[MR] Enchanted Ground and Persona Play

[Charlotte Johnson]

My husband and I camped in Enchanted Ground this past year at Pennsic, and
we'd do it again. It's really not as hard as it might seem. The rule is more
"no obviously modern things", rather than straight up "only period items".
It's not as stringent as say, a living history encampment would be. That
means that you can bring a period-oid lantern from Pier I, early 20th
century axe, cotton cotte, etc.

It is also a bit easier because you can have what you want hidden in your
tent. We made a special effort to keep our interior modern-stuff-free, so we
could drop the walls for air during the day, but it's not necessary.

When trying to stay in persona, with stuff, less is more. You don't need a
bunch of chairs, stoves, etc. The less you bring the easier it is to stay
period.

Sometimes, staying in persona is a matter of omission, rather than adding
specific dialogue. You can have day to day conversation, and just leave out
modern terms. "I traveled from the Barony of Dun Carraig, in the Kingdom of
Atlantia" is a better answer than "I'm a 15th century Englishwoman." A 15th
century Englishwoman would never say that. :-) Simple conversation works
well, as does gossip: What did you have for lunch? How did you make these
luscious pancakes? Did you see this wonderful silk that I purchased? Did you
hear who was found naked in the castle? It all works. :-D

The only time I had a problem was when His Grace Cariodoc asked for a story
of my lands. I have zero bardic or storytelling talent (I am made of fail
when it comes to jokes) so I begged off, saying that I am but a simple
housewife, with little knowledge of literature. He was gracious and didn't
pressure me. Everybody in camp was helpful, and non-judgmental.

Cheers,
Mathilde