Pendleton King Park has a royal ring to its name, so it is fitting that the local organization Sylvan Glade meets there.
Sylvan Glade is a duchy in the Kingdom of Winter’s Edge, one of 23 kingdoms in Amtgard. Amtgard, an international live action role-playing organization steeped in Renaissance and medieval-based fantasy, will turn 40 years old in 2023.
The LARP facets of Sylvan Glade can be compared to Dungeons and Dragons. Group members invent fantasy characters with certain traits and engage them in combat. The concept mimics going to a Renaissance Faire with its costumes and activities, which include weapons making, period culinary activities, singing by bards and period crafts. Participants can engage in the arts and sciences, do simulated fighting, go on quests or just hang out and watch other players – all in a fantastical context.
“Amtgard is a mix of the two. There are lots of silly players who we call ‘flurby’ that love to get into character and play them to the hilt,” said Shawn Collins, who goes by Lord Squire Cocaire Goldenbow, the Regent of Sylvan Glade, during the LARP sessions.
Collins has been the self-professed regent and monarch of Sylvan Glade since 2014.
“There’s a gaming aspect too that runs players through a D&D style quest or adventure,” he said “You can just go spectate, you just go craft, you can go fight, or you can get into full blown character and live it. Up to you,” Collins said.
Costumes for LARP events are completely up to the participant. There’s no set dress code.
“Amtgard aspires to ‘medieval sword and sorcery,’ but we are very open to anyone and any level of garb. Some people look like they just walked off of a movie set, and some don’t. Most of the garb is made by the players, and they have all student skill levels,” he said.
During their most recent meeting on Sunday, Nov. 14, group members engaged in something known as frog creation, and, no, that does not involve medieval witchery and sorcery and turning people into frogs.
“A frog is a small piece that goes on your belt and holds your weapon. It’s a modified sheath for foam weapons,” Collins said.
The organization has members who serve as mentors to others in the creation of these frogs and even weapons for the group.
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Combat was recently held on the “frog-making day,” but before the participants pummeled each other with soft swords for various hit points, their weapons were carefully checked for safety. About 10 group members then battled against another 10 group members with players being eliminated after they had too many hits.
The fantasy combat for Amtgard is the primary focus, but a close second is the arts and sciences. Sylvan Glade has blacksmithing, brewing, garb making, painting on canvas, weapon building and game creation.
“Amtgard (the international organization) has an award structure for these categories as well,” he said.
In fact, a special award was given out during the Nov. 14 meeting. Squire Lord Greymane Brightflame, Duke of Sylvan Glade, gave The Count Sir Marcus the Mad a Park Guardian award for giving selfless service to the park as whole with applause being given by the duchy. These are both long-time members who have made their own contributions. However, Sylvan Glade does not just have long-time members who participate but has a diverse group of young people who participate as well.
Malakai Sterling, who participates as Takuu, has been participating in the LARPing for seven months and does combat and arts and sciences. Several group members taught him a painting technique using negative space to create his anti-paladin black dragon sash.
Sterling, as Takuu, fights for the side of evil during combat. He said he spent five to six hours on the sash, but it did not take long to learn the technique – about 20 minutes and has learned a lot in general.
“LARPing can teach you a lot about leadership and how to make new friends,” he said. “It is great for introverts, and it is also great for everybody.”
Tabitha Saverus, who participates as Cal (which is also quasi-phonetically a stand-in for her actually dressing as a cow at times), has been participating for six months and mentioned that she serves as a page to the Monarch of Sylvan Glade.
Saverus was hand-weaving a sash from white yarn for another character, but, like others in Sylvian Glade, she does not just participate in arts and sciences. Many of the members are multi-dimensional.
“I enjoy seeing people fight each other and enjoy the fact that I can make something while participating,” she said. “I sometimes participate in combat but not very often. I am getting some archery stuff soon, though.”
She will basically soon be getting a bow and arrow with some padding on top of the arrow to participate in combat.
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Giovanni Jones, who takes on the role of Rilan, is current champion and has been participating for several months as well. He works on weapons crafting, axes and swords. As a bard, he has been making music for the games they play and has been actually making the games.
Jones is not a fan of how LARPing was portrayed in the modern film “Role Models” with players being shown as geeks whacking away at each other with pool noodle swords.
“The combat is sportier than ‘Role Models.’ It is more sports-like. I do single sword combat which is basic yet intermediate,” Jones said.
LARP provides a stress relief valve for Jones.
“LARPing with Sylvan Glade is a way to get your mind off things and focus,” he said.
Sylvan Glad is a duchy, but there are other labels for the parks. The different park locations within Amtgard have different designations depending on milestones reached. They start at shire and then progress to barony, duchy, and grand duchy or principality.
People who want to get involved with Sylvan Glade need to know there are rules involved in participating with the organization. There are rules for construction of weapons that are strict for safety reasons, and there is a code of conduct to maintain community standards for safety. The group also protects youth by not having any one member be alone with a youth and has mandatory parental or guardian chaperoning as well. There are also optional dues of $6 per year per player which allows one to vote in local and kingdom elections. Every six months, Sylvan Glade holds elections for monarch and regent. They also hold elections for prime minister, champion, and Guildmasters of Reeves (the volunteer referees).
The local chapter was chosen by the international organization to test a beta version of new rules for the LARP aspects as well. They have used them for a few months and have sent the committee the good aspects and bad aspects, and the committee is fixing it.
Amtgard, the international non-profit organization, supports the communities in which it is located.
“In September, Amtgard has a ‘food fight’ where the (groups) compete to see who can raise the most food for (their) local food bank. We brought over $700 of canned goods to Golden Harvest Food Bank as our contribution. We are currently organizing a toy drive for Toys for Tots in December,” said Collins.
According to several members of Sylvan Glade, some duchies in Amtgard have made supporting non-profit organizations their primary focus in addition to having a recreational aspect.
The next Sylvan Glade event is from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 28 at Pendleton King Park.
Sylvan Glade has approximately 740 group members on Facebook, and approximately 40 or more have been seen at recent group meetings with the most recent having approximately 30. Group members come to Augusta from as far as Columbia and Greenville, S.C., and members have traveled from as far away as Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee to attend, buying meals and other items in the city and sometimes staying at hotels if not camping out.
For more information about Sylvan Glade and their meetings, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/880810255280997 and ask about joining.
Ron Baxley Jr. is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
