You never know what you might see when you head into the woods of South Jersey.
Earlier this month we found ourselves driving through Medford, when suddenly we were transported to another world, another realm…a mystic realm even.
It was at Camp Kettle Run off Sawmill Road, but the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey facility had been transformed into something fantastical
It was now the home base for the Glory of Guildhall, a monthly event that’s been run by the Mystic Realms organization for nearly 30 years.
“The Glory of Guildhall is the story of heroes (sic) struggling to keep their world in the Age of Order,” reads a description of the game on the group’s website.
The live action role-play, or LARP, event has been building upon the same ongoing interactive fantasy story since it began in 1997.
We met with the group’s founder Anton Kukal who showed us around as game participants gathered with their guild-mates, preparing for the next battle or adventure.
Guildhall players can attend part of the event or even stay for the duration of the weekend-long game – camping out while remaining in character, and fantasy attire throughout.
The Glory of Guildhall is one of several different campaigns organized by Mystic Realms, and Kukal said that the fun of the fantasy role-play is only part of the goal, with the structure of the games designed to help teach leadership and interpersonal skills through problem-solving exercises.
“Members focus on improvisational acting, costume creation, prop making and script writing. Members learn social, dramatic, leadership and crafting skills which generalize to all facets of their life,” reads the group’s website.
“A Mystic Realms live-action experience is more than just a game; our devotion to theatric skill development makes our program unique and special. Our approach to role-playing encourages cooperation and empowers participants to explore all facets of the theatric arts and themselves.”
To learn more about Glory of Guildhall events, and Mystic Realms, scan the code below, visit www.mysticrealms.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram.
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