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This is the Guide to being Fae, And It is out of Date. I will spend time updating it further to fit this year, and our cast, but right now, I'm just trying to get the whole site ready!

Remember, there is no Titania or Oberon, Or Mother Nature this year!!!

Glitter,The guide to being Fae..

Why Faeries Have Faerie Dust A long time ago, before time was time, the Goddess Nature, our Mother, created two races. One, she called the faeries, for they were as eternal as she, beautiful and gifted with the ability to fly, and the power to commune with the earth. The others, she called the mortals, for their lives were finite, and they were a fledgling race. For centuries, the faeries and the mortals lived together peacefully, learning and sharing with one another. Then the day came when the mortals grew restless. Why should the faeries be more beautiful than they, and have more power, and the ability to fly? The mortals decided they would war with the fae folk, and steal their favored place. So war began, and it was a bitter and brutal war, with great casualties on both sides (for though the fae were immortal, they were by no means invincible.) And Mother Nature saw this, and was distressed, for both the faeries and the mortals were her children. So Nature called her faeries to her, and covered them with stardust, so that they might distinguish themselves from the mortals. And she bid them to end this horrible war, and to find sanctuary in the forests, rivers, oceans and mountains. So the fair folk hid themselves away. But neither the mortals nor the fae forgot that bitter war, and so they live now in an uneasy truce, waiting for the day when strife might come again.

Glitter-- The Acquisition Of One of the main things that separate the mortal characters at Faire and the Faeries of the Enchanted Forest is faerie dust. However, unless you have a pet faerie that you can coerce out of her dust, we will have to use a substitute--glitter. So, where to find it? It's really not as hard as you may think. Pretty much every major city in the metro area has at least one Hobby Lobby. This will now become your new favorite store. Glitter is found in the back section for the arts and crafts. But be warned! There are many types of glitter available, so be careful what you buy! For instance, there is glitter glue that comes in nice little squeezable bottles and will stay forever. DO NOT BUY THIS!! It will stick to your skin and be very uncomfortable, and will probably cause a rash. There is also wha t we have, in the past, termed "kindergarten glitter". This is the big chunky glitter you used to use for art projects in grade school. DO NOT BUY THIS EITHER!!

The best kind of glitter to buy is called Poly-Flake. It comes in little cylindrical bottles with shaker tops, for about $3.99 a bottle. There are a variety of colors, from solids like blue and green, to the shimmery kind that changes colors in the light. This is the kind you want. There are also little empty bottles at Hobby Lobby that you can use to mix your glitter and to help apply it.

Each faerie will be responsible for his/her own glitter. All faeries are expected to cover all exposed areas of skin with a coating of glitter. (The nice thing about the Poly-Flake glitter is that it spreads the best so you have to buy less.) Designs are acceptable, if appropriate. Glitter may also be added to your hair (although if you choose this option, it is a wise idea to go home immediately after and wash it out), and will probably cover your costume whether you want it to or not. The best way to apply glitter is to use a lotion. The lotion acts as an adhesive to stick the glitter to your skin. How exactly you apply it depends on you; use whichever way works best.

Glitter-- The Dangers Of Well, we all know how pretty glitter looks. It?s used to sparkle up everything from art projects to shirts and pants. However, glitter can also be very dangerous. Keep in mind that glitter is made up of little shards of metal. They aren't very big, but if you get them in the wrong place, they can be very painful. One of the most serious hazards of glitter is getting it into your eyes. Be assured, no matter what you do, it will get in your eyes. Contact wearers be especially cautious-- it's a very good idea to bring an extra bottle of saline solution with you to Faire, just in case you need it. One of the reasons Poly-Flake works best is because it's very fine glitter, so it's less likely to irritate your eyes.

Another hazard of glitter use is inhaling it. Don't worry, that's going to happen too. With everyone glittering up in the Fairea (that will be mentioned later) there is bound to be floating clouds of glitter you'll probably walk into. In by chance you do happen to inhale an inordinate amount of glitter, give yourself a good hard cough and drink something immediately. If you should start feeling unwell later on in the day, let the Area Manager know. If the feeling persists into the week, you should see a doctor.

