It was already a hot day, as he stood there in full battle armour. His Clan was with him, along with the neighbouring clan whom they were supporting in battle. He had his shield and sword, the latter still in its holster. But already his shield was feeling heavy as he waited in line. That too was made of leather.
There wasn’t much room as over 200 fighters were crammed into the line, but he was listening to the conversation between two warriors discussing the benefits of their swords depending on who they bought them from, the state of the finish, the weight balance and how easy it survived or was damaged. He could see that one of those in front had a very nice set of metal chainmail covering his upper body, and that flowed down his body past his waist where it was held in place by a black leather belt. Various different pouches hung off them, including the holster for the sword and the expected drinking flask. Some carried water but many had mead for ‘medicinal qualities’. He preferred water to keep his head clear.
His own armour was limited to leather, a dark brown set that covered his shoulders with the plates overlapping to protect his upper back and front, and some loose underarm sections to let the air flow through. They were tied in place with leather straps as well and could be tightened or loosened depending on his need.
He was going to quick march into position when they pass through the portal to the battlefield. The chap next too him was quite a lot larger, and his armour was more of a thin light tan leather shield, with a strap over his chest, and just his loose shirt underneath. His own variant of the clan colours, with the icon on the left shoulder in the clans colours. He had few weapons but he was a runner, and that surprised him. Running was hot work and the man was quite large. But until you could see the bare skin it was impossible to see how strong they were.
He himself was not a fan of running but it had to be done. He could jog to keep up with his group, but would prefer a quick march into position instead. He tried to move a little before the cramp set in again but everyone was crowding in. He heard noises as another stream of fighters came forwards in another line, he glanced across at their armour and saw that they could afford nicer stuff than he had, plus many of the armour types were synchronised with patterns of matching leather and chain mail. He knew they were a supporting element and was glad that he wasn’t going up against them. He could see short sleeved arms that were bristling with muscles.
He moved a little, he was already uncomfortable, as he was already well hydrated. It was hot today, unseasonably. It was April and the weather should be about 14c today, so he was dressed with a base layer under his leather armour and his trousers were full length. In summer he would wear less trousers and less layers. But today was already 22c and he already drunk nearly a litre of water.
Last night was the first night of the year in the field of LARP, and having arrived to the site late afternoon he got about to setup his reasonably large tent. Enough room to stand up, to dress and to keep all of his clothing. He had numerous sets. Just in the field, the battle, day wear, evening and night wear. At night and in the early morning it got quite cold. He was expecting a cold event. But he had gone to the bar at about 6pm after a light meal and it was still quite hot. So he’d stayed there until well after it got dark. Catching up and meeting friends and old friends. He was at the bar, in the nook, the other nook, the smoking corner, sitting down on the deck and spreading himself around, pint glass in hand, and joining in chat, descriptions, rehashing of battles and above all, catching up.
It was gone 11pm when he realised it was actually quite cold. A glance up revealed a clear stary night, voices all around and the bustle and noise of the other several thousand people here.
Quite a few of the friends here shared some other group discussion forum, such as Discord, but some were isolated for various reasons. So those were the ones that he spent more time with, but many others wanted that too. He did not recall who made the decision but as a group they left the bar at gone 11pm, shivering and heading to the camping field. Various small groups left separating until it was just a handful and him, and then him as he returned, shivering, to his tent. Via the portaloo of course, his aching bladder demanded that.
So now here he was, standing in the battle line, ready to storm into the battle field with his fellow LARPers and he realised he needed to pee.
Battlefield
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Brian
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Re: Battlefield
I sense more to come!
Looking forward to hearing what happens in this pretty awkward situation.
Looking forward to hearing what happens in this pretty awkward situation.
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Lee
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Re: Battlefield
I don’t get it. What era are we supposed to be in?
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Brian
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Re: Battlefield
@Lee I guess it's the modern era and the scene is live action role play (LARP).
