Welcome to Belegarth

AKA The Trials of a New Fighter

Photo © Ellie Apland

Hello, there! I couldn't help but notice you seem interested in what we're doing over here. Do you have any questions I can answer for you?

Oh? Well if you're sure, why don't you give it a try? It'll only take me a couple minutes to show you the rules.

I promise you won't hurt me if you're playing by the book. If it makes you feel better, you can take it easy on me while I'm teaching you. I'll just walk you through the motions, okay?

Great! Just grab one of those swords and shields. Whatever ones you like.

Sure, you can take two swords if you want. But it may be harder than you expect...

Okay, if you're really sure, I'm not going to stop you. Now, come over here with me and I'll run you through the basics. First of all, be careful not to hit anyone in the head. That's illegal in our game.

I promise it's for a good reason. We hit hard - it can be pretty dangerous.

Well, you'll believe me once you're fighting out there. You see, you'll need to hit people with what we call "sufficient" force for it to count. Like so.

A little more painful than you thought, huh? Good, that's about what you should expect. Now try hitting me, while I explain how you "kill" other people.

No, no, I'm perfectly fine. If anything you're hitting a bit light. You should make sure you swing a little harder on the guys out there. I think that's everything. You ready?

Good luck!

(5 minutes later)

Are you okay?! I heard you squeal from the other side of the field! Do we need to call a medic?

Oh, he just hit you in the nuts? Well, that's a legal target and counts as "death". Not like you'd want to keep fighting anyway. Let's get you off the field...

Haha, I thought you might say that. Welcome to Belegarth - there's a lot more of that to come. Enjoy!

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Fight to the last man

It happens all too often - your team is overrun by the enemy causing you to flee the chaotic scene of slaughter. When you turn around to regroup and face your attackers you realize, too late, that there is no one left to aid you. It is just you against the world. What do you do?

For some, they simply cut their losses, calling themselves dead or pushing for a quick mercy killing. They give up in the face of uneven combat and resign themselves to their fate. They would rather die quickly and start over again than drag out the inevitable.

Others might try to game the system as best they can, demanding honor battles left and right to even the odds. If they are skilled one-on-one, the fight will drag on as they churn their way through the enemy on more level ground. It is a slow process, but it gives them the best chance to win the day.

There is a third type of fighter, though, and they are unabashedly my favorite. As a spectator, Belegarth is entertainment, and nothing is quite as entertaining as watching a lone fighter make a final stand against impossible odds. They will fight tooth and nail to survive as they are being overwhelmed from every angle, becoming a viscous whirlwind of foam and death. On rare occasion, they might even defeat the opposing team through a combination of skill, speed, and a huge helping of luck.

He wasn't quite that lucky. 

This is one of the reasons I've always loved watching my husband, Matthias, fight, even though I make fun of him quite a bit, too. In all my years, even though I've never known him to game the system for a victory, I've never seen him give up in the face of an overwhelming enemy either. If he's the last one standing, you can bet he'll face you down and fight you with all he has. He may not win the battle, but he'll have a blast tackling the challenge.

My favorite example of this was at a little event not too long ago. Matthias had picked up a bow during a bridge battle, and when his team fell on the bridge he found himself alone, surrounded by enemy archers. It would have been easy to give up at that point (he honestly had no chance of winning) but instead he dropped his bow, drew his sidearm, and started to run. It may have been a while since he had taken off like that, but he still knew how to turn it up to overdrive when he had to. Dodging arrows every few yards, he tore across the field, trying to gain enough space to formulate some sort of attack plan.

It was then the enemy realized he wasn't an archer anymore because he dropped his bow. "We can grapple him!" one of them shouted as he rushed to tackle Matthias to the ground. But the sprinter was determined not to go down that easy and sidestepped the charge, killing his attacker with a firm strike to the back. Unfortunately, that momentary distraction gave one of the archers a chance to peg him in the leg, putting an end to his running.

Do you think that stopped him? Not a chance. Even stuck on his knees, he continued to dodge arrows. It took more effort now, violent lunges and drastic bends, but he refused to just let them kill him from a distance.  It was only when the other melee fighters finally caught up that he fell, unable to avoid the arrows and their blades at the same time.

