Chivalry and....Zombies.

This last weekend we played at the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Faire Charlton, MA. In the past, it has been a larp faire (Live Action Role Play). Last year, it was awash with Larpers and filled to capacity with them for their annual “Blood Games”. That was interesting and I wrote about it several times culminating with a story called “The World According to Larp.”

This is a beautiful property, not yet discovered by many. There are miles of woods in the back, and the faire is set up by the tavern and the front fields.

This year, the owners and directors of the faire grounds (over 200 acres of former horse farm) decided to focus on the renaissance faire aspect. Their theme was “Chivalry” and it was fun to listen to acts about etiquette and to have Knights in armor vie for the two princesses’ hands in marriage. Their father the King was trying to wed them off, much to the chagrin of the daughters. A couple of the suitors were “not suitable” either which made for some fun drama. Harry & I played along wondrous well, by dedicating a song to the Princesses. “Sorry the Day I was Married” seemed perfect under the circumstances! 

The vendors were fewer but there were a lot of performers. There was us (Merry Mischief) and “The Harper & The Minstrel”, “Mischief Managed” (an acapella group), “Buzzard Bay Buccaneers”, “The Graces”, “Granny Grue” (short for “Gruesome”.  She is nothing of the sort but rather a fun singing zombie gramma J) and we watched swordplay and there was also The Bardic Circle among others.

The weather was fabulous and we had a great time. Saturday night found us sharing a makeshift meal with Jay & Abby and their friends Jerry & Leeza in their camper. We wandered home through the fields and Harry & I settled in for the night in one of the cabins here at the faire. It was a pleasant space, full of wood and with the windows open letting in the screened breezes it was quite lovely in a rustic and modest way.

Father’s Day found us wandering the grounds again, and we enjoyed the patrons, the boothies and the other entertainers a lot.  We traded songs with other performers, and played lots of requests, and Jay & Abby sat in with us for several songs. I just adore how we sound together! We got lots of compliments and suggestions to have us record a CD together. The thought has crossed our mind. I bought some jewelry, some gourmet garlic oil, and we are bringing home an assortment of books from the bookseller Druscilla. I am just addicted to books, I cannot lie. Started reading one this morning, in the sunshine, in my camp chair in the sunshine before opening gate! How delicious that was!

After the busy faire day was done, and we said our goodbyes to patrons and other rennies, we met Granny Grue (Glee) and Jay & Abby at our favorite local restaurant here, at Zorba’s Greek Restaurant for our annual intake of some social beers and grand food.

They went home and Harry and I came back to the campground for one last evening. It’s nicer to think of a good nights’ rest than a 5 or 6 hour drive after a busy faire weekend and full bellies!

I am now sitting in my sweats, out of garb and jingles, with my faire feet up on a cot, writing away to you. I am bathed in the amber cottage light, listening to the sounds of a couple of vendors packing it up, with the sound of cranks turning and the dismantling of counters and booth frames. It is only punctuated occasionally by the calm sound of Harry slumbering on the other bed.  

We are the only ones left here in the deserted faire ground.

It is quiet now here at the faire. Peaceful and still after all the hustle and bustle activity over the last few days. These grounds are beautiful during the day, but I can only imagine how wondrously creepy that this place can be during one of their Zombie Game weekends.

That’s right.

Zombie Weekends.

The larp grounds here are wild and deep and lovely....peaceful with a lot of elbow room here for Larping. There are teams that participate in the many game weekends.

Here are a few pictures of the grounds and some of the play stations/areas in the woods.

A beautiful stream runs through the forest…

Ominous marker notes the path of doom….Do you see it?

And along the way, thankfully an Angel will guard you….

I’m pretty sure that a zombie infestation manifested here in the past….

From what I hear tell, picture the game of paint ball, without the paint. Add costuming, zombies, vanquishing spells and healing rejuvenation remedies, people dressed as animals, demons all trying to kill each other or to live to tell the tale. It’s Dungeons and Dragons come to life, in the woods. At NIGHT.

This sweet quiet cottage must take on a whole other persona when I think of it being under siege by zombies. Of course, some of the best parts of that game happen at NIGHT! This is where chicken shit Merlyn says “Game off” (in a lilting Garth and Wayne Campbell voice).

Hell, I grew up in the country with the threat of coy dogs chasing you while you walked 2 and ½ miles home on a lonely road. You don’t have to tell me to use my imagination. My imagination ROCKS.

The idea of being here, in the woods, at night, while zombies clawed the screens or waited outside my door to eat my brains is enough to keep me sealed up here for a long duration.

Thank God we packed groceries, water, various alcoholic beverages, books, light and a composting toilet….because... THIS girl isn’t leaving this cabin...here on this night... for anyone tonight.

OH HELL NO.

I’m signing off now, absolutely stuffed full of dinner, satisfied to be out with happy and tired minstrels and having enjoyed the conversation of a vegetarian zombie grandma who is also on her way home.

I’m safe and sound, and will crawl in to snuggle with my peacefully snoring Harry, here in the woods, under the moonlight, on a zombie free evening…and all this has got me thinking...and inspired to say that.just as soon as I find my Ren bodice dagger to sleep with- by my pillow, and a 2 X 4 to prop the door shut from the inside (which, as you know, can double as a dead head remover,  if necessary, as advised in "The Zombie Survival Guilde).

Ah….
Just in case.
:)

Goodnight from the Other Side.