UT group of the week: Dagorhir Club

Have you ever seen people dressed in medieval garb hitting one another with foam swords in Centennial Mall and thought, "What in the world is that?"

No, you're not crazy and no, you didn't accidentally stumble into a time warp. It is just the Dagorhir Club.

Dagorhir is a nationwide, medieval re-enactment foam fighting game that has been around since 1977 and it combines both historical and fantasy elements into one fun way to get active and gather with friends.

Austin Barth, a senior majoring in computer science and engineering and president of the UT Dagorhir Club, said the rules of the game are pretty simple.

"If a weapon strikes a limb, it goes away. You put it behind your back." Barth said. "If that limb happens to be a leg, you drop to a knee. This is specifically to prevent people [from] hopping around and hurting themselves. If you lose two limbs — any combination of legs and arms – you are dead."

Additionally, torso hits mean instant death and head shots are illegal. Hands holding a weapon or shield and feet that are on the ground are also immune to hits.

Basically, it's just like the games that everyone played as kids, except the members of Dagorhir Club actually follow the rules and die when they're supposed to.

The type of weapon that a player wields also takes a huge role in the damage done to their opponents. The weapon types are categorized by color – blue, red, green, yellow and white.

Blue weapons are ones that can be swung with one hand, such as short swords, axes and flails. Red are larger weapons that require two hands. These can break any shield with two solid hits.

Green weapons are used for stabbing, like daggers and spears. It is possible for a weapon to be either red or blue in addition to being green.

Yellow weapons are airborne, like javelins and arrows, and are lethal to any part of the body that it hits, including the head.

White weapons are rocks that deal blows only to the head.

The amount of damage a person endures can also be affected by their choice of armor.

"One can take extra hits if one possesses armor appropriate for the time period [and] made of period materials," Barth said.

Each player takes care of their costume, armor and character name, adding to the personality and authenticity of the game.

Dagorhir isn't limited to only UT − it is played all around the country. Many events are held both locally and nationally.

The largest Dagorhir event is called Ragnarok. Players camp out in Slippery Rock, Pa., for the week-long game. Everyone fights by day and enjoys camaraderie and fellowship by night.

Locally, the UT Dagorhir Club holds weekly practices and welcomes all who want to play.

"We always welcome new people," Barth said. "The more the merrier. In order to join, one simply needs to show up at a practice and sign a waiver."

The UT Dagorhir Club meets each Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Health Education Center's gym. There is also practice at Bowling Green State University on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Barth encourages anyone who is interested to come to any of the practices and try it out.

"I have more fun with Dagorhir than just about anything else," he said. "I've met some of my best and longest lasting friends through the game, and I have never once regretted starting to play."