Meet Us
Meet Us
The heart of Kingdoms of Novitas is in our staff. Each of our staff members are volunteers who generously dedicate their time and talents to building a captivating and immersive experience for our players. What makes it better? Our staff are all active players! You won’t find any outsiders running our game – we’re run by players, for players. At Kingdoms of Novitas, our staff is split up between 8 different teams who each own the experience of a specific part of our game. Learn about our teams, what they do, and who leads them below!
First Marshals
Kingdoms of Novitas is a game run by Adrastea Inc., a charitable not-for-profit organization based out of New York. The board of directors for Adrastea Inc are Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green, who serve as the first marshals of Kingdoms of Novitas.
Ryan Green
First Marshal
Ryan Green has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2015. His first LARP was a Vampire the Masquerade event at Gen Con in 1996. He’s run them periodically ever since.
In 2002 he was briefly employed at White Wolf where he had the job title of “Intern”, he did the things no one else wanted to do, it was a great time. Later in 2008 he co-founded Jupiter Games in Vestal, NY (which later moved to Johnson City, NY).
He’s currently solely focused on managing Novitas while his wife is the managing Partner at Jupiter Games. As Plot Marshal his goal is to help the gamemasters create a diverse array of stories that provide a little something for every interest.
Christina Mevec
First Marshal, she/her
Christina Mevec has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2011. This was her first ever LARP experience. Previously, she was in charge of the Inn. She then moved on to the Props and Atmosphere second marshal position before becoming the Props Marshal and First Marshal.
Professionally, Christina was a teacher for eight years, five of those she spent teaching abroad at private international schools in Japan. She has since moved back to New York, made a career change, and is now an instructional designer for a local credit union.
When she’s not at larp, Christina can be found sewing, painting, leatherworking, spinning yarn, traveling, playing board games, table-top rpgs, or chill strategy video games.
James Vertucci
First Marshal, he/him
Hey! I’m James Vertucci, one of your First Marshalls at Kingdoms of Novitas. I’ve been playing since 2006, but before that, I would boffer fight with my brother and friends at home with duct tape weapons.
I’ve been a part of staff since 2008. I was the Ops Second Marshal for 10 years and now I’m a proud First Marshal. This game isn’t just my hobby, it’s also a passion of mine. It’s meant a lot to me over the years and is the place that made me most all of the friends I have today.
Out of game I like to travel, play Magic the Gathering and DnD, hangout with my cats, brew beer, and play video games (especially RPGs).
Player Outreach
Player outreach aims to cultivate and nurture community within the game’s atmosphere, by hosting events out-of-game and attending different community events to bring in new players. The job of Player Outreach is to keep track of the pulse of the players and to continue to build our game and community.
Brandon Febles
Marshal
Hello, I’m Brandon, the Player Outreach Marshal for Kingdoms of Novitas. I have been a player of Novitas for about 14 years and have been a part of staff for over 6 years. As a player and a staff member, I have met lifelong friends and gained so many great memories in and out of character. One thing that this game has is a strong supportive community who are happy to help new players. From garb, rules, or just simple questions we strive to be a place where a new player can thrive in our system. If you are looking for a medieval fantasy larp then take a chance and join us here at Kingdoms of Novitas. Hope to see you soon so you can join our great adventure.
Michael Maneri
Second Marshal, he/him
Michael joined the Kingdoms of Novitas community in 2019 and began his time as Player Outreach Second in 2021.
Affectionately referred to as part of “the welcome wagon”, his job includes the curation of Novitas’ discord server and helping new players acclimate to game.
Out of game, he enjoys hiking and setting small kitchen fires with garlic bread. As a player and Game Master, he loves to see collaborative stories play out – whether they end up as expected or go entirely off rails.
Plot
The Plot & Continuity team is in charge of the Game Masters who tell the story of Kingdoms of Novitas. They oversee each shift and send Non-Player Characters (NPCs) out on plots that the Player Characters (PCs) then interact with. Plot also oversees collecting Post Event Letters (PELs) from players after each event, answering Lore questions, and writing details for Player Initiated Plots (PIPs). Twice a year the Plot Work Group also oversees Role-Playing Skill advancements.
