We came to Conquest of the Vastarlands to take pictures.
Instead, we spent the weekend gambling, eating life-changing bread, talking to trees, watching a dragon breathe smoke, and somehow getting married to the avatar of a dead Spring Fae all while trying to keep a camera dry in the rain.
From behind the lens, the event was a glorious blur of battles, rituals, political maneuvering, strange creatures, and plans going spectacularly wrong.
You know. Normal photographer things.
Thursday Night: Gambling & Soup
We arrived Thursday after dark, which meant our first introduction to Vastarlands was mostly illuminated by camp lights and whatever we could see through the drizzle.
After quickly setting up camp in the rain and essentially announcing, “Hey! We’re here!” we wandered into the event and were immediately greeted by two things:
Gambling and soup.
Honestly, a pretty solid welcome.
Thursday night gave us a chance to settle in, meet some people, and get our first little taste of the world before officially diving into everything the next morning.
Friday: Welcome to the Red Blood Syndicate
Friday morning brought a quick booze-stock run, more rain, and our official check-in.
Then it was time to garb up and finally meet our faction for the weekend in the daylight:
The Red Blood Syndicate.
The other major factions exploring the Vastarlands were the Veridian Enclave and the Azure Assembly, each with their own identity, goals, and surprisingly deep lore.
And that was one of the first things that really stood out to me about Vastarlands:
The plot is THRIVING.
There is a lot happening in this world, but somehow it never felt impossible to enter.
The players were incredibly good at giving us enough information to understand what was happening without immediately dumping every secret or spoiler into our laps. You could ask questions, listen to conversations, follow people around, and naturally start putting the pieces together.
My baseline understanding going into the weekend was something like this:
We were part of an expedition currently exploring a forest inhabited by Fae connected to the seasons.
The Spring Fae had been killed.
There were bandits.
There were trolls.
Because obviously every respectable fantasy forest should contain bandits and trolls.
And scattered throughout the land was a magical supply of reagents that could be gathered and used to create spells.
That was enough information to get me moving.
And Then the Camera Came Out
As the rain finally started easing up, the camera came out.
And that's when the magic really began for me.
There was absolutely no shortage of things to photograph. Everywhere I turned, another piece of the story was moving.
Conversations became confrontations.
Groups disappeared into the woods.
Weapons came out.
Plans were made.
Plans went horribly wrong.
There were fights, negotiations, rituals, strange creatures, and constantly evolving targets for my camera.
There was even a talking tree.
And a massive monster/undead dragon that BREATHED SMOKE.
What more do you need?
And We Need to Talk About the Blacksmith
Another thing that deserves its own shout-out was quite possibly the best in-game blacksmith I have ever encountered at a LARP.
This wasn't just someone standing behind a forge prop pretending to hammer on a weapon.
The roleplay was fantastic, but what really blew me away was the actual knowledge behind it.
Weapon repairs could happen in character and out of character, and the amount of real-world knowledge about LARP weapons, construction, maintenance, and repair was honestly incredible.
There's something especially immersive about having an in-game blacksmith who can play the role convincingly while also being able to look at an actual LARP weapon, understand what's going on with it, and help get it safely back into fighting condition.
It was one of those details that didn't have to be that good.
But it was.
And those are exactly the little things that make a world like this feel lived in.
Eventually lunch rolled around, and thanks to some money earned gambling the night before, I was able to buy an amazing bowl of soup and what I can only describe as a life-changing piece of homemade bread.
Seriously.
Shout-out to the event kitchen staff AND the Red Blood Syndicate's food tent. Without all of you, there is an extremely good chance I would have survived the entire weekend on beef jerky, chips, and questionable decisions.
Friday Night: THAT Bardic
Friday night brought something I was not prepared for:
The best bardic I have ever seen at a LARP.
And no, there were no songs about kilts...
OR what's underneath them.
Instead, we got genuinely hilarious skits, performances, and actual talent that had my sides hurting from laughing.
It felt less like sitting through the obligatory LARP bardic circle and more like watching an actual show.
Once bardic wrapped up, naturally, everyone returned to one of the most important activities in the Vasterlands:
Drinking and gambling in the tavern.
As one does.
Saturday: Everything Happens at Once
Saturday was absolutely jam-packed.
