Rustwater Staff Team
Co-Owner, GM, Founder
Kari Begian-Lewis (They/Them)
Dr. Begian-Lewis has been LARPing since 2015, though they mostly focused on narrating and NPCing until 2021, when a friend convinced them to make a PC again. They currently play PCs at CARPs, Haven, and Sylvaris LARPs, and narrate at CARPs and Sylvaris, along with GMing Rustwater.
Kari came up with the initial world concept for Rustwater as a little surprise for Josh. They were also in charge of the crafting recipes, which is why the names are all so weird. Kari's focus is on the overarching plot of the game and on ensuring the game has interesting, diverse mechanics from plot to plot.
What Kari finds the most unique about Rustwater is that all of the GMs are open to adapting the game instead of following the mold of games they've played before; if something isn't working or could be improved, everyone is willing to take feedback and try something new. It affects the vibe of the whole game.
Co-Owner, GM, Founder
Joshua Begian-Lewis (They/Them)
Joshua Begian-Lewis has been larping since 2015. They were invited to a game called CARPs by some friends and told it was something they would like. Turns out their friends were correct. Josh was hooked immediately and loved the combination of a cooperative fantasy world and engaging combat. Along with GMing at Rustwater Josh also plays characters at Sylvaris, CARPs, and Haven. Josh has also played characters at Archon and Dystopia Rising.
The largest niche Josh has found is in helping handle the mechanics, rules, and logistics. They love game building and working with rules mechanics to keep a game balanced and fun to play. Josh was the primary writer of the rules at Rustwater and works to make sure the rules are both fun and balanced.
Josh’s favorite part of LARPing is the fact that it creates a world that is a balance between physical activity (especially combat), world building and story, and character build mechanics that they find very engaging.
What Josh thinks makes Rustwater unique is the setting. The setting is a blend of Post-Apoc, Fantasy, and Horror. The other aspect that leads to Rustwater’s success is how much it focuses on collaboration and engagement between the GMs and Players to make a game that everyone enjoys.
GM, Founder
Chloe Schultz-Kellett (She/They/It)
Chloe started LARPing in 2017 after seeing a video on Youtube about the hobby. From the first game they played, Final Haven LARP, they were hooked. Since then, she has played almost every LARP in Michigan, several in Indiana, and runs LARPs professionally at Gen Con. It claims it can stop whenever it wants to. This is not the case. In addition to GMing Rustwater, she also is a GM for Final Haven LARP, is logistics staff for Sylvaris, and plays Archon, Cyberpunk United, Altered, Dystopia Rising, and several World of Darkness parlor LARPS.
Rustwater is a huge passion project and sense of creative freedom for Chloe, allowing them to flex her knowledge of science and biology, as well as their skills as a horror GM. Chloe helps with both mid-level and overarching plot with a focus on creating local factions and settlements, politics, and horror. They also handle a lot of the props and NPC costuming for the game.
What Chloe thinks is the most unique about Rustwater is the setting. Rustwater is a rich and vibrant world with endless avenues for interesting stories. It allows them to flex storytelling muscles they can’t do anywhere else while blending their favorite elements from different genres.
GM, Founder
Chris Fraga (He/Him)
Chris Fraga began his LARPing career in 2021 after being invited to try it out, no convincing speech necessary. He quickly fell in love with the hobby and hasn’t turned back since. Playing multiple characters in games such as CARPs, Sylvaris, Dystopia Rising, and Archon, Chris has enjoyed the many aspects that come along with playing many different games and different worlds.
When it comes to Rustwater, Chris was at the forefront for creating and defining all things related to the more mystical side of the world. Creating a system that helps define how power is structured and how players are able to access magical and wonderful powers was one of his main responsibilities.
Exploring stories and characters is what drew Chris into LARPing, but for Rustwater itself, it is the diversity of the stories that can be told that keeps him creating. Stories can be ones of heroism, survival, horror, and much more all because of what each GM has brought to the table and how the team works together with the players to make something truly unique.
Social Media, Marketing
Rae Piper-Coder (She/They)
Rae began her Larp journey over 12 years ago when she offered to take photos during a weekend event for a friend. During that same event she was roped into helping with the kitchen, which lead into being an NPC and the rest is history. Behind the scenes, as a player, or game runner, Rae has done it all in the LARPing space, from games such as Bicolline, Fayhaven, Alliance and her own two creations Outpost Nine and The Hideaway Project.
At Rustwater, Rae is here work behind the scenes on helping this game be seen for the magic it is! Helping reach new audiences, whilst helping the current player base streamline processes & keep finding new ways to aid in the responsibilities that come with growing a game.
​When joining Rustwater, Rae fell in love with the world but also the people inside of it. Each she walks in thinking she has an idea of what will happen and each time she is completely blindsided by the end. Being a full-time wheelchair user, Rae also was worried about being a player again and how that would work mechanically in a game with fighting, but the adaptations of the team and the willingness of the players to never have her miss a moment is really where the magic lies within this game. The game is unique because of no matter where you are in your abilities as a player, Rustwater will make a space for you.