Wildgard
A freehold chapter located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada..
Contents
Description
Wildgard is Winnipeg's Foremost Medieval Live-Action Role Playing (LARP) Group. It's the official Winnipeg chapter in the story of Amtgard, one of the largest LARPing groups in North America with more than 250 active chapters and over 50,000 regular participants. Amtgard is dedicated to the recreation of the Sword and Sorcery genre in the Medieval period. Players are immersed in a world of heroic combat using safe foam-padded replicas of Medieval weaponry and period-authentic clothing. Participants are also encouraged to explore their creative sides with a range of skills from armoring and weapons-crafting to sewing, painting, dancing and singing. You'll usually find 30-60 people on the fields of Wildgard.
We are a heavily role-playing group, as anyone who comes to Wildgard will learn. Wildgard has its own ongoing storyline which is developed through our weekly quests and regular role-play development meets. Most Wildgardians have one or more well-developed characters with back-stories and impressive garb, and they play these characters to perfection at the meets. There are many races in Wildgard, with the three prominent being Humans, Kintu (half-human half-animal anthros) and Elves. Other races include dwarves, goblins, orcs and even feral animals. There are countless classes, ranging from diehard warriors and barbarians to casters like druids and wizards. We even have some special classes like Bushi, vampires and dark elves.
Of course, Wildgardians also know how to fight, and there are many who can hold their own with the best in Amtgard. You'll find a variety of exotic and powerful weapons on the field of battle. Wildgardians are infamous as talented crafters, designing and constructing our own weapons and garb.
Sylver Snowlynx is currently Monarch (Sheriff) of Wildgard, and Zume Frostpaw is acting GMR. Drogax Fen is Chancellor. Kirsten Haardrad is Regent and the Mistress of the Crafting Guild, and Brutis Everkind is Champion.
History
Wildgard was founded by Zume Frostpaw and Sylver Snowlynx in 2012, and first met with all of 5 people on March 18 of 2012. Zume had been in Amtgard since 2006, playing in Nevada, Tennessee and Minnesota. Sylver was introduced to Amtgard in 2010 in Minnesota. Both were impressed with the Amtgard system, and in 2011 they decided that Winnipeg was ripe for a LARPing group of Amtgard's caliber. They spent 6 months building up an armory of park weapons, scouting locations and making contacts to try and spread the word. After Wildgard got rolling, two others were vitally important to helping the group establish itself and grow; Eli Conri Mondex and Gypsius Muridae. From there, the group just grew and grew, and it hasn't stopped growing since!
Wildgard has been through a couple of re-namings since its consideration by Zume and Sylver. Originally it was going to be called Wild Spirits to honor both the fact that Winnipeg is at the doorstep of pure wilderness, Winnipeg was the central meeting place of three aboriginal tribes: Anishinabe (Ojibway), Cree, and Lakota (Sioux) and that 'Manito' of Manitoba.. or rather more correctly 'Manitou' means Spirit in both Cree and Ojibway. The name Wildgard was decided upon to represent a realm shared equally by humans and wild animals.
Stories From The Group Founders
Zume Frostpaw: Well let's see here.. when I was in my Junior year of High School, my interest in medieval combat and culture didn't go unnoticed. One of my friends approached me and told me he knew about my medieval interests and so offered for me to join him and a few other people at an Amtgard group in Stagecoach, Nevada. This group was not active nor did any participation count since there wasn't even any application in process. I had a look at the rulebook they had with them and decided immediately upon the Assassin class. It seemed very interesting and the fact that some of my favourite characters from video games or MMORPG's were Assassins or some form of Assassin such as a Ninja. I pulled an old black robe costume out of my closet from Halloween a couple years before and cut it up and threw together some makeshift Assassin garb for my first time participating in Amtgard. I was surprised to see that only one or two other people there actually bothered to garb up so I felt kinda out of place. As though I wasn't supposed to garb up but they reassured me and even said that they were impressed that I had made the effort. I had never fought with swords before whether they were real or fake so I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I went out and beat down their "Assassin Guild Master." It was fun and I was hooked.
Sylver Snowlynx: The first time I ever heard about Amtgard was from my friend at the time, Zume Frostpaw. I had been a fan of swords and all things Medieval for a long time, and action RPGs like Legend of Zelda were always my favorite, so I knew this warranted a look. On a business trip to Minnesota in August of 2010, I decided to take a chance and visit the Starmount Group at Como Park in St. Paul. Although I was a little nervous, they welcomed me with open arms, and in just one day I was hooked for good. I had a chance to play with Starmount and their sister park Mists of the Dawn in Apple Valley, MN, a couple more times. That was before our cross-country Amtgard trip in 2011, which sealed it for me...
People
The Citizens of Wildgard
A classic Wildgard bridge battle
Officers
Monarch: Sylver Snowlynx
Prime Minister: Drogax Fen
Regent: Kirsten Haardrad
Champion: Brutis Everkind
GMR: Zume Frostpaw
Role-Play Story
Role-Play Maps
Wildgard Regional Map
Wildgard Locale Map
Contacts and Directions
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Wildgard meets in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the extreme eastern portion next to Park Boulevard N. just south of the baseball diamonds. We meet on Sundays from noon - 6(ish)p.m. (we end at 4:30 p.m. in winter). There is parking along Nanton Boulevard (runs perpendicular to Park Blvd. N.) and in the parking lot on the Formal Gardens Loop at the south-east entrance. We meet every Sunday all year round (weather-permitting from December through February), and you are welcome to just show up and join us - park weapons are available for beginners. See you all on the field!