Faire Hierarchy During the Renaissance, as you probably already know, there were very obvious social classes: royalty, nobility, merchants, upper class, peasantry, and scum. However, the Renaissance Festival has its own particular set of caste laws that you might not know about. Just to clarify it for you, here?s the rundown, from the top to the bottom:

God/Mother Nature

Angels/Faeries

Mortal Royalty

Nobility

Merchants

Upper Class

Peasantry

Scum

Notice where you yourself, as a faerie, are listed. This means that other than God, (who is as yet unrepresented at Faire), and Mother Nature (who we already know about), you are the highest beings at Faire. This information should affect your portrayal of your character. Think of yourself as being a sort of ultimate royalty even the mortal King and Queen are technically beneath you (although you should still be respectful of them notwithstanding). Your character should project this knowledge in his/her posture, walk, speech, and mentality. Though this is not necessarily the entire basis for the depiction of your character, it should be taken into serious consideration.

Faerie Courts The faerie courts are really very easy to recognize. In short, all the female faeries belong to Titania's court, and all the male faeries belong to Oberon's court. However, though these primary allegiances are fairly cut and dried, all the members of each court are to obey the monarch of the other. And even above this mandate, Mother Nature's will is supreme, for even the King and Queen of the Fae bow to a Goddess.

Faerie Families Faeries are all going to be related somehow, through one way or another. After all, Mother Nature made Titania, and the faeries that Mother Nature didn't personally make, well, Titania and her husband of the time?did. Officially, here is the beginning of the family tree. As we've established, from Mother Nature, all things come. Titania and Oberon are married, and Cobweb is Titania's daughter. (We aren?t sure if Oberon is Cobweb's father however; he may be a former husband.) Zinnia is also Titania's daughter (and she is Oberon's), making her and Cobweb half-sisters. (This is a recent addition, and is subject to change.) All other faerie affiliations and relationships are pretty much up to the members of the forest. However, if you decide that you are the brother/sister/husband/wife etc. of another faerie, make sure that you inform him/her. Mortals get very confused when one faerie tells them about his/her personal life and the other faerie mentioned has no idea what you?re talking about. Faerie Powers Every faerie has special powers that set us apart from the mortals. For instance, all faeries have the ability to fly. (The problem that this poses will be discussed later.) In addition to this common talent, each faerie has his/her own special gift that is indicated by his/her name. For example, Cobweb controls the spiders. She is their protectress and guide, and she also cares for some of the insects. Acorn is in charge of the oak trees, watching over their growth, and the animals that make their homes among the branches. For your particular character, you may expand or embellish your specific talent in accordance with your name. However, there are restrictions. No faerie may give faerie blessings other than Mother Nature, Titania, or Oberon, unless specifically given permission by one of these characters. No faerie can shape shift except Puck and Oberon. No faerie can control the weather except Mother Nature, Titania, and Dew Drop to a smaller extent. If you have questions about whether or not a power is acceptable, ask Mother Nature, Titania, Oberon, or Jim Stamberger. Other than that, let your imagination run wild!

Age Faeries are the closest beings to what we would call eternal. They are immortal, but this doesn't mean they can't die. (This isn't Highlander, folks.) But, just because faeries can live-forever doesn't mean that they all came into being at the same time either. Just like mortals, faeries can range in relative ages from a few centuries to hundreds of millennia. How old you choose to be is up to you. Obviously, Mother Nature is the oldest, and Titania right after that, but those are numbers so large as to be almost obsolete. Your age may or may not have a significant effect on your character portrayal; this is entirely your choice. It is, however, something you should decide on early in your character building. There will be numerous children who come to the Festival whose favorite question is "How old are you?" There will also be children who will then say immediately following the previous question, "How old are you really?" This is a good time to point out that faeries can?t count. At least, faeries can?t count the way mortals count. A typical example is a faerie counting to ten?it may not go in the order you think, but somehow we always end up right where we?re supposed to be. Example: 1, 2, 7, 45, 98 and a half, 3, 21, 74, 148, 10!! So, keep in mind that faerie years may not be the same as mortal years; they may be longer or shorter, depending on you. After all, you?re the only one who?s counting.

