2020 Online Event Dates! July 17th, 2020 Due to Covid-19, Kingdoms of Novitas has chosen to spend the rest of 2020 online! Please join us at https://www.facebook.com/kingdomsofnovitas/ for more information about our online events. Here are our amended event dates: August 8th – Zoombilee!

September 6th – Story Time with the Plot Marshal

October 10th – Monsters with the Props Marshal

November 7th – Stay tuned!

December 5th – Stay tuned! Posted by Julie

Regarding our 2020 event dates July 17th, 2020 Hello, People of Novitas! The Marshals and I are very sad to announce that we have decided to suspend all in person events until at least February, 2021. We feel at this time that it is irresponsible to risk the health of our players and friends. Fear not! We will still be gathering each month online. Join us August 8th for the Zoombilee! We will be giving a State of the Game address as well as holding a small auction just like any regular Junebilee. On September 6th, please save the date for Story Time with the Plot Marshal. Gather 'round to see Bryan Graham sit in an armchair somewhere with a smoking jacket and a pipe as he regales us with a story many of you may not have been around for. A poll will go up shortly after this post where you get to pick which story gets told. In regards to the Dungeon Crawl, our dynamic duo is still working very hard on it, but because of this latest decision, it will be moved to NEXT October. All registrations will be carried forward and the groups will be the same. If anyone has a conflict with the new date or wishes to change PCs, please reach out to Caitlin Udas or Chris. Stay tuned to hear what online activity we have planned for October of this year! We miss you all very dearly. Please join us at these online events and we look forward to seeing you in the new year. XOXO, Dave, Maggie, Pat, Ryan, Dustan, & Bryan Posted by Julie

Cancellations Update April 30th, 2020 Greetings friends, The Marshals have talked, and at this time we feel it's in everyone's best interests to cancel all KoN gatherings until September 1st. With Pennsic and Bicoline being canceled, both in August, it seems like we're on par with everyone else: https://old.reddit.com/…/g6r…/larp_cancellations_megathread/ Additionally, I cannot think of a worse headline for our game's public relations, and for LARPing in general, than "Weird Nerds in Upstate NY Woods Spread Coronavirus while Pretending to be Elves and Fairies" 😉 Our team is coming up with some fun and informative virtual activities you can take part in if you want. More info on that will be offered in the coming days. Please take care of yourselves. If you're having a hard time, reach out to your friends and support group, apply for any aid you can, and help each other. Stay safe, and we'll all see each other soon – and it'll be LIT. xoxo, Dave Posted by Julie

UPDATE: April and May Events Cancelled March 21st, 2020 Greetings friends, It is with a heavy heart that I find it necessary to cancel our April event at Camp Kingsley, after talking with the Boy Scouts director this morning and reading a bunch of information from the CDC et al about recommendations for social gatherings. While Camp Kingsley is remaining open, and leaving the choice to cancel events up to individual groups and units, our makeup is much different from the typical scout troop. We are spread over a far larger geographical area, which increases risk tremendously. It would be socially irresponsible to hold an event. I hope you use this time to work on garb and gear, to do a bit of roleplaying online, and make great plans for this summer! We will reevaluate the situation in accordance with any new guidelines before the May event and post new information at that time. XOXO (virtually, please), Dave, First Marshal and Operations Marshal UPDATE: The BSA has announced that they are cancelling all of their events through Mid-May which cancels our May event as well. We look forward to seeing you all in June! Posted by Julie

