Site Safety Brief – 2024

Welcome to Eversley, the home of EYELarp, Gunman Airsoft, Gorgon Photography and Feast Your Eyes.
We run events here every weekend of the year and are constantly updating and upgrading the site, so please bear with us for the safety brief even if you’ve heard it before, there may well be changes since the last time you were here. 

Site Safety: 

  • The woodland and scrubland areas have been fairly untouched so mind your footing, watch out for low branches and please do not climb trees.
  • Only climb on the structures with steps – the Gatehouse at the Wall (also called the Fort) is currently out of action. The two watch towers in the Viking Village which can take 3 people each, please watch your footing when climbing the structures.
  • Please do not go beyond the boundaries of the gaming areas and be aware of your conduct when in sight of the public using the footpaths surrounding our site. Three boundary lines are marked by roads and a wire fence, the fourth is hazard tape and backs on to our neighbours garden.


Fire Points and First Aid: 

  • In case of uncontrolled fire, all persons must make their way to the SAFE ZONE, which is the car park, so we can do a headcount.
  • The first aid point is also the Safe Zone – we can deal with simple cuts, scrapes and burns but any worse and you’ll have to go to A&E or call an ambulance.
  • All fire pits MUST be off the ground and also on a solid paving slab base.
  • Fire buckets are situated under the hand washing stations.
    You MUST KNOW where a fire bucket is if using your own open fire. 
  • DON’T Throw any Cans or glass into our fire pits!
  • Please empty the hot or cold ash on to the main fire pit in Viking.

Site Buildings: 

  • We have the benefit of 3 settlements that have been built by the community in the last few years.
  • The huts are the “set” for our games rather than accommodation – do not assume you will be able to get a space in one as we may need them for the game. 
  • Please treat the buildings with respect, sweep them out after use, take all rubbish with you and make sure all furniture is put back 
  • If huts are repeatedly left in a bad state, we will remove the use of our builds for the game in question.
  • Please also leave the timber yard alone and do not take any wood from it. The timber yard is the walled-off area, next to the Wild West tavern’s beer garden. 
  • Wood that CAN be burned is available in the wood store: the cabin nearest the toilets and bins. There are also large wooden crates of felled timber around it. Please feel free to burn any dead fall from around the site also.

Weapon Safety and fighting:

  • EYELarp events are part of the FilmSim ethos of cinematic games, where we imagine every game is a movie, and you are the protagonist, antagonist or other character of your choice in that setting.
  • Our games are collaborative between the players and crew – think of our NPCs as the side characters and our skirmish crew as your stunt team. They’re here to make you look cool, with epic fight scenes and intense roleplay moments.
  • The goal during fighting should not be to hit the crew as hard as possible as many times as you can! Fighting should always be done safely, with blows pulled at the last moment to lessen the impact of the hit, and HEAD HITS AVOIDED AT ALL TIMES.
  • If fighting our Monster suits again HEAD HITS MUST BE AVOIDED AT ALL TIMES!
    Do not panel beat the monsters. Firstly there is a person inside that suit, secondly it looks rubbish. 
  • Try to express the weight of the weapon you are using with cinematic, Over The Top, swings and theatrical reactions when you are hit.
  • Executing downed foes is acceptable, but must be done with exaggerated roleplay – If Role-playing cutting a persons throat they must be down, unresisting and do so without any contact against the skin
  • LOOTING a downed foe can only be done by informing said person that you are looting them and doing so without any physical contact. Appropriate roleplay is required. The foe will hand over any lootable items. DON’T TAKE WEAPON PHYS REPS or fights will get boring.