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Fred
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Re: Battlefield
Doing live action role play can make a fellow appreciate the trials of hand-to-hand battle centuries ago.
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Tytn
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Re: Battlefield
From an unassuming office job, now boring by comparison he had gone out for a different kind of pub meeting with some friends about 4 years ago, and was introduced to board games. These included things like Warhammer, Gloomhaven and Dungeons and Dragons. He’d excelled with the turn based games and met another group of friends. One thing led to another and last year he joined them at this long weekend event called LARP. Live Action Role Play.
He'd had helpful pointers on what to wear, which clan to join and all that sort of stuff. Some of the prices were quite dear but he had had good fun last year and now, at the first event of the year, he had not been let down.
But it was the first time he had joined the battle formation. He had taken part in ‘running battles’ as they called it. Nip in, slaughter or be slain, and then depart. So far he had had a few glancing blows, each worth a set number of points but his leather armour, expensive as it was, gave quite a bit of protection.
His leather boots were also something acquired from a dally into stage play some years back, which never really took hold. But he still had a few flowery robes in his wardrobe at home.
His mind returned to the task in hand as he watched another formation of troops also form up on the other side of their column. He caught eyes with the one behind
‘Quite a lot of warriors here today’ his eyes flitted around and back to them. They were dressed in a short sleeved red shirt, a black and dark red gambeson with a brown leather belt and a similar leather quiver for arrows slung at his side
‘First battle of the season. We’ve 36 clans joining us for this first wave, each with about 5-10 warriors per clan but once we travel to the battle fields we’ll break up into formations. As we go through the gate, those to either side of us will branch away on their own patterns. We should meet the enemy on the field of glory. I have plenty of arrows’ he grinned. His arrows did not have the spear tip on the front, only a round ball.
‘So you’re not going to kill with those arrows’ he offered
‘The plan is to maim and reduce their ability to return fire. Call me a strategic weapon’ he grinned. He reached down to his flagon at his waist and pulled it up to his lips to take a draught
‘Do you have enough water to keep you going? It’s hot running around’ he nodded back
‘Yeah, but, er, I could do with taking a leak before going in’
‘Man, I know what you mean, things can settle waiting for the start then it’s all go, but the loos are stretched too far away’ he gestured away to either side of them, ‘But it’s a good 5 minutes to each’
Alec nodded back
‘Yeah, I’ll just have to hold it’
‘Then you’ve gotta get everything off, go, and back on again’ the man explained, and Alec realised he was going to be in more trouble later. But he had to be here at the battle. He briefly wondered how he could extricate himself with all this getup on but then his thoughts were quashed.
The horn rang out, the crowd cheered, and then the flow of people started to move. It was slow at first, and then quicker as the strides opened up. It slipped down to single file as they went through the gate, the columns either side breaking down so he was briefly shoulder to shoulder with well armoured, full polished metal armour, banging metal, leather or wood shields and pikes and people, then he was through. He noticed those either side peeling away and he was moving faster, a fast walk following the one ahead.
Every footfall he felt the jostle painfully but there wasn’t anything he could do now. He tried to forget about that time long ago, trapped helping a colleague with a broken photocopier and his dire need after too much coffee.
Ahead of him the path was about 6 people wide, but it was only ones and twos, the grass at least ankle deep as he strode through it, around getting trampled down as the first feet of the season flattened it back.
The trees were a mixed of pointy and round bushy kind. He wasn’t much into nature, but this group of trees had been around a number of decades. There were thick bushes at the base of the trees preventing him from seeing into the main field of battle. But in the distance, he could see the trees thinning out, and taller grass taking over, and then the flow of people seemed to branch over to the side and onto another path. The original tree lined path continued but they were taking this path.
He was out into a larger field, and could see in the distance anther group milling around, facing them. Tall pikes, some with fluttering flags, most without. On their side, groups were forming up, guides were moving people, and their shield walls were too forming up.
