Dziobak

I played in Convention of Thorns 2 in October 2017. It was a great expirience and a truly immersive LARP. The organization was on point, the team was always helpful and ever prepared. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

Having larped for 20 years I've become somewhat jaded in terms of what I've come to expect from different type of larps. Little by little I have lost the passion over the years, and with it much of the love for the hobby itself.
This event changed all that!

Still having the dream of what a larp could / should be like, I chose to invest in CoT2 because I had high hopes. This took all those and tossed right out the window like trash. I had no idea just how much my expectations would be surpassed! The amount of work by the organizers is mindboggling! The time and effort they put in made it all Amazing! The time and effort by other players too was on a whole different scale than I've ever seen!

Attending CoT2 has been a a total gamechanger for me, if not perhaps even lifechanger. While talking with people after the event I even notice myself being perhaps a better person in that I'm being more open (and I hope, nicer), taking a genuine interest, getting involved etc.
The passion is back! The love of the hobby is back!

Convention of Thorns 2

I heard about this two months before it happened, and I am so glad that I rushed to get everything together to go. It was my first Nordic LARP experience, and it was amazing.

I was blown away by the production value, the enthusiasm and professionalism of the NPCs, my fellow players, and the care that went into making the game. The organizers were always mindful of safety and comfort, and though the game delves into really intense topics, I always felt in control of the situation on an out of character level.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes Vampire or World of Darkness, or if you like similar themes. It's a beautiful, amazing game, and I hope they do a third run so I can bring all my friends out from California who couldn't make it this time!

I rode 10 hours in a plane and 5 hours on a bus to go to the event with high expectations. My experience was so good that even after it was over it entertained me through the 5 hour bus ride and the 10 hour plane ride to get home. 10/10. Would recommend anyone who is interested in LARP, Vampires, or Immersive Improvisational Theater to try this at least once in their life.

Conventions of Thorns
I am playing LARPs 10 years, but Conventions of Thorns was new great experiences! It was really the best weekend in my life! My English is not so good, but is didn't prevent me to have a great time! Organization, cooperation, place, mood, people, all of this was perfect.
It was my dream to play Lucita de Aragon, and CoT makes dreams come true!

College of Wizardry (CoW 14) was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I'd never done anything like it before and now I can't wait to go back. 10/10 hands down, would recommend.

I attended the larp Fairweather Manor 4 at Castle Moszna Zamek in November 2017. I was very pleased with the whole experience!

The castle is beautiful and a fully functional hotel. Very nice staff and good food. Beautiful grounds to go for walks in.

The larp arranged by Dziobak Larp Studio worked very well. The inspiration was Dowton Abbey and the year 1917.

It was a lovely experience filled with good gaming, beautiful music and dancing, a lot of fun and some seriousness, with the first world war casting its shadow over the game.

I am very pleased and am hoping to return to Fairweather Manor/Castle Mozsna next year.

This was a 3-day larp that was absolutely amazing except for the 2 organisational things that I'd like to see changed:

1. The bus from the airports to the castle ended up arriving almost 2 hours later, so the first evening of the larp was extremely hectic

2. The photoshoot was in the middle of the last day which meant play had to be interrupted to go take photos. Would be much better if we could take them before the larp started for example, or even during the day

Aside from those two points, this was an unforgettable experience. The price might seem steep but since you get food and lodgings as well as the magnificent castle, I would say it was worth it. You don't even need to know much about the story and the world, as it is very much focused on personal slights and intrigues. Recommend this to everyone who wants to know how it feels like to be the main character of your own story

I would like to share my first ever LARP experience during College of Wizardry 15.

Since I have never experienced anything like larping before (apart from playing "play pretend") I was quite nervous about what to expect.
I have to admit, that the first day was a bit overwhelming for me. Just like my grandma felt, when she was introduced to her new IPhone. Now I Know what it feels like if you expect to just make a few phone calls and you are introduced to the whole bulk of other apps and features...
So the first day was tough, but I got on track by the next day.