Player Profile: David Coyle February 4th, 2020 How long have you been playing: This September 2020, it will be my 7 year anniversary at Kingdoms Of Novitas (KoN). But the character was actually created for Dagorhir on July 12, 2009 at the Feast For Crows event in Rochester, New York after my friends and I heard about Dagorhir in the now defunct Rochester Insider paper. I first heard of KoN on July 14th, 2013 during a practice with Dan (Atticus), Richard (Reaver) and Zach (Octavius) – who were also of the Dag unit Cairnhold Legion. I believe Zach was First Marshal of Marketing, Player & Outreach at the time but he told me about KoN and I was completely sold to try it. Unfortunately, soon after that invitation, I had a negative experience with a different LARP weeks later due to its bizarre standards and I actually became an anti-LARPer. But some Rochestarians really wanted to try out KoN. And on September 6th, 2013, I drove them to our first event. Midway through the post-LARP brunch at a local diner, I knew I wanted to be part of this family. Describe your character: “… a masked man in full black, with a bullwhip at his belt and a skull-topped spinal cord attached to his back, stood against the wall and watched the room unblinkingly… our eyes met – his shockingly yellow eyes, with their jagged black irises, stood out… through the eye-holes of his mask – and he held my gaze for an uncomfortable long moment.” – Ellenor’s Letters – Blog Entry: Best Friends, 8-6-1595 What is your favorite in game moment?: There are so many moments but my favorite moment as Daitoro and as a LARPer in general was from “The Eye Surgery” storyline at the May 18-20, 1596 event in 2017. I took Daitoro out of my comfort zone and delved deep into the soul of the character. If you love reading blogs, check out the blog section of the forums. Thaerion and Joy blogged their perspective of that weekend. Thaerion’s blogs start with “Regrowing Pains Part 1” and ends with “Fortunes And Misfortunes Part 2”. Joy’s blogs start with “It’s Fine, Joy” and ends with “Fangfish”. What is your Favorite Monster? Why?: That would be the ex-Cairnhold Ranger named Zylah played by Tammy Pratt. Zylah is the right-hand woman of a nosferatu named Reginald Bartholomew Augustus or "Reggie". Reggie is a reoccurring NPC played by Dave Morgan. When a force so great threatens to consume the town and you have no choice but ask Reggie for help, you’re put in a seat at the 1943 Tehran Conference. You know that you’re going to be dealing with him down the road after he grants you his services. He is a fan favorite iconic NPC among us. At times, he is accompanied with Zylah. Unlike monsters who by their inner nature are aggressive and dangerous, Zylah is a human who willfully chooses evil and engages with Daitoro in psychological warfare. I always tell people that Zylah is like the Joker from the graphic novel, A Serious House On Serious Earth. And Tammy is phenomenally evil as her. The kicker is that she was never a personal plot for Daitoro in the first place. It was all organic character development from her reoccurring NPC appearances dating back to October 3rd, 1594 or 2015. It is truly a great gift when she appears. And engaging in battle from a psychological perspective is truly unique and different than the typical swords and spells fight. Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: S-C-P-C: S = Setting. The medieval-fantasy setting we have is a selling point for many. I have a love for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. C = Classless Alignment System. The game's system gives you freedom to create your playable character within the world book’s framework using one of six character races. That means you have more freedom in character creation compared to Class systems. P = Price. It's among the lowest for LARP weekends in the United States. It pays for four game shifts where you get a bunk and are also fed as well. It is currently at a price of $30 per event. And your second visit is free. C = Community. It’s amazing to see the evolution of our game from 2004 to when I entered in 2013 and now here in the year 2020 – thanks to this community. On this website, click on the “About” link and then “Staff Members”. These are your current First and Second Marshals who help run the aspects of our game behind-the-scenes to make sure we have a smooth fun experience. But even if you are not a Marshal, everybody can play an important role to make our game great. We got people that strive to improve our game by bringing in their talented skills. Check out these links: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LARPEssentials https://www.facebook.com/ArcanaArms/ https://www.facebook.com/magicalmayhemFX/ https://www.facebook.com/sticksbystone People can have the ability to leave a positive fingerprint on our game. I feel that if someone misses out an event, I can actually feel their lack of presence to our game whether they are playing a PC, NPC or doing staff work. And when people miss you, that means a lot. You really can have another family in your life. I’ve seen players become parents. I’ve attended weddings. I’ve seen people get their first house. I’ve seen our players helping other players outside of game. If you never attended KoN, you can see glimpses of our community on our YouTube channel – KON LARP. To conclude, I am going to quote Steve Hower's great closing statement on episode IV of one of our YouTube series – On Break: “You’re going to make lots of new friends. It’s going to be good for you.” Who is your favorite PC?: The best answer and one I truly sincerely agree with is the answer from Dan Meerschaert’s Player Profile: “I can’t answer this. Every single PC is a beautiful work of art. Someone put their whole self into creating something you can interact with, learn about, and even add to yourself.” However, there is one character I do mention the most to people over the years: Geoffredo Abasette. Septon Geoffredo Abasette is a elderly human who was the leader of Order Of The Temple. Although Al played prior PCs, Geoffredo debuted during the 1592 Harvest Fest on October 5th, 2013 and was active for about 3 years. Once Al put on that prosthetic face, altered his voice and got into the distinct mannerisms – Al could literally steal the show with his role-playing during his back-to-back PC shifts. He did a phenomenal job of always staying in character. He once did a 20 plus minute near-perfect sermon on the seven gods of Novitas. The imperfection came when he tried to open a chest but he didn’t know where the key was. Al’s frustration in real life was translated to as Geoffredo and it was so funny to hear an old man swear at the chest not opening. He stayed in perfect character while the rest of us died in laughter. And while he could be a witty smart ass – once a PC said he stopped a leader of a cobra cult, Geoffredo replied, “Ah, I see you stopped the cobra commander!” – he is empathetic. I know this, Geoffredo stopped a suicidal NPC I played, a role that was outside my comfort zone of comedy and horror NPCs. I purposely made our interaction go about 30 minutes because I wanted to learn from a veteran peer how to be a better LARPer. I only wished he would’ve been around to meet Joy, a High Priestess Draconus Worshipper. She is the closest equivalent to him in my opinion. If those two LARPers interacted with each other, they would have created a masterpiece moment for all of us to witness – and to learn from as well. What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: My influence of creating