2021 *IMPOTRTANT* Safety Info and Safety Contests & Incentives!

Shen [he/him]

Scholar
Chicago Staff
Marshal
Hello and greetings adventurers!

As talked about in the August Alliance LARP Podcast, self care before-during-after events are crucial to your safety, success, and enjoyment of an event. The Chicago Medical Team would like to take a moment to give you some important allergy information, reminders, local policies, and tell you about our "Owners want us to be safe and will take a Pie to the face to encourage it" contest.


Covid-19
This is a subject that is constantly evaluated but equally constantly on everyone's minds. The Nationals FAQ has some good information on this topic but in this post we want to highlight a few of the standard practices Chicago uses in a world of Covid Larping.
  • No touching anyone, at all, without consent - this includes touch casting. Touch casting is accomplished by holding your packeted' hand near the target but not touching them. If needed, verbalize the target's name as part of your regular verbal. This ensures that while not touching them to gain their attention, using their name does. Example: "[character] 10 spell healing" Saying "Touchcast" before the verbal is also acceptable. While it is extra words - it ensures the safety and comfort of those around you who may not wish to be touched by strangers in our current Covid larping world.
    • Even if you believe you have permission to touch someone, best practice is to ask anyway. It sets a good example for those around you for them not to mistake your privilege for someone's apathy in regards to being touched.
  • Fast Travel - should a fast travel medium exist in The Author's world, it does not require spirit-to-spirit touch to function. Chain-touching with weapons is allowed and encouraged to maintain the best personal space bubble we can.
  • Masks - Masks are Required at any point in time you are Indoors, and are encouraged anytime you are in large groups as well as in close quarters combat. Essentially, your encouraged to be wearing a mask most of the time you are "adventuring." Times in which you can be outside and socially distanced, is when you can be without your mask. Masks supersede the requirement for makeup and prosthetics. The mask does not need to be "period appropriate" but if you are comfortable with cloth masks, then by all means. Bonus creative points for masks which match the makeup you would otherwise be wearing. Players who wish to use an in-game justification for the mask may do so, so long as that reason is in no way related to covid19/sickness/plague etc.

Covid-19 Vaccination Update
Due to the rise of Covid19 across the US, Chicago will be increasing the requirement from a 90% vaccination to 100% Vaccination. Meaning all participants must be vaccinated in order to attend. Those whom are not vaccinated because of a medical reason, should contact @Kitaruen if you havent already. Those without a medical reason, exceptions will not be made.

Due to the sheer number of players - please bring your physical vaccination card, a copy, or a photo to Logistics when you check in. If for whatever reason the name doesn't match your registration name simply (and discreetly) explain why it may not match to the logistics person you are checking in with so that the card may be verified as yours, as best as we are able.

Recent Covid-19 Test incentive
All players whom are able to get tested before the event are encouraged to do so. Players whom get a Covid19 test, dated anytime after 8/25/21 and show results of that negative test to the Logisics desk at Sign-in. Will recieve 6 Dragon Stamps.


Chicago's Medical Marshall Team
There will be in game methods for characters to engage in stretching, hydration, and small snacks. This is predominantly accomplished by other player characters and follows any and all game rules as the situation pertains. These characters/players are most likely not Medical Marshals, just concerned adventurers looking out for their fellow's well being.

Medical Marshals outside of a medical hold.​

For many reasons characters may not wish to reveal information about themselves, for this reason Medical Marshals will announce themselves as part of any "in character" conversation. They announce themselves so no matter the situation you immediately recognize you are revealing information Out of Character to a staff member, but attempting to keep things smooth and in character as much as possible as the situation allows it. Depending on that conversation, a Medical Marshal may provide information or suggest a course of action to assist with what's needed. While not usually necessary, Medical Marshals are also empowered to have such things become instructions as opposed to polite suggestions.
  • This usually plays out something like this.
    • "Hey, I'm in the Medical Marshal guild, you look pretty fatigued and flushed - when did you use the bathroom or drink water last? Well it looks like your armor could use refitting, I think there is space in the triage circle of power over there. Why don't you take a minute and refit your armor; they usually have water/snack in the triage circle..."
  • rarely, but If needed could potentially escalate to something akin to...
    • "Are you sure your armor isn't damaged? [Medical Marshal, Arcane shatter Armor] I'm pretty sure it's damaged but not destroyed. Go refit it to be sure, and have some water/snack"
  • Even more rare, but still possible, if needed...
    • "I don't know...what you're saying doesn't match your symptoms and we want to avoid your symptoms getting worse...[Medical Marshal, Arcane, Rift [target] [destination], rift back after [activity].
Medical Marshals Inside a Medical Hold​

They know who they are and are allowed to do whatever may be necessary to address the current situation. Please do not impede or remind them that there is a Hold or instruct them what they should be doing. During such Holds all participants follow the instructions of the Medical Marshal(s).

