Welcome to Volaire
and for many,
Welcome to LARP!

There are many different options regarding LARP so I'll try my best to tell you what to expect with us,
without giving too much away!

First and Foremost

Before we get into too much detail, we would like to establish a very important piece of information about our game.

Volaire LARP is an NC-17 Game. This means that the game will involve themes and content that could make some people uncomfortable. Understand that none of these items are condoned Out-Of-Play, but are merely storyline elements used to help create a more believably realistic atmosphere. Some examples could include (but are not limited to) murder, torture, kidnapping, mutilation, war, racial injustice, prejudice, starvation, disease, sexual misconduct, child death, suicide, and theft. Again, these are used in storytelling only and are not physically reproduced with the intention of making players uncomfortable. This also does NOT mean that these situations will be roleplayed out (we will not have NPCs or monsters running around acting out rape and other such scenarios), but these elements may show up in character and regional backstories.

These are things that happen in the world of Volaire LARP. If you are easily negatively affected by these types of situations or stories, then we would not recommend participation in our game. Mental Health Awareness is a real thing and we have the upmost respect for those who deal with these afflictions every day of their lives and are not intending to alienate those players. However, we also acknowledge that these troubling themes were a very real part of Medieval history and wish to create an immersive atmosphere. 

Having said that, we do recognize that even veteran LARPers can get overwhelmed when deeply involved with their characters and the events swirling around them and encourage players to remove themselves from situations that they do find overwhelming. There's nothing wrong with stepping away from an In-Play situation for this reason and there will be no repercussions for doing so.

The Basics            

The basis of Volaire is a medieval high-fantasy style and as such, we have powerful Elven and Faerie Mages, as well as big strong Orcs and Ogres. We have a kingdom, baronies, and guilds, and you as the player will fill the spots in them! Do you wish to be a commanding officer in His Majesties Military? A powerful healer able to bring your friends back from the dead? A dark necromantic mage raising an army to wipe out the living? A sneaky rogue swindling people out of their hard-earned money? The possibilities are, well they aren't endless, but pretty close.

Typical Event Structure            

A typical event runs from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. Check in usually begins around 6 pm and continues until 11 pm. At which point we begin Opening Ceremonies. From the time you get on site until the time Opening Ceremonies is called, it is advised that you get your tents and/or personal areas set up and get into character costuming and makeup as we like to begin murder-- I mean start In-Play right after Opening Ceremonies.

            Check-In is streamlined if you have already submitted a character to us through our ticket system, and pre-registered for the event. There will be a clearly labeled Check-In table, where you will come say “Hi, I'm here!”. We'll give you the character information you need for the event, and you are free to go and get all fixed up.

            If you do not already have a character "on the books", or you just wish to create a new one, you will need to sit down with a member of Logistics and they will help you get started. If you wish to play one of the restricted races, you will need prior permission from the appropriate Race Marshal as we want to make sure you understand what all is required of specific races to insure you are prepared for what may be a challenging character. 

            Opening Ceremonies is where we stand up in front of everyone and tell you all the nifty little things to keep an eye out for during the event. We will also note any special effects that you may see during the event, give you rumors, and the less entertaining stuff like going over basic rules and introducing who's who of staff. 

            Once we're done running our mouths at opening ceremonies, "3...2...1... LAY ON!" will be echoed across the site. From this point until game is called Sunday afternoon everything is In-Play. We'll still allow you as the player to do things the player needs to do like shower but eating and sleeping is In-Play. This means you very well may get attacked during these activities if you don't have the proper protections. No, no don't worry. The protections are available. We aren't entirely evil.

            Mid Saturday there is a "Reset" time where Mages must go "study" the spells they plan on using for the rest of the event and Fighters must "rest their weary bodies". You may do whatever you wish Out-Of-Play within this time, but your character must spend at least 20 minutes "resetting". The Out-Of-Play of this is switch out per day cards, relax, rest and prepare for the "Saturday Night Field Battle."

            “Wait, wait, wait… Saturday Night Field Battle? What’s that?”

This is usually our longest combat focused period, though there is combat throughout the event. Saturday is usually when we go fight the important big bad guy for the event, and while we'll try not to be out fighting all night long, it happens. If at any point you need to go out of play for whatever reason, you can either "place your character" in a safe place, or you can "fate of the party."

             If you ask the nice folks at the Light Guild if you can "take a nap" in the corner for a few minutes or whatever and they let you, just leave as much of your costuming as you can, and character stuff where your character will be. If you Fate of the Party, give your Character cards and any in play items to your buddy, and should your buddy die, well, so do you. 

            While you are OOP (Out Of Play), you are required to either wear a white headband, or hold your hand or weapon over your head. This is the signal that the person is OOP. You as a player will see staff with white headbands throughout the weekend, and you may see someone wearing a white headband and still interacting with In-Play things. In this case, you don't see the thing that's moving your pouches, or hair. We will always ask permission before we touch anyone.

            Orange headbands are for medically Out-Of-Play people. If you want to LARP, but you're worried because you just simply can't do the combat aspect of it, we’ve got you! Orange headbands, or anything orange on the head is the symbol that the person is absolutely not to be touched by a weapon, spellpacket, or engage in any combat whatsoever. If you are orange head-banded and find yourself stuck in the middle of a combat situation, call a Hold and move out of the area. Then, once you are safely out of combat, you may call “3...2...1.. Lay-On” and everyone else will resume where they left off. If you are going to be moving around at night, please have an orange light that is clearly visible from the front and the back. This can be achieved with dog collars easily and cheaply enough.

FOIP!

There's a lot more than this brief introduction to our world. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Just don't get discouraged if you are answered with "FOIP"! This means Find-Out-In-Play and simply means that the it would be unfair to give you the answer Out-Of-Play and that if you really want to know, you should find an In-Play way of acquiring that information!

Okay, Ready? 3...2...1...LAY-ON!