him was based on my childhood love for ninjas. He's a love letter but done with my own twists. Cross-gaming from Dagorhir to KoN for the first time, I didn’t have the character backstory set. He did have core tropes we’ve seen in many medieval-fantasy stories: the loner, the man in black, the silent one, etc. Once I fell in love with KoN after my first event, I immediately came up with the reason why he came to our original town of Pinedale. I must mention two fun facts about the backstory: First, the final plot on that rainy forth shift when Daitoro debuted involved the undead invading. It’s not officially canon by staff but I consider the moment Cairnhold arriving Sunday at 1:30AM on September 8th, 1592 at Pinedale was because Daitoro retreated there and Cairnhold followed. Second, it was my way of thanking Cairnhold Legion members Dan, Richard and Zach for coming to practice in Rochester. And because Zach told me about KoN, his undead Dagorhir character Malevolence has the honor of giving Daitoro that scar. Nowadays, there are many stories and arcs for Daitoro. I also love to explore the psychology of the character. One advice I always recommend to newbies is to keep an open mind of what happens in game. I never thought I become a Medium but I did. I also needed to get contacts due to me being near-sighted. I had a fear of contacts but I came up with this idea of yellow eyes for Daitoro once he became a Medium. Thus I have a storyline and I overcame my fear of contacts. How many PC’s have you had? What happened to them?: Only Daitoro Hlorëapimpe. I always tell fellow LARPers to never take your character for granted as permanent character deaths happen, I tell them to have fun and I advise to treat your PC like you have a second life. I still have so much fun playing him today like I did when he arrived 7 years ago to KoN. And as long as I am having fun and don’t get him killed, I’ll continue to his journey of life in our current town – Maplewood. I do have to say, I found Atticus to be inspiring. As stated in Dan’s Player Profile, he has played Atticus since day one of KoN – all the way back to May 2004. Even prior to KoN, he created that character for another LARP. He is the longest serving PC we have. I would love for Daitoro to reach that decades old milestone. The kids of the parents at our game are going to be old enough to join soon. I would love for them to see Daitoro. And if I am blessed with kids of my own, I hope they can meet him in game, too. In conclusion, I have four things to I like to say: 1) If you're a newbie from Rochester, NY and you need a ride to your first game: l can help you out. 2) To the potential newbie who reads this: I hope to see you at game and you get at least a glimpse of my character. 3) To my KoN family: I'll see you at game. 4) And to my KoN family members on hiatus: We'll be still be around. Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Brandon Febles December 4th, 2019 How long have you been playing: Well I’ve been playing for almost ten years now. My ten year anniversary will be in April of 2020, and these have been ten awesome years playing. I had to take a break for a while due to life circumstances, but when I returned it was as if I never left. It is one of the reasons I love KON so much. Describe your character: My character is Leon Wolfram (Von’Wolfe depending on who you ask); He is a veteran adventurer and seasoned druid who is getting old in age and his grayish-white hair shows it. Leon is kind, loving, and very forgiving, but he does not suffer fools or tolerate inhuman acts of cruelty. He has spent a lot of his later years protecting the balance of nature and teaching newer adventurers and young druids different skills, resources and opening their minds to see the bigger picture of life. Over all he is a moral compass that some people look to for guidance, probably why he has gained the title “Best Septon” in the Freelands even when he isn’t even a Septon to begin with. What is your favorite in game moment?: Over ten years there have been a lot of fantastic moments that have happened to Leon, but one that really changed Leon to the core was the CassIdy Arc. CassIdy was a necromancer that worshiped Darkness and created flesh golems to terrorize the surrounding area. Eventually she came across Leon closest friend and leader: Fe the Butcher. Through temptation and twisted words she drew a wedge between the two of them. Leading Fe closer to his darker side which eventually led to Fe dying. But for CassIdy that wasn’t enough; to her it was Leon's fault that Fe died. So on one moon lit night, Cassidy attacked the town, sending flesh golem after flesh golem, trying to break down Leon's spirit. But, as she attacked the town she invited Leon to a secluded place to face her champion. He arrived there with a few friends and heard a song being sung, a song that Leon knew well. She had taken the body of his friend and remade Fe the Butcher into a flesh golem; which Leon had to face. After Fe and Leon had finished the last verse of the song, they charged into battle against each other. Leon had won, but at the price of killing someone he loved dearly. To this day he doesn’t forgive himself for not being able to pull Fe out of the darkness, but he promised to never let it happen again to someone he loved. What is your Favorite Monster? Why?: I have to say my favorite monster right now has to be Buzzers. They are super cute and kind and really ditzy. They are always leading themselves into trouble, but at same time if they are spooked or threatened, their little stinger can kill you. (Trust me, I know. (-_-) ) Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: Like I said earlier I was gone for about two and a half years due to life and college and all that fun stuff, but when I returned even with many, new faces it was like I never left. It was like I was coming home to family and I can’t imagine not having this Larp family in my life. Some of my closest friends I've met here and wouldn’t trade any of the experiences I’ve had here for anything else. To me Kingdoms of Novitas is my home away from home. Who is your favorite PC?: This is a tough one, with so many interesting and different characters it is hard to pick one. If I have to pick one right now I would have to say Catori right now is one of my favorites. She a female archer, she is kind of heartless when it comes to battle, but when you get to know her she is really sweet and funny. The way she acts in certain situations is very true to her Dellin ways, and the talks we have had in character are always learning opportunities for each of us. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with and if you piss her off, you'll likely find an arrow in your chest. What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: When Leon first walked into Pinedale he had just lost his wife and son. He was filled with hatred and malice towards monsters and evil characters. He would charge head first into battle and wished for death, yet he kept being saved. To me Leon was meant to test the waters as my first character and I didn’t plan on playing him for so long. So now almost ten years later, he spends his time teaching the younger generation and still kicking bad guys in the butts. He became more than I ever thought he would be. How many PC’s have you had? What happened to them?: Leon is the only character I’ve ever had and he is still kicking. But I’ve been looking to bring a different character who is very different from Leon. I don’t know only time will tell. ^_^ Posted by Julie

2020 Event Dates! November 22nd, 2019 Now announcing our 2020 event dates!

Feb 7-8-9 Founders Feast

April 10-11-12 Cancelled

May 1-2-3 Cancelled

June 5-6-7 Cancelled

July 11th Junebilee (In July!) at Delta Lake State Park Cancelled

August 7-8-9 Cancelled

September 4-5-6 Harvest Festival Cancelled



October 9-10-11 Dungeon Crawl Cancelled



November 6-7-8 Cancelled

December 4-5-6 Cancelled



Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Sage Barber October 30th, 2019 How long have you been playing?: My first game was in August 2018! Describe your character: Opal (Blackthunder, as of August 2019) is a quirky Terran who has broken her chains and is starting to forge her own path on the surface. She quickly made friends with other misfits around town, got herself married to a high class lady, and started building a cave to call home. Needless to say she’s living her best life while trying to survive all of the craziness that seems to happen in Maplewood. As of recently, her past has been called into question and has become a complicated conversation of political interest regarding slavery in Terra and Gersh. What was your favorite in game moment?: One of my first games I was NPCing with Mary Weeg and we went out as gamblers: Laverne and Shirley. We spent some time at the Slap and Tickle playing games and making conversations when some Dellins came pounding at the door trying to sell items and making a scene. We tried our best to stay in character but found ourselves laughing pretty hard. A short time later the Slap and Tickle was invaded by the Dellins and a group of Fiends. All hell broke loose and before I could even say “oh shi-” Mary looked me in the eyes and disappeared under the table. I pretty much assumed I was going to get murdered and I just folded my arms and put my head down embracing the inevitability of my doom. To my amazement no one touched me and the room was soon silent, everyone dead on the floor. I looked under the table and Mary was still alive and we both looked around in shock that we’d both survived. I said “let’s get the HELL out of here” and we scooped up our earnings, leaving the rest on the table and we made a run for it. We got down the road a short way and were talking about what just happened when someone snuck up behind me and stabbed me in the back before killing Mary as well. It was Aiden who thought that we had stolen from him during the chaos and took off with hundreds of coin. It turns out Abel had tricked him and he ran after us after we’d left. In the end, we survived the chaos of an all out brawl in the Slap and Tickle only to be murdered by our new friend for something we didn’t do. What is your favorite monster? Why?: I tend to avoid combat so I haven’t experienced many monsters, but I know that wraiths keep beating the crap out of even the strongest of PCs. Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: A nice weekend of escapism from the stress of normal life is quite a relief. I love getting to come out to the middle of the woods and act like a huge nerd with a bunch of other huge nerds. At first I was really afraid that I wouldn’t fit in but I was quickly proved wrong by the amazing people here. I really feel like Novitas has helped me break out of my shell and allowed me a positive way to cope with my anxiety. Nothing says relaxation like a weekend of running around the woods and hitting your friends with swords while pretending to be someone else. Who is your favorite PC?: This is a really hard question, I love all the PCs I’ve come to know. I love all my Earthkin friends for all of the nonsense we get into together. Sable Company always makes me laugh super hard. I love Jesse Luna’s PC, Don Cervantes, for begrudgingly putting up with us calling him “Donny” and “our human pet”. What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: I had no idea where I was going to go with this character and I’m playing it game by game and just going with the flow. It’s been really fun to just develop her on a game-to-game basis. How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: Opal is my first and only and I’m really hoping I won’t have to make a new PC for a long time. I’m usually pretty good about keeping her out of danger but part of me is still dying to get in on some of the fighting action. Posted by Julie

Player Profile: Nick Browne October 10th, 2019 How long have you been playing?: My first game was August 2016, so a little over 3 years now.

Describe your character: Arcturus Valteri is a Vleanoan deserter turned Septon. After watching his family die and his military career turn to ruin, he fled the country for a new start in the Freelands. He is a devout follower of the Seven but has his own unique “interpretations” of many of their tenants, mainly involving the tolerance of Draconus, purging heretics and partying. Arcturus will just as soon share a drink and a song with his companions as he would hunt down and destroy a dark cult. He has a fierce distaste for undead and dark cultists, and will go to the ends of Novitas to protect his friends and allies. He currently leads the Lightsworn Order and runs the local Sept temple. What was your favorite in game moment?: This is a tough one, there have been so many amazing moments. My favorite recent moment would have to be my battle with Lord Mortem, a dangerous wraith lord. I watched him become a wraith after cultists desecrated my temple, and myself and a few companions fought hard to take them down. The wraith lord escaped, and a month later I tracked him down and dueled him to the death at night in a clearing. As we landed blow after blow against each other I never felt more like a real hero fighting against dark forces. As Lord Mortem fell, I dispelled his remains and reaped his spirit, yelling the incants as loud as I could. A very close second would be the assault on Cairnhold during my second event ever. It felt like I was at Helm’s Deep! What is your favorite monster? Why?: Surprisingly, it would be the wraith. I think they’re one of the few monsters that can really make some our best fighters wet themselves! They are some of the most sinister and dangerous creatures in Novitas, able to pass through walls, bypass armor and steal your very spark. Plus they’re all black and nearly impossible to see until they’ve stabbed you half a dozen times! Why do you love Kingdoms of Novitas?: Two reasons stand out among many: the players and the stories. I’ve never seen a community as open and welcoming as the Novitas crew. When I first started, I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in, but three years later I’ve met some of my closest friends here. It really feels like one big nerdy family. The stories we can tell here are beyond anything I ever expected. The whole staff, the plot, props and GM team especially, are absolute masters at bringing the fantastical world of Novitas to life. From heroic moments to heartfelt RP, the world really lives and breathes on an incredible level. Who is your favorite PC?: This might be the hardest question! I think it would have to be Alareon the Firekeeper. Stefan does such an incredible job bringing his character to life. Between how deep his RP can be and the fact that he’s a great fighter on top of it, he really has both my own and my PC’s respect. A very close second would be Septon Marcus Maximus played by Steve Arnold! What did you think your character concept was? What is it now?: Frankly, I’m surprised my character has lived this long! Arcturus conceptually began as a “mercenary turned holy man”. Originally I hoped to have him become a paladin and fight against the inquisition of Vlean. I wanted him to be a more serious no-nonsense character, always on duty. That didn’t quite pan out as I thought, and he’s much better for it! He became Maplewood’s resident temple cleric after apprenticing as a neophyte Septon under Marcus Maximus and the Templar Legion. Now he leads a misfit group of do-gooders called the Lightsworn Legion, purging evil and drinking heavily wherever they go! How many PCs have you had? What happened to them?: So far it has just been Arcturus for the last three years, still alive and kicking evil butt. I’ve sure had my fair share of close calls where I thought it would be lights out, but he’s not done yet! I do plan on bringing an alt in in the near future, but who knows? Posted by Julie