The archers were behind them, the pikes being lowered. Alec looked around and saw his clan moved to one side and he went with them, but his shoulder was grabbed
‘You’re with us mate, right in the thick of it’ He was pretty sure that was a Geordie accent, but the laugh of the one the other side was definitely Welsh
‘Oh don’t be too hard on him, just a wee thing’ Alec squirmed
‘Is this your first?’ the Welshman joked
‘Yep, a few running battles last year but…. Nothing like this! It’s awesome!’
‘That it is. Remember your points and your hits, and remember to take your hits. Don’t be ashamed to go down when you’ve had your limit. Try and die in spectacular fashion if you can!’
‘How long does it last’ Alec asked, still looking around.
The lines had formed up on his side too and the voices were mostly quieter now
‘We could stand here half an hour, but we’re more likely to do a steady march in line to the enemy before the charge’
Alec squirmed a little
‘Yeah, the first battle is always a bit of a tense thing, but after you’ve been attacked a few times, you get used to it. If you do rack up the points of hits, stay down until a medic can come to you’
‘And try not to piss yourself’ laughed the Geordie, slapping him hard on the back.
The horn rang out and the group, as one, ran.
He'd had helpful pointers on what to wear, which clan to join and all that sort of stuff. Some of the prices were quite dear but he had had good fun last year and now, at the first event of the year, he had not been let down.
But it was the first time he had joined the battle formation. He had taken part in ‘running battles’ as they called it. Nip in, slaughter or be slain, and then depart. So far he had had a few glancing blows, each worth a set number of points but his leather armour, expensive as it was, gave quite a bit of protection.
His leather boots were also something acquired from a dally into stage play some years back, which never really took hold. But he still had a few flowery robes in his wardrobe at home.
His mind returned to the task in hand as he watched another formation of troops also form up on the other side of their column. He caught eyes with the one behind
‘Quite a lot of warriors here today’ his eyes flitted around and back to them. They were dressed in a short sleeved red shirt, a black and dark red gambeson with a brown leather belt and a similar leather quiver for arrows slung at his side
‘First battle of the season. We’ve 36 clans joining us for this first wave, each with about 5-10 warriors per clan but once we travel to the battle fields we’ll break up into formations. As we go through the gate, those to either side of us will branch away on their own patterns. We should meet the enemy on the field of glory. I have plenty of arrows’ he grinned. His arrows did not have the spear tip on the front, only a round ball.
‘So you’re not going to kill with those arrows’ he offered
‘The plan is to maim and reduce their ability to return fire. Call me a strategic weapon’ he grinned. He reached down to his flagon at his waist and pulled it up to his lips to take a draught
‘Do you have enough water to keep you going? It’s hot running around’ he nodded back
‘Yeah, but, er, I could do with taking a leak before going in’
‘Man, I know what you mean, things can settle waiting for the start then it’s all go, but the loos are stretched too far away’ he gestured away to either side of them, ‘But it’s a good 5 minutes to each’
Alec nodded back
‘Yeah, I’ll just have to hold it’
‘Then you’ve gotta get everything off, go, and back on again’ the man explained, and Alec realised he was going to be in more trouble later. But he had to be here at the battle. He briefly wondered how he could extricate himself with all this getup on but then his thoughts were quashed.
The horn rang out, the crowd cheered, and then the flow of people started to move. It was slow at first, and then quicker as the strides opened up. It slipped down to single file as they went through the gate, the columns either side breaking down so he was briefly shoulder to shoulder with well armoured, full polished metal armour, banging metal, leather or wood shields and pikes and people, then he was through. He noticed those either side peeling away and he was moving faster, a fast walk following the one ahead.
Every footfall he felt the jostle painfully but there wasn’t anything he could do now. He tried to forget about that time long ago, trapped helping a colleague with a broken photocopier and his dire need after too much coffee.
