Artorian Order of the Knights of Pendragon

In the chaos following the fall of Camelot, a new order of knights emerged, brave men and women dedicated to the ideals of Arthur and the virtues of the Light. They called themselves the Artorian Order of the Knights of Pendragon, or AOKP for short.

AOKP is both the name of the game as well as an organization in the game. All PCs are members of the order, and are typically referred to as Companions. Companions range in rank from page to sovereign, and comprise the ruling council, or Court, of their kingdom.

AOKP meets biweekly in a royal court setting, usually at someone's home. During these in-character revels, there is feasting, storytelling, performances, and plotline development. People may come and go over the course of the evening, leaving Court only to return as an NPC with a request of the queen or some other important piece of news to further a plotline. Most plotlines are "talked through" either in Court or between meetings, but on occasion we do play things out as short stories, or Quests.

In addition to Court, the companions regularly engage in melee, both in the form of fighter practice and during short stories. Combat involves padded "boffer" weapons, much like those used in other LARPs. The rules are simple: get hit in the arm or leg, lose the use of that arm. Get hit in the torso, you die. We don't have hit points or levels, and we have very few powers or special abilities, mainly governing armor and weapon effects such as shield breaking.

AOKP began as a college club, and so there is an emphasis on learning and creativity. There is a fair amount of inspiration drawn from organizations like the SCA in this respect. There are no Attributes or Experience Points in AOKP. This is, perhaps, the most unique element of our game. Improving one's character involves improving one's self.

There are currently two active chapters, or Courts, of AOKP: Warwick and Caledonia. Warwick is based on the Whittier College campus, and is only open to students and alumni of that school, while Caledonia has no such affiliations and is open to anyone eighteen or older.