  • All weapons must be LARP-Safe, made of foam and latex with a fibreglass or other tried and tested core. Eating knives and bushcraft knives should not be brought out of town.
  • We allow thrust safe weapons at Eversley, but these must be used safely, remembering that only the tip is thrust-safe, so only the collapsable tip should be pushed into another combatant
  • Only thrust with thrust safe weapons. If you don’t know if your weapon is thrust safe, it’s safe to say it isn’t but please come to me and I will inform you.
  • No thrusting at the face or vulnerable parts. 
  • All weapons must be checked by whoever is using it before taking it into the game, and should not be stored tip-down.
  • Some EYELarp games have blank-firing and cap guns as part of the system. These must not be fired at point-blank range or in melee combat. Guns should be holstered or dropped when engaging in melee combat.
  • TOP OR SIDE VENTING, BLANK FIRING GUNS ONLY
  • Blank-firing weapons should NOT be Fired INSIDE BUILDINGS.
  • PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR SURROUNDS WHEN DISCHARGING FIRE ARMS AND ABSOLUTELY NO BLIND FIRING make sure you can see what is in front and beside your weapon. Take a beat to make sure it is safe to fire.
  • We have Ear plugs at the crew for anyone that wants them. Just come and ask.
  • With ranged effects without projectiles it can be difficult to know if you are the target, so we recommend getting the target’s attention before firing or spellcasting. Sometimes you may miss, other times your “magic bullet” may take out three crew. Always give your opponents the benefit of the doubt.
  • You’re dead when you think you *should* be dead.
    Our skirmish crew are not actively trying to assassinate your character. If you fall in combat, it may lead to a rescue mission being set up, or other roleplay encounter. Some of our games have additional death mechanics or bead pulls for certain scenarios, such as the Valkyries at Bindrune or High Noon at Flying Lead: Smoke and Brass.
  • All arrows must be checked before use, and all bows must have a draw weight of less than 30lbs. If you don’t know how to check arrows please come see me and I will show you 
  • No Bows after dusk.
  • Golf-ball style arrows are not to be used onsite as of 2024, all arrows must be flat-fronted foam.
  • Any one caught not checking their arrows will get one reminder after that they will be issued a warning, if warned again you will no longer be able to use a bow at Eversley 
  • Do not try to parry arrows with your weapons this is unsafe and if anyone is caught doing so will be issued a warning. 
  • PLEASE DON’T USE THE TERM MEDIC, this is a out of character word for all games please use appropriate names such as Healer, Doctor, Saw bones etc

Safety Calls:

  • CUT – Followed by the Problem
  • Calling ‘CUT’ followed by the problem; Person down for a real world injury, Dog walker, runner, horse (it happens) etc please use BURNING if you find a fire.
    Anyone can make this call. 

  • If you hear ‘CUT’ called then you should stop doing what you’re doing and stay where you are.

  • Once the situation has had the appropriate actions taken, the ref will Time in the game with a quick “1 2 3 Time In.”

  • TIME FREEZE – Will be called be the Ref team

  • It will then be followed by a command such as “close your eyes and hum”

  • Once the command has been done and things put in place Ref will “1 2 3 Time In” to restart the game. 

Behaviour and Conduct:

  • All EYELarp games are gender neutral and don’t expect people to conform to particular gender roles. 
  • You are expected to act in a respectful and inclusive manner and don’t choose a character type that behaves in a manner that will offend others out of game. Our games are set in fictional states, regions and islands within history to allow us to create settings where all participants can enjoy themselves, regardless of historical attitudes to gender, race and sexuality in the relevant historical period.
  • It is not acceptable to insult another participant based on an out-of-character attribute such as height, weight and other out-of-character physical appearance characteristics, or remark upon such traits in any way that is discriminatory.
  • Non-consensual sex of any kind is not part of this, or any EYELarp game. Any reference to such will be met with a final warning.
  • Anyone found pushing or openly behaving in a way that is NOT within the Behaviour and conduct brief will be asked to leave. 
  • Please remember that the people around you may have been affected by issues you want to play out in game. Checking in with other players beforehand is encouraged and subtly going OC to do this is not immersion breaking.
  • Real world political and social ideologies must be left at the door and not brought into the weekend. 
  • Any directed assault or harassment should immediately be taken up with the site wardens or organiser so appropriate measures can be taken. This may mean the end of the game and police involvement.


