Conspiracy Monthly

 By Kieran/Kyra Barry

What You Missed - Queen of Hearts XXIX [Photos Edition]

 Photos by: Kersten "YPNN" Prince and Jason "Aeston" Rosa
Captions by Jason "Aeston" Rosa and Kieran/Kyra "Omri" Barry

Aeston announces the start of a Queen of Hearts tournament.

Snatch n' Dodge, a newer staple to Queen of Hearts tournaments.

Art of battle includes the arts of crafts.

Trusting your teammates and the process.

Chess at QOH requires you to put your whole self into it.

Everyone's favorite Roman General's Wall.

Base encampments

 May the best chef team win.

One of them field battles

Group hugs all around

Rock Fight action shot!

Challenge Race shenanigans

Team Magnolia, strike a pose!

Puppet show time!

A soon-to-be-magic sword!

Rhiassans being all Rhiassa-y

The kids found the giant foam blocks

Castle battle!

A little Rhiassan helps hand out prizes

And great times were had by all.

Why I Want To Go - Invictus Tournaments

 Written by: Sawyer "Jericho" Judkins

Tournaments are one of my favorite things to go to, and Invictus is always a group known for their excellent tournaments. This year sounds like it is going to be no exception. To start off with, it sounds like there is some potential trouble brewing near the border with Ariland. Something about a demon wanting to talk with some of us about something. Definitely seems like a thing that would be important to check in about.

The rest of the weekend is promised to be a light-hearted and relaxing weekend of tournaments. King Shandar has decided to do things a little differently this year knowing how many big things are coming up for everyone this year. I am excited to see what kind of changes they have in mind. I had an amazing time at the last tournaments held by Invictus, and was impressed by the selection of varying fights beyond just the basic ones. 

While I might not participate in it, Saturday night is going to be a blast. Zarine’s Nighttime Extravaganza sounds like it is going to be a blast, and a great bunch of non-coms are planned for it! I look forward to hanging around with everyone to watch this fun unfold.

Overall, I am incredibly excited to see everyone there this upcoming weekend in Invictus for their next iteration of tournaments.

See you on the field,

Lord Jericho Axelthorne

Realmsle #19

                       

This custom Wordle-adjacent-puzzle features a 5-letter word that is particularly relevant to the Realms.

If the embedded page isn't working below you can click this link to get to the puzzle.

Like regular Wordle you can copy your result's (but only if you follow the link), so paste them or a screenshot onto social media to let us know how you did. But no spoilers!

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Humanizing the Realms: Travis "Sir Elwin O'Bearikin" Wilcox

1. What do you do outside of the game? What would you like to be doing? (Work, school, projects, etc.)

I am currently doing property maintenance for my job after spending a few years as being an Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor for a larger company.

2. What hobbies do you enjoy other than LARP?

I really enjoy 3D printing. I have been doing it for quite a few years now and it makes me happy even though the frustrating parts.

3. Favorite meal, dessert, and drink?

My favorite meal is Putchins, it is a boiled meatballs and dumplings in a gravy poured over crushed boiled potatoes. As for desserts, I enjoy either a good chocolate moose or strawberry shortcake. My favorite drink would be Mt. Dew.

 

4. If you could go on vacation anywhere, where would it be? Would you bring anyone?

I just recently started to learn how to vacation. I would say my big trip that I would want to do would be either England or Japan. Although the transatlantic cruise that we should be doing this year should be really fun. We have been having a great time traveling with friends and of course I go with Sarah.

5. Are you working on any life goals that you’re willing to share?

I have been trying to work on me. Mental health has been a struggle for me for most of my life and I am working on making that better.

6. Favorite outfit other than garb?

I love to put on a fresh pair of slacks, a button up shirt and a tie with a really nice pair of shoes. Always feels good to look sharp.

7. Do you have any professional or personal skills you’d be willing to talk about?

Unfortunately that is just a hard question for me. I have had a lot of professions in my life from web designer, to bagger, to painter, to DJ, to retail management to being the Safety Guy. I think this is a better question to ask in person if you are looking to know something. I may know it or may know someone who does.

