New Player Guide

This page is an introduction for new players on how to get involved with the game of Fayhaven.

What is LARP?

Live Action Role Play, or LARP, is a hobby centered around events in which participants take on the personas of fictional characters and interact with one another in unscripted gameplay. These events can be in any genre, but are commonly inspired by medieval fantasy. The hobby can be compared to a live-action choose-your-own-adventure, in which characters make choices that lead them through different paths in the world they explore. LARP is also a convergence of a variety of creative hobbies including cosplay, historical reenactment, theater, creative writing, martial arts, and much more.

What is Fayhaven?

Fayhaven is a high-immersion LARP focused on cooperative interaction between the players and the world around them to create transportive narratives that are experienced like first-person adventures. Crafting relationships with other players within and without the game is a central theme of Fayhaven, establishing a community to face the dangers of the world beyond.

Players will engage in daily life in the fantasy town of Fayhaven, go on exciting quests, search for hidden treasures, and protect the town from evil forces that lurk in the nefarious Gristwood. They will have the opportunity to uncover mysteries lost to time, and create priceless shared experiences with friends both new and old.

The world of Enon is experienced through the role of the player’s character. This character participates in one of the five cultures present in Fayhaven. Each culture (Human, Halfling, Elf, Dwarf, and Gnome) has a unique aesthetic and way of life that unites the members of this culture.

Where do I begin?

Reading the Website

The first step to joining the fantastic world of Fayhaven is reading the information available on the website. Key areas to look at are the Game Rules and Code of Conduct/Policies sections under the Rules heading. It is very important that everyone who is interested in attending Fayhaven is familiar with these sections and agrees to the code of conduct.

After reading the information in the Rules section, head on over to the Event Info section to learn about Tickets, Lodging, Food & Drink, and information related to Volunteering for those who are interested in helping support the event.

The World section contains information relating to the in-game world of Fayhaven. The World Overview gives an introduction to the history and geography of the fictional continent of Enon. The Cultures section contains information on the five cultures that call Fayhaven home. Each of the culture pages has all of the information required to create a character and assemble a costume to participate as a member of that culture.

After reading about the world, dive into the Lore section for additional information and stories about the world.

Creating a Character

1. Choose a culture

  • The first step in creating a character is deciding which culture you want to be a part of. The purpose of the different cultures in Fayhaven is to create a cohesive community between the members of each culture. Because of this, the culture that you join will influence the character traits, naming convention, and garb of your character.

2. Choose a class

  • Classes (located in the Rules > Game Rules > Classes section of the website) define the special skills/abilities that your character possesses for interacting with the world of Fayhaven.

3. Choose a name

  • Your character name is what others will use to refer to you during the event. Each of the Culture pages has information on the naming conventions for that culture.

4. Write a backstory

  • Your backstory is what gives your character’s actions during the event context. More than anything, your character’s backstory is what you as the player can draw from to inform how your character behaves and reacts to the various scenarios and encounters that arise during the event.

  • Backstories should be grounded in in-game reality and cohesive with published lore and information relevant to the world at large. Backstories can be submitted to contact@fayhavenlarp.com for approval. Unapproved backstories exist as ‘hearsay’ or ‘rumor’ rather than in-world canon. As a rule of thumb, your backstory should focus on explaining how you react to others, not explaining how others should react to you.

5. Assemble a costume

  • Costumes, also referred to as garb or kit, are an important aspect of the world of Fayhaven. To maintain the game’s standard of high-immersion, all costumes are required to be submitted for approval prior to the event. By investing in high-quality costumes and taking pride in our characters, we are all able to get the most out of the experience of the world. Each culture has specific requirements for their garb, with guides detailing acceptable garb as well as visual inspiration for players.

  • The final version of everyone’s costume must be submitted for approval by email at contact@fayhavenlarp.com. Any unapproved kit items are subject to denial at the event if they do not meet costume standards. Because of this, it is recommended that you submit potential kit items for pre-approval before you purchase, create, or commission them.

Preparing to Attend the Event

1. Plan overnight arrangements

  • Fayhaven LARP will take place over two days and two nights. Information regarding lodging and meals is located in the Event Info section of the website.

2. Purchase a ticket

  • Tickets for the event and cabins (while supplies last) can be purchased on the website under the Event Info > Tickets section. Information on early bird registration discounts is also available in the Event Info section of the website.

3. Plan travel

  • It is important to solidify your travel plans prior to the event. Depending on the amount and size of equipment you are bringing, you may need to make special accommodations for flights or road trip plans. Information on off-site lodging for before/after the event is available on the Lodging page under the Event Info section on the website.

4. Submit costume/kit for approval

  • Prior to the event, ensure that you have created your character and submitted all of your costume/kit for approval by email to contact@fayhavenlarp.com

5. Pack

  • Check out the packing list (COMING SOON) under the Event Info section of the website for a list of suggested items to consider bringing with you. This is not a comprehensive list, since everyone will have a wide variety of unique items for their character and camping arrangements, but it will act as a starting point to help you think of what you need to bring for the event.

  • Because it is a multi-day event, participants are encouraged to bring enough kit pieces to be able to change their base layer garb each day