Sage Portsman's Bio.

"Oh, I am sorry…..what did you say you would like to order?"
"I wonder if those mountains go on forever. There must be something beyond them."

"Oh, I am sorry…..what did you say you would like to order?"

"I wonder if those mountains go on forever. There must be something beyond them."

Name: Sage Portsman

Race: human with special abilities

Nationality: Birchinish

Age: 15

Height: 5'1"

Weight: 100 lbs

Hair Color: chocolate brown

Eye Color: hazel

Body Type: slender and a bit scrawny

Clothing Style: a cotton peasant dress that is brown in color, black stockings, soft black leather shoes, a tan cotton cloak with a hood

Blood Type: A-


Birthplace: the town of Birchwillow

Current Residence: a room above the Honeybee Bakery in Birchwillow

Occupation: baker/ aspiring herbalist

Family:
Mr. William Portsman
Mrs. Clara Portsman

Educational Background: whatever she has learned from the old medicine man who resides in her town


Strengths: She is generally cheerful and kind towards others. She is intelligent, curious, and optimistic.

Weaknesses: She is frail and physically weak. She can also become distracted quite easily.

Fears: thunder, sewing needles, the dark, and some outsiders that do not reside in the town

Interests: baking, reading, mixing herbs, walking through the forest, and daydreaming

Favorite Foods: berries and sweet rolls

Least Favorite Foods: eggplant and boiled oats


The Town of Birchwillow:
Below a high border of snow-crested mountains rests the quaint town of Birchwillow. This town would appear to be nothing out of the ordinary to the everyday passerby. The mountains slope down, turning into dense, lush forests filled with various plants and creatures. Also, in the woods flows a clear freshwater stream that empties into the mouth of a crystal blue lake. Inward from the tree line rests small cottages made from straw where many of the town's peasants resided. A short distance from the tiny straw buildings, the tall thickets of grass turn into cobblestone streets. The roads form a large circle, encompassing the town's businesses, church, and well-constructed homes. Most of the wooden structured buildings mimic an English tutor design, made from the finest lumber the town could afford. Gas lanterns line the streets to guide the weary night traveler's way to the nearest inn.

In the morning, the town hall is crowded with local farmers and vendors competing to sell their products with the ten local shops set up in the area. Although most of the town's residents travel on foot, the hooves of a few horses trudge through the town, pulling the carriages of their wealthy owners to various destinations. The area experiences all four seasons: winter, summer, spring, and fall. Summer is the most intense season, the severe heat of the sun baking the crops. The only way in or out of Birchwillow is through a rugged and dangerous path through the mountain range. The kingdom that rules the town is far beyond the mountains, making it rare for royalty to visit them. Some even say the outside world has forgotten the town, but the community tries its best to govern itself. The crimes of the locals are dealt with fairly, while the crimes of outsiders often lead to the penalty of death. Magic and other supernatural practices are not tolerated well in the area, mainly if these abilities are used for evil. Most locals have fair skin and blonde, almost white hair, so they are often suspicious of those with dark brown or raven-colored hair. Travelers beware!

Here is a very long character backstory for those who want to read it:
A hot, toasty fire, the smell of freshly baked bread, and the feeling of white, powdery flour are sensations that Sage has commonly experienced ever since she was a tiny tot. From as far back as she can recall, she had resided on the upper floor of the Honeybee Bakery, performing daily chores to earn her keep. She knew nothing of her parents, only of Mister and Misses Portsman, who had decided to care for her until she could work in their bakery. She was aware that she looked different than them, other than the whole town, but it rarely bothered her as a child. She spent most of her time helping in the bakery and running and playing alone along the stream. Most of the children stayed away from her, mainly at the request of their parents. She had tried to interact with her peers on a few occasions, but after it ended in pain and tears, she was reluctant to approach people when she was alone. Often, she found herself dangling her feet in the lake's calm waters and gazing up at the tall mountains. She could not help but wonder what life would be like beyond the elevated structure that trapped her in such a dull, monotonous place. As much as she loved working at the bakery and felt fortunate not to live on the streets, she still wanted more than this town had to offer her. There had to be more to life than baking bread, cakes, and sweet rolls.