There were battles for the keep.
More conversations with the Elder Tree.
Bandits.
Fae.
Political maneuvering.
Favors being earned.
Seasonal drama.
And somewhere along the way...
I got married.
Apparently.
To the avatar of the deceased Spring Fae.
Listen, I was just trying to take pictures.
While everyone else was fighting, negotiating, and earning the favor of the other seasonal Fae, I somehow wandered directly into my own side quest.
And Then There Was a Circus
Because apparently battles, Fae politics, magical weapons, bandits, trolls, and my unexpected marital status weren't enough entertainment for one Saturday...
There was a circus.
And not just “a couple of people doing a fun little performance in camp” kind of circus.
We got sword dancing and belly dancing, with performers who clearly knew what they were doing, followed by aerial acrobatics happening right there in the middle of a LARP.
It was another one of those moments where I found myself looking through the camera thinking:
Wait...we're doing THIS now?!
From a photography standpoint, I was absolutely not complaining.
Flowing fabric, swords, movement, performers in the air, a crowd gathered around watching—it was basically someone handing me an entirely new playground to photograph in the middle of an already ridiculously photogenic event.
And, of course, none of this could possibly happen without proper financial backing.
The Vastarlands Circus: proudly sponsored by Marigolds™.
Probably.
Allegedly.
Please direct all questions regarding sponsorship agreements to someone significantly more responsible than me.
Then, because Saturday STILL wasn't finished showing off, it was time for the final battle.
The Final Battle
This is where Vastarlands absolutely showed off.
Nothing was left on the table.
The costumes.
The creatures.
The weapons.
The details.
The emotion.
The dramatic fights.
The storylines that had been building throughout the weekend finally collided in one massive encounter.
And somehow, after raining for nearly the entire event, the sun came out.
For basically the one and only time all weekend.
Right over the final battle.
As a photographer, sometimes the universe just hands you a gift.
The entire thing felt huge, cinematic, chaotic, and exactly like the kind of LARP moment I love capturing.
Saturday Night: Put On Your Finest
After surviving the final battle, everyone cleaned themselves up, put on their finest garb, and gathered to celebrate.
And to find out who had won.
Spoiler:
It was not my faction.😂
BUT SUMMER WON!
The Sands called for Summer, making Summer the favorite of the seasonal Fae.
The staff put an incredible amount of work into the evening.
We had a feast.
We learned where the expedition would be heading next.
A long list of new nobles was announced.
People celebrated.
People danced.
And for a brief moment, it seemed like maybe the weekend was going to end peacefully.
Which was adorable.
Because apparently everyone forgot we were dealing with Fae.
The Fae Are Never Short on Drama
Winter and Summer fought.
Players armed with their newly acquired magical weapons joined the conflict.
And ultimately, Summer was struck down.
Fall and Winter disappeared through a portal.
And that was that.
Probably.
Maybe.
Listen, this is LARP.
Are they ever really gone?
With the Fae drama concluded or at least temporarily relocated to another plane of existence the Blood Sands took over the aux and did what we apparently do best:
Partied until our knees stopped working.
Until Next Time, Vastarlands
Sunday morning greeted us exactly the way Vastarlands had welcomed us:
With rain.
We packed up a very wet camp, loaded everything back into the vehicle, and headed home with tired bodies, muddy gear, new stories, and an SD card absolutely packed with epic moments.
Conquest of the Vastarlands made an incredible first impression.
The staff clearly put their hearts into building this world, but what really brought it together was how willing the players were to pull newcomers into the story. We never felt like we needed to know years of lore before participating. We were given enough pieces to start asking questions and then the world opened up around us.
For me, that's exactly what makes a LARP feel alive.
I came to photograph an event, expecting to leave with a full memory card and a few good stories.
Instead, I left feeling like I had briefly lived inside someone else's legend and somehow become part of it.
The camera captured the battles, the monsters, the Fae, and the chaos.
But the part I'll remember is the feeling of being welcomed into a world already in motion, then discovering there was room in it for us.
My SD cards are full.
My knees hurt.
My camp gear is probably still wet.
And we're already excited to return to the Vastarlands not just to see what happens next, but what kind of trouble we become part of this time.
