Algaia

The Algaia may appear as contradiction personified. They are a people of joy and creation, passionate and without limits. How could they not be, when the Goddess brings life and laughter, the Hunter wisdom and knowledge, and the Forgeborn beauty and splendor?

But the Algaia are also a people of destruction and fury unbound. The Goddess is a raging storm that shatters brick and mortar, the Hunter is the end and the death, and the Forgeborn’s hammer is an unmaker as much as it is a thing of artifice.

This contradiction runs through the nations of the Algaia too. Estragaleans love nothing more than ostentatious balls and impetuous duels, that duality of creation and destruction veiled behind political masquerade, where even the manner in which one wears one’s hat can convey a wealth of meaning. The mystical isle of Lyonesse, by contrast, is an untameable land of fae and whimsy, but equally dangerous. Franconia is a nation rediscovering itself, a realm of superstitious pacts with Hag-hearths, oddly coupled with a sense of the pragmatic. But what unites these seemingly disparate nations of the Algaia is their shared faith.

The beloved Gil-Lilaith (Laughter of the Stars, FreedomsFyre) Queen Amgea, matriarch of an ancient fae household, recently left the warhost to lead the Wild Hunt. Bartos, the Chosen of the Gods and Avatar of the people, remains to lead the family. Mia, the Istar - a wise and holy figure - keeps the spirit of the warhost strong. Fabian, meanwhile, a political animal from Estragales, has emerged as one of many ‘Dauphin Candidates’, hoping to heal the wounds of the nation’s civil war.

Some of those in the Algaia walk the paths of the Gods. The Swords, as they are known, are filled with the warrior strength of The Goddess, intent on keeping her sacred cycles in balance. These powerful warrior-scholars are beacons of hope against despair and rally the faithful around them.

Some are people of the forests or seas, scouts, sailors and rangers who venerate The Hunter; the noble protector that is son, father and husband to The Goddess. Those who know well the dark paths and deep shadows of the woodland or the treacherous, cave-filled coasts that merge with the sea, are well respected among the Algaia, for their guile and knowledge is invaluable to all. But these ‘spears’ can equally be found in Estragalean halls, where the Hunter can be venerated in the lies, deception, and traps that are laid. Crow, the current Claw of the Hunter, leads the pack.

Though faithful, the Algaia are not those who blindly follow. To question and contemplate the Gods is common, and those that do tend to find themselves walking the path of the Voice. Alexander de Daga is the current Choir of the Algaia, though he wanders much. They risk not just body, but spirit and psyche, in doing so, for to try to understand all the Gods equally, and not just one intimately, can be overwhelming. Especially now, with the recent rediscovery of a third deity, the Forgeborn, which has thrown all certainty into question, all knowledge into theory. The Acolyte of the Forgeborn walks this new path, while all the warhost watch with baited breath as anvil rings in joyful craft. What this means for the people of the Algaia, only time will tell.

Naturally drawn to the arcane, many people of the Algaia turn to magic; studying the arts in scholarly institutes across the lands, such as the secretive Chosen of Badajoz or the traditionally Magocratic Goldfeather Institute. Mages, Healers and Shamans hone their powers in an effort to master magic and turn their power against the enemies of the free peoples. In war, Mia of House Domecq inspires the love of the people, whilst Ettiene walks the battlefield like a conductor in an opera.

Overall, the Algaia see beauty, whether it be in the magical forests of Lyonesse where satyrs and dryads dance, the wonder of Estragalean fashion, or the simplicity of Franconian folk song. But make no mistake. Beneath the dance is a nature of tooth and claw. Behind the pretty fans and masks is a deadly, conniving smile. And, in the lines of the folk song, is a burning need for vengeance.

What we are:

Play in the Algaia if you want to fully embrace the passions that come with larp - we have lots of fae parties, laugh and joke on the battlefield, and celebrate life. We are a family - and like family, we argue and push each other’s patience, but we are also fiercely protective of each other, and we love making up 🙂

Estragales is a game of ridiculous, flamboyant clothes, fine rapiers and witty jibes. Lyonesse is a wilder, more mystical game of incredible costumes and whimsy roleplay. Franconia takes Lyonesse’s mystical and turns it into superstition, and Estragales’ politics and transforms it into the pragmatic. The Algaia is Renaissance tropes meets Narnia meets old folk tales.