There’s 9 days left until the launch of Port Katherine! We hope you’re as excited as we are to begin our adventures in the Pan Aetherium. We wanted to send out this note with a few answers to common logistical questions we’ve received. It’s a bit long, but we encourage you to read through it all at least once.
Location: Port Katherine takes place at Camp Middlesex, in Ashby, Massachusetts. (1031 Erickson Rd, Ashby, MA 01431) (http://www.campmiddlesex.com/) If you have concerns about travel, let us know or post to either our Slack channel, our Facebook group, or the forums, and we can arrange for someone to pick you up at the Fitchburg commuter rail station.
Schedule: Check-in will begin on site no earlier than 6pm, with game-on beginning no earlier than 9pm. Bring your all of your armor, weapons, etc to check-in to have them inspected and approved prior to play, and we will give you your items and character sheet at this time. There will be a brief player meeting prior to game-on in which we will go over questions and give out some reminders.
If you are ok with us taking a picture of you in costume, please come to check-in wearing your costume, and we will take a picture. This will help staff who do not know you find you for plots, but is in no way required. These pictures will never be shared or used for any purpose other than assisting staff with identification.
Port Katherine has a “soft stop” from 2am to 9am in the morning - during this period, you may feel free to continue to roleplay and engage in player-player interactions, but staff will no longer be running plots. You may not look for components in the woods during this time. If, by chance, you are killed by another player during this period, come to staff center as soon as you wake up, and we will handle your logistics then.
Game off will be around 12-1pm on Sunday, after which we will cleanup the site and go home. Player assistance is greatly appreciated for both setup and cleanup, but especially so on Sunday, when everyone is tired and wants to go home. 1 CP will be awarded for every hour of help provided, plus an additional 1 CP for anyone who stays until the end of cleanup.
If you are going to be late, please let us know in advance. Once you arrive on site, park in one of the two parking areas, then go to the window of staff center, knock, and we will check you in.
Sleeping: The player sleeping areas at Camp Middlesex consist of six cabins with twelve bunks each, plus five additional cabins that have four bunks each. Additionally, we’ll be allowing people who want to tent to do so at the Fern Taylor Clover, up the hill on the right side of the main road. Please let us know before you place a tent anywhere other than this location, and we are trying to keep all tents in a similar place. Cabins are fully equipped with electricity and mattresses, and there are nearby bathrooms with showers.
Because we have so many players, we’ll be assigning cabin space. (Planning for Player Cabins & Tents) Please fill in the form to let us know your preferences by this Friday, April 27.
You may decorate your cabins however you like, but please only use push-pins, not staples, to hang things on the walls. You may bring space heaters for your cabins, but they must be attended when in use.
Parking: There are two parking areas. One is by the dumpsters on the main road into camp. The other is by the big red barn on the hill, just across the river. There is also some limited parking along the road. There is no parking in the camp areas - in other words, once you cross the bridge into the main camp area. Because we have a full game, we expect parking to be tight - please park in ways that will maximize the available number of spaces.
Characters: If you have not already done so, please log in to our website, go to the characters page (https://www.portkatherine.com/characters), and select the heart next to the character you intend to play at game. This is very important, as it ensures we will have a printed character sheet for you at game, as well as all items you will need (money, vials, etc).
Food: We will provide four meals: Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus Sunday breakfast. Snacks will be provided for the duration of game. If you would like additional food, you may bring food yourself, and we can provide a limited amount of refrigerator space for storage. The menu will be posted before the event. While we have attempted to accommodate all food allergies, restrictions, etc, if you have severe restrictions, you may wish to bring some backup food just in case.
Weather: Very early weather forecasts suggest we’ll have some rain on Friday and then partly cloudy weather in the 50s and 60s the rest of the event. The site can get very muddy during the rain, so be cautious when driving up the hill. If you have any doubts about your car’s ability to drive in the mud - do not attempt to do so. The camp will not pull you out, and you’ll need to call a tow truck.
Also: dress for the weather. While the weather will not be too cold, it will be a bit chilly, so plan for a few layers you can swap on and off as necessary. Bring extra socks. This is always true but especially true with a forecast of rain. Always bring about 2-3 pairs of socks more than you think you will need, and you will thank yourself later.
Weapons and Ammo: Make sure to bring anything that you will require for game. Staff cannot supply melee weapons, guns, or darts for players, as we will need everything we have. However, if you have an absolute emergency, contact us, and we can try to work something out. Remember: Nerf-brand Elite darts are the only kind of darts approved for use at Port Katherine. Velcro-tip, suction-tip, and non-Nerf knockoff Elite darts are strictly prohibited due to safety concerns.
Election: Our parent organization, Red Feather Roleplaying, is holding an election for a position on their Board of Directors. The requirements to run for this position are that you have attended at least two RFR games in the last year, which can include the two Port Katherine games this spring. That means that, even if Port Katherine is your first Red Feather game, you can still run for the board, and we encourage you to do so if you have interest in that role. More information can be found on the forums. (RFR Board Election)
We can’t wait to see you all! I’m overjoyed and humbled by the response that Port Katherine has received, and your excitement and enthusiasm can be seen every day. I’m eager to tell stories with you and see what kind of world we can build together!
Brian Misamore
Game Director, Port Katherine