I start with a costume/accessories. Totally something about designing/making the character would own that helps me get into their head.
Adalie, my first LARP character started, with a little doll. Jeff actually wrote her history and my grandmother made her dresses. So the doll helped to flesh her out in my mind. Who gave it to her. How does she carry it around, ect.
Maille, the fantasy character that replaced Adalie, started with a plaid hat and chemise. I really wanted to play a weaver, because by this point I was obsessed with crochet and just starting to lean to sew. Her main dress was bought (gasp!), but I had a friend help teach me to sew and make chemises. Totally set the stage for her being a student of a weaver.
For FI, I started with Sophia and wanted to play a mathematician, but not a nerd. The idea was to be subtle, so I started with a water bottle cover that represented the density of Germain primes. To the average person, it was a striped coozy, but it demonstrated a mathematical idea. I also made her a kerchief with the same pattern. That kerchief, and her random braids, really defined Sophia for me.
Jane started with her cyber lox and vest. I actually struggled with every costume piece I made. I made her hooded vest too big, then took it in too much so I couldn't use the buttons I ordered. Her wool pants I sized just right, but ripped the butt seam falling during a tampered attack. Seriously, she fell apart every game. That should have clued me in
Hannah...she actually exploded. It started with a bunny hat to hold bullets and then continued on with a matching coat, fingerless gloves, boot toppers, a kerchief and a backpack. And then a crocheted purse. And a sewing kit...yeah she demanded to be a diva. I found her black jumper on deep clearance at Athleta and decided I needed a red shirt to stick with the theme. I wanted a sporty hooded red shirt with interesting details....and after ten stores and a ton of shirts, I realized Id have to settle for pink. Every time I went out to buy red, the perfect pink thing would pop up and scream "Hannah!". I totally didn't create her. I had ideas and she evolved from them on her own.
Rymaus Liena “Ellie” Dax