Name Ford Ivey | ||
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Education University of Texas at Austin | ||
Ford ivey at wyrd con 4
Ford Ivey (born 1947–48), sometimes called the Grandfather of NERO, is the founder of several live action role-playing games, including NERO International, Shandlin’s Ferry, Wildlands, The Isles, a live version of Call of Cthulhu, and his newest game, The Osiris Sanction. Ford is the recipient and namesake of the LARPY Lifetime Achievement award, and is the LARP Guest of Honor at Origins Game Fair in July, 2007.
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Early life and education
Ivey attended the University of Texas, where he was first introduced to role-playing games in the 1970s. He worked in the construction industry in the Boston area, and later ran The GameMaster, a game store in Arlington, MA. While running this store, he became involved in Live-Action Role-Playing.
Career
The first gatherings that would later become NERO were held by Ford Ivey in rural Massachusetts, under the name "Weekend Warriors" in 1986 after he was inspired by a New Hampshire game called "Midrealms Adventures". The largest event location is the Duchy of Ravenholt, where Ivey used to oversee feasts and celebrations in the role of Duke Basil. "Live role-playing started in England, where there are a lot of medieval reenactment societies," explains Ivey about NERO, "but what we do is a fantasy game."
In September 1991, Issue #173 of Dragon magazine published an article about NERO. This exposure allowed the LARPing organization to grow to over 5,000 members, eventually expanding to chapters in New Jersey and Atlanta.
Ivey sold the game to Joseph Valenti in August 1998.