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Next weekend clash: Jaska 11 and SFeraKon

The summer season opens next weekend in Croatia - although in the neighborhood it was open the last weekend with VLarp in Serbia, connecting free days from the May 1st until tomorrow, when Orthodox Easter festivities will end there (here are their rules for everyone who's interested) - but in Croatia it begins next weekend with Jaska 11 by Ognjeni Mač. Btw, "Jaska" is a nickname for Jastrebarsko, a town near the place where this larp series is being held. It's interesting to note that it's (together with larp Maksimir) the last remnant of once dominant form of calling larps primarily by the off-game name of the place where they're being held.


Although not the first multi-day larp this year (that one would be Terra Nova: Zimograd this January), it is the first multi-day larp in the warm season where it's considered socially acceptable to camp outside. As all Jaska larps, it will be a four-day event, from Thursday to Sunday. The yearly number of Jaska larps varies - historically it has always been two from 2008. when it started until 2011. when it was three, and last year there was only one (as the second event was reorganized and expanded into Crolarp and the autumn event got canceled due to fears of bad weather).

One interesting trend is that Jaska larps seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper. Jaska larps up to and including Jaska 8 were having a price structure of 100-150 kn, depending on when someone paid and his or her membership status and it included some food and drinks. Further Jaska larps never again included any food. I'll skip Jaska 9 in this comparison as it was shorter. Jaska 10 was 80-90 kn, depending on when someone paid and with some discounts to long-distance visitors. Jaska 11 is 45-65 kn, depending on membership status. It still includes drinks (for in-character money). Single day tickets were not counted in the comparison.


This weekend is also the largest Croatian sci-fi convention, SFeraKon (last year it was a host convention to Eurocon). As Ognjeni Mač usually keeps a stand on SFeraKon, this clash was unusual and unexpected. The reason for it was that SFeraKon was actually supposed to happen two weeks earlier, then Jaska was arranged - and then SFeraKon was moved to the same weekend.

SFeraKon will also feature several larps and larp-related stuff. I will run the Ars Amandi workshop (like the one on PoRtaL) which also includes several scenarios which are played, and the Death of the Japanese Emperor. Other larps that will take place will be Koliba, and quite possibly Love is Blue which I tried on last year's Eurocon (and which is definitely a champion regarding how much time it has been run in Croatia!). A very larpy program with a lot of content compared to most previous general SF/Fantasy conventions.

Which means that wherever you go, it will be good.

I'll be in Zagreb on Friday, when I'll run the Ars Amandi workshop. I'll spend the Saturday on Jaska (not to break my chain of being on every Jaska so far), and return on the Sunday to SFeraKon to run Death of the Japanese Emperor. That is, if the current convention schedule holds. The final one should be out soon.

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