Stepping into another world

A LARGE-scale live action roleplaying event is set to return next month, ushering people into a fantasy world of medieval battles.

After a successful inaugural event last year, Ballarat Swordcraft will host the second run of their Blood and Gold campaign, titled The Veiled Quarry.

Swordcraft members from across the country are invited to camp over several days to barter goods, engage in medieval combat, and act out the lives of their cultivated characters.

Ballarat’s 2021 event was Swordcraft’s first major gathering in nearly two years, and head of events and media for the local branch James Weir said its popularity allowed them to showcase themselves to the visiting chapters.

“It gave us a really good opportunity to get our foot in the door, and to show the others what we can do, as opposed to the main Melbourne event that happens every year,” he said.

“Because there hadn’t been an event for so long, we got so many people attending, and we were able to show them how good of an event we can do.

“We got around 200 to 250 people last time, so fingers crossed we see that kind of success again this year. Breaking the 200 mark is a win for us so if we get more, we’re happy.”

The overarching story is centred around the Blood and Gold campaign set within the Warhammer universe and sees the fictional town of Kriegstor grappling with a power struggle while recovering from a plague.

Attendance looks to be similar to last year’s, and Mr Weir said he’s excited to see how people react to the twists and turns of the story.

“I’m very much looking forward to throwing circumstances in people’s faces and seeing what they do with it,” he said.

“These grand stories are planned out five years in advance, and that means some major events have already happened that people will have to react to.

“A lot of people are taking effort to try and weave their own story into this fantasy universe, so everyone going forward is going to try new ways to keep bringing all this to life.”

Alongside their yearly major events, Ballarat Swordcraft holds weekly games every Monday from 6pm at White Flat Oval.

Entry is $5 for the first three games, and will cost $12 onwards with sword hire available at $2.

The Veiled Quarry will take place from Wednesday, 6 April to Sunday, 10 April, at Phoenix Park in Ballan.