Wilder Rodriguez, Contributing Writer
Knights and squires head into battle as arrows buzz overhead and swords clash. This is not a scene from a history book or a medieval blockbuster, but rather one in Monroe Park, amongst Richmond’s bustling city and its towering buildings.
Instead of steel swords and iron-tipped arrows, these knights and squires are armed with the finest foam in all the realm.
Cambria Battlegames is a Live Action Role Playing community based in Richmond headed by a dedicated group of VCU alums. They host practices each Thursday at 5 p.m. at Monroe Park.
Buck Helmke, also known as Sir Stone Wyndhaven, is a part of the core leadership group who founded Cambria Battlegames. Helmke said that the group began in 2006 when he and his roommates were still students at VCU. While on a camping trip, Helmke’s roommates unexpectedly discovered LARPing and excitedly reintroduced it to him.
The early days consisted of small practices in Monroe with only members of the household, Helmke said.
“Our best recruitment is literally just sitting here in the park fighting and people will walk up and ask,” Helmke said. “We’ll teach anybody to fight.”
Helmke said that the community attends larger events featuring a variety of scenarios including capture the flag and king of the hill.
Armageddon, an event hosted by the Belegarth Medieval Combat Society, a national organization for foam fighting sports, took place in June, Helmke said. The event follows the Belegarth rule sets and has been hosted annually since 2001.
Helmke said that Armageddon boasts various tournaments including one-on-one combat and seven-on-seven fights.
“You can just join the field and have 500 people fighting at once,” Helmke said.
Now a software developer, Helmke said the LARPing community shaped his career trajectory.
“Back when I was a college student it was a great way of teaching myself to engage with the public,” Helmke said. “If I can do it in silly clothes, I can do it in a suit and tie.”
Ella Brant, also known as Ella of Monroe, is a fourth-year English student who discovered the group during her first year after walking past one of Cambria’s weekly practices. Since starting, she has formed new connections and some of her closest friends.
“I discovered it just like many of our newest generations do, freshman year just walking around campus,” Brant said.
Brant said that the community is highly diverse, made up of many younger VCU students, alums and locals.
“I think there’s some kind of stigmatization,” Brant said. “Over time, I’ve definitely seen people become more accepting of this as nerd-culture.”
Brant said that her personal weapon was around $80 to $100 to make. However, this is on the upper end of the price range. To make it easier for newcomers to join in the action, Cambria Battlegames provides loaner weapons, she said.
Many of the regulars in the community use LARPing as a more entertaining means to stay active.
“A good place to get some exercise… going out once a week and hitting people with a giant stick,” Brant said.
Adrian Dickenson is an infrequent attendee to Cambria’s practices. She does not have a specific character within the LARPing world.
“It’s the sort of thing you earn the more of the battles you go to outside of these practices,” Dickenson said.
The experienced core keeps the new groups organized and moving forward, Dickenson said.
Dickenson said the community perceived in the wider public can receive looks, but it does not discourage her and other members from continuing to enjoy LARPing.
More information about the larger national Belegarth community can be found at the website https://www.belegarth.com. A calendar of local events is on the website https://www.kingdom-of-gwynedd.com/events/.