LARP

Stay hidden in these cloaks

If you are a LARPer looking in the Medieval cloaks section, that means one of two things.

One: You want to stay warm and dry.

Two: You’re playing a rogue.

Although the darker Medieval cloaks you can find at Pearsons are very adept at helping you hide in the darkness, that doesn’t mean you are all in the clear. If you don’t practice other stealthy actions, people will be alerting the night watchman. Here are some tips you can use while you are out at the LARP to try to remain hidden while you are sneaking around.

-Stick the edge of fields. If you have no other choice but moving through a field, don’t walk through the middle of it, stick to the edges. At night, peoples eyes play tricks with them and staying near the edge of field, especially if it is wooded, helps play into this. The dark background of the forest will help obscure you so long as you move carefully.

-Look for big trees.  If you must move through the woods move slowly and carefully. Quick movements will always draw attention. Try to plot your path from big tree to big tree. If someone happens by, you can try to use your cloak to help you blend into to the dark or into the tree. If there is a source of light, make sure to stay to the opposite side of it so you don’t end up being highlighted.

-Watch where you step. If you can find a softer surface to walk on, you’ll make less noise. Branches, dry leaves, and heavy gravel are all poor choices. Pine needles, dirt paths, grass patches, and minimal gravel are better choices. If you aren’t sure, ease your weight on to the surface to see if any noise will be made before you use your full weight.

With these tips, hopefully you will remain invisible to your enemies.

Perfect for rogues

If you are reading this blog, there is probably a good chance that you have LARPed, or you are planning on LARPing. LARP is an acronym for Live Action Role Playing game. LARPing is an interactive experience where players literally become their characters and act out scenarios in real time rather than from a video game console or computer screen.

When players arrive, there is usually a staff that runs and directs the gameplay. They help to set up the scene that the players will be using to interact. Players can create characters based upon the games rules and can take on roles such as a fighter, rogue, mage, or cleric. Depending on the game, there may even be live combat with foam or latex weapons.

The Renaissance clothing found at Pearson’s also works wonderfully as LARP costumes. For example. The dark cloak that you see here can be an excellent tool for rogues trying to sneak around in the dead of night. The wool material will not only keep you hidden, but also warm and dry. See what sort of mischief you can cause as a rogue with the LARP costumes you can find at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com.

Eat right at your next LARP event!

It’s finally here: Your very first Live Action Role Playing, or LARP, event. You’ve been waiting for this weekend for months and during that time you’ve been planning out your character from top to bottom. You’ve studied the rules and you can not wait for what you assume will be one of the best experiences of your life.  All you have to do is pack.

What will you take? You’ll want to pack your LARP costume, your boots, your boffer weapon, some sleeping gear, toiletries, and any makeup you may need. But don’t also forget about food.

LARP food can be tough to pack because you’re not sure what you should bring. You could bring packaged food that you cook in a kitchen, but that isn’t always on the Medieval theme. Now, nobody will tell you that you can’t eat the food that you bring, but when you are just looking for a snack, you may want to think of something you can use that is more appropriate for the time period.

The easiest way to have an authentic snack are fruits, cheese, and nuts. Many travelers in the Medieval era needed food that gave them energy and was also easy to carry. A small satchel full of various nuts fits this bill perfectly. Fruit like apples, grapes, pears, and cherries were also ideal traveling snacks because they would last longer than meat. The same can be said for small pieces of cheese.

Lighten your gear for summer

Now that we are into the Spring/Summer months, the way that you pack for LARP events will change. You will exchange your heavy wool robes for lighter cotton shirts. You won’t pack quite so many layers. You might even consider wearing a Scottish Tartan kilt just so you don’t have to wear heavy and warm pants.

Just remember that it is important during events where the temperatures are high, that you don’t get over exhausted or dehydrated. Don’t be afraid to remove extra layers of clothing even if it detracts from your costume. Please remember to drink adequate water so your body can continue to cope with the extreme heat. As a reminder: Soda does not count as a hydrating liquid. Soda actually dehydrates you due to the caffeine. Don’t rely on soda as your primary source of beverages.