Obviously, the battle was an memorable, exciting, and even hilarious display of tenacity. Matthias choosing to give his all in those last moments not only provided entertainment for me, but many others who happened to see it as well. Even some of the opposing team came up to him after the fight, impressed by his arrow-dodging skills, and shared a laugh.

It's those moments that make me love Belegarth. The unexpected warrior bursting forth brilliantly in a series of otherwise unremarkable battles. So thank you to all who put yourselves out there to overcome adversity in impressive and amusing ways. You are the reason people like me keep coming back to Belegarth. May your numerous exploits spawn many a war story worth telling.

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I don't need to be good at fighting, just better than you

Sometimes you don't need to be a great fighter out there to win, you just need to make less mistakes than the other guy. Today, I’d like to explore a few very important unwritten rules of Belegarth in the form of a war story. Now, when I say “unwritten rules” I don’t mean etiquette, so much as “things to pay attention to if you don't want to be laughed at later”.

My particular tale takes place during a small unit battle, with Heidoran and the Uruk-hai squaring off first against one another. For those who are unfamiliar with these units, let me provide a little background:

Heidoran was a larger unit in Numenor several years ago, brought together by a sense of camaraderie rather than great fighting. They usually fought in a tight formation with shieldmen and a few polearms since they could not rely on any member’s individual skill. Once their shield wall cracked, they were often slaughtered quickly and completely. You can think of them as the lovable underdogs.

A smiling family portrait of a few Heidoran members. Photo from geddon.org

The Uruk-hai, on the other hand, are almost all large, armored guys with a fair amount of skill, often called "orks" for short. They only had a few men at this practice, but knew how to break through a shield wall effortlessly. Each one could easily stand on his own, and he was even more dangerous with his unit-mates around him.

The Uruk-Hai en masse, ready for war. Photo from geddon.org

Okay, so it’s probably pretty clear what happened at the beginning of the battle. After all, underdogs are called that for a reason. The Uruk-hai simply smashed through Heidoran’s shield wall, though the less-skilled unit was still able to whittle them down to just one man by using their superior numbers. Many Heidoran fighters tried to stand their ground, which ended in their quick demise. And here comes lesson the first:

Rule 1: When faced with overwhelming odds, don’t be afraid to run.

As it turned out, one Heidoran archer did follow this rule and snuck through the Uruk-hai's assault with his bow and arrows. Unfortunately, his shield men did not follow, leaving him alone and them to die. As he was readying his arrows, the one remaining Uruk-hai single-handledly demolished the remainder of Heidoran. This brings us to the second lesson:

Rule 2: Make sure there are no survivors.

It turned out he hadn’t noticed the archer sneaking out in the chaos, now poised across the battlefield with a clear look at the ork’s back. While the Uruk celebrated his triumph over Heidoran’s superior numbers, the archer nocked an arrow and raised it to the ready.

The rest of the field was already snickering. A rampage that wiped almost an entire unit being was about to be ended by a single arrow to the back during the ork's victorious roar. It would be heckling material for years.

But there is one more lesson in this story.

Releasing what should have been an arrow of glorious vengeance for his team and enormously hilarity for the realm, the archer watched on as the ork turned, too late, to face the last member of Heidoran. Unfortunately for the archer, in his eagerness to take the shot, the arrow misfired and plopped down only a couple feet from where he was standing. Whoops. 

After that, well, no amount of running could save him.

Rule 3: When you have the element of surprise, don’t miss!

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Just swing already!

Intimidation is a powerful weapon in Belegarth. Some methods used on the field are questionable, like faking an illegal or dangerous shot to force an opponent to flinch, while others are simply a matter of dressing well and knowing what you're doing. For the record, I don't condone fakes of illegal or dangerous strikes; there's too much room for error and too many other options to throw your opponent off his game.

