About Us
Lost & Found Studios, LLC is a St. Louis, Missouri-based immersive theatrical event company. Our goal is to write, organize, and host entertainment experiences such as Live Action Role Play (LARP) games, murder mystery dinners, and other theater and gaming events. Our current projects are Solarean Adventures, a local fantasy campaign LARP; The Dandelion Factory, an online free-form LARP; and Life on Regina, a one-shot free-from LARP based on the 2001 TV series, Firefly.
Who We Are
Sahil Vaid
(He/Him)
Lost & Found Co-Founder
Game Manager: Solarean Adventures, Life on Regina, A Long Expected Gathering
Sahil grew up on a healthy dose of video games, superheroes, and sports. He started getting more into role-playing games over the last several years. He loves running Lost and Found Studios, LLC with his longtime partner, Kaylah, who is the one who introduced him to table-top games and LARP. Among players, Sahil is known as the "HR Ghost," and he spends a lot of time on the logistics of planning and carrying out Lost & Found Studios' events. He also leads the debriefs at the end of every LARP event in order to ensure that players reflect on their experiences in a safe and healthy manner. One of his favorite parts of storytelling is helping players create their own narrative within the game world.
When Sahil isn't coordinating Lost & Found events, he enjoys spending time with Kaylah, plays videogames, and does consulting work for LARPing In Color. He earned his Bachelor's in Sociology in 2016 with a focus in healthcare. He uses the knowledge gained from his schooling and experience in the medical and social science fields to help create a healthy environment for gameplay. He wants to make sure that players of all experience levels and backgrounds feel welcome and involved at each and every event.
Kaylah Crepps, MPH
(They/She)
Lost & Found Co-Founder
Game Manager: Solarean Adventures, Life on Regina, A Long Expected Gathering
Kaylah is a self-described "giant geek" and "social justice bard" who fell in love with tabletop role-playing games and Live Action Role Play during their time in college. They have always had a passion for storytelling and theatrics, and loves running Lost & Found Studios, LLC with her partner, Sahil. Creating fun, safe, and interesting games with diverse characters and plotlines is Kaylah's favorite part of organizing LARP events. She hopes to write storylines that challenge common tropes and encourage players to see their world differently.
When Kaylah isn't working on Lost & Found Studios events, they work as a community health educator. She earned her Master's degree in Behavioral Science and Epidemiology in 2019. She uses the knowledge she's gained in this field to make sure that all Lost & Found Studios events maintain a safe environment for personal exploration and growth, are properly evaluated, and follow public health guidelines in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. They are fascinated by the research that shows role-play can have a variety of positive effects for those with certain mental health conditions, and credits LARP with improving their own mental wellbeing.
Kate Farley
(She/Her)
Game Manager: A Long Expected Gathering
Kate is a transplant to the Midwest from the East Coast and is delighted to be a part of the local LARP community. Her interest in LARP originally came from two places: a lifetime of voraciously reading fantasy novels, and an interest in sewing historical and fantastical costumes. Kate first began LARPing with a group in Connecticut nearly 10 years ago. After a hiatus for grad school she re-entered the LARP world by becoming a regular Solarean Adventures player here in the St. Louis region.
Kate is deeply interested in learning about different cultures, both real and fictional. She loves worldbuilding and lore and particularly enjoys imagining worlds that work as launchpads for others’ imaginations. Kate has a PhD in cultural anthropology, which informs her perspective on how societies—even fantastical ones—might function.
Outside of LARP, Kate is an avid gardener and kitchen experimenter. She also enjoys hiking and spending time in nature, especially when there are wild foods to forage. When it’s too cold to be outside, Kate is usually in her craft lair wielding scissors and a sewing machine.
Alex (Shep) Shepard
(He/Him)
Game Manager: Solarean Adventures
Alex is the predictable outcome of what happens when two engineers get married and raise a kid: Yet Another Geeky Engineer™. He fell into game design and tabletop role playing early on in life when he skipped right past the D&D Players Handbook and went straight to the Dungeon Master’s Guide. It has been a downward spiral as a Forever Game Master ever since and he has loved every bit of it.
In the past, Alex has been the Lead Instructor at a summer camp focused on teaching Game Design and technology skills, has released a few small indie games, been a part of community theater, run booths at the Renaissance Faire, and was a part of a competitive dance group. Today, though, he spends his time as a father of twins, helping with Lost & Found Studios events, running his tabletop game, or working on one of the many side hobbies he has acquired over the years.
Alex loves to help facilitate collaborative stories and the joy they allow people to express. He wants to bring his love of theater, dance, music, and crafting together with his technical knowhow and utter lack of geeky shame to help others tell their own stories of heroism and daring.
Hannah Davis-Westerman
(She/Her)
Game Manager: Solarean Adventures
Growing up, Hannah loved playing pretend, writing stories, and creating elaborate Halloween costumes. After graduating in 2016 with a degree in creative writing, she attended her first LARP event with Kaylah and Sahil. Hannah quickly developed a passion for larping because it combined her dual loves of storytelling and costumes.