Drinking and Smoking: 

  • Please monitor your drinking, this is a social event but utter drunkenness will not be tolerated. EYELarp runs high quality FilmSim events that are serious roleplay games. If you are spotted unable to control yourself you will be asked to leave the game to sleep it off.
  • Smoking and vaping must be done in open spaces and be as in-keeping with the game as possible. If vaping, please keep them on low settings. We have an SFX team we don’t need you adding to it.  
  • The ground Eversley sits on is mostly peat, so we have to be very careful about ground fires. Please do not throw cigarette butts on the ground, instead stub them and put them in a pocket or pouch or directly in the bin or fire 

Food

  • Players with meal tickets and crew

    • Breakfast is Served from the Kitchen from 8am till 9:30am
    • Lunch is Served 1:00pm till 2:00pm
    • Dinner is Served 7:30pm till 8:30pm
  • Please let us know your dietary requirements when you come for food during service so we don’t plate up something you can’t eat.
  • Crew please let players get their meals first, unless told otherwise by the game team

  • There is tea and coffee outside the kitchen for anyone that wants, we do ask that you donate some water to the kitchen so we have enough for washing up as well as hot drinks 

Toilets: 

  • We only have Porta loos onsite, these are for SITTING ONLY. 
  • There are clip-on lights in each of the loos, they are motion activated so you may have to do a little dance, please let us know if they need new batteries.
  • Please flush before and after use, and close the lid when you are done.
  • Please bin the used toilet roll tubes and do not put them in the little bins in the loos. These are sanitary bins.
  • Please reload the toilet roll holder if you finish the roll. 
  • We are situated in 65 acres of forest, so feel free to be one with nature, but before you wee in a bush please check it for…
  • A hand washing station is located next to the toilet and stocked with soap and hand sanitiser. There are three others in the Wild West town, Viking Village and next to the kitchen. If the waterbutts are empty, let the crew know so we can restock them.
  • Spare sanitary supplies are available behind the door in the site office – Please help yourself.
  • Bins are situated near the toilets, please make sure all your rubbish gets bagged and put in them or taken away with you at the end of the event. We cannot recycle here so appreciate both players and crew taking their cans and bottles home to recycle.

Photography:

  • Gorgon are the Eversley site photography team, our photographers this weekend are ________. With Guest Photographers being ______.
  • Please let them know in advance if you do not want your picture taken and they will do their utmost to avoid it.
  • They operate a takedown policy – you can request any photo of yourself to be taken down, no questions asked.
  • If you cannot have your photo online, speak to them and they can often organise a private gallery.
  • Please Support the Photographers!

SFX:

  • Gorgon are also our SFX Team. Our Team this weekend are._______
  • YOU MUST Listen to them if they ask you to move and to any safety briefs they give 
  • We will Sign post large SFX pieces please come talk to me or the team if you are adverse to loud bangs, gore etc 
  • Please stay away from them if they have a smoke machine because it is very hot. 

Last but not least:

  • We allow Dogs on site at certain games, Please listen to the owners wish, do not feed the Dogs, do not issue commands to the Dogs. ALWAYS ask if you can stroke them 
  • If you see a Dog go to the for a number 2 please inform the Dog Owner so it can be removed. 
  • We see no difference in player or crew, both have come to have fun and play let’s pretend. Both should treat each other with respect and work to create the best story possible for everyone. 
  • We’re not about cheat calling or heavy-handed reffing and will only get involved with encouragement for people to play a better game. If anyone steps continually out of the brief they will be asked to step out of the game and assess whether they are at the right kind of event.
  • The basic rules of EYELarp games are: give game to everyone, react to everything around you and don’t expect others to react the way you thought. If you are hit during combat, react and give game to those players who are playing healers. 
  • Most of the game is hard skills, so if you can do it, you can do it, but effort is everything and as long as you’re within the spirit of the game it may well work!