STRIKE ThE COLOURS
A Skull & Crossbones Story

4 - 7 October 2025

575 €

Traditional Sailing Ship "Pippilotta"

Leaving from Kappeln Harbour, Northern Germany

The Golden Age of Piracy is over. Peace in Europe and the powers of Spain, England and France have ousted the pirate threat from the Caribbean. One ship flees to its former home in the Baltic Sea. Their future looks bleak, for this is centuries since the time of the Likedeelers whose names have faded into legend.

Now predators have become prey and crewmate turns against crewmate in a struggle to make it out alive. How far are you willing to go to protect your way of life and all that you hold dear? What will win between loyalty to your crew, the call of treasure or the temptation of freedom?

What meaning does life have for you if piracy is no longer possible?

Strike the Colours is a Nordic-inspired larp played on a real sailing ship on the Baltic Sea. Prepare to experience deadly adventure, explore the kinship of swashbucklers, sing shanties with salty seadogs and brace yourself for the tides of change.

The Experience

This larp combines swashbuckling fun with the pressure of impossible choices in a changing world. It is a game about loyalty and self-preservation, about light moments in dark times and about the fight for freedom.

There will be dark and heartbreaking moments, death and betrayal but there will also be plenty of time for shanty singing, storytelling and rum-motivated gambling.

This crew will desperately hold on to the joy that the world has set out to take from them. They are all different and do not always agree but on the Maelstrom, they are family. But... will that be enough in the End?

The Sailing

Sailing is a central part of the experience and each player will become a member of the crew. This means manning the ropes, steering the ship and scrubbing the deck. No prior sailing experience is required but your participation is! There are real boatswains on board to teach you the basics of traditional sailing.

The sea is an unpredictable lover ruled by wind and weather. For those of us not used to conditions at sea it can be strenuous. Some will get seasick, it could be cold and rainy, the work is physically demanding. And on top of it all, the space on board is limited with its small cabins narrow corridors and steep staircases.

But you are pirates and you share the burden as one crew. Work done together is work done easily. And at the end of the day, when you are standing on the bow of the ship next to your fellow likedeeler with the salty wind in your hair, it will all have been worth it. There is no feeling like it.

What to Expect

A dramatic story set at the end of the Golden Age of Piracy (1725)
A setting and mythology inspired by the real life history of 14th-15th C. Baltic Sea piracy
A game on a real sailing ship involving plenty of actual sailing!
A mixture of historical and fantastical elements
A game that can be physically intense due to the setting on a ship
An emotionally dark game inspired more by Black Sails than Pirates of the Caribbean
Workshops on game rules, safety mechanics and relations
Cooperation and teamwork to make sure off-game chores are completed
Online pre-game socialising, hype and calibration on Discord (optional)
To be photographed during the game
- Please speak to the photographer if you would not like to be photographed, but we cannot guarantee this

What Not to Expect

Play to win
A happy ending
A predominantly silly or lighthearted game based uncritically on pirate cliches
Play on historical sexism, racism and bigotry
Play on sexual harassment, sexual abuse or suicide

What We Expect of You

That you have read our Code of Conduct and agree to it
That you will read (or listen to) this Player’s Guide before the larp
That you will play collaboratively and uplift your fellow players
Contribution to off-game chores such as food prep, cleaning and sailing
That you take responsibility for your own fun – know your own limits and look after yourself!