Hannah has been a member of Solarean Adventures since its formation. She can often be found as her veteran character Tela, a friendly dryad and retired town council member with a squirrel companion named Squeezel. As a GM, Hannah wants to help keep Solarean Adventures a welcoming environment, particularly for those who are brand new to larping (as she once was). She's excited to use her love of props and stash of costuming supplies to aid immersion and provide memorable NPC experiences for the players. Hannah also acts as a member of the “non-larp hangouts” committee which organizes opportunities for our players to socialize out of game. When not larping, Hannah loves cooking and hosting dinner parties, tabletop gaming, and talking about larping.
Tom Davis-Westerman
(He/Him)
Game Manager: Solarean Adventures
Tom grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons and fencing competitively, so it wasn't hard to convince him that LARP was something worth trying. He quickly discovered that not only was it worth trying, it was worth continuing, and has been attending events regularly since 2017.
Besides playing his regular characters Vihar and Mazi, Tom especially enjoys taking on NPC roles and anything to do with weapons and armor. He has over two decades of fencing experience as an individual fencer, college team captain, and occasional coach, and is happy to fight anyone at any time for any reason. He is interested in making sure that Solarean Adventures combat is both safe and fun for everyone. Tom is a returning former GM, having previously served during the 2020-2021 seasons.
Our Values
Lost & Found Studios’ games focus on core values of safety, inclusivity, and accessibility. Our spaces strive to maintain a culture that is accepting of all people, including those of all sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, religions, races/ethnicities, neurotype, and any other characteristic. We believe in spaces that are inviting, engaging, and supportive, in which all people feel comfortable behaving genuinely and participating in gameplay. It is important that all Lost & Found Studios organizers, volunteers, and participants work together to uphold these values. We acknowledge that participants often have different communication styles, personalities, and opinions, and come from diverse backgrounds. In order to foster the kind of community we strive for, our players must respect others and actively support the well-being of everyone involved. Our Community Guidelines are designed to guide our community members in creating spaces free of bigotry and abuse, and that encourage community-building, self-expression, introspection, and self-exploration.
To read our community guidelines and learn more about our values as an organization, click here.
Services
General Services
Lost & Found Studios, LLC hosts monthly high fantasy LARP events known as the Solarean Adventures. You can find out more about the campaign, game rules, and lore here. We also periodically host a virtual LARP, called The Dandelion Factory, and an annual one-shot called Life on Regina, which is a futuristic space-western. You can learn more about the basics of LARP here.
We also offer consulting services for groups hoping to host their own immersive events. We have helped others plan and host gaming events, summer reading programs, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and summer camp activities in addition to LARPs. If you are interested in having Lost & Found Studios help you plan and/or host an event, please contact us here.
Play It Forward
LARP accessibility is very important to us. If a player needs financial assistance to cover their event or camping fee, all they need to do is let a GM for that event know. Players have volunteered as Play It Forward donors to cover the game fees of others whenever needed. Neither side will know who paid for them/who they are paying for, and GMs will never ask why financial assistance was requested. This program allows us keep our games financially accessible and allows our players to help out other hobbyists when they need it. If you would like to sign up as a donor, please contact a GM and we will add you to our list of donors to contact whenever someone needs a little assistance.
Testimonials and Reviews
"I played one of Lost and Founds digital RP games and was super happy and impressed. Besides being entertaining and engaging storytellers, the L&F team is also highly organized and dedicated to social justice. They are constantly updating their policies to keep their community healthy and thriving and I feel confident anything run or endorsed by this company will be fun, creative and safe. I’m looking forward to attending more of their events in the future!"
- Westbrook, Dandelion Factory Player
"I've only been to about 5 or so LARP events run by this group and I'm already hooked. The events themselves are engaging and fun and the community is beyond accepting and welcoming. I highly recommend anyone looking for a LARP group to give Lost & Found a try. There's bound to be something for everyone to enjoy."
- Sara D., Player
"The effort put forth by the game makers that run this group is phenomenal. They work as a team and create an open forum for members of the group to provide input on improvements and cultivate lore. It is very cooperative. This group is just in its beginning stages of growth and I am excited to be a member of this group and be a part of watching the magic happen."
- Ashley, Solarean Adventures Player
“Best high fantasy LARP in the Missouri Region."
- Hannah, Solarean Adventures Player
"The stories are wonderful and the people are even better. I look forward to their events and highly recommend if you're wanting a great time!"
- Stephanie, Solarean Adventures Player
"I've been playing in their Solarean Adventures larp for quite a while now and it's been a great experience with wonderful people. I recently attended an online freeform larp called the Dandelion Factory they hosted that was also a total blast! Can't recommend their events highly enough!"
- Jennifer, Player
"I used to LARP a long time ago but the group I was in fell apart. I didn’t get back into it until I found this. The games are always a blast and have something for everyone. Combat, diplomacy, intrigue... it’s all covered. As a bonus, the group is friendly, welcoming, and inclusive. I am so happy to have joined and can’t wait for the next events."
- Christina, Player
"Good group of LARPers! Definitely would play with again."
- ShivLARPs