[Ansteorra] Events in the Last Five years

[Richard Morgan]

Sir Jean Paul,

    I am sure that there are many others like you who are uncomfortable 
with, put off by, or somewhat creeped out by role-playing and "high persona" 
events. I think that some of this might come from situations where the 
individuals, or the event, involved more of an acting or somewhat staged 
method of trying to create a period atmosphere. This can appear very 
unnatural and even silly in some instances. There have been events and 
instances where I have become so embarrassed for the individuals trying this 
method that I have just had to leave. One of the best "high persona" players 
that I ever met taught almost all of us old time Bjornsborgers that the best 
and most fun persona players are not acting. They are being themselves, just 
from another time and place. So, playing persona is easy, it just takes a 
little thought and some research, which you probably have already done. Ask 
yourself, who would you be and how would you behave if you were from ______ 
place and _____time? The key element here is, no fantasies, pick something 
that YOU truly could have been in that time and place. It also helps when 
you are physically believable as your persona. Please no 250 lb body 
builders as effete courtly sycophants. It is not only wrong it is scary. 
Then extrapolate backwards in time, the things and events that make you who 
you are today, to the time and place that you want to play. Please do not 
recite these events, they are for context only! Then, conduct yourself 
normally; just interact with others from your own historical and 
geographical viewpoint. This simple method is the one that I have seen used 
by many of the greatest Lions of Ansteorra. This is what they are doing when 
they play persona. I can guarantee that Ragnar, Mari, Jan, Godwin and 
Ricardo were not acting, they were just being themselves, albeit sometimes a 
bit larger than normal, but themselves none the less. By the way, I am sure 
that you are a great role-player when you are being you.



Sir Richard ap Morgan





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jean Paul de Sens" <jeanpauldesens at gmail.com>

>I think I'm going to say what some others are thinking, but might be
> uncomfortable saying.  I think it's almost a dirty secret for someone to 
> not
> think persona play is wonderful.
>
> I don't particularly care for high persona events.  I do not role-play 
> well,
> and it's not something I particularly enjoy doing.  Event's that have 
> large
> amounts of persona play make me feel uncomfortable and weird.  JP is 
> really
> the same person as Carl Chipman, although they dress totally different. 
> The
> few times I have played D&D or other role-playing games, I am usually 
> unable
> to play someone who's not similar or exactly the same as myself.