It’s been a good day today, as I might finally have shaken the cold that’s been plaguing me the last few weeks and owing to circumstances in my favour, I’m going to Drachenfest this year! It’ll be my first big fest LARP, and as a result, the brain’s been ticking over with ideas. Yes, I know I should be writing my Pheno game, but this is how my brain works, OK? Let me get this out of my head and I can get back to what I should be doing.

Now, obviously the first thought is who do I play? The setting’s an open one, with characters coming from all over, not just the one world. Drawn there through portals, they align with a Dragon (AKA faction) and fight for their dragon’s supremacy. There’s 5 dragon camps to choose from and my (not at all accurate impressions) follow:

Shadow: Wizards, edgelords. Black robes bought in bulk.
Green: Survival of the fittest and all that.
Silver: Fancy pants nobility.
Blue: Freedom, new horizons, ignoring laws.
Red: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

Shockingly, I’ve gone for Blue. It just appealed the most to me. The portal plot device means that I could potentially bring in characters from other games, and there’s some I’d love to play again. The first two that come to mind are Caleb Burton from Pax Europa, a steampunk LARP based around the first Nobel Prize awards. He was a British explorer with a curiously hands-on method of research, willing to take steps few others would for results. Case in point: other’s in his field would likely embark on a long and complex study attempting to prove combability between human and Martian. Caleb took a more, shall we say, missionary position on the matter, with further investigation in doggy and reverse cowgirl. It was most invigorating, even if his research partners father (The leader of one of the Martian tribes) was less than happy about it, especially as I’d been meaning to visit his daughter, not his son. Accidents happen, what can I say?* So, Caleb doesn’t quite fit the time period of the game, but the idea could be adapted to work.

The other character I’d love to bring back is Audemar, from Path of the Warden. At first he was a petty thief who sought only coin and debauchery but became a healer and far nobler than he was before, albeit while running a small black market on camp. (Nothing heretical, mostly booze, party drugs and prophylactics) He even found love, popping the question to another trainee in the last moments of game. I’d dearly love to continue his story, which reminds me, I must finish that fic one of these years. It’s an event that seems to have been a one-off, but I still hold a faint hope that the setting will return. Foolish, I know, but the game was a revelation for me, a moment of “Oh, this is what I want in a LARP.” The crew were lovely, the players welcoming and the atmosphere was grand. I still fondly remember the squeals of delight from the crowd when I proposed – several other players had gotten very invested in the IC romance. The main issue with playing him is his lady love Oksana wouldn’t be there, and without her at his side, such an endeavour would be like a broken rapier. Pointless…

There has been an idea bouncing around my head though, and it’s been there a long time. It’s curious that I haven’t tried to use it beforehand, as there’s been a few table-top games I could have used it in before this. It’s not exactly a fully fledged idea, but I’m sure I’ve talked about it before. For new readers, I’ll fill in the blanks though. For reasons I can’t quite explain, I want to play an Orc. But not your standard Tolkien/Warhammer Orc, no. I want to play one that knows how to swash his buckle, if you know what I mean,.. I don’t know where the idea came from, but it seems like damn near every Orc you see is a giant barbarian (No bad thing mind you, I’m not Orc shaming) but the idea of playing one who’s more Errol Flynn really appeals to me. Sure, with my age it’s more an Orcish Captain Barbossa, but that’s not exactly a downgrade. So, a ship captain seeking adventure is drawn through a portal, and finds himself in a strange land. What else to do find a crew, then raid, pillage and plunder, all for the glory of the Blue Dragon, minus my fees of course? Also on the wanted list, an alchemist who can make gunpowder. Yes, black powder weapons are usable in setting, with the rules stating cap firing weapons only, no rubber band guns. Now, I wouldn’t say the chance to charge in flintlocks blazing is the entire reason I like this idea, but it certainly helps. (Yes, there’s the little matter of confirming I’m legally allowed to purchase, I need a permit etc, but a chat with my local constabulary should sort that out.)

The other part of this that’s had my brain firing is costume. Shocking, positively shocking… I’ve got a solid amount of base kit, some armour I haven’t worn I can customise (Remove the lacing from the jerkin and replace it with something resembling ship’s rope, etc) and I’ve been meaning to get my pirate boots re-soled. The idea is roughly golden age of piracy (Etsy being riddled by products with AI images has been frustrating my search for a coat, so I might wear my fancy cape instead), but with more colour, and green skin. I know with all certainty I don’t want to wear all black, and I’ve been tempted for a while to buy a rather flamboyant pair of pants and this might pull the trigger on that. They might clash with the skin, but the only skin you’ll see is on my face, so it may not be an issue. From what I’ve seen there doesn’t seem to be any costume requirement around wearing the colour of your Dragon, but I’m aware groups of players have co-ordinated. Whilst I know people going, at this stage I won’t be part of one, so there’s less issue. Also means I’ll be forced out to talk to people, and as draining as that can be, it’s a really fun thing in LARP.

The tricky part is making my face green. I’ve got a forehead prosthetic and some makeup that have been stashed away for years and that’s a start. There’s a larger appliance that could also work, but that would likely require trimming both the prosthetic and my beard somewhat, and I’m hesitant to take that step. I both like my beard and haven’t forgotten that removing it would void the warranty on my marriage, to borrow a line from a friend. The other issue with the balaclava style mask is my giant head, so trying one on first is a must. A friend was selling one a while back, must get in touch and ask. As for the rest of me, clothes and gloves will cover most of it. It’s only the neck that’s visible, and sure, I could paint that, or I could take inspiration from the Imperial Orcs (From the UK LARP Empire) and cover it up, likely with a scarf of some kind. Bonus points for being able to hide a cooling neck wrap under there! Smart!

The last part is expectations and standards. Now, my kit has regularly been complimented, but I’ve seen shots of Orcs from Drachenfest Germany, and they are freaking stunning. It’s the sort of thing that hits my self esteem, and has me wondering should I do something simpler? Logically, I know the answer is ignore them, and do what makes you happy, but that’s anxiety for you.

Anyhow, that’s enough for now. Fingers crossed I’ll be coherent enough to post updates as ideas and kit develop. Fingers crossed I’ll see some of you on the battlefield!

*The person portraying that NPC told me afterwards “Everything you said in that discussion made things worse” and I couldn’t have been prouder.