As a new fighter, you have an awful lot to be intimidated by. From the over-aggressive guy screaming in your face while bowling you over with a tower shield, to the silent knight in head-to-toe armor who barely even glances in your direction as he kills you, you've probably realized Belegarth can be a pretty frightening place. That same guy may help you back to your feet with a smile, and that knight may offer to train you on the side, but when you're getting tossed around like a rag doll out there, dying left and right, their kindness isn't the first thing on your mind.

Wait, he's coming to kill me? Yeah, no thanks.
Photo © Ellie Apland

Unfortunately, when you combine fear with being new to Belegarth, freezing up is a natural response. You don't know what to do, panic, and just stand there while the battle keeps moving around you. That's when you hear someone shout these words: "Just swing, newbie!"

It's not like you aren't trying, but you don't know where to swing. Every time you swing, you die.  Every time you don't swing, you still die. You want to fight, but it seems like you'll never even take someone's limb.

I'm here to tell you two things:
1) You are not alone. Most fighters have gone through these same feelings on their journey as a fighter.
2) Just swing anyway! No one other than you will remember if you die. You'll only get better if you try to stand up and fight.

To drive this point home, I have two quick war stories for you about new fighters learning to "just swing".

Our first story begins at a normal Belegarth practice. Near the end of the day, one of the veterans parried a glaive poorly and hurt his hand. Still wanting to fight a little longer since there were so many new people out, he tucked his injured hand into his tabard and picked up a shield but no other weapons.

When "lay on" was called, three new fighters were lined up across from him. They had seen him running around killing people just moments earlier and gave him a wide berth. Laughing, the veteran urged them on, even pulling out his injured hand from his tabard and waiving it to say "See? No weapons!"

Still, the three kept their distance.

"Come on guys, swing on me! I only have a shield and there are three of you."

More hesitation.

"I promise, you'll be able to kill me. Just attack!"

One of them finally got the courage to step forward just in time to be hit in the back. You see, by delaying so long, the veteran's team had managed to break through their line. If they had charged in and given it a chance, they may have been able to break the veteran's line first. At the very least, they could have killed the guy with nothing but a shield instead of simply dying that round.

Okay, so what does "Just swinging" actually look like?

At a smallish event, there was a two team battle going on with plenty of top-tier fighters on either side along with new ones. In this particular battle, a veteran got in close to a knight and started grappling him. Within moments, they were both so effectively tangled up that neither could swing or move at all. It was then the veteran called out:

"Newbie! Kill him!"

The new fighter, following orders despite the knight's terrifying persona, ran up and swung at wherever there wasn't armor on his back. And just like that, it was over - the newbie had killed a knight at her very first event. Talk about a fun story to tell to your friends, and I can tell you the other vets noticed it, too.

Now, I realize opportunities like that don't happen to everyone.  Sometimes it won't matter to your team if you charge in or hang back. Still, learning to listen to orders and put yourself out there is important in Belegarth; you can't get better if you don't try.

And if you stick with it, one day you will earn your first knight kill. You'll just need to swing to do it.

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Holding your first sword

Not my first time with a sword, but pretty darn close.

I think most Belegrim remember the first time they held a foam sword. For many of us, it was an experience much like a cat that had climbed to the top of a very big tree: “This seemed like a good idea at the time, but I have no idea what to do now.” What we chose to do next shaped our time in Belegarth. As a non-com who owns her fair share of weapons, I'd thought it might be interesting to share my own story.

The very first time I ever carried a sword was after hanging out at one of my first real practices. You may recall that it took a while to get there. My boyfriend at the time, who had recently become interested in Belegarth, purchased a longsword during practice so he had something to fight with. On a whim, I picked it up while he was packing his other things. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing - how to hold it, how to swing it, nothing.

I should have expected it, being the girl who used to play fight with sticks until her knuckles bled, but there was an instant connection with having this foam weapon in my hands. I’m sure I must have looked like Gollum at that moment, clutching it to myself and insisting that I would carry it home for him. There was no chance anyone (including my boyfriend) would be able to take it back from me until I’d sparred someone with it. I remember an uncontrollable grin splitting my face on the walk home. For the first time in my life, I had a sword I could hit people with. It was glorious.

