The elf climbed to the top of the cliff and held out her prized sword, a token of her benefactor. She yelled at the darkness, beseeching it to her her cries.

“Forgotten, you have given me this sword as a testament to my commitment to our cause. Hear my words and spare the lives of my friends and family, and continue on your path of destruction. Show the others of these lands that you are not without reason and are true to your allies.”

The Forgotten, swarming with dark demons, paused momentarily, almost if contemplating. Divided, it withheld the brunt of its force but still rained down chaos on the elven lands.

– A scene from Dragon Thrones: Heroes.

Coming home from the high of an event, there are so many things that just a few hours ago were strangely different. Maybe you were saving the world, and now you’re flipping burgers at a local fast food joint to pay the bills. You had friends – you had a family, and though you only knew each other for potentially a few days, it felt like you spent a lifetime together. Now, you’re in an office on conference calls where you couldn’t feel more alone. This is what we call LARP drop. It’s a normal feeling, after highly immersive events, and is a process by which one adapts back to everyday life. It brings with it feelings of sadness, loss, and potentially depression. 

We recently put out a post in our community where we asked experience LARPers how they coped, and here are some of their best practices:

• Take a bath and just relax. There is some kind of magic in quiet reflection that allows one to wash away their game persona and adapt better to everyday life.
• Participate in online role-play groups, boards, and Discord channels. Sometimes games don’t have to end, and you can find ways to stay engaged e-vein after the weekend event is over.
• Get together with friends for non-LARP events like Escape Rooms, movies, dinners, etc. Hanging out with friends and reminiscing about in game moments is powerful and fun.
• Visit Renaissance Festivals and conventions in character with a group from your local game. It’s a way to keep your character alive in between games.
• Write in character letters that share information and thoughts with others. They are incredibly fun to write and even better when you receive one that you weren’t expecting.
• Journal and write down important moments and thoughts. You can always look back on them later and reflect on how you were feeling. 
• Plot, plan and attend other games. If you’re recovering from a game, the best thing I can personally think of, is having another game to look forward to. Groups like Learn LARP always have new chapters and games coming out, so you can participate in a variety of stories.
• Write an article or review and help your game grow. If you’re interested in sharing it publicly, we’d love to host quality content here on LARPed.com. Email us at crew@LARPed.com. 

The LARPed Crew understands what its like to go through LARP drop. We’d love to have you attend an event or two with us, and then reflect upon the amazing story we collaboratively told together. Check out future events here.