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"Real
life is always getting in the way of your hobbies," said Mark
Roberts, the man behind Gloucester's Heroquest.
(Gallery 1: 8 pics)
(Gallery 2: 28 pics)
In
fact, Mark belongs to the tiny but fortunate group of people able
to make a living for their leisure pursuits.
His
business is to provide ordinary folk with fantastic adventures in
a Tolkienesque world of knights, wizards, orcs and trolls.
Heroquest
is a live role-playing game in which participants don costumes and
participate in fantasy adventures of up to five days in length.
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| Our
man David prepares to go undercover |
Acceptable
The
tremendous success of the Lord of the Rings films has brought fantasy
closer to the mainstream.
This
has meant that many more adventurers, who were previously reticent
about their hobby, are now coming 'out of the closet'.
"Since
those films hit the big screen people are happy to say what they've
been doing over the weekend," said Mark, "it's become
an acceptable adult pastime".
 ..it's become an acceptable adult pastime.
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| Mark
Roberts |
One
female adventurer has recently written a thesis on how the game
helps her to cope with the pressures of everyday existence.
It
seems logical enough - after all, when you've vanquished a horde
of goblins over the weekend, the pressures of office life will seem
tame by comparison.
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| David
discovers his inner monster |
Creatures
Mark's
shed is home to the costumes of around four hundred monsters and
characters, including orcs, trolls, and giant spiders.
"That's
a mind flayer," said Mark of one of the latex masks, which
depicted a green-skinned humanoid with a tentacled chin, "a
creature with powers of the mind."
The
quality of the costumes and props is striking, a far cry from the
'man-wearing-a-bedsheet' monsters one might imagine.
"Our
shields and armour being provided by the same company who equipped
the soldiers for the film Troy," explained Mark.
Lucky
I could be stuck behind a desk five
days a week...
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| Mark
Roberts |
Sitting
in the garden of Mark's red-bricked Gloucester semi, the suburban
setting seems far removed from a world of realm of magic and chivalry.
But
Mark is unconcerned about what the neighbours might think.
"Almost
everyone I know thinks I'm really lucky to be able to do this job,"
he said, "I could be stuck behind a desk five days a week from
nine to five."
Given
the choice between sitting in commuter traffic or running around
the Forest of Dean wielding a broadsword against cave trolls, it's
hard to disagree.
Website
Feeling
heroic? Find out more .
(Gallery 1: 8 pics)
(Gallery 2: 28 pics)
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Orcs,
goblins and cave trolls are all in a day's work for Mark Roberts,
whose job is "turning ordinary people into heroes".
