Renfaire Fantasy: The Hill Above Grand Scar (Patreon)

    Rebecca was thrumming with excitement as she eased her Suvaru hatchback into one of the many open parking spaces at Seneca Memorial Park. She was early, far earlier than usual for a Daegonhir practice meetup, because she wanted to scope things out and grab the best spot to set things up. She wanted to set everything up—table, weapons rack, hang up her white canvas tarpaulin to create a little awning for shade, even her A-frame viking tent. Which was definitely going overboard for a normal weekend practice session.

    I just want them to AWE them with how cool LARPing can be!! Rebecca squirmed in the driver’s seat. Even if this is actually just a dinky little local practice.

    Seneca Memorial Park had a ‘front’ area that was parking, a wide open grassy area for city events—the small memorial wall itself with the names of hundreds of veterans inscribed upon it was there. A paved walking path led further in where sparse trees began to offer shade, which then looped around a large scenic pond which had a fountain feature in the middle that shot a geyser of water up into the air. Park benches were spread out around the pond, and the outer ring of the path sported a half dozen large wooden pavilions, each protecting their own little rows of picnic tables.

    The field in front felt too tidy, manicured, and modern for a proper LARP meetup to Rebecca’s tastes, although sometimes they held practices there anyways simply for the convenience of being closest to the parking area. Whenever possible, Rebecca had them set up at the farthest possible pavilion, because that was deep enough into the park that the surroundings actually got a little woodsy. On this most special of days however, Rebecca wanted to go even further.

    Past the pavilions, past where the public maintenance people mowed entirely. Beyond the park landscaping was the small valley of a long-dried creekbed, and then a long untamed rising slope of wild grass and bushes where tree cover grew thick enough to provide ample shade, atop which there was a small clearing of weeds and ferns that overlooked the entire park. It was a bit more of a hike, but completely worth it to host their unit’s special practice this time out amidst more nature.

    Aaaaah! I can’t wait!! Rebecca turned off the engine and hopped out.

    Ironically, for all that she wanted to push on out past all of the trappings of the mundane world… the first thing she retrieved from the back of her Suvaru was a weed eater. As much as she wanted to provide the atmosphere of being way out in the woods for this, the clearing up there would still need to be trimmed down so they could safely fight. So, she hauled the electric trimmer up onto one shoulder along with two of the tarpaulin poles, and headed out for her first trip through the park and up the hill.

    It was still morning and the park was nearly empty, but it wasn’t completely empty—a pair of older women with a red wagon were making their own trips to and from the parking area to the first pavilion to set up everything for what might be a cookout, or birthday party, or family reunion of some kind. Rebecca gave them a friendly wave and a good morning as she passed.

    The summer months of heat were mostly behind them, but true autumn didn’t seem to have quite set in just yet. This meant the mostly-dried creek bed just past the park proper was firm beneath her feet and not too marshy, so Rebecca didn’t think anyone would have problems getting to practice. The hill itself was a fairly steep incline and things were very overgrown, but she made sure to tromp the weeds and brush down as she climbed—with all of the back and forth necessary to carry everything up here, there would be a clear footpath established by the time everyone showed up for practice.

    At the top, the clearing was as she remembered it: a wide span of open area with dense foliage and lots of trees surrounding all sides except the one facing the park proper—the location was absolutely ideal. Out of the way, just the right amount of space, level… okay, Rebecca amended that thought to level enough for full-contact combat, there was plenty of shade, it felt like it was in the woods, but also had a scenic view.

    With a decisive nod, Rebecca set aside the poles and took up the trimmer.

    Cutting the long grass of the clearing was the work of a quick fifteen minutes, and then the weed eater was taken all the way back through the park and stored again in her hatchback. In exchange, she next shouldered the wooden frame pieces for her viking tent, because they were the heaviest. She zoned out, humming to herself as she hoisted them along the familiar path the whole way through the park. Then, the next two trips after that she carried up the groundcloth, the tentcloth, and the tarpaulin she would hang up. After that, it was her small cooler, a folding table, and her camp duffel. She knew she was going overboard, but she was so giddy to show her friends the best Daegonhir practice that she didn’t even care!