If you keep your costumes light, seek shade, and keep drinking water, you will have a much more enjoyable LARPing experience.

It is officially Spring, which means that a lot of Live Action Role Playing organizations are starting their seasons. We know that April usually marks the beginning of most LARP seasons around the country.

We also know that the past couple of weeks that there has been a higher than usual amount of rain. Since most LARPs take place at state parks or other outdoor camping scenarios, it is important to be aware of when potential flooding and flash flooding concerns exist.

A lot of heavy rain over a short period can lead to rivers and streams overflowing their banks.  This is especially true if there has been a lot of rain recently and the rivers are already very high. It is also very true if there hasn’t been a lot of rain recently and the ground is extremely dry. If the ground can not soak up all the rain, the rivers and stream may also start to flood.

The key thing to remember is to watch out for dry creek beds if heavy rain starts to fall. Streams can fill up quickly if the rain is heavy and constant. Always be vigilant so that you can stay safe while you are out LARPing this season.

If the rain does start, also don’t forget that the wool Medieval cloaks from Pearson’s can help keep you high and dry.

Stay in character and stay warm, too

Live Action Role Playing, or LARPing, is a very entertaining and immersive hobby.  It is one of the few places where you can actually see the “world” around you, and you get to choose how to respond and react.

One of the things you can’t control at a LARP event is the weather.  It can be hot, cold, raining, snowing, along with a whole host of other types of weather conditions.  This time of year is when the temperatures start to get warmer.

Therefore, although you may be comfortable in terms of warmth during the day, you still have to remember that night temperatures can be rather cold.  A lot of people address this by wearing some sort of modern thermal article of clothing, which although warm, is a bit disruptive to maintaining the atmosphere.

One way to stay warm, and stay in character, is to find a warm piece of period clothing.  One example are these LARP wool tunics.  These wool tunics can be worn under any costume and will not be disruptive to the rest of your attire.  Once you feel the temperature start to drop, you can add one of these tunics to your ensemble and remain comfortable.

Find these woolen tunics, along with other great Medieval costuming, at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that Spring is almost here?  Winter will finally be cast off as we begin to enjoy longer days and warmer temperatures?  The coming of spring also marks the beginning of many Live Action Role Playing games, or LARPs, seasons.  Since the events will soon be upon us, now would be a great time to think about and prepare your character’s costume.  But what type of character are you going to be?

LARP season is on the way!

Perhaps you are thinking about playing an Elven mage who has power over the forces of magic.  You may not be one of the most respected fighters in your game, but the damage you can hurl at the enemy along with the magical protection you can offer your allies will be second to none.

Or maybe you were planing on portraying a rugged dwarf who has spent most of his life below the mountains, who only recently ventured to the surface looking for new treasures.  Will you be the traditional archetypal dwarf who is a miner or craftsman?  Or will you break the mold and play something different?

Will you entertain the notion of playing a human, where your options are almost limitless?  Will you be the sagely cleric?  A cunning rogue?  A daring warrior who leads his comrades into battle?  If so, you may want to consider wearing a riveted aluminum chain mail coif for added protection.

Whatever character you come up with, you will be sure to have fun this season while you LARP.  You will also be sure to find costuming you need at Pearsons.  Let us know about your character in the comments section.

A few weeks ago we brought you some humorous tales that we have collected from various LARP groups and presented them to you with the intent of evoking a good chuckle.  Today, the Jester is at it again.  He has found these two stories that will hopefully bring a smile to your face.

The first story revolves around the uncanny (and unintentional) timing of the gaming staff of one LARP.  It was a late night and to pass the time, many of the players were enjoying some story telling around the fireplace in the tavern.  One particular Elven Mage was recounting a story from her past about the “Night of the Fire Dogs.”  In this tale, an evil mage experimented with darkness magic and when things went terribly wrong, it ripped a seam between the real world and the plane of magic.  When this happened, dogs, shrouded in flame, came through the void and attacked the mage.