8. What drew you to the realms, and what keeps you there?

Way back in the day, mid '90's, I was a freshman in highschool. I was talking to this guy in one of my classes about Dungeons and Dragons and he told me about this really cool thing he did called N.E.R.O. Well, let me tell you, it sounded amazing. You get to play a character much like a D&D one but you really got to go out and do it. Well this seemed just for me after spending years in martial arts so I did what any sane teen of the time would do... I asked my mom. Well when she asked me how much it was, I told her it was $120 a year and $60 per event. In now a day money that would be $240 a year and $120 an event. That was a whole lot of money for a kid to go play on a weekend. Next question she asked was where was it? Now that was when I told her it was in NY. While she still heard me out, that was a final nail in the coffin. There was no way she was going to drop me off almost 5 hours away for a weekend with people she didn't know and out doing something she didn't really understand. Few weeks later she came back to me and said she had looked into it and found a local game that took place only about 45 minutes away. She had a friend who had a friend who played and they were coming over to tell me all about it. So I gathered a couple of my friends at the time and we all got together the next week with a guy from the game. He brought all kinds of weapons and rule books and the fighters manual and the spell casters manual and we talked for 3 hours about all the ins and outs of the game. After that I was hooked. Memorial day weekend came around and I packed the weapons I made and the little bit of camping stuff I had and we were off to Tournaments of Creathorne '95. That is where it all began. My mom made me my costume and we made weapons just like the book said to. They were terrible and we replaced them at the event because they were not safe at all. Now onto what keeps me here. That is not as colorful of a story. I am here because of the people, the community they have built and the history and enjoyment that the years of playing has given me. I started out as a player enjoying the great stories that were being told and soon grew into an event holder at a young age so that I could bring others the enjoyment of the game that they were bringing me. I had an idea and I ran with it. Over the years I have seen so many people come into the game and enjoy what we have to offer. Some stayed for many years others only in brief passing. I stay because I want the game to grow and bring the enjoyment I had when I first started to others.

I stay since the skills you have transfers better in this game to actual results then in most games, where its very sheet focused.

9. Favorite movies/shows/books?

My favorite movie is Demolition Man, favorite show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and favorite book is really hard to pin down. I have a lot of different ones that are really stand out to me for many different reasons.

10. If you happened upon 3 wishes, what would they be? (Wishing for more wishes doesn’t seem to work...)

My first reaction is to loop hole this and wish for Shenron, Porunga, and Genie from Aladdin. I will take this in the spirit of the question though. Wish 1: $999,999,999.00 to be equally removed from the top five richest people in the world and deposited into my bank account as a legal and willing transfer. Wish 2: The ability to bring good health to myself and all those around me. Wish 3: Immortality with a fixed age of 35, able to be ended at the time of my choosing.

11. Who would you like to see interviewed next?

In no particular order: Matt Hewitt Sarah Fournier Tony Quintana

12. Anything else you’d like to add? 

No matter how long you have been playing the game be it a year or thirty, we are all playing this game together to have fun.

If you'd like to do one of these interviews, send Dani Lacasse (lilpotatogem on Discord) a message to let her know! 

Women and Gender Minorities Forum Announcement

 By Kelly “Fern” Perfetto

This upcoming forum is about and for women and gender minorities. As such, only those who fall into these self-defined identities should attend.

On Friday the 23rd of August, from 7 pm to 9 pm (end time variable depending on interest), there will be a combination presentation night and forum discussion about Women and Gender Minorities in the Realms, hosted and moderated by Kelly Perfetto. 

This meeting will be split into two parts. The first is a moderated forum which will be recorded. The second is a more free-form discussion which will not be recorded. The recorded portion of the forum will be shared at a later date for anyone to watch. A way to access the zoom link will be shared prior to the forum in both the Realms Discord server and the event description, located here: https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1990

Dani (Elizah) and Nataliya (Shader) plan to present about the Knights of the Lunar Aegis and the Huntress Guild, respectively. 

We plan to have a wide range of topics relevant to the experiences of women and gender minorities in the Realms. Topics for discussion include:

• The roles and expectations of fighters and support casters
• Experiences in the Realms in the past and present 
• What behind the scenes work does and does not get recognized 
• How women and gender minorities are identified in comparison to male counterparts
• Women and gender minorities in leadership
• And more 

~ ~ ~

A quick note from Kelly:

Most events these days are getting a ‘Why I Want to Go’ article. While this is not an official event by any means, I want to share my thoughts behind holding this forum. 

I joined the Realms in October of 2021, and people I talk to keep saying the community is changing a lot, even in comparison to just five years prior. A lot of these changes are the natural  result of time passing; people step away from the game, plot lines wrap up, leadership turns over, new plots begin, new people join and learn the ropes of the community. 

Some changes, however, involve stepping away from rote expectations of the past. Even after less than three years in the game, I have seen improvements in the safety of weapons and fighting styles. The Realms is more dietary restriction conscious than many restaurants I’ve been to, and some feastocrats are trying to find even more ways to allow people to enjoy food at their events. Even the wording of the Omnibus has changed and adapted over time.  

I know the way women and gender minorities interact with the game and community is changing as well. There are more leadership opportunities available across the board. There are some incredible female fighters continuing to teach the next generations how to work with their bodies, instead of against them. Support casters and fighters now more often work as a team rather than a main character and extra. Previously thankless tasks like kitchen work, garb making, and organization are becoming more recognized. 

Our broad experiences still differ, though, from the experiences of the bulk of the Realms population. Come join me this Friday to talk about our shared experiences, ways we know the Realms has changed for the better, and ways we want to keep our game growing and changing. 