Allergies
The game site is in rural IL, with many different kinds of farms nearby. If you have allergies of any kind, don't forget to bring whatever you take for them.
  • Cross Contamination and Food-Borne
Based on information presented thus far in Pre-Reg, our largest contamination allergy is: Tree-Nuts, Mint, & Strawberries (This may be updated as more registrations are reviewed). While the item you may have and wish to share could be free of these allergens, keep in mind if you have recently handled any of these substances and haven't washed your hands since you did. Touching one, then touching a different edible thing, means that now both food-stuffs will trigger an ingested allergic response. Please be mindful of these things as you handle anything you wish to offer to others.
  • Airborne
Thus far in Pre-Reg, we have seen two Airborne concerns.
  1. Deet (The common ingredient in bug spray, because of this, all bug spray will say if it does or does not contain Deet)
  2. Mint
The players who are allergic to these items can develop noteworthy and serious respiratory issues when exposed. Chicago will have some non-Deet bug spray, and as it is a local player, a fair number of local players may have some as well. If you are going to be doing last minute shopping for your Nationals needs, please make sure to read the bug spray before buying it or ask the store associate for assistance. It is a common enough allergy that if they carry one product they likely will carry the other too. As for the mint, players are mostly asked to avoid any mint/menthol based aerosols and cologne/perfume. Simple things like toothpaste or breath mints are either not strong enough or easily avoided by relocating where they are in a social situation to avoid reaction.

Pages
This event there will be attending Pages. Pages are not to be struck by weapons, without exception. Pages are identified via orange headband, or orange head glow. If this color and location is part of your usual garb, you will not be allowed to wear it unless you are a Page.

Pages will be allowed to both "Covid19 Touch Cast", and throw packets. However in order to attack Pages (as outlined in the ARB), you point your weapon/packet and declare "Page! [Normal verbal]" The page then suffers the effect so long as the Page does not call a valid defense for the action or another player may physically stand between the page and your pointing gesture, accepting the attack themselves, &or using a valid defense themselves or on behalf of the Page.

Striking Pages with weapons need to be reported to the Medical Marshals and start with a warning and can have escalating consequences should it continue from the same participant.

Chicago Policies
These include:
  • Harassment
  • Service Animals
  • Fade from Party (Like pages, characters in which this color/location is usual garb will not be allowed to wear it)
  • Internet Interactions

Medical Marshal Pre Event Self Care Contest!!!
  1. To qualify, as of 8/30/21 you must be 100% registered for the event with all questions answered.
  2. On: 8/31, 9/1, 9/2 - take (or have taken) a picture of you hydrating, stretching or some other Pre-Event/Self-Care.
  3. On the days in question, send that picture to: 6spaz9@gmail.com
    1. With the subject: [self care - player name (first and last) - picture #1 / #2 / #3
    2. Whether you agree to allow your picture to be used in some form of safety distribution and any limitations that allowance has.
  4. If qualified, you will earn 25 Chicago Goblin Stamps per picture.
  5. If submitted all on each individual day for all 3 days, gain an additional 25 Chicago Goblin Stamps. Additionally, you will also be entered into the "Owners willing/able to take a Pie for my Safety" raffle. In which 1 lucky winner will be the deciding factor of which Owner (from a pre-approved list) has agreed, in the name of promoting Safety, to take a whip cream pie to the face.
    1. Winning participant does not throw a pie, only chooses which Owner receives it.
  6. Owners and chapter/national staff are allowed and encouraged to lead by example and submit photos. (Symposium photo still only counts as 1 (Gimli does not approve of the Thanos Snap)
  7. List of all participants will be given to the Owners and any additional reward(s) will be up to their individual chapters.
  8. List of (Thus far) participating owners.
    1. Rob - Chicago
    2. Suzanne - Denver
    3. Will - Denver
    4. Sam - Wisconsin
    5. Candice - Wyoming
    6. Jon - Wyoming
    7. David - Gettysburg
    8. Matt - Gettysberg
    9. Dustin - New Hampshire
    10. Ace - Las Vegas (assuming they can slay the dragon guarding time off)
& Richard - Las Vegas, who I think just wants pie and really doesn't care how they obtain it; but may or may not be on the selection of Pie Eligible Owners.

As always if there are any questions, comments, or concerns please reply to them here, so that the answers can be shared for anyone else with a similar question.
 
Last edited:
Hi there Dwayne!

So, just to confirm for 100% clarity, are these the policies that will be used for the National event, in addition to local Chicago events?
 
Yes these policies are in effect for the National event. With that said the "Chicago Policies" that are linked are unlikely to apply but if something unusual comes up we would most likely reference them.

The Covid policy updates are in response to a modification of IL mandates by the governor.

If you are not vaccinated but would like to still attend it's a simple conversation with me and a recent week of covid test.
 
Great, thank you for that!

With masks being enforced for indoor areas, are mealtimes an exception to that, or would you generally prefer that people eat outdoors as much as possible?

Similarly, does the mask mandate apply when players are in their cabins?

Not trying to be a pill about this, I just want to understand the local expectations and rules!
 
I would say to treat it as a hotel room. Speak with those you are staying with to ensure everyone is ok with not having masks on before you go ahead with not having them on.
 
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