Oakland University has a wide variety of student-organized campus groups, from the Juggling Club to the Geocaching club — even a Muggle Quiddich League. However, most groups cant claim the feats of Dagorhir where participants regularly lose limbs, fight medieval heroes and die in bloody sword fights.

The basics

Dagorhir, referred to by members as Dag, has between 15 and 25 members.

Junior Ethan Arten, anthropology major, has been a member for five years, since he was a freshman.

He explained Daf as, “combat-focused live action role-play” which involves organized practices, fighting matches and local tournaments.

According to Arten, each participant takes on the role of a period character of his or her choosing, from either a “pre-gunpowder society or fantasy realm.”

“We’ve got Romans, Vikings, a couple of samurai and a whole lot of fantasy characters,” he said.

Senior Rachel Buechele, a theater design and technology major, goes by the name Mit’lenaux. “Some people never even reveal their real names,” she said.

Meetings

Dag practices are held Sunday at 1 through mid-November, with local events occurring every few months.

How to Join

Dag is a very inclusive group that welcomes any new members, Arten said.

“Just find your local Dag chapter — in this case OU’s group — and come out to a practice,” he said.  “We provide loaner gear for new people to use when they come to try it out.”

Dagorhir 

Combat Rules

– Swinging weapons at heads is not allowed.

– Torso shots are death

– Any combination of hits to two limbs is death

– Hits to the arm: weapon must be dropped and the arm put behind the fighter’s back

– Hits to a leg: fighter must kneel