Need help with a persona...

[CallMeKada]

...so I thought the lovely CSD folks would be just the ones to ask.

Let me explain.

I live in Texas (yikes, hope no one tries stalking me, just made it easier), home to the biggest Renaissance Festival around. I'm an avid Rennie; I haven't missed a year since my sibs took me for the first time about seven years ago. All these years, though, my costume has changed frequently, and so I've never had a chance to formulate a good persona, a character, if you will, to accompany the costume. Now, though, things are changing. I'm making my own costume, although I doubt it'll be done in time for this year's Festival, and I can already tell that this is the one. The persona that wears this costume is going to be the one I'm sticking with for a long time. My problem is, while I've got a few ideas bouncing around, I know next to nothing about this persona. It might seem odd, but I want this to be right, and so far, I can't seem to work out anything except her name.

I figure, since she's basically a character, although not one that'll be written into a story, it wouldn't be against the rules to ask for the guild's help? I'm erring on the side of caution here and posting this in General Discussion instead of the Character subforum.

So, further details about her.

Name: If I go more human, more Renaissance-y, it'll be Sara(h) Hawthorne. If I go less human, which is my inclination (Tex Ren Fest is very open to fantasy; the Grande Marche Parade had faeries and a walking tree last year biggrin ) it'll be Seran Hawthorne, which is my standard alias anyways. My other option is to drop Hawthorne and put 'of Galloway' in its place. Unless Seran Hawthorne of Galloway is alright? I really don't know, which is why I'm asking for help!

Human or half fae? Good question. I'm researching Irish folklore now for possible "fathers." My sister and I came up with some dialogue: "My Da? Well, a long time ago, there was this (elf/faery/sidhe/I don't even know) who met a pretty lass the night of the autumn equinox...Ma never saw him again." Or some variation thereof, of course.

Costume: Purple tunic, with black butterfly on chest. Black wrap pants with purple trim. Leather dance shoes that look remarkably like Renaissance shoes until I can afford a pair of custom fit boots. A black leather belt pouch (not with a butterfly on it, sadly, although the Celtic knotwork is almost as good.) Purple and black leather bracers.

Weaponry: Haven't decided. See, this is part of my persona problem. If she's a scout/ranger/wanderer type of person, I can get away with having a nice recurve or long bow as well as a sword and maybe a dagger, or any combination thereof. If I'm more fae, I can be outlandish, or alternately, weapon-less. There are tons of possibilities, I just can't think of them all, and that's where you guys come in. smile

Can you help? Or am I horribly out of line with this?

Also, I feel like I wasn't very clear explaining things; the clock just turned midnight here, and I'm not at my sharpest. Please, ask questions! Make some up if you don't have any. Just help me get this persona down so I can get comfortable in her skin. My goal is to get a job at Tex Ren Fest in a few years, so I need to get this persona settled and start talking to people at the Festival as her soon.  

[FoxyNightPrincess]

well i like the name Seran. i think it should be just Seran of Galloway. and drop the Hawthorne unless someone asks for your last name. i think it would be better to be half fey. i'm not too keen on fully human things anyway i always like a part of something else in them.
the costume seems cool. i would so like to see some pictures of just the costume when you're finished lol. and i always thought of fey creatures as having a dagger and a bow or just a dagger. of course nothing made of iron.  

[CallMeKada]

foxy_chick99_123

well i like the name Seran. i think it should be just Seran of Galloway. and drop the Hawthorne unless someone asks for your last name. i think it would be better to be half fey. i'm not too keen on fully human things anyway i always like a part of something else in them.
the costume seems cool. i would so like to see some pictures of just the costume when you're finished lol. and i always thought of fey creatures as having a dagger and a bow or just a dagger. of course nothing made of iron.

That sounds like a good idea. (: Yeah, I was leaning towards half fae myself; so much more fun!

Ohhh man, my costume. xD It's not even near done. I'd somewhat burned myself out, and now that I'm home, I don't want to sew because my mom's sewing machine is ancient. And it doesn't like me very much. :'P But I'll for sure get pictures of the process and the finished product. And of course! I was thinking, for the sake of my wallet, steel.  

[SaraDiva728]

Okay, it's 2:50 a.m. here, so I can't be held responsible for crazy ideas since I've been up all night. That warning aside, if I were to write a story about Sarah Hawthorne, she'd be schizophrenic or from an abusive situation and only believes that she is a fairy. Then I'd write out her tragedy in the true 'ain't that the pits' fashion of Dennis Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER, or that other story A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (I don't know the author to that one), or some sick twist like in Dennis Lehane's SHUTTER ISLAND. Anyway, something sad with a mixed ending. My favorite kind! Or maybe I'll give her some sort of Prince Charming, it would depend on how I feel about her as the story progresses.

I seriously doubt that that helps with your festival, but you've probably already made up your mind about that by now. So hey.