Maybe you are wondering what will happen during this event? Honestly I was expecting a bunch of people roaming around the castle, wearing robes and waving wands.
Basically that is true, but it is just the top of the iceberg. Beyond the surface there is a very well organised schedule and plot, that makes it nearly impossible not to get involved in any kind of game.
Many players arranged events before (e.g certain kind of rituals) where the staff wass helping out organising it and providing Non player Characters like Demons or Beasts (yes beasts!).
During the day, you always had the chance of fullfilling multiple tasks like find a hidden object, that was taken away by someone for instance. The overal plot also included a huge trial after a rebellion of golblins, where you could participate to help the "guradians".

The whole day is pretty much structured. 3 Meals a day and classes durning morning and afternoon. A sports event, called Fireball Dragon, similar to Dodgeball. And of course a ball at the end of the event.

Things I liked most:
Attention to detail: Everything wass perfectly planed and you had the impression, that nothing could happen to bring you in any kind of trouble. Speaking of ingame and offgame trouble (like medical issues for instance) This event seemed to have learned from its previous runs and incorporated various aspects to make you feel professionally cared.
Ingame there were very well organised events, even with kind of special effects to make it even more realistic. For instance: my wife participated at a kind of tryout for witchards with very few combat experience. So she was introduced to an attacking spell, that literally blows you up. Demonstrating on a mannequin, that eventually blew up by her amazing spellpower ;) was very nice to watch.
Other examples of special effects were lanterns that changed colours when casting arouund them. Yes, this was kind of remote control, and the blowup were fireworks, but during the situation it felt so overwhelming real and it led to goosebumps.
Every staff member adapted to any kind of game.
If you had any problems, because it is obviously normal to experience some kind of overwhelming feelings, you always had the chance to talk to a staff member. Bare in mind, that everyone has its own personality, plus the personality of the played character. Sometimes there are conflicts so it was a very nice idea to implement an area out of play where you just could sit, grab a blanquet and have a tea and chocolate. You were also given the opportunity to step out of the game and play a Czocha Spirit - a person no one is allowed to interact with - for a moment to get yourself back into shape and the game.
After the game you had the chance to reflect your experience in a "debriefing".

Things I did not like:
To be honest, very very few aspects botherd me but to name one of them:
The prom is on saturday and the game is over at sunday. During the ball the house trophy was given to the winning house and just after that the event was OVER. Just like in the movie where the director says "cut". So everythin after was offgame. Of course it was an opportunity to get to know the real persons behind their characters, but it would have loved it, if there was an opportunity to learn more about the real persons in advance. Though there would have been an opportunity through a facebook group, I have to admit, that I am not into facebook and other forms of social media, so I prefer the real face to face contact.
It was quite strange to learn about the real people you got to know ingame. One of them will always be remembered as Lance, the werewolf :)
The closing ceremony right after the ball was also quite surprising, because I expected to celebrate victory or have a reason to have a beer on the loss of the trophy in the tavern ingame with your team/housemates. Since everything after was offgame this did not happen in that way.

Coclusio:
If you are interested in any kind of way in Harry Potter and always dreamed about being part of something like that in a LARP event, then you are perfectly right at College of Wizardry.
Keep in mind, that there are very high standards regarding organisation and professionalism. To be honest I do not have any other LARP experience, but it felt like beeing introduced to football for the first time by watching the champions league finals. I do not know if other LARPs are handled in the same manner, but standards are very high...

Hard to describe all the things that went through my head throughout the game and the days after, but I will say this-
It was definitely the best Larping experience I've had and one of the best experiences I've had in my life in general.
It is absolute, and sucks you right in.
To summarize -
I've already go tickecks to next winter's game.

I was lucky enough to win a ticket to the Winter Banquet in December, 2017, and though I was initially terrified at the thought of going, I am so happy that I chose to ignore my misgivings, because it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life.
Everyone was open, kind, and welcoming, and although I didn't do any pre-gaming (agreeing on plots or relations before the game begins), I still got involved in several awesome and intense plots, which really made it all worth it.