Word from the West - Knightly Treats

Created by: Brookelyn "Rowan" Gingras

Word from the West_QoH XXIX

Following his daring rescue by our fellow adventurers from the bear family's house, Garrick discovered a disturbing page from a recipe book stuck to the bottom of his boot.

[Image description: Two worn and torn pages with bear prints on them. The left page says: Knightly Treats. -Ingredients- 1 Adventurer, boiled & deboned. 2 bushels of celery. 2 bushel of fresh watercress. 1 liter olive oil. Pinch of salt. Dash of pepper. 1 gallon of tobasco sauce. Underneath is written "Too hot! 1/4 gallon" "Too mild! 1/2 gallon is just right". On right page is an illustration of an armored individual with slashes across various parts of their body showing where to cut/slice. Underneath are the words "Choice Cuts"]

Hedda's Helping Hands Kitchen: Recipe #4 [Special Picnic Edition]

Created by: Anna "Hedda" Hewitt 

Welcome to the series that features handcrafted recipes directly from Hedda's kitchen brought straight to your table. From drinks, treats, sweets and more, Hedda's helping hands are sure to serve just what you're looking for!

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Rumors for August 1024

[Across the Realms]

Crudely drawn and poorly spelled posters can now be found in population centers across the realms. They once again state: “Join Raging Rodents! Meet at Mid-Realm!”.

~~~

A number of small-time brigands have recently turned up dead after preying upon small settlements. The bodies were found in accelerated states of decay relative to their last reported sightings alive.

[Blackavar]

Adventurers and a particularly frightened bridge guard have reported horrible creatures emerging occasionally from a fiery red portal near the border with Darkvale.

[Chimeron]

In Chimeron City, an earthquake was observed for several minutes last month. No casualties or deaths were reported. Scouts and scholars have triangulated the epicenter somewhere in Chimeron proper and the shockwave was felt for only several miles.

~~~

There's been an uptick of scholars investigating the geology of various regions, though no one seems to recognize them as being a part of any prominent academic institution.

Word From the West - Post Gi Ad

Written by: Becky "Kovaks" Baron

Organized by: Brookelyn "Rowan" Gingras

*Experienced Researcher Seeking Temporary Employment*

Magical researcher with 10 years experience with The Subtle Thread (specialty focuses in Void Interactions in Microthaumatological Auras and  Zaubermeldic Forging) seeks short term employment while furloughed following end of last assignment. 

Name and references available upon hire!

Queen of Hearts XXIX Results

Below are the results from the 29th Queen of Hearts Tournaments and War Maneuvers presented by Rhiassa.

War Maneuvers

• Castle Battle - Team Grebinar
• Bridge Battle - Team Grebinar
• Antonine Wall - Team Grebinar
• Field Battle - Tie - Team Grebinar and Team Magnolia
• Live Chess - Team Grebinar
• Hadrian's Wall - Team Grebinar
• Squad Grand Melee - Team Magnolia
• Grand Teamwork - Team Magnolia
• Rock Assault - Team Magnolia
• Snatch - n' Dodge - Team Grebinar
• Queen's War - Team Grebinar

Five and Ten Persons

• Five Person Field Battle - Team Grebinar
• Five Person Bear Pit - Team Grebinar
• Ten Person Field Battle - Team Grebinar
• Ten Person Bear Pit - Team Grebinar

Individual Combat Tournaments

• Open Fighter - Torolf from Team Magnolia
• Closed Fighter - Rowan (Lady Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Mixed Pair - Nat and Torolf from Team Magnolia
• Light Caster - Ranger from Team Magnolia
• Heavy Caster - Bogen (Furrinar) from Team Grebinar
• Young Blood - Officer Grebinar from Team Grebinar
• Newbie - Potato from Team Magnolia
• Knight & Squire - Elwin (Conquistador Grebinar) & LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Spirit & Steel - Amvious (Sultry Grebinar) & Grebinar Prime from Team Grebinar
• Boff Archery - Potato from Team Magnolia
• Duncan's Challenge - Torolf from Team Magnolia

Weapons Styles Showcase

• Single Short Individual - Drin from Team Magnolia
• Single Short Squad - LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar), Shader (Chef Grebinar), and Grebinar Prime of Team Grebinar
• Florentine Individual - LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Florentine Squad - Amvious (Sultry Grebinar), Elwin (Conquistador Grebinar), and Eldritch (Oldinar) from Team Grebinar
• Sword and Shield Individual - Eldritch (Oldinar) from Team Grebinar
• Sword and Shield Squad - Bogen (Furrinar), Avendar, and Grarr (Grebigrarr) from Team Grebinar
• Hand and a Half Individual - Shader (Chef Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Hand and a Half Squad - Karrai (Admiral Grebinar), Shaphael (Pope Grebinar), and Drago (Larginar) from Team Grebinar