Religion Unlike the rest of the characters out at Faire, the Enchanted Forest characters are not Catholic. Our religion is loosely defined as "Nature". After all, we live with the Goddess herself, don't we? Our religion as faeries is closer to the Wiccan and Pagan religions than to Christianity. Now, this has no implication on your personal faith?this is what your character believes, not necessarily what you believe. The Earth Herself created your character from the earth?a mortal man has no bearing on your God/Goddess. After all, she lives with us, so how could we not believe?

There will, however, be those few patrons who seem to have a fundamental disagreement with the whole idea of magical creatures. These patrons will object no matter how much you try to appease them. There was actually an exorcism performed in the forest one year. If you happen to encounter one of these people, be as nice and polite to them as possible. Try to refrain from getting angry. If he/she continues to harass you, point him/her to Mother Nature, Titania, or the Area Manager. These are the people who are best equipped to handle this situation; it is part of their job to protect you. If you are upset by the situation, take a break, or pull someone to break with you if you need to talk. The goal of the forest is to entertain and to be entertained. You can only do that if you are thinking clearly, and we all want each other to be happy.

Faerie Games and Hiding Remember when you were little, and games like tag and hide-and-seek were so much fun? Well, now they are again! Faeries love to play games, and usually the simpler, the better. Games like faerie ring (like ring around the roses), faerie ball, tag, hide-and-seek, and spinning take on new dimensions. Most faerie games are simple enough that a 3-year-old mortal could understand them. For example, faerie ball is nothing more than standing in a circle tossing a ball back and forth?like hot potato, only without the "hot" part. Tag and spinning are fairly self-explanatory. Then there is hide-and-seek. This may sound exactly like the game you know, except for one minor change?"hiding" is now "hiding-like-you?re-3-inches-tall". Faeries are notorious for being terrible hiders. Why? Because we spend most of our time as less than a half a foot tall, and when we change (yes, that sort of shape shifting is acceptable for all faeries), we seem to forget our increased proportions. Therefore, twigs, leaves, rocks, and even pieces of straw become ideal hiding places. And you don't have to stay stationary either?walking leaves and twigs are a fairly common sight in faerie hide-and-seek. Really, any childhood game you would like to play, or even one that you?ve just made up, is, well, fair game. (Pun intended.)

Time and Money In case you hadn?t noticed, faeries rarely ever do things the way mortals do. Well, time is no exception. Increments like minutes, hours, days, months, and years came into existence fairly recently, and faeries were keeping track of time long before mortals. So, instead of using the mortal terms to explain away the passing of time, we use measurements with a more "natural" connotation. To help you out, here?s a little conversion chart:

Minutes=Stars

Hours=Suns

Days=Days

Months=Moons

Years=Years

Some of the measurements stay the same, for two reasons. One, because the terms "days" and "years" are two measurements that will occur in your speech numerous times throughout the day, and it is too hard to remember to change them every time you speak. Second, because there really is no other set terminology for those particular increments. If, however, someone should think of one, suggest it, and the forest can decide on its usage. Also, seconds are not generally converted, because they are not used regularly in faerie speech, and because there is no other real terminology.

Money is another of those things that faeries do differently than mortals. To us, money is a foreign concept. Faeries never buy the things they want. They may barter, or trade for them, or most oftentimes, "borrow" permanently. Of course, you cannot be expected to completely abandon all the uses and purposes for money at Faire. After all, you have to eat, don't you? So, money, also, has a more "natural" connotation. Dollar bills become "leaves" (obvious, isn't it?) and coins are referred to collectively as "shinies". It is understandable that in purchasing food or other objects at Faire it is necessary to temporarily bend your character to more modern times. This is acceptable, but please try to make it as discreet as possible in order to maintain the illusion everyone has worked to hard to create.

