What’s in a Name?

I have played many games over the course of my career.  For the longest time, my gaming pseudonym was Rosaelyn.  In fact, I went by Rosa until I started playing WoW.  Rosaelyn was always a character that closely resembled me – human, pale, red hair.  When I decided to become a Draenei, that did not seem fitting, since she does not resemble me physically near as much.  (In fact, that is why I have a wee human Hunter named Rosaelyn now.  Just to somewhat keep to the “tradition.”  Even though she is not a healer…)

So creating my Draenei Shaman convinced me to change my chosen pseudonym, and I became Effraeti, or more commonly, Effy.  🙂

About three years now I have been answering to that.  Even those I game with who know me by my real name still seem to call me Effy more naturally than anything else.  I find the name to suit me, even on the occasion where Effy becomes Eff’ing Effy.  Effraeti may not be a redhead, but she is still me – positive and friendly until riled, then fierce and unyielding.

Starting to blog brought even more life into Effy, and she went places I never imagined when I first molded her on the WoW creation screen.  She developed a life and breath all her own.

Now… I find myself in a mental quandary.

I am in the process of switching mains to my Monk.  My Monk, who has a whole separate personality.  Still my own, of course, since she is the product of my brain and my ideals, but NOT Effy.  She is 100% Ireenia.  She is as separate an entity to me as if she drew her own breath and physically stood beside Effy.

So I know there is no way I could make “Ireenia” into “Effraeti” and feel that was right at all.  Ireenia is a Monk.  Effraeti is a Shaman.  Ireenia is a blue dragon adopted by a Draenei and trying to adapt to a world where her race is no longer the protector.  Effraeti is a Draenei who got split into two people, died and was reborn, rescued and adopted a baby dragon, and is struggling to balance her family and her guild.

Am I too much into my stories and my roleplaying?  ><

To switch my main means to switch my pseudonym.  Somehow, this is a major hurdle for me.  Switching from Rosa to Effy was tough.  Somehow, I think switching from Effy to Ireenia is going to be even harder.

You would think names would be the least of my concerns here, eh?

And seriously, what was I thinking?  What is a good nickname for Ireenia?    I suppose it would be “Iree,” which would end up sounding like “Eerie.”  Hmm.  I suppose that works.

Has anyone else struggled with changing mains because it meant changing their pseudonym?

~ Effy