Disclaimer: This story is a part of our April Fool’s edition, the Goofordian. This story was created by Guilfordian Staff and is not based in fact.
“Amtgard is everything to me,” said avid Amtgard participant and junior Lance Lot.
Lance, like many other fantasy fans across the country, has turned to Amtgard to fulfill his dreams of living within the genre.
Amtgard is the name of the organization and sport that focuses on allowing its players to participate in medieval combat, quests and crafts. While the organization is mainly based in the United States, there are a few international guilds. Unfortunately, North Carolina is severely lacking in any major guilds; the closest official team is in Chapel Hill.
As described on the official Amtgard website, the main characteristics of the sport are the live-action role-playing theme as well as the boffer style of combat. Players use foam-padded equipment styled after medieval and fantasy weaponry during combat.
The Guilford College Amtgard guild, Dwarf Cove, has recently begun attempting to change many of the fundamental aspects of the sport.
“Our club is growing each year, and we’ve reached the point where competing behind the lake with our cheap foam equipment is not going to be enough” said Arthur Caliber, president of the Guilford Amtgard club. “As a guild, we’ve agreed that we will need our own field. We also want permission to install a few stables and to purchase weapons for our recreational use.
“Horses and weapons were key aspects of medieval fighting, and we think they could be invaluable to our community.”
Caliber, along with the entire Dwarf Cove club, is currently petitioning the college to allow these requests.
They are currently seeking permission to own and house a minimum of two horses on campus, as well as to purchase swords, authentic armor and quality bow and arrow sets for each of the 15 guild members.
The total estimate of the expenses, not including the cost of land, is $4 million.
“I completely understand the hesitation the school has towards our plans,” said Gwen Vere, member of Dwarf Cove. “People worry we’re going to use swords against bystanders or accidentally stab each other. But, we’re all well trained in combat to avoid anything dangerous from happening. They also might think the horses have a negative impact on campus, but I completely disagree. Other clubs could use the horses. We could even look into forming a polo team.”
Vere accurately summed up campus concerns, as seen in the online comments to the petition.
“Absolutely horrifying,” said senior Morgan Fay. “What’s next, paying people to dress up like witches to fight? And who is going to clean up after the horses?”
Many others question the cost and the danger of using real swords. It is yet to be seen if the weapons used would be sharpened or dull. The Guilford community collectively hopes for the latter.
“The idea may seem too radical at first, but using real weapons and animals can be great for publicity and popularity for our club and Guilford,” said Vere. “With swords and more exciting equipment we may even be regarded as a real team sport.”
President Jane Fernandes has yet to comment on the requests from the Amtgard club, but Caliber has high hopes for his guild. The guild also has not heard from the Amtgrad organization in response to their actions.
It seems that Dwarf Cove may be in for a long fight, one that does not involve foam lances.