Now “sword I could hit people with” is a bit misleading. What I really mean is "sword I was allowed to hit people with". You see, as soon as I tried to swing said longsword, using the whole of my 5’2” frame and non-existent strength training skills, I realized that I couldn’t actually control the thing. I flailed wildly and grumbled obscenities at this foam on a stick that would not do my bidding. I’m pretty sure it only took about five playful swings of that heavy monster to really hurt my wrist, and I couldn't continue.

Of course, that didn’t stop me completely. I did try a few more times, but it wasn’t meant to be. Almost every attempt ended badly: I re-injured my wrist again, got nailed in the head repeatedly, and even tripped on a sidewalk while retreating and skinned both my hands. After enough of this, I gave up before ever stepping on the field. I still bought my own sword because I felt that connection with fighting, but I wouldn’t ever spar with it.

I wish I knew then what I know now. If someone had told me that sword was too heavy and long for me, I might have never hurt my wrist that first time. If I had trusted someone at practice to teach me, I might have learned ways to prevent the worst of my injuries and never been pushed into a sidewalk by an over-enthusiastic newbie. If I had been handed a sword earlier by a veteran, I might actually be a fighter today.

Everyone only gets one first encounter with foam weapons. Make it a good one.

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That guy? I hate that guy

Everyone has people they can’t stand on the field. Whether it’s the way they talk, the way they fight, or just the way they take up space, some Belegrim are simply annoying. Fighters have the luxury of beating these people to their heart’s content, rejoicing in every yelp of pain as their opponent screams “Dead dead dead dead!” all within the confines of the rules. I’ve been told it’s one of the reasons many of them enjoy fighting so much; if you’re a skilled fighter, it’s easy to deal with these “problem” people.

Non-coms, on the other hand, don’t have that opportunity. If we’re lucky the people we dislike will stay on the field where they can’t bother us, but often they seem to make a point of hanging around the sidelines, trying to get our attention. We sit there, stewing, wondering if it’s time to pick up a sword just so we can get away from the guy who can’t take a hint.

This is where I admit I’m not always a very nice person. I usually try to be helpful, going out of my way for new fighters and old, doing what I can for my realm and Belegarth as a whole. But when someone really irks me, I start finding ways to be just a little less helpful. Think of it like a shieldman who accidentally “forgets” to stop an arrow headed toward an archer that team killed him during the last battle.

One such incident occurred during the summer when I was back at Numenor. Practices were more sparse once school was out, and many locals I had never met before started showing up in lieu of the usual crowd. Most were completely fine, but a few would just not leave me alone despite my best attempts to push them onto the field. They weren’t mean, but despite having fought for a few years they weren't particularly good at it. Since they didn't like losing and didn't want to train, that meant they spent their time asking me what I was doing on the sidelines. The answer was usually “something that needs my complete attention if I don’t want a needle through my finger.”

Now, I don't really mind answering questions about my work, but I start getting annoyed when you expect me to talk to so much I don't get anything done for several weeks. After being pulled away from my own projects for the hundredth time by this group, I was completely fed up. 

You have no idea how badly I want to do this to you, sir. Photo © Ellie Apland.

At this point, I had been giving them the cold shoulder for a few practices, even telling them point blank that I needed to focus on my work and couldn't talk. I was praying they would eventually take the hint and allow me some breathing room without needing someone else to intervene. Luckily, they sort of seemed to understand, hovering awkwardly nearby and surveying the battle instead of directly bothering me. It was then I heard this:

“Why don’t we go challenge him? He looks skinny.”

Curious, I glanced up from my sewing to see who they were talking about. There was someone at practice they thought they could beat up? It took me a moment, but when I finally realized who they had chosen, I had to quickly stifle an gleeful cackle. They were pointing at Xiao.

For those who don’t know Xiao, he’s not a bulky-looking fighter, but he’s got plenty of lean muscle on him. He hits very hard and fast - way beyond what those guys could handle. Most importantly, he’s friendly enough to not turn down a sparring request but also probably wouldn’t tone down his shots. These guys were about to get their asses kicked. Hard.

Maybe I should have intervened, but I was still pretty annoyed after the weeks of prodded despite many attempts to get them to back off. So I did something that was a bit cruel: I said nothing at all. 

