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| Photo Credit: Jesse Gifford |
How did you learn about LARP and what brought you to
Realms?
I learned about LARPing sometime
in high school (can’t quiet remember how now that I think about it), although I
didn’t know anybody who did until about 2 years ago. I got involved with Realms
last fall after seeing the Uconn SMAC club tabling during the involvement fair,
and knew that I had to join. It did help that I did fencing in high school
though, made my adjustment to combat a lot easier.
How many events have you been to? Have you ever LARP'd
before? If so, tell us about it.
I have been to 6 events so far
(Ashen Bounty x2, Oaken Guard Training, Black & White, Queen of Hearts, and
Dreamcatcher), and loved every single one. And yes, I had larped before joining
Realms. I have been a staff/npc member at Legends Legacy since the summer
before I joined Realms. It’s a very different kind of LARP, with a hit point
based combat system and more emphasis placed on role-play driven plot. Each
game scratches a different itch for me, and I’m glad to be a part of both.
What is your character like? Where are they from?
Well I’ll give you the long and
the short. Personality wise, Eoin (pronounced like Owen) is halfway between
chaotic lawful and neutral, which is most likely what drew him to join Mayerling.
That’s the short. Where he is from is the long. Eoin grew up in the south end
of the woods in the Barony of Tarngire with his father. He knew no mother, at
least none that he can remember. His father was a hunter, and kept the both of
them away from society as much as possible, only rarely going into town for the
most essentials things. Eoin was rarely allowed along, and only then when they
went to Yukon Valley. His father only taught him the most simple of skills to
survive, and kept Eoin blindfolded each time they left the forest. Eoin was
given no choices growing up, which really helped shape who he is. Anyway, he
lived like this until he was roughly 16 (he doesn’t really know how old he is),
at which point he ran away and made for Yukon Valley. He made it somehow, and
from there, practiced with and eventually joined the Oaken Guard. And now he’s
joined Mayerling.
What is their race?
Eoin is human, as far as he
knows, but he could be a half-something or other. Elf wouldn’t surprise him,
considering his height, but then again, his ears aren’t pointy so… Who knows,
maybe I’m
What is important to them?
Above all, Eoin values what he
considers every person’s right to personal choice. This stems from his very
controlled upbringing, and has led to some disagreements over the use of his
body as a zombie at the hands of a fellow member of Mayerling.
What do you remember most about your first event?
For the sake of this being
interesting, I’m going to treat Ashen Bounty as my first event. Besides what
felt like dying every 15-20 minutes, I remember how welcome I felt. I was
loaned armor by a member of Ashenmark, and loaned a weapon by a member of
Invictus, as I had neither at the time. I was able to pay for the event, being
a fairly poor college student, by washing the dishes after the feast. I also
remember how fracking fun it was. Yeah, I was dying fast with only 1 point of
armor, but I was having a blast.
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| Photo Credit: Jesse Gifford |
What things have helped you feel welcome in the game?
Well, as I said previously, the
way people have treated me as a new player. They made me feel like I belong,
although that might have been due to the oaken guard tabard I was wearing.
What parts of the game do you find most challenging?
Honestly, keeping track of my
spells and armor is the most challenging part. Everything else I can generally
wing or get taught fairly easily. I’m used to improvisation, which is basically
roleplay, from being a theater kid in high school too, which is helpful.
Doesn’t help me read between the lines though, haha.
Do you have any game-related goals (as either a player or
character)?
Not really. My goal as a player is
to be able to be a completely different person to escape from college every now
and then, and that’s doable by just showing up. And to go through an event
without dying (feasts discounted). If I have any goal as a character, it would
be to see if Eoin can find anything out about his mother.
What advice would you give to new players?
Don’t
let anything hold you back. You can be anything you want to in the realms, and
it takes a LOT for you character to have a true death. Experiment with being a
caster, try a bunch of weapon combos, and go to as many events as you can as a
new player. The realms has a lot to offer, and the sooner you find the parts
you most enjoy, the sooner you’ll be having the time of your life!
What have you enjoyed most about the game so far?
It’s
hard to say what I’ve enjoyed the most. I mean, I love fight practice, it helps
me get through the week to be honest, and I have some of the best fighters in
the Realms to fight against. But I also love the feasts and the questing. I
guess what I’m saying is that I enjoy the people who bring the realms to life
that I enjoy the most, whether they are fighting alongside me, fighting against
me, planning the event, or preparing one of fabulous feasts I’m starting to
expect. So thanks to everyone who has made the game what it is!
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| Noah, far right |