    When it was all said and done and Rebecca had finished setting everything up, an authentic viking tent with its crossed frame of carved horseheads was visible up there on the hill even from down at the parking area. Rebecca also found a stick long enough for their unit standard, and planted it firmly so that the large blue flag with its three conjoined white spirals could be seen from all the way across the park. The spirals were an old celtic Triskelion, and had been chosen to represent their local Daegonhir chapter here—‘Freysefni.’

    In years past before Rebecca joined the local group had simply called themselves ‘Seneca Arken,’ with Arken being the ‘realm’ of Daegonhir that occupied this side of the state and part of two of the adjoining states. Rebecca had poured thousands of hours of her life and enthusiasm into the local unit since then, and all of the historical knowledge, folklore, and cultural know-how she inherited from her parents had in turn long since transformed the local slackers into one of the more famous examples of Daegonhir excellence with their own title and dedicated backstory.

    ‘Freysefni’ or even just ‘House Frey,’ or even ‘The Freys’ wound up being the shortened, easier-to-say vernacular of the unit name Rebecca had championed ‘Freyjasefni’—carrying the crude meaning of ‘Living in honor of Freya.’ Like it was with most things Rebecca did in relation to her LARP life, it was an unsubtle reference to her own amazing grandmother. As was their fanciful LARP name for the small gully with the dried up creek she had just passed through here—they called it The Grand Scar.

    Likewise, here Rebecca wasn’t Rebecca, she was Mara, a fierce nordic shieldmaiden, the undisputed leader of their merry local band of miscreants, and even one of Arken’s realm marshals.Their attitude of imaginative exaggeration was built around one of Freysefni’s core philosophies; ‘that all good stories deserve a little embellishment.’ Rebecca found that the core tenet of what made an adult fit or not for LARP was their willingness to take part in make-believe with sincerity. This simple principle was deceptively difficult, because as everyone ages they naturally begin to distance themselves from what they perceive as childish things, and the ability to pretend in earnest was often relegated only to method actors preparing for a role.

    That’s not to say a great number of people in all walks of everyday life are strangers to self-delusion… but the modern masks of such tend to hew towards the ugly and ordinary rather than the grand and extraordinary! Rebecca thought with a wry smile. Narcissism and vanity. Living in denial, projecting your mindset and issues onto everyone else and believing yourself empathetic. It’s all so dull and droll. Here with us, there be DRAGONS!

    It took either great maturity… or incredible immaturity to shed your self-consciousness and preconceptions and engage in live action roleplay with an honest attitude, and as the unit leader here Rebecca was often tasked with reconciling these two camps. Enormous egos were cut down to size with vicious strikes of (padded) swords and axes until those with a hero complex accepted that they weren’t the protagonist of every battle deserving a win. Timid souls were taught what to fight for with encouragement and patience until they could crash into a melee with confidence and purpose.

    Live action battlegaming was a balance of cosplay creativity and martial competitive sport, and it took years of careful cultivation to foster just the right unit culture that thrived upon both. The usual problem with college guys tended to be lazy lackluster garb—shirtless, or simple last minute tabard cloth worn like a poncho over ordinary clothes. Wielding an unadorned boring large rectangle of padding that resembled an oblong couch cushion more than a tower shield, and then a crude and ugly ‘speed bat’ of a mace. Few had much aspiration to spend time and effort on appearances unless actively bullied into it! Some of them even went so far as to advocate doing away with all of the troublesome tunics and medieval weapon aesthetics and ‘modernize’ the battlegaming aspect into just a modern contact-weapons sport.