I let those guys walk up to Xiao and challenge him with gusto. Their offer was met with an enthusiastic “Sure! How about King of the Hill?” Only two bouts later they were both done for the day, exhausted, bruised, and wondering what the hell just happened. They had gotten utterly destroyed in a matter of minutes, just like I anticipated, and I couldn't help but feel a little smug at finally getting some payback. 

It didn't take them much longer for them to leave practice entirely, finally coming to the conclusion that they were the bottom of the food chain out there. If even that skinny guy could beat them, what chance did they stand against everyone else? For my part, I never had to deal with them again. I would have been sad about losing bodies out there, but if they weren't going to do anything other than harass me at practice anyway, I was happy not having them around.

I suppose this is a word of warning to those who don’t respect the time of Belegrim who have experience, including the non-coms. We have accumulated a lot of knowledge over the years that can help you; don’t forget that we can choose not to use it. Fighting isn’t the only way we know to take you down a peg if we need to.

Got your own story about dealing with annoying Belegrim? Share in the comments below.

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How to pick up a Belegarth girl

Not long ago, I wrote about things you shouldn't say or do to pick up women in Belegarth. Thinking about it a little more, I realized this isn’t really fair of me. Telling you what not to do without providing alternatives is one of my pet peeves about most blog lists.

So here are 5 ways to successfully pick up a woman in Belegarth. At least, it worked for my husband.

5) Ignore her when she approaches you.

If a woman you like comes up to you, don’t appear too eager. Be polite, but make sure you brush her off to chat with other female Belegrim. You may even want to go so far as flirting with other women, teaching them one-on-one, and making it your personal mission to get them on the field while the object of your affections watches from the sidelines. She’ll see you as a challenge worth pursuing, and you won’t need to worry about her getting picked up by other men busy on the battlefield if she’s a non-com.

4) Be as unclear as possible about whether or not you’re into her.

She should still be guessing a month after you start courting her.  Remember: women love mystery. Be sure to only take actions that could be seen as casual friendship. Some examples might be: go out for lunch several times with her but never offer to pay, spend time around her only when your other guy friends are with you, and don't stray from the topic of Belegarth.  You need to maintain your mystique by keeping a healthy distance early on in your relationship.

3) Spend time with your unit over spending time with her.

Bonus points if you miss the first time she invites you to her place; it never hurts to play hard to get. Besides, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re having fun with your fellow Belegrim. Your fighting brothers are important, and she will respect the strength of your commitment to friendship.

2) Don't hold back when you spar.

In Belegarth, it’s extremely important to make a good first impression if you’re going to be beating up a woman you like. Don’t go easy on her, even if she’s new. A woman will not only appreciate your manly strength, but will be happy you view her as enough of an equal to not hold back. Her bruises and pride will heal. Eventually.

1) Injure yourself.

Not only is this a surefire way to get some concerned female attention, but it will seal the deal for you if you keep doing it. Starting out with a simple injury, like a bloody nose after a bad shot at practice, is a good way to make her notice you. If you want to be sure she sticks around, take it up a notch. For instance, you might try to come back with staples in your forehead after an event. She won’t be able to leave you alone after that, if only because she fears for your life.

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How NOT to pick up a Belegarth girl

It is inevitable, given the ratio of men to women in Belegarth, that you will eventually be hit on if you’re female. Even I, in my quiet corner of the game, have managed to attract the odd suitor. And, like anywhere else, it always seems like those most confident in their pickup lines are the most awful.

So, this is a little PSA for all the guys out there who might try to pick up a girl at Bele: don’t do these things!

5) Bragging about your kill count - “Yes, I’m in beast mode today! I’ve killed five people in the past hour!”

This one is especially funny when the woman you’re trying to pick up has a boyfriend who kills as many people in one battle as you do in an entire practice. Best case: she isn’t impressed. Worst case: she laughs in your face.

4) Bragging about your pain tolerance - “It’s probably broken, but I’ve had worse. Grew up on the wrong side of town, y’know.”

