Last updated on Dec. 3, 2025 at 03:45 p.m.
At the ARC on Wednesday nights, some students and community members skip the weights and treadmills, instead grabbing foam swords, bows and arrows, lances and the recently reinstated rock missiles.
These members of the Realm of Numenor are part of a decades-old tradition of medieval-inspired combat that was established at the University in 1996.
Numenor exists as one of the Champaign chapters in the larger organization, Belegarth Medieval Combat Society. The organization began in 1979 and has realms across North America. Belegarth, as a battle game, differs from other battle games and live-action role-playing games in that it is solely combat-oriented.
Even when fighting with foam weapons, Belegarth has codified a set of rules in its “Book of War” to ensure safety. The “Book of War” outlines procedures for making weapons and armor, rules for combat and rules for what medieval attire is appropriate to wear during combat.
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From finding practice spaces to checking that weapons are up to standard, Ken Sterzinger, senior in Engineering and the president of Numenor, handles many responsibilities for the RSO.
“As an officer, I am trying to make sure people have these fun experiences that I first had before joining the club,” Sterzinger said. “When I first talk to people about it, I tell them it’s like fighting in a way. I think they can find joy in living out your inner child, being able to have that sort of fun without judgment.”
The goal in combat is to “kill” someone by attacking one of their “target areas.” A combatant is considered dead if their torso, their head or two of their four limbs are hit. The number of hits it takes to disable a target area depends on whether it is armored or not. Referees called “marshals” make calls to ensure safety and fairness.
Outside of practices, which take place on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons, members of the Realm of Numenor can take part in several tournaments hosted by Belegarth. They can also participate in camping trips and social events. For members of the Realm of Numenor, eating dinner together after practice has become a staple tradition for the community.
“About three weeks into me joining Numenor, we all went and got food after practice,” said Eli Cooper, Champaign resident and member of Numenor. “After that, one of the guys invited us to his house, and we hung out for like three hours. That really drew me in because the people were so friendly.”
Besides the RSO executive positions, members of the Realm of Numenor can achieve ranks within the organization by achieving combat or service feats within their realms. These ranks include “knighthood” and “squiredom.”
Outside of the internal structure of Numenor, external forces are impacting Numenor’s practice experience.
Even with lengthy rules and procedures regarding safety, the University’s Student Org Development and Administration has butted heads with Numenor and other sword-fighting organizations regarding practice locations and regulations.
According to Numenor’s vice president Nicole Wee, senior in LAS, Numenor was recently told they can no longer practice in the stock pavilion in the winter.
“It was a pretty big blow to us,” Wee said. “We can’t really practice outside with the snow. I would love a reliable practice space that’s good for the winter. We are doing our best with what we have now.”
The ARC has more stringent regulations for the organization; for instance, the organization cannot practice fights with multiple players on each side. In addition, all practice fights must have a supervisor watching them.
“We are grateful to even have a space, but it’s very limiting for what we want to do,” Wee said.
An upcoming Belegarth tournament in California this January is the next time many members of the Realm of Numenor will test their combat skills at the national level. Tournaments feature various events, including one-on-one, three-on-three and five-on-five fights.
Tournaments sometimes include large-scale battles with two teams fighting one another in “wars.” With the main prize being bragging rights, Belegarth fighters enter tournaments for fun and camaraderie. For Numenor, participation in these events is voluntary, and many members practice without fighting in tournaments.
“Come out for the community, the people here are amazing,” Cooper said. “They’re going to be friends for life.”