    On the other hand, the common issue with college girls in Daegonhir tended toward the opposite—Rebecca often saw ladies with plenty of enthusiasm for sewing and crafting, who would then arrive at events and practices to preen and peacock and sit out of all of the actual combat and play. They would cite the heat, or the cold, too wet after the rain, the hot in the sun, old sprains, any excuse to not play—until many were attending only as a show of support or to visit with friends. These were the non-coms, the non-combatants, often in the role of a spouse or girlfriend of one of the unit’s regular fighters. 

    This contrast between the fairer sex and the men could be complementary, but in other units it could grow into a divide where half or more of the players who showed up weren’t fully ‘there’ for the events. Thus, Rebecca enforced participation for all of her Freysefni members—ladies must take up arms and stand on the line of battle, menfolk must also show endeavor in their tunics and shields and weapons.

    This meant Freysefni had a higher proportion of Daegonhir lifers hanging on, who had been investing time and effort into their niche brand of live-action battlegaming now for a good portion of their lives. Her group for the most part was kitted out and looked very professional, they wouldn’t look out of place on the set of a medieval fantasy movie. They were experienced in combat, they were battle-hardened, and they—apparently most of them couldn’t make it out today.

    Tarmel-of-Freysefni: Sorry, back home visiting my folks this weekend.

    Tarmel-of-Freysefni: I’ll be there for Bear Valley Faire though!!

    Tarmel-of-Freysefni: MY BODY IS READY

    Maiden-Marina: Can’t make it to practice today

    Maiden-Marina: I’m really really sorry

    Maiden-Marina: Midterms are MURDERING me rn

    Maiden-Marina: Haven’t even unpacked my stuff from that Gotterdamme Fest nightmare

    Maiden-Marina: Which was a DISASTER btw without you there

    Maiden-Marina: And my car has transmission problems

    Maiden-Marina: And I need to resew my shield cover

    Maiden-Marina: And I think im coming down with something

    Maiden-Marina: And I adljdfkljgslk

    Mara_Thorferra: Rina its fine!

    Mara_Thorferra: It’s okay!!!

    Mara_Thorferra: I’ve missed ALL the events this past month.

    Mara_Thorferra: I was out in Tionetta with a friend that whole time!

    Maiden-Marina: Haven’t seen you since… Sovereign Swords?

    Maiden-Marina: Whatever the anime convention event thing was

    AlbeVonAlbion: Yeah that was crazy

    AlbeVonAlbion: Mara missed gotterdam

    AlbeVonAlbion: County park solstice too

    AlbeVonAlbion: Along with what

    AlbeVonAlbion: 3 practices??

    Maiden-Marina: Two practices

    Maiden-Marina: Gotterdamme festival was instead of practice that one weekend

    AlbeVonAlbion: Yeah that never happens

    AlbeVonAlbion: She’s always there

    Mara_Thorferra: Really appreciate you keeping everyone together while I was gone!

    Mara_Thorferra: Rina you’re the best!

    Maiden-Marina: Omg no I’m really sorry

    Maiden-Marina: No it was a literal mess without you

    Maiden-Marina: I dont know how you even do it

    Maiden-Marina: Its like trying to herd cats

    Mara_Thorferra: Herding cats isn’t even hard!!

    Tarmel-of-Freysefni: We weren’t THAT bad…

    Maddock5050: lol

    Maiden-Marina: I wanted to cry

    Maiden-Marina: I literally wanted to cry

    Dwelin_Honorbound: on my way now

    Dwelin_Honorbound: bjorns driving

    Dwelin_Honorbound: bringing 2 newbs from the college

    Mara_Thorferra: Colbern and Sticks?

    Dwelin_Honorbound: yea

    Dwelin_Honorbound: colbrn has his first sword now

    Dwelin_Honorbound: blue

    Dwelin_Honorbound: itll pass

    Dwelin_Honorbound: i brought a spare for sticks

    Dwelin_Honorbound: gavin said cant make it

    Maiden-Marina: Midterms?

