By Morgan the Graymael, Dagorhir Aratari
The first battle of what is now Dagorhir took place in October, 1977 -- 30 years ago. Dagorhir began with one man's quest to become part of the battles he read about in "Lord of the Rings"..... to move through the woods as part of a wolf pack in search of battle. Aratar's vision shaped the earliest years of Dagorhir: camping out (often by sneaking into parkland without a permit!), telling stories around the fire by night, battling by day - always capture-the-flag woods battles which involved scouting the forest to find the foe.
As Dagorhir grew, we tried a new type of combat: field battles, where we fought many different scenarios in one day, with the enemy always in sight across the field. This opened up Dagorhir to spectators and caught the attention of the media (both these things helped it grow more) and made Dagorhir more fast-paced, making it more attractive to hard-core fighter types.
Then came Feasts! The chance to wear fancy garb you'd never take onto the battlefield, and to bring friends who loved the atmosphere of Dagorhir but had no interest in fighting. And Dagorhir began to spread, from one group to a few to a dozen. As Dagorhir turns 30, there have been more than 110 Dagorhir groups. Some have come and gone; others are inactive -- waiting for a new wind or the return of an inspired old member to fan the flames back to full life; many, many others thrive and grow.
As these geographically separated chapters grew, regional events began to appear. The oldest inter-realm event, Ragnarok, now draws more than a thousand people every year, and it continues to grow. We've seen more than 650 on the battlefield; soon it will pass 1,000.
Each chapter, every person who helps run an event, and every person who participates adds to the Dagorhir vision. Whether it's by teaching a class at Rag U, donating your old leather armor to a new member, dying with style and honor, suggesting a new scenario, or participating enthusiastically in that scenario, we each weave a piece of ourselves into the tapestry that is Dagorhir.
Dagorhir has evolved. Our game has grown to encompass the vision of thousands of players. Events offer field battles, woods battles, rez battles, activities for non-combatants, camping, feasting, tournaments, even contests of storytelling and musical prowess. Dagorhir has changed greatly since its birth. It's become well-rounded. If Dagorhir were a person, you might call it a "Renaissance Man." :)
But some things have never changed: the emphasis on personal honor; the funny, intelligent people Dagorhir attracts; and the chance to be the Hero.
Happy Birthday, Dagorhir. Happy Birthday to us all.