The only thing this tells me is that you’re too stupid to get a broken bone checked out. Trying to prove you’re “hardcore” by playing a game through pain doesn’t show toughness; it shows you’re incapable of taking care of yourself.

3) Bragging about your real life weapon collection - “I have, like, 20 swords at home and I practice with them all the time.”

I happen to like weapons and will happily chat about your collection if it’s relevant to the conversation. Don’t try to make up for your lack of skill at Belegarth by claiming you’re a badass who knows all about “real fighting” behind the scenes. You want to impress me? Do it on the field.

2) Awkwardly offering to teach her to fight - “If you ever wanna learn to swing stick, I’d be happy to give you private lessons.”

This can be both insulting and creepy, especially if the woman in question fights at all. It’s okay to tell someone that you’ll be happy to train them if they want to come out to the field. It’s not okay to make phallic references to your sword and tell her you want to teach her one-on-one. It amazes me that there are people who think this is an acceptable thing to say to someone they don’t know.

1) Saying this - “Ugh, I couldn’t stand the last girl who came with me. She kept calling Belegath a LARP. Belegarth isn’t a LARP, LARPs are for fags!”

If this is leaving your lips, picking up women is the least of your worries. You better hope no one with a sense of justice and strong sword arm heard you say that.

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How it began

I was first introduced to Belegarth as a Freshman in college. It was not through the fanfare of U of I’s Quad Day, a sea of wide-eyed hopefuls seeking their fortune, but at our local realm’s opener. At the time I didn’t even know the name “Numenor”, but it would come to define most of my days at the university.

My first experience was completely uneventful. I had been invited by an old high school friend who had already fought for a year, asking me to to watch over his things and take pictures if I’d like. He figured I’d enjoy it; after all, I was known for being a lover of medieval warfare. So I came along for the ride, sitting quietly by the treeline and waiting for him to finish. It was fun to watch, but I didn’t know when practices were or how I would get involved, and it quickly fell from my mind. The year came and went, filled with struggles around classes and friends, Belegarth completely forgotten.

The next year, a woman I had just met in my major invited me to the “Numenor Combat Club” because they were having a big event. Not thinking much of it, I again trudged out to the field, silently watching the battles rage on and again idly wondering how people got involved in this. Like the last year, I was approached by no one, left to watch over her things on my own. Unfortunately, her hand was stepped on and broken at this opener, which ended her time in the club for several months. And so I forgot about Belegarth for yet another year.

The third year, though, was different. I was invited by my boyfriend at the time, who recently started living with a very talented Belegrim. I remember him telling me that his roommate had even won some money at Belegarth tournaments. Intrigued, I followed him to the opener, suddenly remembering this event from my previous two years. But this time, as I sat down to watch back in the trees, the student president of Numenor sat down next to me. He wasn’t a Knight of Numenor, as I would learn later, but he tried to make sure things ran smoothly with the university. He noticed I had a camera and handed me a yellow tabard.

“Go take pictures. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you if you wear this.”

I was shocked. Someone had noticed me! Thanking him quietly, I put on the tabard, finally moving within a few feet of the field to take better photos. Just a few battles later, he came by again:

“I give you that tabard and you’re way over here? Come on…”

It took all my courage not to protest as he dragged me between the two lines, just as “lay on” was called. I cringed in fear as two teams of heavily armored men marched in my direction, feeling an occasional arrow whiz by my head as leaders shouted orders at new fighters. Standing there, shell-shocked in the midst of it all, I took some of the best pictures I have ever taken at a Belegarth event. It was exhilarating and terrifying, chaotic and awesome.

Shaking as I stepped off the field, I handed the tabard back to him, saying, “Thank you. I think I might want a shield next time, though. It’s scary out there!”

And he laughed, replying, “They might try to hit you if you do that.”

Just with that, I was hooked. I still didn’t know the name of this ridiculous game or how I would fit in it, but I knew I wanted to be a part of it. From then on, I could never look away from the field - fighting was my obsession, even if I would never stand side-by-side with those awe-inspiring warriors.

A man whose name I didn’t even know changed my life, just by handing me a yellow tabard. Never think you can’t do the same for someone else.

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