Non Combat and Crafting Tournaments

• Marksman - Ragnar from Team Magnolia
• Athlete - LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Gambler - Veit from Team Magnolia
• Strategist - Officer Grebinar from Team Grebinar 
• Loremaster - Drin from Team Magnolia
• Scavenger - Styx (Fairy Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Banner & Heraldry - Rowan (Lady Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Foamsmith - J'ortsa & Onyx from Team Grebinar
• Armourer - Ash from Team Magnolia
• Garb - Karrai (Admiral Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Shieldsmith - Grarr (Grebigrarr) from Team Grebinar
• Performance - Haylith & Magnolia from Team Magnolia
• Cutthroat Cleaved - Bogen (Furrinar) & Styx (Fairy Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Jester - Berserker Bob (Team Magnolia)

Honorifics

• Team Magnolia's Inspirational - Grazen
• Team Magnolia's Tactician - Haylith
• Team Magnolia's MVP - Torolf

• Team Grebinar's Inspirational - Rowan (Lady Grebinar)
• Team Grebinar's Tactician - Shaphael (Pope Grebinar)
• Team Grebinar's MVP - LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar)

• Team Pageantry - Team Magnolia
• Team Camaraderie - Team Grebinar
• Team Spirit - Team Magnolia

• Best Provost - Hayleth from Team Magnolia
• Best Senechal - Amvious (Sultry Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Best General - Veit from Team Magnolia

Aces

• Ace of Spades - Shader (Chef Grebinar) from Team Grebinar
• Ace of Hearts - Bogen from Team Grebinar
• Ace of Diamonds - Grarr (Grebigrarr) from Team Grebinar
• Ace of Clubs - LukeJohn (Hot Dog Grebinar) from Team Grebinar

And the Twenty-ninth Queen of Hearts title was bestowed upon

Grebinar of Team Grebinar

Word from the West - Rise of Gi-sistance

Written by: Kathy "Makhta" Fey

Organized by: Brookelyn "Rowan" Gingras

**Amidst the race to pull our remaining forces from Gi, one of our allies on the western flank recovered a misplaced journal with a single entry scrawled hastily on bloodstained pages.**

Even now it pains me to put pen to paper, knowing I'll be damned for it, but I can't bring myself to stop. The King is dead and armies scattered, so what does it matter anyway? I feel I must write of our deeds so our story will survive if no one is left to tell it.

They attacked during a brutal time of blazing sun and close air. Sweat and blood ran in the eyes of both armies. This enemy from another plane had the audacity to invade our territory and raze their own resources to drive us away.

They came in great numbers, must have been through portals or some kind of magic travel, bringing all manner of living and undead, enchanted and beastly creatures to fight us.

We braved the first skirmishes with stout heart and strong formations, and caused a great number of the enemy to crumple in death. Until they peppered their forces with enemies we could not affect with our weapons at all.

In response, two of our most skilled compatriots rushed to the forge and quickly crafted sleek and sturdy axes that we could throw at these hard-skinned foes.

We fought with our best prowess and hope against an ever-mounting arsenal of attacks. Only a few of us could affect those enhanced enemies, and then they sequestered truly irritating drummers and singers behind their lines, which seemed to bolster their strength. We faced forces equipped to cut through the armor of even our most powerful allies, and banish our spirit support with but a word. Still, we killed so many. They kept coming. But so did we.

Our soldiers skilled in stealth struck blows as well. We found some of our scouts cut down but with blood on their swords, while others returned with information of enemy strength and movements. One intrepid soldier destroyed their unguarded ballista and still returned to report on activity at their base.

We burned down their sleeping quarters, and launched several attacks that gained access to the enemy base. Feats of clever, close-range and hand-to-hand combat resulted in satisfying harm to the enemy on their own proclaimed ground.

After days of conflict, battles raged on - in open fields, through guarded entryways, across all terrains. Our healers labored fiercely and we carried extra weaponry to the front for the constant shattering of our equipment. We were light of foot and keen of aim against a foe that seemed determined to fight to the end.

At last our King himself, resplendent in attire, came forth to face the enemy, with our remaining magical and beastly forces at our side and our weapons sharp as ever. We showed no fear in the face of the onslaught, until somehow, the true King fell, and seemed consumed by a suffocating crowd of attackers.

My companions closest to the gate escaped. I am left here with neither country nor kin, to make my way in this ruined world.

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

Savage Saegan Becomes Blackwood

Written by: James "Tao" Murphy 

Savage Saegan was Surrounded by Small Idarias.

Friendly functions found his name in FIM

Blackwood burst back, Dark decreed, then descended.

Knightly Karrol restored, duked, disheveled, determined.

FIM pleasantly perused, persuaded, promised, but declined

The Stag his home, his hearth, his heart

Terrible Toah, trainer of snakes

Violent Vedo, vengeful warrior

Laughing Laertes, last of his line

Diligent Desmond, darkly delighted

Blackwood invigorated, all invited, all included, Saegan says yes.

