Getting Started/Finding Your Fun
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What you'll cover
- Explore the Guilds and what they offer
- Understand skirmishes, combat, and monstering
- Discover non-combat gameplay
- Know where to go for help and more information
There's No Wrong Way to Play
Some players live for the thrill of combat, charging into the woods to face corrupted horrors. Others spend the entire weekend weaving political alliances, brewing potions, or performing rituals at the Menhir. Some do a bit of everything.
Menhirs Fate is designed so that every playstyle has a home. The guilds, the nations, and the event structure all work together to ensure there's always something happening, whatever kind of game you enjoy.
Your first event will likely be a tasting menu. Try different things, follow what catches your attention, and don't worry about "doing it right". The game rewards curiosity.
The Guilds
The Guilds of Menhirs Fate are international organisations backed by the Pact. Each one represents a different style of gameplay and gives you a way to find structured activities, quests, and storylines beyond your nation.
The Adventurers Guild
"Venture Forth"
The Adventurers Guild is where those who live by their wits, steel, and will come together. Members form fellowships, take on challenges that cross national borders, and pursue glory in the name of Elandra.
If you want structured quests, group missions, and the classic adventuring experience, this is your guild. Head to their tent, sign up, and see what tasks are available. Membership costs 1 Myth per calendar year, and all members are treated as equals. Respect is earned through deeds, not titles.
Read more: The Adventurers Guild
The Court of Daggers
"Freedom Through Vigilance"
The Court of Daggers exists to protect the Pact from threats both within and without. Its members gather intelligence, enforce justice, mediate disputes, and pursue contracts that range from surveillance to infiltration.
If you're drawn to intrigue, espionage, politics, and operating in the shadows, the Court is calling. Initiation is free, and full membership (Courtier status) costs 1 Myth, at which point your responsibilities and specialisation will be discussed.
Read more: The Court of Daggers
The Bankers Guild
The Bankers Guild is the neutral financial institution at the heart of Haven's economy. It manages coin, resources, and large-scale building projects, and provides a central hub where all nations can trade and conduct business on fair terms.
If you enjoy trade, economics, investment, or building things that last, the Bankers Guild is where the action is. You can submit proposals for builds, invest in collective projects, store resources in the Guild's vault, and seek advice on economic matters.
Read more: The Bankers Guild
The Treasure Hunters Guild
The Treasure Hunters Guild is for those who can't resist the lure of discovery. Whether it's delving into ruins, recovering lost artefacts, or uncovering secrets best left buried, the Treasure Hunters are always after the next find.
Read more: The Treasure Hunters Guild
Guild tents are your friend: All guild tents are crewed and designed to help players. Even if you haven't joined a guild yet, you can head to any guild tent to ask questions, find out what's happening, or get pointed towards something fun to do.
Skirmishes and Combat
Combat is a major part of Menhirs Fate, but it's built to be accessible, exciting, and safe.
Skirmishes are scheduled combat encounters that take place throughout the weekend, usually in the woods. Each nation has set time slots published before the event. During a skirmish, your nation heads out together to face whatever threat the game has thrown at you. These are the big, memorable moments: shield walls forming, battle cries going up, healers dragging the wounded to safety.
You don't need to be a combat expert. If you've attended the New Player Combat Skirmish on Friday, you'll have the basics down. Stick with your group, listen to experienced players, call your hits, and you'll be fine.
You don't have to fight at all. Non-combat play is equally valued and fully supported. If swinging a sword isn't your thing, there's plenty to do in Haven while the fighters are in the field.
Monstering
Monstering is a core part of how LARP works. It means volunteering to play the enemies during other nations' skirmish slots. You'll be given temporary stats and abilities (different from your own character), kitted out, and sent in as the opposition.
It's a social contract: if you participate in combat as your character, you should monster an encounter in return. But it's also one of the best parts of the game. Monstering is a brilliant way to:
- Learn combat quickly and without risk to your character
- Try out different weapon styles you're not confident with yet
- See the game from the other side and appreciate how encounters are built
- Have a huge amount of fun playing a corrupted horror for a couple of hours
Each monster slot lasts around two hours. Low-combat roles (utility magic, healing) are sometimes available depending on the encounter, but the one requirement that can't be waived is that you must be comfortable being hit with LARP weapons.
For the full guide, see A Guide to Monstering.
Non-Combat Gameplay
If combat isn't your focus, Menhirs Fate has you covered. Some of the richest gameplay happens away from the battlefield:
Politics and diplomacy. The nine nations don't always agree. Negotiate alliances, broker deals, settle disputes, and shape the direction of Haven through words rather than weapons.
Faith and ritual. If your character has Conviction, there's a whole world of religious gameplay: gathering faith, performing ceremonies, communing with the gods, and influencing the spiritual landscape of Elandra.
Weaving and magic. Weavers interact with the Menhir and the elemental spheres. There's discovery, experimentation, and mystery woven into the magic system.
Crafting and trade. Apothecaries brew potions, enchanters imbue items with power, and the Bankers Guild facilitates an entire economy of resources, builds, and investments.
Exploration and puzzle-solving. The modular dungeons and non-combat encounters offer challenges that test your wits rather than your sword arm.
Socialising and storytelling. Some of the best moments at any event happen around a campfire, sharing stories, forging friendships, and building the kind of shared history that makes a LARP community special.
Where to Go from Here
You've reached the end of the Getting Started guide, which means you've got everything you need to step into Elandra with confidence. But the learning doesn't stop here. As you play, you'll discover more about the world, the systems, and the community.
Here are your best resources going forward:
This wiki. The Menhirs Fate Wiki is your reference for rules, lore, skills, nations, and everything in between. Bookmark it.
The Rules overview. A comprehensive guide to how the game works mechanically.
The Skills List. The full breakdown of every skill available and what it costs.
The Guilds page. Detailed information on each guild and what they offer.
Your nation's wiki pages. Lore, archetypes, Look and Feel, and everything that makes your nation unique.
The community. Your nation-mates, the Discord, and the people you meet at events are your greatest resource. Ask questions. Everyone was new once.
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