Ahead of him the path was about 6 people wide, but it was only ones and twos, the grass at least ankle deep as he strode through it, around getting trampled down as the first feet of the season flattened it back.
The trees were a mixed of pointy and round bushy kind. He wasn’t much into nature, but this group of trees had been around a number of decades. There were thick bushes at the base of the trees preventing him from seeing into the main field of battle. But in the distance, he could see the trees thinning out, and taller grass taking over, and then the flow of people seemed to branch over to the side and onto another path. The original tree lined path continued but they were taking this path.
He was out into a larger field, and could see in the distance anther group milling around, facing them. Tall pikes, some with fluttering flags, most without. On their side, groups were forming up, guides were moving people, and their shield walls were too forming up.
The archers were behind them, the pikes being lowered. Alec looked around and saw his clan moved to one side and he went with them, but his shoulder was grabbed
‘You’re with us mate, right in the thick of it’ He was pretty sure that was a Geordie accent, but the laugh of the one the other side was definitely Welsh
‘Oh don’t be too hard on him, just a wee thing’ Alec squirmed
‘Is this your first?’ the Welshman joked
‘Yep, a few running battles last year but…. Nothing like this! It’s awesome!’
‘That it is. Remember your points and your hits, and remember to take your hits. Don’t be ashamed to go down when you’ve had your limit. Try and die in spectacular fashion if you can!’
‘How long does it last’ Alec asked, still looking around.
The lines had formed up on his side too and the voices were mostly quieter now
‘We could stand here half an hour, but we’re more likely to do a steady march in line to the enemy before the charge’
Alec squirmed a little
‘Yeah, the first battle is always a bit of a tense thing, but after you’ve been attacked a few times, you get used to it. If you do rack up the points of hits, stay down until a medic can come to you’
‘And try not to piss yourself’ laughed the Geordie, slapping him hard on the back.
The horn rang out and the group, as one, ran.
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Tytn
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Re: Battlefield
It has been a long time since I have done any writing, and whilst I am a member of the community I thought I should again start maturing my ideas 
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SoakdBrute
- Involved
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Re: Battlefield
Sounds like the Geordie fellow may be speaking from experience, but for our brave soldier it’s no laughing matter. If he’s already glancing over at the shrubbery then perhaps he’s getting some ideas for how to deal with his predicament …
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Fred
- Site Staff
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- Joined: 20 Sep 2016, 12:37
Re: Battlefield
And you've returned with a unique scenario, with the potential of a great many full bladders! I suspect that the portable toilets will be ignored during the heat of battle. Frankly, if I were planning a battle with just male participants, I'd do it without the expense of portaloos and suggest that they relieve themselves at any clump of trees.
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Tytn
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Re: Battlefield
Immediately the faster warriors overtook him, surging ahead. He glanced around to see he was now with the stragglers but as they advanced, one next to him called out to branch to the side, to a small copse of fern and sporadic trees, where he could see the enemy curling around the main front to attack from the rear. He forgot about everything he couldn’t change and surged ahead, and their motley group of about 15 joined with the raiders. Almost automatically his shield came up, and banged loudly with body and swords, grunts and thuds as he strove forwards, and felt some movement around him but seemed to survive without any sword strikes.
The wedge he had created seemed to have wiped out a large chunk of the side of the enemy and they were laying all around, moaning in injury. Some weakly calling for the medic. His others were out with the swords and plunging them down, but pulling their blows so only the tips touched with comments that they had been slain, skewered and otherwise debilitated. The attacking group had now started to break up and head into the trees, so he ran after them, his legs burning, his breath short and the agony of his body once again reminding him it was there. But he was enjoying himself and knew he’d just get to that warrior ahead. Too late he realised he was alone, pushing through the fern, rapidly running out of energy when the warrior ahead stopped and turned grinning. He faltered and then heard it, a noise behind and before he could even turn heard a blood curdling scream and felt movement, and the sword was through him. Or rather, it was through between his arm and his body.
