If you haven't been to a Heroquest event before, here's how a typical larp event for a player might unfold...

First Night

You arrive on-site, a couple of hours before the adventure is due to start.  At the site, you are greeted by one of the referees, usually the player referee, who directs you to where you'll be sleeping during the event.  (The sleeping kit you need varies according to the site).  You kit up into your character's costume - all the while, other players arrive, say hi, and kit up themselves.

The player ref comes over and goes through your 'battleboard' with you.  As a basic character, this pretty much involves making sure we have your character's name correct and just explaining any of the basic skills and rules if you're not sure.  The ref may also advise you on combat and answer any questions you have about the dungeon.

Time In approaches and people are starting to get into character, some adopting strange accents and voices.  The Player Ref gathers all the players together and runs through both important in-character and out-of-character points, such as any less-frequently-used effects calls that you may hear on the dungeon.  The Ref briefs you on "the mission" that your character and the rest of the group have been assigned to undertake, and leads you off into the forest for the start of the dungeon.  You all pause a couple of minutes and then there's a loud call: "TIME IN!"

... Your head eventually hits the pillow a couple of hours after midnight, the laughing face of an arrogant Necromancer etched on your mind's eye.  You'll get him tomorrow - if you can.

Final Day

It's just past midday, and at your feet lie the bodies of a mighty foe and his minions - not the Necromancer, but a key ally of his in the area - he won't be welcome back here any time soon.  "TIME OUT TIME OVER!" calls the Player Referee.

You head back to the player base, wash and change back into "normal" clothes, packing your kit up as you go.  After about an hour, everyone has managed to wipe (most of) the make-up from their face and hair and the Player Ref summons you for a debrief.

The players gather out-of-character, along with the Referees and some of the monsters.  The Referees "wrap up" what took place in-character after your last, glorious victory (usually you simply head back to the Towers without suffering any further losses) and answer a number of in-character and out-of-character questions from some of the players.

It turns out that your adventuring party found quite a lot of treasure whilst on your mission, and the Main Ref hands the party leader a hand of Gests (in-character money) and item cards that the party divvy so that everyone receives a fair share of reward from the mission.  (A coin toss is usually used to decide who gets what item should more than one person want to have it).

Items and debrief concluded, you head home - back to real life!