by 
Content Warning: Preciousness
This would have been year eight. My friends and I would purchase a few campsites down near Hollister California and spend a weekend at the Renaissance Faire.
I don’t know how much you know about me. Especially since I’ve never really talked about it much here, and I’m otherwise a terminal recluse. But I’m sure you’ve surmised that I’m really into TTRPGs. I also have a degree in medieval literature, so swords, spells, and mead speak to me on a very basal level. Even above my birthday or Christmas, I look forward to the Ren Faire every year. And like a lot of you, this year there was simply no faire to be had. It’s tough. We’d usually target the first week of October for our romp through the 16th century. And where I’d usually be spending this day washing my sleeping bag, ironing my tunic, and oiling my chainmail, I’m not. It feels weird. I don’t like it.
However, for as bummed as I may be, there’s a lot of people much further worse off. Every year an army of performers, crafters, and workers come together to give us an unforgettable experience. This year many of them are at home too. The major difference is my pockets are several hundred dollars more full and theirs are commensurately lighter.
I get that this year has been tough. Ren Faire worker or not, a lot of us are struggling, but I wanted to help in some small way. I came up with two goals:
- To give those of us who look forward to a weekend at the Renaissance Faire a way to still get something like it despite living in a pandemic.
- Help those people who we hope to see next year.
To this end, I’m extremely excited to announce the Charmstone Ren Faire Relief Stream!
But what is it?
From 12pm – 5pm PDT we’re going to be streaming a D&D 5e game at twitch.tv/charmstonegames. During the stream we’ll be collecting donations for the Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Foundation (RCEAF.org). I hope you can join us.
Now, I’m going to tell you, dear reader, more than the player’s I’ve assembled for this game. Our adventure will take place at the Willingshire County Revels. It is a massive festival that attracts heroes from all across the globe. Once, every autumn, adventurers come together to sell their wares, swap stories, and have a good time. This fair features numerous shops, food vendors, and performances. Magic is everywhere and everyone is looking to have a good time.
Of course, there’s a catastrophe on the horizon and the players will see if they’re up to the challenge of stopping it. Aside from the players I’ve recruited from the stream, you can make an impact too!
Wanna help make (or ruin) a character for a good cause? Learn how you can help design one of our player’s characters here .
You can also sponsor an non-player character who will appear in the adventure for a donation of $25 or more. Once you’ve donated, contact us to tell us your NPC’s name, and write a brief description. Then watch to stream to see their cameo!
Again, I’m excited to try to make a difference, and I hope you can join us.
More information about Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Foundation (RCEAF) (Rceaf): The Renaissance Catastrophic Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization established to assist the workers of Renaissance Festivals, and other entertainment events in times of catastrophic emergency crisis through advocacy, education, community outreach, and financial assistance.