Unbeknownst to the players, the game staff had arranged for a few players to play the role of wolves  for a different encounter.  As soon as the mage was done telling her terrifying tale of the fire dogs, the people playing wolves let out a howl to make their presence known; completely unaware of what had just happened inside the tavern.  Needless to say, maybe of the players inside the tavern were very reticent to go outside.

The second story involves the lighting reflexes of a Human Mage.  The town was being assaulted by a creature known as a Harbinger, which was a creation of pure darkness energy and wore a costume much like our Medieval Gatekeeper’s Cloak.  It was so powerful, that a special substance had to be created in order properly dispose of the creature.  This substance required many components, but the component that makes this story funny is “swamp water.”  After they had gathered the materials needed for the substance, the players started to combine them.  The intent was for the substance to be applied to a weapon.

However, shortly after this substance was made, with real swamp water, the Harbinger assaulted the Abbey and looked through a window screen to see if anyone was inside.  The mage quickly grabbed the bowl and threw the swamp water mixture at the creature through the window screen, covering the player in stagnant bog water.  The mage then asked, “Did it work?”  The staff member playing the Harbinger spit the water out of his mouth and said, “Yes, I’m dead now.”

See what happens when you are quick on your feet?  Does anyone have any other LARP stories they’d like to share?

Because the winter has set in and days can become cold and bleak, the Queen has ordered the Court Jester to go around and collect humorous LARPing stories so that we all may enjoy a good laugh.  Here are some of the tales:

At one LARP, there is a prayer that forces the target to answer the next “yes” or “no” question truthfully.  In order to “cast” the prayer, the cleric must place their hand on the target and call “Truth Light.”  One particular, yet clever, cleric was only able to use this prayer twice per day.  A suspected criminal was brought before the cleric, but the cleric had already used the prayer twice.  Thinking quickly he asked the criminal if he was guilty then shouted, “Tell me the truth!”  Shocked by the cleric’s vigor and assuming the prayer had been cast, the criminal admitted his guilt, even though he was not bound by the rules of the game to do so.  Quite an interrogator that cleric was.

At another LARP, the players were confronted with battling a very ferocious and powerful villain.  This villain was known as a Bone Lord, who was capable of causing a lot of damage while requiring special materials to defeat.  Before the players could gather the correct components, the Bone Lord assaulted the town, forcing the players to all take refuge in the Abbey.  The scribes say that the Bone Lord taunted the town threatening to destroy the citizens, their children, and their children’s children.  One daring and defiant rogue shouted back, “How will our children have children if you’ve already destroyed them?”  That rogue was either very brave—or very stupid.  Whichever it was, we hope that he was wearing Medieval armor to help protect him from the battle that surely followed his untimely remarks.

Come back and visit the Jester often as he will provide more of these tales.  Do you have your own amusing stories?  Let the Jester know by leaving a comment.

When you are preparing for a LARPing event, there is a lot to think about:  Do I have everything I need for my costume?  Did I pack my weapons and special items?  Did I remember all my real world items like medicines, toothbrush, etc.?  Did I print out directions to the camp?  These are just some of the questions. That you need to ask yourself before you leave your house. There is a lot that goes into making sure you are all packed and ready to go for a LARP weekend.

But one thing that newer LARPers forget to take into consideration is the weather forecast.  It is usually easy to gauge how warm or cold its going to be, but in this post we aren’t talking about temperature; we’re talking about precipitation.  A LARP weekend that contains a fair amount of rain or snow can really turn an amazing weekend into a miserable one.

The best tip that we can offer LARPers who may face rainfall during their time at an event is this:  Stock up on socks.  There is nothing worse than only having one pair of socks that are soaking wet for the entire weekend.  This is an easy way for your feet to become chaffed and extremely sore, which will make walking from your cabin to the tavern a painful task.

Even if your LARP boots are waterproof it is a good idea to keep extra pairs of socks on hand so that you can keep your feet dry.  Socks wet from sweat can be just as aggravating as socks wet from rain.  Plus, you never know when you may have to cross a stream or step through a puddle.

Trust us:  Stock up on socks!