‘Haha! I have skewered this foul mercenary’ came the call from behind.
‘Dammit, and I’ve just had this drycleaned as well’ Alec retorted, clutching his ‘wound’ before dropping to his knees
‘Mortally assaulted, defiled and abused. How will I survive such….’ And he fell over.
Yeah, that was a mistake. The agony was enough for Alec to nearly black out but he was now lying down in the faintly damp and grassy smelling green stuff, and the warriors stood over him, talking as if he wasn’t listening to every word
‘So he’s dead, can we loot him now’ came one
‘I guess so. His shield and sword are pretty basic, lets see what coin he has’ and rummaged around. He felt his belt move and then another hand reached down and released his leather belt. Immediately he felt much better, the pressure on his waist released and he felt a lot better suddenly, but a tugging revealed them pulling off his money pouch. A few grunts
‘This warrior was almost penniless, he must have been here only for the reward, there is not enough he to relieve him of’
And with that, they rustled off. Talking quietly as he just lay there, almost bodily stunned as he contemplated life, penniless, death and oh god he had to pee.
It was a few minutes, he was thinking of moving from his agony when he was aware of someone or something nearby. Movement, rustles and then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a guy, light brown hair, slightly chubby with flowering greens with the medics staff of gold and red emblazoned on his shoulder. The face was mostly in shadow but the medic kneeled down in front of him and laid his hand on Alec’s shoulder
‘Another warrior, fallen in battle. How may I assist you, where do you hurt the most’ came a soft voice
‘Well, actually, I really need a piss actually, but you probably can’t help with that’.
The wedge he had created seemed to have wiped out a large chunk of the side of the enemy and they were laying all around, moaning in injury. Some weakly calling for the medic. His others were out with the swords and plunging them down, but pulling their blows so only the tips touched with comments that they had been slain, skewered and otherwise debilitated. The attacking group had now started to break up and head into the trees, so he ran after them, his legs burning, his breath short and the agony of his body once again reminding him it was there. But he was enjoying himself and knew he’d just get to that warrior ahead. Too late he realised he was alone, pushing through the fern, rapidly running out of energy when the warrior ahead stopped and turned grinning. He faltered and then heard it, a noise behind and before he could even turn heard a blood curdling scream and felt movement, and the sword was through him. Or rather, it was through between his arm and his body.
‘Haha! I have skewered this foul mercenary’ came the call from behind.
‘Dammit, and I’ve just had this drycleaned as well’ Alec retorted, clutching his ‘wound’ before dropping to his knees
‘Mortally assaulted, defiled and abused. How will I survive such….’ And he fell over.
Yeah, that was a mistake. The agony was enough for Alec to nearly black out but he was now lying down in the faintly damp and grassy smelling green stuff, and the warriors stood over him, talking as if he wasn’t listening to every word
‘So he’s dead, can we loot him now’ came one
‘I guess so. His shield and sword are pretty basic, lets see what coin he has’ and rummaged around. He felt his belt move and then another hand reached down and released his leather belt. Immediately he felt much better, the pressure on his waist released and he felt a lot better suddenly, but a tugging revealed them pulling off his money pouch. A few grunts
‘This warrior was almost penniless, he must have been here only for the reward, there is not enough he to relieve him of’
And with that, they rustled off. Talking quietly as he just lay there, almost bodily stunned as he contemplated life, penniless, death and oh god he had to pee.
It was a few minutes, he was thinking of moving from his agony when he was aware of someone or something nearby. Movement, rustles and then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a guy, light brown hair, slightly chubby with flowering greens with the medics staff of gold and red emblazoned on his shoulder. The face was mostly in shadow but the medic kneeled down in front of him and laid his hand on Alec’s shoulder
‘Another warrior, fallen in battle. How may I assist you, where do you hurt the most’ came a soft voice
‘Well, actually, I really need a piss actually, but you probably can’t help with that’.