Alliance LARP

The Alliance LARP, formerly NERO Alliance, is one of the larger live action role playing groups in the United States^{[citation needed]} with ten chapters and hundreds of members.

Overview

The Alliance LARP is a medieval fantasy live action role playing game. Participants play various characters and spend their time at the events attempting to overcome many obstacles put before them. They use foam padded weapons, often called boffers, to simulate weapon combat. In addition, they use small packets of cloth filled with birdseed to represent various magical spells that they can cast (aka throw) at a target to have the spell take effect.

The games most often take place in parks or campsites and last anywhere from an afternoon to a four-day extended weekend and on more rare occasions, a whole week dedicated to this game. Pricing for these events is variable, depending upon the length of the event as well as the location where it is being held.

The obstacles put before them can range from grand battles to puzzles to simply saying the right word at the right time.

History

In mid March 1998, after years of turbulence he received from the New England Role Playing Organization (NERO) owner Ford Ivey and NERO chapter owner Joe Valenti, Michael A. Ventrella split his chapter from NERO and started his own business called NERO Alliance. A few other NERO chapters joined Mike in the new NERO Alliance. NERO was purchased by Joe Valenti a few months later and renamed NERO International. A new series of difficulties began between the two businesses. The trouble came to a head in November, 2005 when Mike filed a lawsuit against NERO International. After over a year of mediation, the suit’s mediation time expired without anything being resolved.

At this point, Mike decided to distance himself from NERO and in March 2007 he renamed his company to The Alliance LARP. The Alliance continues to grow and thrive, having added several new chapters since the end of the lawsuit. In 2007, he and others formed Faire Play Inc. and purchased land in northeastern Pennsylvania where they are building a medieval town used for LARPing.

On April 26, 2009, Alliance LARP was featured in a G4 Underground episode.^[1]

The game

The game takes place in the lands of Fortannis – a medieval fantasy world. Every chapter’s setting takes place somewhere on this world. Each area is often a great distance away - if not on different continents. Travel is usually done via the 'magical mists' - a type of fog that seems to move people to where they need to be (as in at the chapter they are currently visiting).

Attendees can play many different types of creatures from the well known Elf and its variations such as Stone Elves, Dark Elves, and Mystic Wood Elves (which are not true elves, as they have horns on their heads and are fabled to be descended from satyrs). Or other fabled races such as a Hobling or a Dwarf to unique races such as the Biata (descendents of gryphons) or Sarr (cat-like people). There are even playable races based on cultures of humans as Barbarians and Gypsies. Players choose one of seven character classes. These are templates for careers that the players decide upon; from fighters to rogues to mages and hybrids of those classes.

The world is populated with many dangerous entities. Orcs, goblins, and spirits are only a few of the hundreds of opponents a player may face. Each one of them have their own schemes to gain more power and wealth – usually at the expense of the players. It is up to the players to thwart their plans while they eke out a living for themselves in the often turbulent world.

Players are rewarded through acquiring treasure – often in the form of coins. There are also other items, such as magical weapons or jewelry that they can use to better prepare themselves against future trouble. In addition, players are awarded points with which to increase their character’s abilities. It is through these abilities that they are able to affect the world – whether it is by being able to swing a sword deadlier or to be able to cast more powerful magical spells.

The rule system is identical in every chapter of the Alliance so you can take your character from one chapter to another and experience new places, people and plotlines. Starting in 2008, they have begun to hold a single national event every year where all chapters and players are encouraged to attend. There is no religion or religious items allowed at a game. This is so that no one’s personal faiths or beliefs are accidentally offended.

See also

• Monster Camp is a documentary about an Alliance chapter in Seattle, WA.

Michael A. Ventrella has also written two novels that take place in the world of Alliance LARP:

• Michael A. Ventrella (2010). The Axes of Evil,. Double Dragon. ISBN 1-55404-727-7. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1554047277. 
• Michael A. Ventrella (2008). Arch Enemies,. Double Dragon. ISBN 1-55404-553-3. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1554045533. 

Notes

1. ^ The preview can be found here

References

• Michael A. Ventrella (2009). Alliance Rule Book,. Alliance LARP. ISBN 978-0-9669844-9-1. http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Rule-Book-Michael-Ventrella/dp/0966984498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251564594&sr=8-1. 
• Michael A. Ventrella (2008). Ashbury Player’s Guide. Alliance LARP. ISBN 0-9669844-7-1. http://www.amazon.com/Ashbury-Players-Guide-Michael-Ventrella/dp/0966984471/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251564594&sr=8-4. 
• William A. Davis (July 16, 1991). "Taking a vacation from reality Engineers, lawyers and others recharge with regular doses of fantasy". The Boston Globe. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7669104.html. 
• Tom Haswell (January 2002). "Hail, NERO!". The LARPer Magazine. http://larper.larpaweb.net/nero.html. 
• "Shade's LARP List". "one of the largest LARPs in the US" comment based upon number of chapters listed on major LARP listing site used within the LARPing industry/community. http://www.larplist.com. 

External links

• Alliance LARP