Colllege of Wizardy 15 (also lovingly known as CoW 15 in the community) was my very first larp at which I was taking part as a Playable Character/ PC.
For anyone interested in trying out larp, or is generally a Harry Potter fan(atic), I would heavily recommend joining one of the CoW events, which run multiple times during the year.
Here are (my personal) reasons why:
1. It is a magical and unique experience which will give you the opportunity to visit a fantastic world for a weekend and try out things you would normally not do in real life. It is a chance to let lose and dive into another world. While it is not exactly Harry Potter, it is heavily inspired by it and additionally leaves room for lots and lots of creativty and personal ideas.
2. The community is unlike any other. The support and enthusiasm every single individual shares in the CoW community is truly unique, and boosts personal creativity. While one weekend does not sound like a lot to spend time with strangers to make them your friends- it somewhat is. The game brings people closer together through interesting stories and safe organisation.
3. It is a perfect way to join the larp scene. Larp itself is a broad term, but blockbuster larps such as CoW that run for a few days at once, offer environment and scenery unlike any other that I have heard of or looked at so far, and combined with the help of both organisers and fellow players makes it easy to get into the game and have a grand time.

I spent 4 days in a castle in Poland, which felt like a real school of wizardry. All the people participating in the event were amazing, the setting (including food, accomodation, support from the organizers) was beautiful and the whole event felt like I was really there. I recommend to every one who wants to become a wizard, even for just a few days.

As being a pirate on the Baltic Sea, Dziobak Studios created a world for the players that fostered intrigue and suspicion among three crews of pirates who in the story mutinied against their former capt.
I spent time on a real ship, learning the ropes figuratively (and for real), and sailing among the ports. It was an amazing learning experience and quite a ride. Meeting people with various experiences of Larping and sharing stories really brought everything together. I highly recommend this Larp to anyone who wants to try a sailing larp or likes being a pirate.

I attend this year as player College of Wizdary: Nibelungen, The Challenge and as helper Covention of Thorns 2.
The company and community is awesome. All the positive attitude, fun but in the same time professionalty is stunning.
They create a very special experience you will never forget and want to relive again and again.

CoW-4 was an adventure from the very beginning when we, Russian larpers, decided to try some kind of an exchange program in magic - go to Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry)
What is most important for me, there was always a great support from organizers in all directions, whether it concerned the character, some practical aspects or crazy ideas requiring much effort from the team on site (thanks a lot for a waltzing golem at the ball, still unequalled experience:)
As a larp organizer myself, I'm really inspired by these people.
Hope I will have some new adventures with Dziobak Larp Studios)

A five day LRP game aboard three ships actually sailing between Germany and Denmark? I signed up almost as soon as I learned about it.

I am from the UK LRP tradition (which tends towards self-written characters and groups, totally unscheduled conflict with other group and IC violence being rather expected and the most likely result), so the thing about assigned characters (rather than designing my own history) and being able to read everyone else’s background (rather than having to learn it in play) and the thing of being invited to establish pre-game tension with other people outside of my immediate play group was new.

That said, I was absolutely allowed to adjust my character and background to my preference and the pre-game online chat and negotiations with people I’d never met before absolutely _did_ help me to have a better time among sixty otherwise total strangers. I read the background of characters I reckoned I’d have most reason to know well, ignored all the others and (to be honest) mostly forgot the finer character details anyway. That said, it was _notably_ different when I had an image to go along with a name and a back-story that potentially meshed with mine.

The visuals were lovely and the costume standard was very high. Brilliant thing about pirate LRP is that costume can absolutely range from “exquisite damasks and carefully chosen accessories” to “kind of ragged hotch-potch of raggedy linen and wool”. _Everyone_ looked good.

The setting was the biggest sell, of course. Three ships, actually sailing the Baltic. Let me say that again. Three ships. Actually sailing the Baltic. Hell, _yes_, we were actually at sea, but hell yes we we are also expected to be part of the crew and haul ropes, take the wheel, prepare meals and swab the decks as appropriate. The RL crew of the ships respected the game we were playing, but also expected us to take part in the genuine work to be done aboard the ship. This was very easily folded into the Pirate LRP experience!