Ryan Green
Marshal
Ryan Green has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2015. His first LARP was a Vampire the Masquerade event at Gen Con in 1996. He’s run them periodically ever since.
In 2002 he was briefly employed at White Wolf where he had the job title of “Intern”, he did the things no one else wanted to do, it was a great time. Later in 2008 he co-founded Jupiter Games in Vestal, NY (which later moved to Johnson City, NY).
He’s currently solely focused on managing Novitas while his wife is the managing Partner at Jupiter Games. As Plot Marshal his goal is to help the gamemasters create a diverse array of stories that provide a little something for every interest.
Donald Tyson
Second Marshal, he/him
Don Tyson has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2013. Before that, he had participated in parlor larps and attempted to get an Amtgard (boffer larp) unit established while attending college at SUNY Oswego. A long time tabletop roleplayer, Don fell in love with Novitas for its combination of combat and roleplaying, and its original site happened to be within a short commute from his house.
Don has worked in customer service most of his life, but is working on a second degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, and is fascinated with tinkering and designing gadgets that can be used in LARP or real life.
Props & Atmosphere
The Props and Atmosphere Work Group sets the tone for what the game looks like. They decide what props meet the standards of what the game wants in play. Costuming for our creatures and NPCs is created largely from donations and whatever Props and Atmosphere builds. Of all the workgroups, Props and Atmosphere has the most special projects for various objectives. The make-up table is also staffed and stocked by the Props & Atmosphere workgroup.
Christina Mevec
Marshal, she/her
Christina Mevec has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2011. This was her first ever LARP experience. Previously, she was in charge of the Inn. She then moved on to the Props and Atmosphere second marshal position before becoming the Props Marshal and First Marshal.
Professionally, Christina was a teacher for eight years, five of those she spent teaching abroad at private international schools in Japan. She has since moved back to New York, made a career change, and is now an instructional designer for a local credit union.
When she’s not at larp, Christina can be found sewing, painting, leatherworking, spinning yarn, traveling, playing board games, table-top rpgs, or chill strategy video games.
Liska Gutierrez
Second Marshal, she/her
Hello! My name is Liska and I am proud to be Kingdoms of Novitas’s Props and Atmosphere Second Marshall. I joined Kingdoms of Novitas in 2019 and never looked back! I became Logistics Second Marshall in 2021, and then moved to Props and Atmosphere Second in 2022. In the real world, I spend my time expounding the wonders of SCIENCE to middle schoolers and am frequently found surrounded by the chaos of a new craft. In game, you can find me enacting the will of the Sept and scolding my fellow adventurers for their nonsense ideas.
Operations
The Operations Workgroup is the first to arrive on the Friday of each event. They oversee emptying the props shed and setting up the logistics building. Electric torches are placed and managed by Operations, as are any signs put out. When something goes wrong and the ranger needs to be contacted, you should speak to a member of the Operations Work Group. Lighting fires (other than candles) must be done by members of the Operations Work Group.
Chris Soukup
Marshal, he/him
Chris started playing in 2014, initially attending sporadically. However, since then, he has only missed a few events.
Throughout Chris’ LARPing experience, he’s played three very different PCs—a human, an elf, and a drake.
Zach Goldstein
Second Marshal, he/him
Zach has been with Novitas since 2021. He comes from another game originally but has come to love Novitas. The best way to find him is to look for the tall bald guy with a beard that won’t shut up.
Logistics
The Logistics work group oversees the informational book keeping to keep our game running. Our responsibilities include tracking character experience, character information (including death and retirement), player sign-in to events, the pre-production process for crafters and producers, and maintaining the game item database. All players interact with Logistics during sign-in at any of our games or events, and we’re often your first point of contact for questions about any of the above.
