UW LARP Mournfall - Derecho Tornado Recovery

I'm David Ruckus, co-owner of Underworld LARP Global. We create Live Action Roleplaying Games which are like weekend long camping events combined with an Escape Room atmosphere. We're aiding our sister Chapter in Ottawa, rebuild after being caught in the horrific and damaging derecho storm that terrorized them and their players, on Saturday May 21st. We need your help.

 

For those not aware, Derechos cause hurricanes and tornado-force winds, actual tornadoes, heavy rains, and flash floods. This god of all storms didn't just happen to the site they played; it happened WHILE they were larping. Through the outstanding leadership of their chapter owners and probably a little blind luck, nobody was injured, but the damage the storm caused was devastating, both to the equipment needed to run a game, and the LARP site itself.

 

In addition to all this, players and staff were trapped on site for additional days due to fallen trees blocking the roads and downed power lines. So great was the storm that electrical fires broke out and staff had to extinguish them because emergency crews weren’t able to get there in time. I just want to paint the picture of Mournfall staff, stepping up and battling fires with extinguishers, during the middle of a tornado like event. All to keep their players safe. They are legitimate real life heroes and we have to help them out.

 

At this point and time, without any help, their games are on hold indefinitely until the gear can be replaced and the site can be cleaned up.

 

They are still calculating exactly what they've lost but the sooner we help them the better

 

They lost a lot:

 

In addition to what was lost and needs replacing, work needs to be done on the site to get it safe to play on again. The place is wrecked, with trees being uprooted, lifted from the ground and then dropped into other trees, I'm being 100% serious here. The team is going to need to hire professionals and equipment to clear and safety all the entrances, paths and campsites. Equipment rental alone will cost more than they have and this isn't the type of damage LARP insurance covers.

 

Finally, it wasn't just the LARP gear that suffered, their players lost an incalculable amount of gear and camping equipment. Damage to their parked cars is off the chart. A lot of players had their rides trapped as emergency crews attempted to dig them out. Hotel costs and travel expenses were high for some.

 

The money we raise in this campaign will go directly to the Mournfall Guildmasters to help with costs. I'll let their team speak on distribution (once they’ve finished auditing) but every cent will be used to rebuild, we have that promise. Once they've covered the minimal costs needed to restart, they will work on helping their players rebuild their kit and doing what they can to help alleviate expenses.

 

Over the years, we’ve had a number of Guilds (Chapters) go through traumatic events, whether it be vandalism, storms, or medical emergencies. Ted and I at Global have watched countless times, and with sincere pride, as our community steps-up and helps. I’ve watched Mournfall players step-up and help others but right now they need you. I know times are tough but even $5 will help.

 

If you are a Mournfall player who has lost gear or sustained damage to your car or equipment, and you haven’t already reached out to the Mournfall team, please do so at [email redacted]

 

We’ll post more updates as we get them.