Squired succinctly, knighted knowingly, Princed perceptively

Kinged.

Word from the West - Exotic Items, Creatures, and Wares

Written by: Zack "Tony" Emmert

Organized by: Brookelyn "Rowan" Gingras

Deckard Cain,

I hope this letter finds you well. After observing the adventurers from the Realms as they recovered the nine knowledge veils from each realm of Hell, and successfully defeated both Kasadya and Drygha, I find myself impressed. Much as they did in defeating Lord Martanos, they have displayed remarkable potential as allies, and I believe they are worthy of further support. Their power in both blade and magic is growing steadily, and I believe they may prove to be critical allies.

As they successfully rescued me from Kasadya’s forces, saving my life in the process, I have seen fit to welcome one of their number into the Horadrim as an Initiate, and they have chosen for themself four apprentices. I see considerable potential in all of them, and I think they might just be the hope we need to defeat Malthael.

-Jacob Staalek

 P.S: Additionally, the sword that had once chosen me is in their possession. And though it is no longer mine to wield, it is clear that it is borne with honor, and righteous intent. It may be in my hands no longer, but it continues to be a part of our cause nonetheless.

Why I Want To Go - Queen of Hearts XXIX

Written by: Kai "LukeJohn" Yang & Maleigha "Magnolia" Johnson

I'm super excited for this year's Queen of Hearts Tournament!  It's one of the Realms' major events, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.  

The event staff always make it a weekend to remember.  The times I've gone, I had a great experience seeing all of the fun competitions and battles. Some were challenging, others encouraged teamwork, others made you bring a ball all the way on top of a hill with two parachutes, but I can't wait to see what will happen this year! 

After seeing my supporting team pour hours of hard work into preparation, it makes me appreciate how much this event brings people together.  We are excited to bring that energy to this weekend and have a wonderful time with you all.

See you all at the field,

Magnolia 

The Epic History of the Realms

Written by: Dan Diamond (Baron Diamond Banecroft)

Chapter One: The Prehistory and Golden Age of the Realms

It’s a bit hard to say when the Realms started because the Realms rules, event holders, and players evolved from several precursor games which all contributed bits of what we consider “The Realms”. It’s fuzzy, but the steps are described below. But before one can understand that story, you have to understand the larger social situation. The first Renaissance Fair in the United States was in 1963. The Society of Creative Anachronism started in 1966. Both of those in far off California. Tabletop roleplaying games started in 1971. It takes time for these ideas to spread and become popular. At the dawn of the 1980s, tabletop roleplaying was a niche activity and LARPing was just starting to exist: the first LARP of the sort we mean in a modern sense may have been Dagorhir in 1977. LARPs were quite a bit harder to even find. In 2024 a healthy variety of LARPs can be discovered in seconds through a search engine. In the 80s, you had to physically locate someone actually involved, and the most official way of spreading information was a mimeographed newsletter put together by an individual or small team with a lot of work and mailed monthly though USPS. And there was a backlash: the Satanic Panic started in the beginning of the 80s. This was a specious demonization of RPGs in general as allegedly contributing to actual violence and satanic cult activity. Perpetrated by religious conservatives and perpetuated in the media, some fanatics even contra-factually made the literally phantastic claim that the magic and demons imagined in RPGs were real, literal dangers. A similar attempt had been made by those same sources to portray video games as social negatives, but never quite so literally. But RPGs in general and LARPs in general had the advantages of being fun, exciting, and novel. Those starting into these new worlds were doing things on a nearly blank canvas and imagined worlds and ways of doing things never before seen. And it is in this backdrop of LARPing in its infancy that the story of the Realms beings.

The Game: In some sense part of it started in 1981 with Arrowstorm’s Game, widely referred to in later decades simply as “The Game”. The Society of Creative Anachronism is not a LARP but rather a medieval re-enactment society involving dressing up in medieval garb and combat, among a lot of other activities. Arrowstorm’s Game was not SCA but was SCA-adjacent and was billed as “SCA Fantasy Weapons”. Practices occurred at Keene State College. James Murphy (Sir Tao) played “The Game” and is the source of this information. He describes the combat system as using our familiar hit location boffer system, but the boffers being heavier (spiral wrapped duct tape) and calibration of blow strength significantly more solid. Similar to what the SCA currently uses for youth combat. 

Rrathchllwyn LARP began in 1983 on private lands in Cannan NH. Neil Kusleika (Sir Eldritch) is my source for this, although I heard a lot about Rrathchllwyn when I started the game. Events often were replays of historical medieval scenarios. The site was exceptional: a lazily flowing river and fields which glowed with countless fireflies at night. Most impressive was a full-scale castle mock up, which I have seen. The main gatehouse/keep was very impressive indeed. It was sturdy enough in parts that someone frequently lived there. It got steadily less impressive as one followed the walls around away from the main gatehouse. For years the most serious injury/incident known to the game was the time a siege tower fell over onto John Wristley, breaking his arm. The Water Wars were fondly remembered and heavily involved the river. Labor Day frequently involved a castle siege. Sir Eldritch was brought into that game and trained by Lord Swan (real name not entered into Realmsnet), leader of the mercenary group “Freehold”. Sir Eldritch believes Lord Swan to be the mightiest warrior of the 80s. I faced Lord Swan in the early 90s and can confirm he was good and very fast. 