    Dwelin_Honorbound: midterms yea

    Dwelin_Honorbound: same 4 batty and blood ithink

    Dwelin_Honorbound: so mite not be a big practice this time

    AlbeVonAlbion: Sully might show up

    AlbeVonAlbion: From Belltania

    AlbeVonAlbion: He has to solo challenge bunch of other units

    AlbeVonAlbion: For his knighthood thing there

    Mara_Thorferra: No, it will be a big practice!

    Dwelin_Honorbound: he any good?

    Dwelin_Honorbound: sully

    AlbeVonAlbion: Yeah he’s good

    AlbeVonAlbion: Sulric

    Mara_Thorferra: I have other friends coming.

    Mara_Thorferra: Titania Nightfall and some other new players.

    Dwelin_Honorbound: titania treefall mor like

    Dwelin_Honorbound: lmao

    Maiden-Marina: Oh no

    Maiden-Marina: Titania? Wasnt that

    Maiden-Marina: EMILY

    Maiden-Marina: I thought Emily went by EBONY DARKTHIRST or smth now

    Maiden-Marina: Instead of Titania

    Mara_Thorferra: That one might have just been a phase?

    Dwelin_Honorbound: shes titania treefall

    Dwelin_Honorbound: and she always will be

    Dwelin_Honorbound: just goes to show

    Dwelin_Honorbound: goblins arent spposed to climb trees

    Maddock5050: I thought she was a tiefling?

    Maddock5050: Can’t make it to practice today either, sorry.

    Maiden-Marina: Wasnt she a faefolk? Emily

    Maiden-Marina: Titania, Emily, whatever

    Maiden-Marina: She can be whatever she wants tbh

    Maiden-Marina: But can you make her STICK WITH IT

    Dwelin_Honorbound: no definitely a goblin

    Mara_Thorferra: I think she went back to Titania, but I can double check!

    AlbeVonAlbion: I remember her

    AlbeVonAlbion: Why isnt Titania in here?

    Maddock5050: Language

    Tarmel-of-Freysefni: language

    Maiden-Marina: Language, yeah

    Maiden-Marina: Mara has it set to kick when you cuss too much

    Dwelin_Honorbound: lmao no shit

    [+++Solemn Spirit (bot) has kicked Dwelin_Honorbound from Freysefni Grand Scar. Reason: Language+++]

    [+++Dwelin_Honorbound has joined Freysefni Grand Scar+++]

    Dwelin_Honorbound: whoops

    Dwelin_Honorbound: well yea

    Dwelin_Honorbound: there you go

    Mara_Thorferra: Twenty pushups the moment you get to practice Dwelin.

    Mara_Thorferra: I know you know better!

    Dwelin_Honorbound: lets be honest

    Dwelin_Honorbound: we should atleast be allowd SOME swears in here

    Mara_Thorferra: I already let you all say ARSE!!!

    Mara_Thorferra: Be creative and use fantasy or period appropriate expletives!!!

    Maiden-Marina: Moldy mildew mother of mouth muck, Dwelin

    Maiden-Marina: ( ¬⩊¬) 

    Mara_Thorferra: ANYWAYS

    Mara_Thorferra: I’m almost done setting up.

    Mara_Thorferra: We’re on the other side of the grand scar, on top of the hill.

    Dwelin_Honorbound: ARSEFALLS TAINTED TEATS 

    Dwelin_Honorbound: THE HILL AGAIN

    Dwelin_Honorbound: DWARVES ARENT MEANT TO CLIMB BLOODY HILLS

    Maiden-Marina: Have fun, be nice to the newbs

    Dwelin_Honorbound: WHY CANT WE JUST PRACTICE DOWN IN GRAND SCAR ITSELF

    Mara_Thorferra: I’m sure you’ll manage somehow!

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/// Sorry for the delay again, real life has been hectic and also this heat is murdering me. Have most of a RE:TT section finished and that should be up in the next day or two.