Underworld LARP takes a swing at the Battlefords

Feb 13, 2017 | 5:00 PM

The Battlefords will soon get to experience a unique fantasy culture that has been sitting under its nose all winter.

Live action role playing, or LARPing, is a growing culture across the globe and one provincial group is trying to bring it to the Battlefords.

Underworld LARP Saskatoon are planning to hold their first local open event soon, but the group has been playing games in the area for the past few months.

Wesley Gunn, head of promotions for United Story Tellers Incorporated, the company which runs Underworld LARP in Saskatchewan, said the group has been utilizing the Battlefords Air Cadet Hall for their recent games.

“We generally play our games west of Saskatoon, mostly because that’s where most of the better opportunities for a site seem to be,” Gunn said. “We made arrangements with the Air Cadets and have been using their hall for several events this winter and it’s been great.”

While their group is based out of Saskatoon, they have players from Edmonton, Lloydminster and Prince Albert, and they hope to add some from the Battlefords as well.

On Feb. 25 they are hosting a masquerade ball event at the Air Cadet Hall with a free game, open to anyone.

“All we generally ask is that if someone wants to show up to try, to find something that’s medieval, fantasy [type of] clothing,” Gunn said. “You make a little persona, you walk in a game and you just let whatever happens happen.”

Gunn said he knows it can be intimidating at first, but added you won’t know if you like it until you try.

“There’s still a little bit of a stigma about it, like ’oh, that’s kind of nerdy. I don’t know if I could be seen doing that,’” Gunn said. “Come out and try. Just try it once is what I always say. If you don’t like it, that’s cool. There are other games out there.”

With LARPing, the group follows a storyline and engages in mock battles at their different events. At their masquerade event at the Air Cadet Hall, the guild will be battling an evil king, Lord Finnigan, played by Gunn himself.

“Imagine crossing Game of Thrones with Lord of the Rings and that’s basically what you’re going to get with our game,” he said.

The appeal of LARPing, Gunn said, is in the escapism and lack of judgement.

“It’s just really great to kind of slip into a second skin and just escape your everyday kind of life,” he said. “It’s super relaxing just to be somebody else for a weekend; to not be Wes Gunn, who is having to be a security guard and plan for an improv game.”

 

Katherine.svenkeson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ksvenkeson