Mid-Realm was a LARP which ran from 1985-1988. Jarrod Marshal (Lord Jarrod) is my principal source for this information. This was run in Ware NH as a for-profit business by Tom Cook (Character name not known to this author). Tom Cook had started in Arrowstorm’s Game and went on to found the Midrealm. After 1988 Tom and the site switched from Medieval LARPing to paintball, finding that more profitable. I found that there currently is a large paintball site in Ware NH (Adventure Paintball). I gave them a call and talked to Alex, who told me that Adventure Paintball did indeed begin in 1988. Tom Cook sold it to the current owners about 20 years ago. I was told Tom now resides in Florida and does Pirate Battles.

Lord Jarrod was trained in Mid-Realm by King Lisa using SCA-like techniques. Mirkshaw, a large nation in that era, originated from Mid-Realm. Mirkshaw was led by the impressively intimidating Lord Kugen and was a very disciplined and uniformed chaos group. James Murphy disagrees with Neil, naming Tom Cook as the mightiest warrior of that era. In Character, Tom led the Free City of Manchester. 

The Lost Chest: John Wristley teamed up with Shannon Slate and Glenn Slate to found this LARP. James Murphy is the source of this information. This game had an experience point system which allowed characters more weapons and spells. Experience points may have been had by going into the woods and finding chests. James describes John as a LARP game designer who enjoyed tinkering with rules. I can confirm that part: in the early 90s I participated in yet another offshoot system by John widely called “Riz-System”.  

The Realms: According to James, in 1987 Shannon Slate met with John Wristley (and possibly others) at Steve Johnson’s house. There they made agreements to conglomerate to found Shannon’s The Realms. Sometimes referred to as “The Realms of Valehaven” or “The Realms of Wonder”. Shannon started throwing more events. Two events he threw were the cornerstone of the Realms event season. One of those, Duke of Glendale, was very much like Queen of Hearts is now. Shannon came to the other precursor LARPs and successfully lobbied many of their players to come over and play the Realms. They didn’t stop playing their original LARPs, but rather there was a shared pool of players and their associated characters whose history intermingled. That’s why it’s fuzzy to say when the Realms Started: if the Sir Eldritch of today’s Realms remembers events (and Events) which happened at Rrathchllwyn, and likewise Lord Jarrod for the Mid-Realm, they are part of Realms history. With a shared combat system, players, characters, and history the Realms emerged thanks to general agreements to respect each other’s backgrounds and Shannon’s gift for applying a loose framework everyone could work with. According to James Murphy, Shannon backed the Realms fundamental principal of “If you can do it, you can do it” which meant you didn’t (and don’t currently) need to spend character resources to swim, or pick locks, or weave cloth, etc. But “if you can do it, you can do it” also meant unprecedented freedom to create characters and background. If your character history sounded plausible, that was what it was. If your background is too silly, no one believes you. This is what allowed shared history from the precursor LARPs. This principal also allowed anyone can form their own Realms Nation, and allowed the Nations from the precursor LARPs legitimacy in the Realms. I remember reading Shannon’s guidelines for the titles appropriate to these various sized nations. For example, a Barony needed six members, a Kingdom about 50 (and heraldry, certain positions manned, and throw a couple of events per year). These guidelines are roughly followed even today. 

Another fundamental principal which makes this LARP The Realms was “We should all be doing this to have fun”, remembered by Bob Traynor as “the wisest thing Shannon ever said.” And Shannon apparently had some good ideas how to bring fun to his events. Duke of Glendale was very popular. Over the years I remember being told a few legendary tales which emerged from his era. For example, apparently one year he formed a huge dungeon in a field by mowing corridors and rooms and leaving tall grass as the dungeon walls. I remember Michael Palumbo (Panther) telling me about the indoor specially built dungeon Shannon made with actual, manipulatable harmless “traps” and locks which could be disarmed or picked. Allegedly, no dungeon ever approached those capabilities until the dungeon at 2010’s “Thief” night quest (the latter I can confirm was impressive indeed). And then there was legendary “Sacrifice” scene: Shannon was born with a concave indentation in his sternum, and he once took advantage of this to have his “heart” scooped out of his chest by NPCs in a sacrifice scene in a night quest. There was a hilarious story I was told by Kathy Journeay (Queen Meg) about a time Prince Bob was mind controlled by an (possibly “the”) Evil Mage. One of Prince Bob’s chief lieutenants learned of this mind control, but before he could convince others, Prince Bob fled and ordered those he passed to attack the guy who was after him. Thinking quickly, the lieutenant told those who confronted him, “Not me, that guy!” and, as he was a highly placed lieutenant, was believed and successfully passed the squad thrown into his path. Bob looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see he was still being chased, and twice more repeated ordering loyal squads in the area to stop his nemesis. Only to twice more be surprised to discover they had been somehow overcome (by a simple ruse) and the unstoppable vigilante was still on his heels!

