Call me a geek if you will (I'll certainly not deny it!) but whenever I roleplay I really get into character. And when I say really I mean writing pages upon pages of backstory, extensive lists of previous contacts (complete with the scenarios and parting demeanors of both parties).. just ask my husband, I drive him nuts with this stuff. I'm almost too thorough.

But what I'm most fond of doing is making character appropriate costumes. Despite only wearing them to sit around a table I really enjoy the process and thought I would share some of my accomplishments - as well as explain how I did them.

(For the forum mods - I was going to put this in Art, but didn't think it quite fit so forgive me and kindly move it should you feel it appropriate.)

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000114.jpg <A full version of the image

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000115.jpg < A close up view of the seal itself

1) This is probably my pride and joy of everything I've made. For those of you who can't place it - it's a purity seal. The paper is merely aged printer paper which I have soaked in tea, then proceeded to crumple, tear and otherwise mold how I wanted it. The poem admittedly isn't mine (and I honestly forget where I found it) but I found a nice gothic script to go with it which I downloaded. The seal itself took me a few weeks to figure out. I originally started tyring to use wax (I've made letter seals in the past with great success) but I couldn't quite get the feel for this. You can't really tell in the picture but that thing is the size of my palm and I had alot of trouble getting the wax to that size. The few times I did manage it the seals were very flimsy. I eventually gave up on the idea and made this one of white clay (Sculpy to be specific which you can bake in your home oven). It has 5 layers of acrylic paint on it ending with a wash of Red Ink from the Games-Workshop miniature paint line, which accounts for the shiny texture. The impression was done with a rather gaudy pin that I picked up for a buck at the local Good-Will store.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000127.jpg < Full sized image

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000129.jpg < From the side, to see the binding

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000128.jpg < A close up of the seal

2) This is my personal 'Book of the Dead', in which my character has written various holy incantations of banishment, damnation, etc. The book is a cheap hard-cover I again picked up at the Good-Will (ahh the things you can find in there). I painted the binding in gold acrylic to give it a more aged feel and then I cut up a pair of old leather pants to re-bind the whole thing. As you can see, the top stretched a bit so one of these days I'm planning on ripping that off and redoing it but for the moment it's as it is. I added the book-mark to make it look more like a holy writ as well which I think added a nice little touch of charm. The purity seal was made in the same manner as the first one; however I did write the poem this time, though I again cheated as every line is a quote from a various 40K source. Any American looking at this will also know what the clay was pressed with (A US quarter). I was trying to only get the eagle so I was mildly surprised when the impression came out with the wording too. I didn't think I was pressing that hard.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000116.jpg < Larger image

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000117.jpg < A close up of the seal (sorry it's blurry)

img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Sirannon/P1000118.jpg < How it is usually worn

3) This is another of my more simple (but very gratifying) creations. Some of you may recognize the wording of this Mandate - and that would be because it used to be a Rogue Trader Warrant. Now, because of that, and because I am by nature a fairly lazy creature, the writ doesn't read well in some places; but I really didn't make it to read, more to wave around at people. Aged paper, a downloaded gothic font and a few word changes got me a very cool piece of swag. The seal was made in the same manner as the previous ones (why mess with success after all) but was cast from fake pirate coin I had hanging in my car (it's from Pirates of the Caribbean actually), which I then cut carefully out with an exacto knife and painted. You can see in the third picture why both that and the string are there for.

I have plenty more which I have made over the years (including full IG inspired regalia and a pair of rosettes) - but sadly I don't have the time to post them. Rest assured once I get out of work, and if people are actually interested, I shall continue.

You and I seems to bee on the same level. This is how my door looked the few last months.

I'm not confortable with people wasting paper, gas and other natural resources on sending my advertisement that I don't want in the first place. And my door used to be kind of boring. And I didn't have anything to do a warhammernight at the gaming club.

So I did som polymerpclay skullstamps, made a list of thing I don't want in my mail.

The text on it translates:

No Advertising
No Free Newspapers
No Chaos-Cultists
No Heretics
No Mutants
No Heretechs
No Xenos
No Anthrax
No Mail Bombs
No Missionaries
No Counter Strike Player
No Kittens
None Carnivorous Bacteria
No Evil Spirits
No Yaoi Fangirl
No Fanboys
No Ben Wa Balls
No Munchkins
No Advertising
No Free magazines
Etc..

Beware. I cut my self chopping vegetables the day after i made it and couldn't resist adding some real blood.

BLOOD TO THE BLOOD GOD!

Oh. I loved the mandate. My player wont get one yet, but i would be cool to make one.

Couldn't you post or send me the wording you used so I could play copycat?

w176: That is awesome; the real blood was a nice touch! Though the real question is if the mailman actually complied and filtered your mail accordingly.

The text I used is as follows;

Inquisitorial Mandate

Resolved henceforth in the name of the Most Beneficent God-Emperor of Mankind, the High Lords of Terra grant this Inquisitorial Mandate to:

[Name Here]

And to all of her discretion, from now until the end of time.

The Bearer of this Mandate is granted the inalienable right to seek out those who would do harm of the blessed Imperium; to purge those impure of mind and body, and to make war upon the Mutant, the Xenos and the Heretic for the glory of the Emperor as she deems necessary. By the authority of the Senatorum Imperialis, this Mandate places the Bearer as a peer to the great powers of the Imperium, inter alia: Imperial Commanders, Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes, and the Noble Houses of the Segmentum Obscurus.

The authority this Mandate grants starts where the Imperium begins, and where it ends. The bearer of this Mandate speaks with the voice of the Emperor Himself. Her actions, are his actions. Her deeds, are his deeds.

It is the bearer's right and her responsibility to claim whatever worlds, resources, or privileges she may obtain in any manner she chooses for the greater-good of Mankind.

By writ of Seal of Holy Terra

[Character signature in different font]

Thanks thats great. And I havent gotten any mutant ot kitten trough the mail, but a few newspapers

Blessed are the Otaku, bearers of the Emperor's zeal!

No no, the Otaku are clearly a manifestation of the Machine Gods will on the earth, and the beig known as Bill Gates in fact an Arch-Heretek!