DeKALB — Welcome to the world of Belegarth, which features a sport based off medieval combat in which participants use foam-padded weapons at full force to strike and “kill” participants with a minimum amount of pain.

The Realm of Minas Ithil, also known as the NIU campus, has been home to the NIU Medieval Combat Society since the group was founded in February 2012. Minas Ithil is only one of 189 realms spread throughout the United States and one out of 25 in Illinois, according to the realm locator on Belegarth.com.

At 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday, the members of the Medieval Combat Society meet either in the Neptune courtyard or the racquetball courts in the Student Recreation Center. The sport uses a simple rule system, a strong code of conduct relating to safety and sportsmanship and five classifications of weapons — a one-handed swung weapon, two-handed swung weapon, thrusting weapon, missile weapon and head-only weapons.

If students are interested in the group but unable or unwilling to fight, Belegarth has more to offer. The other skills that can be learned in the sport are sewing, leatherwork, embroidery, carpentry, painting, juggling and much more.

The community of Belegarth holds one- to five-day events in which different realms meet to mingle and battle. Oktoberfest is known as the largest Midwestern event in which people from across the country and even Canada come to enjoy the five nights. Not only does it include camping but also day and night tournaments, classes, entertainment and ceremonies. Oktoberfest is Oct. 4-8 in Hudson, but the closest one to NIU is Spring Wars, which took place Thursday through Sunday.

George Graefen, junior electrical engineering major and president of Minas Ithil, said events can grow to be upward of 1,000 people, filling the battlefield with teams of a few hundred. He also said being at these events makes him feel like part of a larger family.

“It’s a very tight-knit community,” said Lincoln Held, sophomore illustration major and treasurer of Minas Ithil. “There’s a huge sense of camaraderie. All the people in the sport that I’ve met so far have been the nicest people in the world. Even if someone can’t fight, that doesn’t change anything. We’re friends.”

Many people may consider Belegarth live-action role playing ­— also known as LARP — but in reality, they are two separate sports. Belegarth focuses mainly on fighting and other skills people learned during medieval times, while LARP tends to be more fantasy-oriented. For example, Belegarth only uses physical weapons, and in LARP, participants can use magic.

Whatever the opinion on the sport, participants are nothing less than strong fighters and athletes.

“When we notice that at least one person is watching, we ask if they want to try their luck,” said Vice President Rob Durham. “People are interested because it is something that catches their eye because they are unsure of what’s happening.”

Whether onlookers want to give it a shot or not, group members always carry extra shields and weapons with them just in case.

“If someone finds themselves alone or looking for something more, it’s definitely something to try,” Durham said.

Joining the group has brought the different members out of their shells, given them a family that they love and has taught them so much more than just fighting.

“I found the booth while at the club fair, and I thought, ‘this is really cool, I’ll try it out,’ ” said William Frederick, senior computer science major. “I was one of those people who really stuck to the back of the room. I get a lot of confidence from here. It forces me to be a bit more up front with my actions.”

The members of the group encourage people to try it out if they need something to spend their time doing or if it just looks interesting and they want to learn more. Plenty of supplies are available for beginners, and the door to Belegarth is always open.