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| Photo by Matt Norris |
I’ve been sword fighting/fencing for many years and always wanted a more free-fighting system. Seven or so years ago Mike Durocher (Vuel) started trying to get me into it but I didn’t really feel at the time that it would be right for me or that I would have the time to do it. Fast forward to my 21st birthday and I got really drunk and made a promise to a different friend that if he would start going to LARP’s I would join him. After trying a couple, Realms popped back up and I figured I would give it a shot, and since then it has become my favorite LARP
How many events have you been to?
6 so far and I plan to hit as many more as I can this year. (Uncle Cecil’s, Feast of Creathorne, KoEF Tourneys 2015, festival of Pi, Green and Gold, ToC, and Feast of Eagle's Rook).
What is your character like? Where are they from? What is their race? What is important to them?
Daekara is a fairly self-centered but honorable sailor who feels the sea should be free to all men who wish to travel and see the world, to learn what they can from wherever they go, and that a person should be able to reap what they sow without fear of taxes. Daekara is a human from a far-off continent where war is common and sword-fighting is as much a tool of diplomacy as an instrument of killing. The most important things to him are to be a master at whatever you chose to do and to always have enough money to drink, gamble, and eat well with anyone who would choose to join you. For these reasons Daekara wants to join Invictus and learn all he can from them.
What do you remember most about your first event?
Well my first event was Uncle Cecil’s 2014 and I would be lying if I said I remembered any part of that clearly, but the parts that stick out in my head are how friendly people were to me as the new guy, making friends with a few good people that have seen me through my realms career so far and helped me further myself. There were also a lot of invitations to fight for upcoming events and I made sure to make good on all of them.
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| Photo by Robyn Neilsen |
What things have helped you feel welcome in the game?
Mainly the people who kept encouraging me as a newbie that I was doing good and that if I kept at it I would get much better. The near constant presence of gambling didn’t hurt.
What parts of the game do you find most challenging?
Being multiple NPC’s and trying to make them different from each other. Jumping from character to character is something I need much more practice at.
Do you have any game-related goals (as either a player or character)?
As a character I want to join Invictus and grow to be one of the best fighters in the Realms. They are currently petitioning me so I want to show them that I am worthy of joining their ranks and willing to do whatever I can to learn and improve. As a player I want to become a better cook that people want to have on their kitchen staffs, to hop around as an NPC when it’s needed, and to become someone that can eventually teach all the things I’ve learned to new players, though the last one is a long ways away.
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| Photo by Jesse Gifford |
What advice would you give to new players?
Find what interests you most, stick with it, and put yourself out there as much as you can. People with the same interests will eventually pick up and remember you. Even if you have a bad event or practice never give up, it happens to everyone, and above all else enjoy yourself! We come to the Realms to have fun.
What have you enjoyed most about the game so far?
The Order of the List tournaments, the occasional free-flowing drink, and the freedom to lose all my gold in a casino.