A Renaissance guild is a group or organization that participates in and contributes to Renaissance festivals. These guilds are typically made up of individuals who have a shared interest in historical reenactment, craftsmanship, performance arts, or other aspects of Renaissance culture. They often portray specific roles or characters from the Renaissance period, such as knights, artisans, musicians, or merchants. These guilds provide an opportunity for enthusiasts to come together, share their knowledge and passion, and educate the public about various aspects of Renaissance history and culture. They contribute to the overall atmosphere and entertainment value of Renaissance festivals, making them an integral part of the experience for attendees.

In order to join The Black Rose Society you just need to join the Facebook group. Once accepted, you will receive updates and invites to all Black Rose events.

We pride ourselves on offering a completely free membership option, once you join the Friends of The Black Rose Society-Renaissance Facebook page you are considered a member and will receive invites to all of our events. Members do have the option to purchase a Black Rose Sigil for their garb.

The Obsidian Ascension is a comprehensive leveling package offered exclusively to members of The Black Rose Society. Visit "The Obsidian Ascension page for more information.

While we launched in Ohio, we have many members in Kentucky, and Indiana as well. Living in Ohio is not a pre-requisite for joining the group and we welcome everyone!

We have a whole page dedicated to why you should join here!

We host and attend events year-round at The Black Rose Society, including The Ohio Renaissance Festival, The Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival, Southern Indiana Renaissance Festival, several Viking festivals, and our own events.

You will receive the following items: Official wax seal certificate of membership--this will include your official member number. Your first rank pin of Shadow Agent. Your Obsidian Codex (this is to track progress). Your official membership card. Obsidian Necklace (this is KEY for receiving credit for photos). Access to the private Facebook Page for updates and questions.

In order to advance to the next rank, you will need to complete all quests, scavenger hunts, and or achievements for that rank. A complete list of required tasks will be listed in your Obsidian Codex. You can visit the Quartermaster Compendium page to see a master list with a full description of what each task requires. Once you have received credit for all achievements, you will provide that to a Guild Master for proof of completion.

Once a task is completed, you may submit proof of completion on the electronic submission page or you will present proof to a Guild Master in order to have that task marked complete in your Obsidian Codex. You may do this after each task or once all tasks are completed for a rank. We will post information on meet up times and days to be at fair specifically for this on the private Facebook page.

Your Obsidian Codex is very important and serves as your "proof of progress." Once a task has been completed submit this proof on the electronic submission page or present proof to a Guild Master and they will mark it appropriately within the Obsidian Codex. If a task requires photo proof YOU MUST be wearing, or include in your photo (holding in your hand) your Obsidian Necklace. This necklace needs to be visible for proof of completion. This prevents anyone from using old photos as credit of any tasks and keeps every member honest.

Once you have achieved the next rank, a Guild Master will adjust your permissions on the website. You will be able to access the next Questmaster Compendium page. You will also be given the ability to purchase the new rank pin within the website.

Your Codex and Necklace are very important components of the leveling system. That being said we understand things happen, we do offer a replacement in the store to be shipped to your address. If you lose your Codex you will revert to the rank we currently have you at, and this may cause you to repeat a task if you do not still have proof of completion. Unfortunately, this is the only way we can continue to provide a fair game to all members.

Visibility to the Questmaster pages involves manual intervention on the back end of the website. Please make sure you are registered on the site and make a Guild Master aware in the private Facebook page or DM a Guild Master and we will correct the permissions issue at our earliest convenience.

Members do not need to purchase rank pins in order to progress to the next rank. For example, if you achieve the rank of Shadow Knight but want to wait until you receive the rank of Shadow Lieutenant before purchasing a rank pin that is acceptable.

As we work to build out this system across many Renaissance festivals, we highly recommend you should be able to attend The Ohio Renaissance Festival, or Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival in order to adequately progress and achieve the next rank. We will continue to build this out for Great Lakes Medieval Faire, Southern Indiana Renaissance Festival, and more as we progress. ​ That being said, anyone is able to purchase this package to receive their certificate, member ID, and other perks.

You may complete all quests, scavenger hunts, and achievements with minimal monetary requirements. The vast majority of tasks are free. Some tasks may require you to participate in games around the Renaissance festival with an expected value of approximately $5.00.

While we have written an intricate background for each rank and this system, members will NOT be expected to take on any additional responsibilities with advancing in rank. The purpose is for world-building and to provide another way to interact at Renaissance festivals and with other members.

The private Facebook page dedicated to this system will allow members to ask questions, as well receive updates, and information on quests, scavenger hunts, and achievements. ​ The Black Rose Society - Obsidian Ascension Group

There is a dedicated private Facebook page for this leveling package that members will have access to. Questions can be asked in this Facebook page.

This leveling package does not expire and you can complete any tasks at your own pace.

No. The Black Rose Society attends events year-round, including The Ohio Renaissance Festival, The Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival, The Southern Indiana Renaissance Festival and several Viking festivals as well. All of these venues, including our own events that we host, are acceptable venues to receive credit for quests, scavenger hunts, and achievements.