RenQuest Provides Interactive Fun for Gamers
Fantasy Game Comes to Life at Bristol Renaissance Faire
Jul 24, 2009
Gamers are leaving their computers and flocking to the Bristol Renaissance Faire for the opportunity to participate in RenQuest, a live-action, interactive game. The faire, located outside Kenosha, Wisconsin, is set amidst a magical 30-acre wooded site that creates a sprawling gameboard for participants.
Solve Riddles on Quest
Shane Hill, Bristol’s RenQuest director, said the faire seemed like a natural fit for a theatrical gaming experience. “We have the best gameboard right here. You can interact with fairies, answer riddles, and follow the storyline,” he said in an interview at the faire’s opening weekend.
Hill (who plays character Thoren Grymm) said the game is designed to provide a good experience for a range of gamers, from those who want to follow a quest for a day or weekend, or hard-core gamers who participate all season.
The Bloodtharken Dragon Trilogy
The game was developed by Hill and E. Buffie Stone for the 2008 season and drew 400 participants. Season One ended in the slaying of the Dragon Bloodtharken. However, he left behind a dragon egg that is said to have mystical powers.
Gamers will interact with the Paragons of the Elements – Earth, Air, Water and Fire. They will need to discover the identity of Paragons, who have special powers, and can help them to solve riddles, cast spells and engage in other challenges as they try to protect the egg from the villainous Draco Disciples.
Gamers can choose to ally with either the brave and noble Order of the Sun or the wild and chaotic Lunar Tribe. Thoren Grymm is the last to have blood of both. He leads the Band of the Twisted Claw, members of the Order or Tribe who could put aside their differences and fight for a common cause . . .
This year, there are awards for player achievements and character contests. Gamers get individual points and they also accumulate points for their alliance
RenQuest Facebook Fan Page
Players can also create their character stories online a the RenQuest Facebook Fan page. The page already has more than 500 fans and includes a teaser/trailer for the season, photos, videos and a fan art page.
RenQuest was so successful in its first season, that the storyline was taken to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale, California, in the spring. This year’s story will carry over to Irwindale next spring.
RenQuest Tickets
The Bristol Renaissance Faire is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends through Labor Day. Tickets are $18.95 for adults and $9.50 for children age 5 to 12. Advance ticket discounts are available online at renfair.com. RenQuest is an additional $10 for a day or $20 for the weekend, which includes a free pass to the faire for day two.
 |
