousands of years are just now being taken.
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Now let’s talk about some aspects of the game from a Player standpoint:
What is the Same?
With all these changes, it’s fair to ask “What will stay the same?” The core things that are important to us are staying the same! We’ll still be a high fantasy medieval 18+ LARP, with the same kit and immersion requirements. Costuming, weapons, and prosthetics used in 1.0 will still be usable in 2.0, as well as new options! We’ll still operate 6-7 times a year at Singletary Lake State Park, and our ticket options will remain the same.
What’s going away?
2.0 will feature an entirely new setting with new lore, antagonists and history. Current 1.0 races will be reincorporated or replaced by Awakened, Cultures and Factions (see below). Inevitably there will be some rules and mechanics that will not make it past the cutting room floor. Specifics will be revealed in the coming months, but read on for a taste of what's to come!
What is New?
A lot of the important stuff! The entire world is a completely new setting! We’ll be bringing you a new rulebook with new mechanics (but still a simple, low-call system as before), and of course, everyone will be playing new characters! We’ll also be making the switch to more faction-based role play, and focusing not on races but on cultures, which function differently and inform role play in new, exciting ways!
There are three new key components to creating your character: Player characters will choose an Awakened Type, Culture, and Faction.
The Awakened
Your character is an “Awakened,” the name given to those special few who have survived a horrible curse and been left forever scarred. Though all characters were born human, some woke from their cursed sleep with physical changes such as pointed ears, unnatural eyes, and, in extreme cases, traits reminiscent of nature or beasts. There are specific kinds of Awakened that you will be able to select from, similar to picking racial traits at LoE 1.0. The Awakened also gained the ability to see what was once unseeable to the naked eye- the presence of demons and other monstrosities. This makes Awakened prime candidates for the exploration of the newly re-discovered lands, brimming with entities that they alone can fight.
Cultures
Many of the elements you know and love from 1.0's Races will instead be incorporated into Cultures. Rather than focusing on racial attributes, variance in character type is the result of their cultural upbringing. Some cultures will be more religious, some more rigid, some more free; but all of them will have a stake in charting out the newly revealed Eternal Lands, and all have something worth fighting for. In world Lore, each Culture has a representative member seated on a great global council, and most cultures will have had some interaction with one another (be it positive or negative) prior to the events of the main game. In addition to your faction
Factions
Player characters arrive to the Eternal Lands beneath the banner of a Faction. Each Faction has their own goals and motivations for exploration and vary from religious groups, to government agencies, to scholarly parties. Whether your character's personal motivations align with their Factions' or not, operating beneath a Faction is the only way to survive in the Eternal Lands. Your character will travel to the Eternal Lands with their Faction, in search of resources or information to send back to the mainland to help further their goals. Conflict in 2.0 will focus less on Character vs. Character and more on Character vs. Environment. This means that while the Factions might not always see eye-to-eye, they ultimately work alongside one another to help the entire group.
We are so excited for you to experience Lands of Exile 2.0. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to sharing more details with you as development progresses. Keep an eye out for the Awakened Types, coming in June!