Once Sage reached her adolescence, her personality became more vibrant and curious about the world around her. She wanted to learn and know everything she could about the thick forest and mountains surrounding this place. She frequently conversed with the few elders willing to talk with her. She spoke to the local town healer about various herbs and remedies for curing ailments and about his travels away from Birchwillow. The healer was an elderly man, wise even beyond his age. He, too, once had chocolate brown hair like hers and was considered an outsider. The town used him for his medical knowledge but rarely interacted with him. The man was gentle and kind, forgiving the people for their cruelness. Sage felt as if she was learning a lot from the man. In secrecy, Sage started to practice mixing medicines herself in her small upstairs room of the bakery.
Along with the man teaching her the ways of medicine, he also taught the girl how to read. It was a rare accomplishment for someone in the town to learn the complicated methods of the alphabet. The old man and Sage were astounded by how fast the girl had learned to read the thick, leather-bound parchment paper the man had collected from abroad.

By the year of her fourteenth birthday, Sage was spending all of her free time gathering plants in the forest and reading by the freshwater pond. She often stayed there far into the evening hours against her foster family's requests. She found working even her short, five-hour shift in the bakery was increasingly difficult. She would often burn bread or spill ingredients over the counters and floor. She would misplace orders and forget to wash the dishes before closing time. She had started to sleep in on Sundays and Thursdays, arriving late to church service or not attending at all. Mr. Portsman had tried scolding her, punishing her, and had even gone as far as slapping her across the face to try and knock some sense into the girl. The two bakery owners could not understand why there had been such a drastic change in their precious adopted child.

One night, a heavy storm started to brew outside, and again, Sage had left the dishes soaking in the bakery sink. The old man had given her a new remedy to try and create, so she had been eager to attempt to duplicate his instructions. She was in the middle of mixing bits of herbs and rose water when Mr. Portsman burst through the door. His face was flushed with anger as he yelled at her for the dishes and even more so for creating what he called "the work of a witch." He toppled the bowl to the ground and grabbed the young girl up by her cloak. She tried to plead with him as tears dripped down her face. In defeat, she pulled her slender body away from him, dashed down the steps and out the bakery door. She did not stop running till she reached her favorite thicket on the edge of town. She huddled below a tree and cried herself to sleep.

She awoke the following day, the sun hitting her face. Before she could stand, she realized something was dangling around her neck on a thick, black cord. It was a quarter-sized, diamond-shaped prism that glistened in the sun. The girl had never seen such a necklace in her life, but she already knew it had to be hidden. She tucked it in her dress and ran back to find the one person she could trust, the old medicine man. However, she was delivered some horrific news once she reached the small cottage. The man had fallen into a coma-like state, and no one could seem to wake him. The villagers did not seem too concerned with the man's condition, assuming he would die soon. Sage spent the rest of the day weeping by the man's bedside and pleading for him to awaken from his deep, unnatural slumber.

A few weeks after the strange occurrence, Sage returned to working in the bakery and completing her everyday chores. The medicine man had awoken, although he seemed to have no recollection of himself or his previous medical experience. Sage continues to practice medicine on her own in secrecy, visiting her old friend every day to try and help him remember something. She did not bother to show him the crystal, although the strangeness of the item worries the young girl more and more each day. She is starting to feel like even more of an outcast in the town and is debating on journeying to a town beyond the mountains to find the group of people her old friend had told her about through his stories.

Crystal Information:

Although Sage is unsure of the crystal's specific properties, she has noted that the prism changes colors about her mood. Thus far, she has indicated it is changing to yellow, purple, red, blue, and black. When the crystal is black, she tends to feel lightheaded and ill.

OOC Notes:

My posts are typically a few paragraphs in length. I do have my off days.

The credit for this picture goes to the artist.