Tempus Peregrinator's Little Heraldry Book: The "Persona Development Sheet"

So you want to have a Persona?

So you want to have a Persona well this "Persona Development Sheet" will give you several things to think about. Remember, however, you are not expected to know all of these things about your persona, but they may help you.

What is your name? How did you get your name? Is there an English translation or equivalent?

What period are you from? When were you born? What calendar do you use? How do you tell time? What year is it?

Where are you from? What part of the country do you live in? Are you from a city, a village, a manor, a farm? What kind of building do you live in? What is the climate like? What is the terrain like? Can you describe life in general in this place? What is your capital? How far is it to the capital city? (in units of measure your persona would have used?) Have you ever been there? What is the most distant land you know of? Have you travelled? Where? What were the circumstances?

With whom do you live? Are your parents alive? What are/were your parents names? Do you have brothers and sisters (living or not)? Are you married? What are the marriage customs of your people? At what age do people get married? Are there people in your household not related to you? (guests, retainers, servants, fosterlings) What is the structure of the family/clan/tribe? Are children raised at home or fostered elsewhere? How many generations of your family would your persona really have been aware of?

What is the status of women among your people? Can they own land or property? What trades can they enter?

What is your station in life? Are you a noble, peasant, or other? Are you wealthy or poor? Is this likely to change? What is the basic unit of money?

What do you do? Do you work at a trade? What are your daily responsibilities? How do you get paid?

What do you wear? Are there laws restricting what you wear? (sumptuary laws?) Were they commonly followed? Would you have been able to bribe your way around those laws? How do you obtain or make your clothing? How does your everyday garb differ from your court garb? Do you wear underwear? What kind? How do you care for your clothes? Do you have many clothes?

What do you eat? What do you drink? What is your typical daily menu? Does your menu change during the year? How and where do you get what you eat? How is your food cooked and preserved? How is it served? (table manners and dining customs) What spices do you use? Are they imported? Are they expensive?

What do you do for fun? What entertainment is available to you? Do you provide entertainment for others? How?

Who are the heroes (contemporary, historical, or legendary) of your people? What stories do your people tell?

How were you educated? What language(s) can you speak? Can you read or write? Did you go to school? What did you study? How did you learn to do your work? Who taught you?

How do you keep clean? How often do you bathe? What preparations must be made for your bath?

How were you involved or affected by warfare? Do you, personally, fight? Under what circumstances? What armour is worn, what weapons are used in your time and place? (answer this one even if you do not fight) How do people of your time and place get weapons and armour?

What kind of medical care was available to you? Who provides your medical care? Do you supply medical care for others?

Who is your ruler? Who rules the neighboring peoples? Who are the enemies/rivals of your people?

What kind of legal system do you live in? Who makes the laws? What happens to those who break them?
How does this affect you? Have any events had a profound effect on your life?