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KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
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Eric Albrecht dodges a strike by Ryan Johnson. At Dagohir, members marry elements of medieval sword fights with real-life camaraderie
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
RYAN WRIGHT
@ryanwaynewright
It's 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, and while most students are catching up on homework or watching football, Chris Mayo is dressed in medieval garb and attacking his friends with foam swords. Mayo is the administrator
of Emberfeld, a local Dagorhir group. Dagorhir is a battle game with elements of live action role-playing, or larping. Each week, Emberfeld takes to the leaf-covered fields of Clinton Park to play the game.
Mayo, a senior from Clay Center, has been a member of Emberfur for nearly three
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Dagorhir participants advance up the field.
"I was intimidated by all these big scary guys who had big swords," Mayo said. "But they were real chill. They taught me the ropes, and after a few months with these people, I was good enough that I could hold my own against anybody."
years. He said he joined because he was interested in sword fighting but didn't know proper technique. He was timid at first, especially when he saw the more experienced players, but they welcomed him with open arms.
Aside from the game, the group has built a sense of community between members. They hang out together outside of practice and joke around just like any other group of friends.
"I've gotten more hugs from [Dagorhir] than I have from my mom," Mayo jokingly said after celebrating a win.
Mayo treats all newcomers like past members treated him when he first joined. A person who had never played Dagorhir with Emberfeld approached the group and asked to join. Mayo and Emberfeld answered with an
overwhelming and enthusiastic "yes."
Throughout the practice, Mayo spent one-on-one time with the stranger to teach him the basics of the game.
Teaching is second nature for Mayo. He majors in math and is a paper-grader in the math department. He said he hopes to become a teacher after he gets his degree.
"I love teaching people stuff," Mayo said. "I've really enjoyed teaching the systems of math."
Matt Reiger, a freshman from Fargo, N.D., joined the group in September shortly after he arrived on campus. He used the group as a way to meet new people in a new city.
"I was on Rock Chalk Central, and I was looking at clubs," Reiger said. "I saw this and thought it looked cool."
"It's been really great. You meet a lot of new people,
Hannah Davidson, a senior from St. Louis, and her boyfriend, Garrett Orme, a senior from Newman, Ga., joined Emberfeld a few months ago after Davidson discovered the group online.
and getting exercise is always great," Davidson said.
I was intimidated by all these big scary guys who had big swords
Who had big swords...But they were real chill. They taught me the ropes, and after a few months with these people, I was good enough that I could hold my own against anybody."
CHRIS MAYO
Davidson majors in mechanical engineering and enjoyed building weapons and armor. The construction of equipment is an important part of Dagorhir; some shields and armor can take the better part of a day to make. Some members also sew their own tunics.
At an average practice, Emberfeld will play multiple game types, including free-for-all and black knight battle, a game type where each team has a black knight and a team wins by defeating the
other team's black knight.
emberfeld will be having an on-campus demonstration on Nov. 19 for nearly four hours outside of StaufferFlint. Ryan Johnson, a graduate student from Lebanon, Ill., said he sees the demonstration as a chance for people who are interested in Dagorhir to see what it's all about.
"It's just an easy way for them to come see it without them having to take time out of a Sunday that maybe they don't have." Johnson said. "Some people don't want to take the risk — they don't want to plan for something they're not going to enjoy."
Despite the similarities, Mayo doesn't consider Emberfeld a larping group. While larpers try to build a character and an adventure, Emberfeld is all about combat.
"We are more focused on learning how to fight and to defeat other opponents effectively," Mayo said. "While there are similar characteristics, we distinguish ourselves from that."
Edited by Derek Johnson
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