In character, Shannon played Prince Robert (ubiquitously referred to as “Prince Bob”) of Valehaven. In character his actions mirrored what he’d done out of character: he convinced everyone to come together into one Nation just as he’d convinced everyone to come to this LARP. Most all the nations of that era were sworn to Valehaven. Folkestone famously did not swear, and non-nation groups like Swan’s mercenary company “The Freehold” were not expected to. But in general and loosely speaking, the Realms were effectively unified under one banner. In addition to Freehold, Folkestone, Manchester, and Mirkshaw mentioned above; other nations of that era included but are not limited to Darkvale, Blackwood, and The Amazons (OOC centered on Mt. Holyoke). Bob Trayor adds that a huge part of the Realms was centered on “The 5 Colleges”: Umass, Hampshire, Amherst, Holyoke, and Smith). Bob Traynor reports that Blackavar was founded by Princess Vrille in 1989. Steve Matulewitz (then Sir Pyr) reports that he joined the game in 89 and joined the mercenary company “The Eclipse”. Kathy Fey (Makta) also began in 89. 

Shannon provided enough social order that most everyone was a part, and enough freedom that people were free to contribute. It was this freedom, however, which formed the seed which was to bring an end to the golden age… like King Arthur’s Camelot, a dream tarnished by a clash of strong personalities.  

Coming soon: Chapter Two: The Fall of Valehaven, the author’s entry into the story, and the “end” of the game…in 1991, everything changed. 

Meme Monday

 by the Meme Team

What You Missed - Rise of the Gi-sistance

 I was 14 when Rani and I traveled to their homeland of Fae to deal with something called the Iron Road. It was a blight on the land, though not one I fully understood at the time. That was my first time, at least according to my memory, that I ever truly and intentionally fielded against the Risen Kingdom. I didn’t know it at the time, but that one decision to field that day changed the trajectory of my adventuring career.  

I was freshly 17 when we pushed back the Risen Kingdom’s invading force out of the Realms as we know it. I remember it was a tough fight and thinking “well, this is a hell of a way to celebrate being 17”. I remember thinking that the universe gave me a great present in the form of vengeance against Virgil Triskwater, the person who led the invasion into the Realms in the first place. 

And now I get to say: I was 23 when we liberated Gi from the Risen Kingdom, and freed Jack from the Fallen King. In just ten days, we pushed back the armies of the Fallen King and delivered Gi a future that had been robbed from it so long ago. Here’s what happened during those ten days.  

One the first day the party and I had gone out for our first engagement. Somehow, I ended up leading a squadron of masons to support a squadron of stone golems. I know nothing about masonry but watching those masons dive into the fray the same way I do to heal, was extraordinary. This was unfortunately the only time I would field with that squad.  

While getting some rest on Day two of our invasion, Fern asked me if I wanted to participate in a funeral of sorts for the souls of Gi that haven’t passed on yet. One of the things the Fallen King was doing to Gi was taking the souls of the dead for himself. He had long since erased the concept of death from the minds of Gians, so there wasn’t a god of death who could oppose him in doing so. The Grayman agreed to come into Gi to help ferry souls away from the Fallen King and onto the afterlife that befit them, we would just have to give him a signal.   

Fern led a lovely service where those who gathered we able to say a few words. Then Jean Baptiste read out loud every known name of those who had fallen before us in Gi. Grarr, using a lent out Boon of Hashinabe Ur, and I, using a surge of my own magic, were able to put a hell of a lot of power into signaling the Grayman to start reaping souls. However, Fern, Grarr, and I were pulled into a vision. 

It was complete darkness around me. I was myself, but not really. Looking back, I think I was inhabiting one of the souls that had been left behind. A voice suddenly called to me, said it was time, and asked if I wanted to go. I paid him two coins and suddenly I was beyond the reach of the Fallen King. That’s when we heard a deafening shout, declaring that these souls were his. How dare we rob what is his?  

Fern definitely made the right call to postpone this ritual until after we had begun the invasion. The three of us awoke shortly after, with an interesting new ability. If we had the coins to pay the Grayman, we could put those souls to rest without the use of hematite. Unfortunately, going on a soul quest to bring death back to an entire plane will leave you feeling weird and Fern, Grarr, and I took a small respite for the rest of the second day. 