Food and Eating Faeries are a lot like little kids. They like to play games and run around and have lots of fun. And they even eat like little kids. Faeries have favorite foods just like you and me. Favorite foods are including, but not limited to: cheese, cookies, fruit, candy, bread, pickles, etc . You can pick your own particular favorite food for your character; there are no guidelines for this. As you can tell, most of these foods are the same kinds that little kids like to eat. Of course, if you give a faerie something, if it's not obviously a shiny (this wil be mentioned in the next section) then more likely than not he/she will try to put it in his/her mouth. This includes everything, from leaves and flower petals, to rocks and foreign objects. You don?t actually have to eat any of these items that aren?t food, just play at gnawing on them for a minute, then look confused and put it away (of course you can always eat the leaves and petals if you are sure they aren?t harmful.)

Faeries also have a particular way of eating. Have you ever watched a squirrel eat a slice of cheese? He will eat around and around the edges, preserving its shape until it is gone. This is an example of the way faeries eat? they nibble on everything. The key to making this as adorable and amusing as possible is to exaggerate everything. Look wide-eyed and innocent as you chew on a spoon. Find funny ways to drag it out as long as possible. Take your time. To faeries, eating is as much a game as anything else.

Shiny Things Like any small child, faeries are fascinated by most anything that glows, glitters, sparkles, or shimmers. "Shinys", as these objects are collectively termed, are considered great treasures by the fair folk, and are guarded jealously. A faerie's attention span is notoriously short, and a prime distraction in generally the discovery of some new bauble. Shinys are also key bartering objects. They are also used as bribes. If faeries could be considered to have the equivalent of the mortals money, it would be shinys. A comparison that might help you put your shiny acquisition in perspective? imagine that every time you find a shiny, it's like finding a $100 bill. You want that shiny! GIMME!!

Accents Every character out at the Renaissance Festival, with the exception of characters "visiting from out-of-country", has an English accent. But, as a faerie, you don't have to. Since faeries live anywhere and everywhere, your character can be any nationality you desire, be it Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, or anything else. And, of course, English. The only stipulation for your character's ethnic background is that you must be able to imitate the accent, and be able to do so for the entire day. If you can manage to maintain a non-British accent for the entire day, then you may use it, so long as you have a coinciding background and a reason for being in England (visiting your cousin, for example). However, American accents are not allowed. Remember, North America was discovered less than a century ago, and the only people that live there right now are the former British and the Native Americans.

Moving Faeries are as much a part of the earth as the forest they live in. since your character is so attuned with nature, this should be apparent in the way you move. Motion is no longer simply a means to travel from one place to another; it is an expression of wonderment at the fact that you are moving. Walking is not one foot in front of the other it is more of a glide, like wading through wait-high water with your palms brushing the surface. Running is the same way, only faster. Faeries always walk toe-heel, instead of heel-toe like the mortals. This gives your character a more ethereal look. Running is done on your toes. For other kinds of motion, like hopping, skipping, and jumping, imagine that you are a 5-year-old child at recess playing with your friends. It also helps to remember that faeries are never ever self-conscious about the way they look. This should show itself during your faerie games and your dancing. Remember the old stage-show mantra: If you feel stupid, you?re probably doing it right.

Dancing The faeries style of dancing is probably the most obvious trait that sets us apar from the mortals (other than the glitter and the wings, of course). During the Renaissance, both the nobility and the peasantry had very strict choreographed dances that followed specific tunes and rhythms. This is not so for the faeries. While we do have our own rhythms (provided by the gypsies and their drummers,) there is no set way that faeries dance, with only a few guidelines to follow. First of all, faeries are inhumanly flexible. There are no hard lines or angles to their dances, rather their bodies curve and flow. Secondly, levels are important. It shows that we are connected to the earth as well as the sky, and it also serves to break up the line when we dance. Thirdly, leaps and jumps are great, if you can make it look smooth and not hurt yourself trying it. It makes is seem as if you simply can?t contain yourself any longer and just have to jump for joy! If you?re having trouble getting your body to move the way you want, or you just plain don?t understand the description, a good way to get an idea is to watch the opening scene of the movie "Xanadu", or to see a modern dance recital. These forms will help you get an idea of how you want to dance. Remember, each character is unique?just because one person dances a certain way doesn?t mean you have to dance the same way. Also, change around your movements. You can use a certain motion with your arms, and then turn around backwards and do it again; the different angle completely changes the presentation. The key element is not to think about dancing, but just to do it. Let your body move with the rhythm, and just go wild!

