I've been involved in Renaissance and Medieval stuff since high school. Mainly it has consisted of going to various ren faires. Faires I've been to include: New Jersey Renaissance Festival, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Maryland Renaissance Festival (MDRF). I don't work at the faires, but I am there most weekends, always in costume (otherwise known as garb). I am currently only going to the MDRF, usually one day each weekend.

Along with faires, there is Darkon. Darkon is a live-action role-playing game. Picture it as AD&D, in real life. We actually hit each other with weapons, and the hits are full strength. Our weapons though are constructed from foam. Most weapons will have a fiberglass or similar core, covered in foam and the a cloth cover. There are size requirements/restrictions for each different weapon type. All weapons and armor are inspected for safety before an event. For being a full-contact sport, it is relatively safe. Of course there are you accidents that do happen, sprained ankles, bumps, and bruises, but it is no worse than football. For more info about Darkon, their website can be found at www.darkon.org.

Darkon is organized into teams, known as countries. I was a member of a country known as Elidor for approximately 4 years. Elidor is one of the oldest countries in the game and rather large. They can sometimes have 40 people on the field. (Events typically have about 200 people, approximately 20 countries.) Elidor is a neutral country that has their roots in protecting the surface elves. I have since left Elidor for a variety of reasons, both in character and out of character. I am now the leader of my own country with my boyfriend. I am the Matron Mother of Sil'in Ilythiiri. Sil'in Ilythiiri is a drow-based society. Members are from such drow houses as Mizzyrm, Everhate, Kilsek, and several others. Not all our members are drow though, we need have other races. Other races are welcome...well..maybe not surface elf....but any other. (Drow, also known as dark elves, are a race of elves that live underground. Most (if not all) are evil or tend towards evil ways. Most worship the Spider Queen, known as Lloth.) Sil'in Ilythiiri is a much smaller country than Elidor, our roster has about 12 people, and we normally field about 6 at an event.

This is a picture of me from a Darkon feast prior to my leaving Elidor. This was from the fall of 2002.

 

This is the symbol for Sil'in Ilythiiri, click on it to go to the Sil'in Ilythiiri website.