Sometime on the Third day, we went out into an area with a tall portal gate and what looked to be a stone monument next to it. Ryu and Cressida were gathering Bards to sing the adventurers into battle. While it’s been a while since I had gone on a stage and performed, I couldn’t resist the call. It was towards the end of the song when I spotted him, the Fallen King. I saw red after that. The was the man who had taken over Gi, robbed them of their land, of the ability to move on in death. Most of all, this was the man who was still currently inhabiting the body of our ally: Jack. I came too when he began to go after Margaret. Right then, I had to be a pretty good speed bump. He pursued us pretty far. In the end, Orion and I ended up in a conversation with him. He asked us if we were ready to see the end together.  

We took each other’s hands, looked the Fallen King in the eye, said something I can’t put in the view, then proceeded to promptly get out of there. All to the sound of a very confused Fallen King proclaiming that “He will never understand Mortals.” 

It was between Days four and five that we were able to launch two teams to activate the portal we had seen earlier. There was the team that was going to take the direct fight to the Fallen King and a smaller strike team to activate the portal we were going to send him through. I was on the strike team. We snuck through, dealing with any “witnesses” along our way until we were able to flank the enemy. We rushed in and activated the portal. Some of us elected then to teleport out into the Dreamliner. I don’t remember why I didn’t, I just remember waking up in the tavern with my soul hurting.

I then took a small rest and changed my focus away from on field support to off field support. Seagan had found an interesting runic set and was working on translating it. I lent about as much brain power as I could to it, though in the end I had to walk away before the full translation. Half because it felt like my brain was melting out of my skull and half because a small handful of us realized that we had not seen the rest of the party since they had gone out on a mission. Of course, it’s just my luck that by the time I made it out there, I was only able to look at the remnants of the “Soul Boulder.”  

As Day seven blurred into day eight, a portion of us went to go recover more of the pieces of the former gods of Gi. We went to a guarded area. They weren’t live guards, but rather some sort of automated sweeper system. The rest of the party was able to find these small stones that had runes on them. They were a mix of the runes that we had encountered before and futhark. We were able to figure it out in the end and were able to put an end to the “Endless night” that seemed to always be plaguing the plane. 

The sun had just begun to warm us up on day eight when we went out again to collect more for the old gods. This time, the challenge was to bring boulders that had rolled of the mountain back up while dodging wraiths. The key to defeating these wraiths was to have someone else distract them and attack them from behind. Swoop ended up being my MVP as he was able to come up with a song to help us pass the time rolling boulders up mountains.  

I rested again on day nine. Like actually slept rested and not just sitting down rested. I knew the next day was not going to be kind to me and wanted to be in decent shape for when we inevitably had to fight the Fallen King for the final time. I fielded briefly once as a part of a rescue mission that was… less than successful. I don’t remember many of the specifics, but when I came back to, all of the items that were once on me were gone. Thankfully, another group worked on recovering these. Though as a side note, for reasons completely unrelated to the items being returned to me broken, if you have the spell reforge and want to make some gold: flag me down at the next gathering we’re both at! Just, don’t tell Tao please. 

The final day of our invasion was when we made the final push to take the fight back to the Fallen King. We positioned ourselves to be able to fight of a good amount of the Risen Kingdoms forces before facing them head on.  

We made our way to where the Fallen King was, the field swarmed with our armies clashing. The Fallen King paraded himself around the battlefield, proud even as we slaughtered his army. That's when Jean Baptiste decided to take matters into his own hands. After figuratively wrestling the final piece of the old gods from the Fallen King, JB began to literally wrestle him. Which worked to be able to physically subdue the Fallen King so that JB and those around him could soul channel the Fallen King out of the body he was inhabiting and give it back to its original owner: Jack.    

We have been able to get most of our armies out since then, with a handful of us staying behind in Gi to enable them to rebuild. Not me though. Power to those guys, truly, but after ten days, I started to miss home with its cold showers and actual beds.  

My griping about the conditions or war aside, the fact remains that we did it. We were able to give Gians a future free from the tyranny of the Fallen King and the Risen Kingdom. We brought hope to a dying world. Gi for the Gians! 

By my hand, 

Sir Magus Kara 

Knight of Blackwood 

Magi of the Realms 

What You Missed - Rise of the Gi-sistance [Photos Edition]

 Photos by Kersten Prince. Captions provided by Kieran/Kyra Barry

Tactics discussed around the war table.

Gi Goggles are fashionable and great at emulating the horrible smog that cloaks the land.

Risen Kingdom forces.

First contact with the enemy.

Day 2. Valiant forces of the Realms fight together against their foes.

Realms forces fight ferociously.

Banners help provide specific benefits to the Realmsians in Gi.

The Fallen King stalks the battle field with ill-begotten prizes, magic swords stolen from Realmsians.

Jean Baptiste uses all his wile to tackle the Fallen King.

Once the Fallen King is vanquished, the heroes of the Realms work to put Jack, the original owner of the Fallen King's body, back into his body. The Fallen King is defeated.