Anachronistic Sayings Well, in case you hadn?t already noticed, we are characters in the Renaissance Festival. Therefore, we are living in the Renaissance. That means that anything more sophisticated than a shovel doesn't exist. Meaning, no more email, no more cell phones, no computers, no cars, no planes, no TV, no movies, nothing involving modern technology exists. The most complicated devices were the torch and the written word. If a patron asks you about something pertaining to the modern world (and they will), play dumb. Your character doesn?t have any idea what they?re talking about, so you should act like it. Also, there are certain phrases that sound modern, words like "Okay," "Dude", "Awesome", etc. DO NOT USE THESE WORDS!! The whole idea is for you to act and sound as authentic as possible, and using such clearly current words causes what is termed the bungee-cord effect it snaps them back to reality. (Using "okay" is acceptable, but not preferred.) Thing to say and not to say will be covered in greater depth in your Apprentice and Academy classes.

Reacting to Mortal Royalty For the Renaissance Festival?s 2002 season, the reigning royalty is King Henry VIII and his Queen, Elizabeth. While the individual characters are subject to change, it is assured that there will be some form of mortal royalty. Now while the characters may not be able to see you (this will be discussed later), the actors can. It is important to remember that it is a very good idea to try and stay on everyone's good side. This means not antagonizing characters just because you can. The King and his people cannot see you. Queen Elizabeth, however, is part gypsy, and can see you quite well. Though the mortal King and Queen are technically beneath you (see Faire Hierarchy), you must still respect them. You do not have to reverance the King or any of the nobility. The Queen, you may or may not choose to reverance her, but you must still respect and acknowledge her. Typically, a small reverance is appropriate. Above all, please remember that these are not just characters, but fellow actors. It is important that you treat them with the same professional respect and courtesy as you would like to be treated.

"The Bubble" The Bubble is the faeries own personal area. It consists of the entirety of the Enchanted Forest, and a small area immediately outside of the forest. We do not rotate out of this area like the rest of the characters. This is why it is called the Bubble; think of it like a section of the Faire separate from everything else. Faeries are not allowed to leave the forest, except for parade, food, and "breaking the bubble", which is when we are free to go up to Front Gate. The Bubble is also our safety net. Inside the Bubble, ordinary rules do not apply; the faeries are under the direct protection of Mother Nature. There will be difficult children (and some difficult adults as well) who have a tendency to say, "I don?t believe in faeries!" Well, sorry to disappoint the unbelievers, but that won't work. We will not fall down dead or frantically clap our hands (although you can if you really want to). Mother Natures protection voids all comments as such endangering our well-being. We cannot be hurt inside the Bubble, or caught (which was always a problem in the past, those pesky mortals!) However, injuries sustained from normal play and roughhousing do not apply!

Flying?Or Lack Thereof As has already been mentioned before, faeries can indeed fly. Faerie females have wings, but faerie males do not. Ask Mother Nature why sometime. However, our characters ability to fly poses a problem to us very much land bound actors. Little children will want to see you fly; how do you tell them no? Our story is, that since it is the Harvest Festival, and there are so many visitors about, Oberon has decreed the Festival to be an "Official No-Flying Day" because it was too dangerous to fly and someone might break a wing. You may also ad your own personal embellishments to the story for example, you?re a very clumsy flyer, or you?ve been "grounded" for being bad. (The latter example also works well for the days when your wings are broken.)

(In)Visibility Neener, neener, neener, you can?t see me! That?s right! To all the citizens of Canterbury, and visiting royalty, the faeries cannot be seen, unless the character is a gypsy, or insane. (You can see lots of things when you?re insane, I guess.) This is a faerie defense mechanism. It started a few centuries ago, when the mortals began to be afraid of the fair folk, and started trying to capture them. Well, you can imagine the faeries didn't like it one bit. So Titania declared that the faeries were to be invisible to all those who lived in England. She excepted the gypsies, because they have a bit of magic in their blood and they play music to let her dance. Those who were insane were also excepted, for really, who will believe a lunatic? Remember that Elizabeth is part gypsy, so she can see you, even if the king can't. Also, little children are excepted from the spell, because they are still young and innocent enough to believe, unlike most grown mortals. A true believer is hard to find, but when you do, remember that if he/she could break the spell, then we have nothing to fear from them.