We actually lost our first sea day to extreme weather, but I cannot complain about it. I think not putting to sea in high winds with a novice crew was _exactly_ the right decision. The time in port was actually really useful for establishing connections/relations with the other ships/crews and the game makers did an excellent of adapting so that we still had to _work_ for the relevant information of where we should set our course for the following day. And, for all that there was an OOC imperative that all three ships needed to end up in the same place at the same time, there was still a pride/prestige to be gained in being the first to learn where and why.

Our first day at sea - OMG. Two of my top five scenes in nearly in nearly thirty years in the hobby. I) The ships leaving the river/harbour and putting out to sea. Actual ship, actually at sea, actual potential of disaster if you don’t totally commit to your character being part of a ship’s crew... Looking out and realising that there was no land in sight. Superb! II) A three way ship battle. Honestly, actually, three ships desperately jockeying for position so that they could bring their guns to bear on one of the others. I wasn’t actually clear on _why_ the two smaller ships were opening fire on the large ship, but I hardly cared. The exchange of cannon and pistol shot (or our reactions to the mere idea of such) was totally worth it. It probably helped that I’d managed to steal enough of the larger ship’s ammunition the night before that we effectively had twice their possible number of shots...)

Favourite moments/scenes/elements:-

This wan’t just a shipboard LRP. Every place we put into port had something to be investigated/questioned/solved on shore. My character was rather ship-bound (and I have a preference for sending other people to find game./RP opportunities), but I was nevertheless the one to find the parrot who still remembered/repeated the crucial plot-progressing phrases of his now just bleached-bones master. That parrot totally came back to ship with me and we were fast friends for the rest of the event as I taught him phrases that I reckoned would cause the most game as he repeated them at inappropriate moments. I spent an hour or two wondering what to call him, until I realised like the dawn breaking that he was obviously the Dread Parrot Roberts... (I was OOC disappointed at the number of people who didn’t get the reference, but maybe that’s an age thing?)

Call it the tides of fate or call it the fact that we all knew it was the closing hours of the event, but _hot damn_ that last extended finale scene (two, three hours?) was high octane rollercoaster.

And it was all Time Out over by maybe 9pm on Saturday. That’s far and away the earliest I’ve ever known an event to end, but it was followed by the best after party I’ve ever attended.

I had a _brilliant_ experience at SAC LRP. I wanted “on a ship”, and “actually at sea” game experiences (and absolutely got them), but I also got some amazing inter-character relationships and drama including loads of surprise “yes, you’re First Mate aboad a working ship, so bloody act like it!”. Magical mid point between between being a ship’s officer and trying to make game happen for as many as possible... I knew exactly one person before I boarded ship, but came away with a whole crew full of friends.

Sickening though it is for a pirate to admit it, the greatest treasure really _was_ the friendships I made along the way...

Fairweather Manor 2017 was one of the most impressive (if not THE most impressive) live action roleplay (LARP) events that I have ever visited. And I have visited quite a few uncommon LARP events so far.

The organization was just perfect. And during in-game, organizers and coordinators where easy to reach, alway friendly, and ready to assist.

The game itself was so intensive, that I sometimes had the feeling to be situated in a film. Part of the time just watching, and part of the time actively acting in my role, giving my personal note to the gameplay.

But all the effort of the organizers would have vaporized into nothing if the players had not been the great peers that you just need to bring a good setting to live. Even those who never had visited a LARP event before delivered an amazingly great play. Everybody seemed to be really committed to do the very best, in playing his or her role, as well as in creating a convincing look and feel for the character with fashion, details, and attitude.

All right, the price for the event is quite above the average price, compared to standard LARP events in Germany. But the value for money was also fine, spending 3 nights in a great castle and having delicious food, provided almost all around the day by a professional staff.

In the end, it is a clear and strong recommendation. You may benefit most if you already have some experience in LARP. But actuially, this does not really matter. As a total newby, you will have the great opportunity to start your LARP experiences in a great and very special setting ("Downton Abbey"), and with really committed co-players and organizers. You will find something that is not easily to experience in "standard" LARP.

Therefore I am happy that my ticket for Fairweather Manor 2018 is already booked. And I am afraid to say that FM 2018 is currently already booked out. But as far as I know there is a waiting list ...

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