MidgardCon 2024

MidgardCon took place from September 30 to October 1, and I had the pleasure of attending on Saturday and Sunday. The event was held in the beautiful Gildehallen at Borre in Horten, and is a collaboration between Midgard Viking Center and Spillekveld på 37. It turned into a wonderful weekend in authentic Viking surroundings that gave the whole event a special frame.

Saturday: A Joyful Start

First session (1130-1600): The One Ring

Saturday started with a real treat – The One Ring, led by Frank Rafaelsen, who is an oracle when it comes to Tolkien. Since I had recently watched the TV series The Rings of Power, it was fitting that Frank took us on a journey through Tolkien's universe with several connections to familiar names and places from both the TV series and the books/films. The way he told it gave me several moments of genuine goosebumps. I also have to mention that the maps from Free League (who make the game) have seriously high production quality. That also added to the immersion. My character met his end facing a Balrog, and who can complain about being killed by one of Tolkien's most iconic creatures? It was simply great fun!

Second session (1800-2300): Tale RPG

For the second session on Saturday I hadn't signed up for any game in advance, as I wanted to see how things played out. But when a free seat opened up at Tale RPG, I jumped in - together with game creator Hans Olav, Thomas from Game Forlag, and the wonderful Berg family! This session was something else entirely - we're talking fits of laughter, twisted ideas, and wild antics. It started with us establishing that the characters were related through variations of fathers and mothers, and that we were part of some kind of warped cult. It only escalated from there. The dynamic in the player group was absolutely fantastic, and the story took the most absurd turns. We laughed our way through the game, and yet our characters actually made it through the adventure (relatively) unscathed. A miracle!

Sunday: Historical Deep Dives

Silverheart (1130-1500): "Ei Krasafaren Krambu"

On Sunday morning it was my turn, and I led a lovely group through Silverheart and the adventure "Ei Krasafaren Krambu". The players had to save both their own skin and the remains of a failed general store that had driven them deep into debt. With a sandbox approach, I let the players chase rumors and opportunities to find a way out of their financial nightmare. It became an incredibly fun and creative session with plenty of unexpected solutions and memorable characters. I had no idea what was going to happen, and that was exactly what made it so entertaining! The player group finally managed to pay the first installment on their debt, after extorting a gold ring from a young official, stealing the prize pot in an ongoing game of chance, and digging up a chest with 10 military muskets on the outskirts of town. In the conversation after the game, it also seemed the players had picked up a few things about Kongsberg in the late 1700s, and that is a joy. I would have loved to follow this story further with the same group.

Closing: Guided Tour at Midgard Viking Museum

The weekend ended with a guided tour of the Midgard Viking Museum, led by Fredrik Bjønnes, who really knows how to bring the Viking Age to life. It was exciting to see historical artifacts and hear how Fredrik connected them to research, while making it both accessible and engaging. It was the perfect ending to a weekend already full of great experiences.

Summary

A huge thank you to the organizers and everyone who helped make this a great weekend. All in all, MidgardCon 2024 was full of fun play experiences and good conversations with friendly people. New faces, old acquaintances, and people I had mostly only talked to online (until now). The sense of community is unique at conventions like this, so I can warmly recommend attending, and I am already looking forward to next year!

Hope to see you there!

-KO