Well, with this character, it's already been established (at least to me) that A: she's sixteen, B: she's not under parental supervision, C: she can turn into a mushroom (sort of an odd story behind that idea), and D: she's far from home.  Oh, and she also represents me, 'cause that was true before I started with everything else; I didn't want to come up with an entire new personality for a mere forum role-play.

So how would this work?  First idea--she saved a forest spirit who gave her a token that gave her the mushroom ability.  She then later went to go study overseas.
This one was incoherent, and didn't give me a good hook to be a part of any plot.

So I stewed, until I came up with another idea:

I was saved from drowning by a forest-lady (I'm thinking pretty close to a D&D druid).  However, the friends I was with didn't manage to find me, and after a few days of searching it's assumed I'm dead.  Meanwhile, I wake up, and the druid-lady says that I have something in me, and she wants to make me her apprentice.  I think she's nuts, but being polite, try not to say it.  We argue about this for a while, and eventually she turns me over with a long and passionate speech about how the forest needs us, or whatnot, and I'm special for having the gift.

I really need to get home, now, though, I say.  My parents must be worried; it's dark.

Oh, they're worried all right.  They think I'm dead.  I've been out for four days.  My body was never found, and it was last seen going under.

Oh, my God.  I've got to go fix this!

No, she says, you need to stay here.  We need you.  They will only get in your way.

But . . . but they're my family.  I love them . . .

There are things more important, dear . . .

I feel suddenly weak.  I make feeble protests, and the mentor just tells me to go to bed.

I don't know how I sleep, but somehow, I manage.



(Summary for the rest, when I get there: I stay with the mentor and train with her for two years.  I gain some control over weather, and I learn how to fight a little.  Most importantly, though, I'm made to have a vision, or hallucination, in which a little Earth Star mushroom, clinging to life even when all the trees and animals in the forest are gone and dead, which gives me my namesake.  I also get a token that lets me turn into a mushroom.

And then, when I'm sixteen, I'm sent off to MegaTokyo, a place where nature is being driven out at an alarming rate to make room for human things.  I'm told to fit in, get a job, do whatever . . . and _plant seeds_.  Literal and figurative.  Actually, it's probably more of "releasing spores", as my token has an odd ability to do that . . . but in any case, I'm to give nature more of a place in MT.