The Mariner Compass

By Ryan N
Although students are staying busy with the upcoming finals and sports, Homerites have a bigger problem on their minds. The Battle for Homer is about to take place. Students are sharpening their blades and polishing their armor to prepare for the “super awesome” conflict taking place on The Point up on West Hill this Sunday.
Live action role-playing(LARP, for short) has found its way into Homer. LARP has been around since the 1970s and was inspired by tabletop role-playing games. It has branched off in many different directions, some LARPs being set up to tell a story and some being straight up battles. Contenders must create weapons made out of foam as use them to cut off(tap) appendages. Once a fighter is tapped in the arm or leg, the arm or leg must be put behind their back, and they must hop on one foot as if they actually lost the limb.
In Homer, players are drifting away from the traditional LARPing weapons. Some contesters have constructed bows and padded arrows to use instead of swords and other melee weapons. There are two classes: healers, which can heal teammates but can only use knives as weapons, and warriors, who do most of the battling.
Eight teams have been made official, with almost a hundred planning to attend. It has been said that LARPing may become a traditional thing in Homer, where every year at the end of the year there will be a traditional LARP.
It has also been said that some teams will go all out, planning on conquering everyone and everything, while other teams are in it just to have fun. Although not all teams share the same spirit, there is one thing that will be certain.
Only one team will be victorious.