It’s Not a Costume, It’s a Lifestyle: Inside the World of Live Action Role-Playing
Photographer Brian Shumway traveled to Utah to document participants of an underground phenomenon — a kind of medieval Fight Club — that combines elements of Dungeons and Dragons with ancient combat.
Michelle, 31, West Jordan, Utah
Character Name: Bexi (a Feyrynne, or human-sized fairy)
Character Bio: Shortly after she left the hive, Bexi was kidnapped and taken to the underground facility of a mad scientist. The scientist was trying to combine humanoids with animals. He used a ritual dagger to remove Bexi's original Fey wings (meaning they could never be healed or restored by magical means). Hadwick, one of the scientist's assistants, saw how poorly Bexi had been treated, broke her out of the lab and built her a set of mechanical wings. Hadwick and Bexi traveled together to the White DragInn, an inn renowned for adventurers from all over Daedalan.
Years Active: since 1996
Michelle is a young housewife. She was photographed in the front yard of her suburban home in West Jorban, Utah, wearing a Medieval-inspired costume for a human-sized fairy character she created with retractable wings, metal mesh bra, corset, striped leggings and a short skirt, and holding a foam-based sword (or boffer) with protective leather arm gear.