Frank Tamburrino
Marshal, he/him
Frank has been attending Kingdoms of Novitas since 2017. During this time, he has worked on the Rules, Inn, and Logistics work groups. In game, you may see him as his innkeeper Gerard, playing a spooky wraith, or as his PC Jace Flynn. Outside of game, he has a Masters of Science in Computer Science and works as a software engineer.
Taylor Dean
Second Marshal, she/her
An avid fan of all things numbers and local Excel extraordinaire, Taylor entered the Kingdoms of Novitas community in 2022 and joined the logs team in early 2023. As second, she maintains and optimizes the spreadsheets that make the game run, including experience point tracking and sign-in. When she’s not at game, you can find her wrangling her two cats, her dog (and her boyfriend), and enjoying everything nature has to offer. Novitas has introduced her to roleplaying games of all varieties, and she loves the work she does.
Inn
The Inn Workgroup is on a mission to keep everyone well-fed and they’re the powerhouse behind all of the delicious meals served during weekend events! You’ll find this team decorating the inn, cooking tasty dishes in the kitchen, and roleplaying as Innkeepers serving the hungry adventurers of Maplewood.
Jordan Bellassai
Marshal, he/him
Hola! My name is Jordan Bellassai and I started at Kingdoms of Novitas in 2005. I’m an avid board gamer who has a passion for community organizing. Currently, I work for a health foundation to build livable communities and advocate for universal healthcare.
Throughout my time at KoN I’ve played a wide range of characters, from the holiest of septons to the shadiest of gem dealers, pacifists, and weapon masters. I’ve served on the Inn work group for over a decade and I have a passion for eating! I’m excited to enter into the role of Inn Marshal and to serve the game in this capacity!
Heather Miller
Second Marshal, she/her
Hello! I am Heather Miller and I started in KoN in 2022? I think? time sure flys when you are having fun! I enjoy board games, DnD, and feeding people. I work as a teacher in a special education class. I am super excited to start working as the Inn second!
Media & Communications
The Media and Communications workgroup is in charge of the game’s public facing platforms, visual media, branding, and marketing efforts. You’ll find this group taking pictures and videos during events, and designing graphics, social media campaigns, and website pages in between.
Kat Crossman
Marshal, she/her
Hey! I’m Kat, the Media Marshal here at Kingdoms of Novitas! I never had any experience with RP or LARPing before, but I’ve always been a video game nerd. So when my friends invited me to join them for LARP in 2013, I was instantly hooked. Getting to run around in the woods and BE a character in real life? It was love at first LARP 😀
Novitas is a special blend of amazing, full of interesting stories, RP, Combat, and of course, amazing people! I have never met a more welcoming group of people in my life. At game you’ll usually find me holding a camera or playing my very obnoxious PC named Arbor. But, out of game, you’ll find me hanging out with my cats, playing Assassin’s Creed, or planning my next trip abroad.
I love meeting new people at game so definitely please come say hi if you’re joining us! <3
Chris Toia
Second Marshal, he/him
Hi, my name is Chris, I am the Media and Communications Second at Kingdoms of Novitas! My role involves creating awesome social media content and connecting with our players, and the LARP community as a whole!
In game, I play Armsmaster Dante, AKA “Prettyboy”. He’s a former thief turned mercenary for Sable Company, an in-game mercenary group. I love getting to create characters and bring them to life. I also really enjoy LARP combat, so playing a mercenary really gives me the opportunity to do that!
Outside of game, you can find me acting in local movies and theater productions. I’m also a fan of miniature painting and have even won an award for one of my pieces!
At our game, it’s YOU who wields the power to shape the world called Novitas. Every twist and turn in our game, every moment of triumph or challenge, is shaped by our incredible players; making Novitas a living, breathing world like no other. Our community is vibrant and diverse with individuals from all walks of life. Doctors, librarians, business execs, teachers – you name it! We have players of every kind in our community. So whether you’re unleashing your creativity for the first time or have already mastered the art of RP, there’s a place for you in our LARP. Learn about our players, their PCs, and their tips for noobies below!
More player interviews coming soon!
