Alliance larp
Encyclopedia
The Alliance LARP, formerly NERO Alliance, is one of the larger live action role playing
groups in the United States with ten chapters and hundreds of members.
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.
(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.
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. Orc
s, goblin
s, 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.
Michael A. Ventrella
has also written two novels that take place in the world of Alliance LARP:
Live action role-playing game
A live action role-playing game is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world, while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may...
groups in the United States with ten chapters and hundreds of members.
Overview
The Alliance LARP is a medieval fantasyMedieval fantasy
Medieval fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that encompasses medieval era high fantasy and sometimes simply represents fictitious versions of historic events. This subgenre is common among role-playing games, text-based roleplaying, and high-fantasy literature....
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 OrganizationNERO International
-Overview:NERO International is a live action role-playing game played in the United States and Canada. The NERO name originally was an acronym for "New England Role playing Organization", but the game has expanded well beyond its original New England roots and thus simply adopted the acronym as...
(NERO) owner Ford Ivey
Ford Ivey
Ford Ivey, sometimes called the Grandfather of NERO, is the founder of several live action role-playing games, including NERO International, Shandlin’s Ferry, Wildlands, The Isles, a live version of Call of Cthulhu, and his newest game, The Osiris Sanction...
and NERO chapter owner Joe Valenti, Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella founded Animato! in the mid 80s. He sold it in the early 90s. Under the pseudonym "Thelma Scumm" he wrote the gossip column and later continued that for fps magazine...
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
NERO International
-Overview:NERO International is a live action role-playing game played in the United States and Canada. The NERO name originally was an acronym for "New England Role playing Organization", but the game has expanded well beyond its original New England roots and thus simply adopted the acronym as...
. 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
G4 Underground
G4 Underground is a cable television newsmagazine series airing on G4 hosted by Morgan Webb. "G4 Underground" is described as having a similar format of ABC's 20/20, except it takes a look at many topics that most major news programs don't cover such as Porn 2.0, Urban Spelunking and Salvia...
episode.
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
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
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. Orc
Orc
An orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
s, goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s, and spirits
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
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 CampMonster CampMonster Camp is a feature-length documentary that chronicles a live action role-playing game organization. Monster Camp looks at the lives of the participants, and considers the pro and cons of escapism through fantastical outlets...
is a documentary about an Alliance chapter in Seattle, WA.
Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella founded Animato! in the mid 80s. He sold it in the early 90s. Under the pseudonym "Thelma Scumm" he wrote the gossip column and later continued that for fps magazine...
has also written two novels that take place in the world of Alliance LARP: