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Ballarat's latest craze may have finally been discovered within the walls of Kryal Castle. The Ballarat Swordcraft group is the city’s very own branch of a Live Action Role Playing game (LARP), which has shot up in popularity since its inception in Melbourne six years ago. Participants are in charge of the development of their own ‘character’, as they foray through a 16th century medieval fantasy universe. Armed with an arsenal of fake swords, axes, spears, bows and arrows, the group engages in large-scale battle simulations to test the mettle of its warriors. Those dedicated enough to the cause have even got customised helmets, armour and shields, creating a menacing presence on the field of battle. Luke Mitchell, the organiser of the Ballarat chapter, says the spike in participation has been spurred by a sense of community felt by all members. “There’s a lot of like-minded people in the group from all different walks of life,” Mr Mitchell said. “Everyone’s really friendly and happy to help each other, whether it’s with training, costuming, or field trips occasionally. “It’s just a great bunch of people, that’s the biggest draw”. The Ballarat branch first began some three years ago, when less than ten people would attend the weekly meets at Kryal Castle. Swordcraft now attracts between 50 to 60 people for each event, with some participants travelling from across the state to attend. Mitchell said the attendance that the battles now get is hard to comprehend, given the group’s humble beginnings. “Since we’ve been at Kryal Castle, we’ve gotten a lot of exposure, especially from people in Melbourne,” he said. “Just through word of mouth alone, people have come from Melbourne, Bendigo, and even Newcastle”. With the group constantly gaining more numbers, Mitchell said the ultimate goal is to match the Melbourne branch in both numbers and prestige. “I’d like to hit 100 (people) at one point, that’s when the venue is at capacity,” he said. “Melbourne’s branch also runs quest events every four to six months, which is a capture-the-flag style event run over five days, so we’d love to run one ourselves”.

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