Lepers Lepers, during the Renaissance, were the scum of society the lowest of the low. They were publicly shunned and avoided at all costs. And guess what? You get to play one! Your leper character is how you travel outside the Bubble. Since faeries cannot be seen, we have to travel incognito. This costume will be used for: getting to and from Front Gate (except at the end of the day), getting to and from parade, shopping (although lepers don't usually shop unless it is for absolute necessities) and fetching food. Now, your leper character is not a faerie in disguise, even though that is the point of the costume. Your character is most definitely a mortal faeries don't get sick, remember? He/she is an entirely separate person than your faerie character. You can elaborate on your leper, though this is not necessary, since this is mostly a means of travel.

Each faerie is responsible for his/her own leper costume. It should be made of a burlap-like material (burlap is not suggested because it chafes), or any material that you can make ratty and dirty. It also must have a hood that covers your entire face and sleeves long enough to cover up your hands. Remember, you have a very icky and contagious disease, so this means you have to reverance EVERYONE. You are below scum; you are the scum?s grime. You will also need a wooden sign that says "Leper", and a bell to announce who you are and the fact that you are coming.

The Fairea The Fairea is slang for the Faeries Area. It is our own personal break area. No one who is not a performer in the Enchanted Forest should be back there, except for emergency circumstances. Since this is our own little break area, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IT BE KEPT CLEAN!! Therefore, it is our job to pick up after ourselves. All trash and miscellaneous useless items will be immediately thrown away. It is understood that this is where you will keep your belongings during the Faire day; please try to keep your things in one bag, in one space during the day.

Dressing In Layers and Headgear As faeries, we wear the least amount of clothing out of anyone at the Festival. This is a wonderful thing on the really hot days, but it can be very dangerous when it gets cold. Dressing in layers is the key to staying warm.

Now, the faerie costumes don?t really cover a whole lot of our bodies. The trick to adding layers is to look like you aren't changing anything. A good thing to have on hand are tights. Dance tights work best, because they are thicker and don't snag as easily as regular hose. Leotards are good for adding under your costume. Nude colors work best for both of these, although if you can find colors to match your costume, those look great too. Boys, a pair of period style tights will keep you much warmer than bare legs. Also, long underwear is good to layer underneath tights, as well as spandex dance pants. It is also a good idea to layer socks under your tights. Feet get cold very quickly, especially in open-toed shoes, so make sure you cover up. If possible, get your arms covered. A period style sweater or blouse works, or in a color that matches your costume. All of these things work best if made of a type of material that holds heat in.

The Queen Though the point of the Renaissance Festival is to have a good time and entertain the patrons, there are, unfortunately, some unsavory people who do pop up from time to time. These sorts of patrons are very rude, very loud, and oftentimes, drunk. If you should happen to encounter one of these patrons, excuse yourself as politely as possible, and then tell your Area Manager. However, this is not so easy for some characters. There have been numerous stories about characters (not just faeries) that have gotten into serious trouble because no one was there to help them out. More safety and survival issues will be discussed in depth during your Apprentice and Academy classes.

The Buddy System Our primary concern out at Faire is that all the performers stay safe. Hence, the buddy system. You must have at least one person that you look out for, and who looks out for you. THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. This can be done in a two-person arrangement, or in a group chain, as per the agreement of all the faeries. This is especially important during the Columbus Day weekend. This is the day when all the schools have their field trips to Faire, and all of them are intent on being as obnoxious as humanly possible. If you or a fellow faerie gets into a bind, signal for help so that your buddy or buddies can bail you out with an appropriate excuse (i.e., Mother Nature wishes your presence.) You should always be within line of sight of one other faerie, except in the Fairea, or during bathroom breaks (although it is advisable to do this in pairs as well.)

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