Click on the accordions below for an in-depth look at each of the characters from Forestium: The Mirror Never lies in these character interviews and Q&A sessions.

Interviews

Joshua

Interviewer So, Joshua, how does it feel to be the main protagonist in the Portallas book series?
Joshua Well, It’s OK, I guess. I don’t really think about it much. In fact, all I’ve been able to think about for some time now have been the trials.
Interviewer Trials? Is that some sort of ritual rite of passage?
Joshua I guess you could call it that. In Forestium, you have to pass the trials before you can call yourself a true Woodsman.
Interviewer Sounds like it might be something difficult?
Joshua It is. I have to know how to hunt, use weapons, make things, track animals and lots of other things. It’s a really big deal completing the trials. I was going to do it this year, but I had to leave Morelle to find my Dad.
Interviewer Find your Dad? What do you mean?
Joshua Well, Mum doesn’t talk about it much but he left when I was very young and, well, he didn’t come back. They tell me he died in battle but…I don’t know. I’ve been having these dreams and…well, anyway, we’ll see what happens.
Interviewer Ok, well I hope you find him. Let’s have a chat with Andrew over here.

Andrew

Interviewer So, tell me, Andrew, how long have you been friends with Joshua here?
Andrew Since I can remember. We’ve grown up together so we’re practically brothers.
Interviewer I see. I bet you can tell me some funny stories about him then?
Andrew More than a few. He can be quite stubborn when he wants to but his heart is always in the right place.
Interviewer I bet. Are you practicing for these trials as well?
Andrew Sure am. We’ve been practicing at Lake Morelle for the past few months, Joshua and me, that is. Not that I need to practice, of course. It’s his aim that we need to work on.
Interviewer That’s great. Well, you keep helping him, Andrew, and I’m sure the two of you will pass through those trials with flying colours.

Sarah

Interviewer So, who do we have here?
Sarah Oh, well, I’m Sarah. This is kind of awkward. I mean, I’m not very good at this interview thing. I mean I could be, but I’ve never really tried it. I suppose it’s really easy. All I have to do is answer your questions really, isn’t that right? I mean, I can do that. I talk to the animals all the time so it can’t be that different. Of course, they don’t talk back or anything. Well, I suppose they do but not the way you and I talk. I mean, that would be silly, and…
Interviewer Ahem. So, OK, tell me, Sarah. What do you do? I mean, what sort of skills do you have? Joshua tells me you have lots of skills.
Sarah Oh, gosh, well, I don’t know really. I mean I can cook, I suppose. Forestium has some wonderful shrooms and it’s easy enough to throw together some Liffle leaves or Bergle root or something. It’s amazing the number of ways you can cook boiled shrooms you know. Let’s see, oh, yes, well there’s hunting, which I guess I’m OK at. I mean, I’ve never caught a Wood-boar or anything but I did accidentally catch a Raetheon once. It sort of stumbled into my trap. You see, it had a broken wing and…
Interviewer Well, that’s terrific Sarah. I tell you what, since we don’t have a lot of time left, let’s move on and see who else we have to talk to.

Galleon

Interviewer So, what's your name young man?
Galleon I’m not a young man! I’m an Imp. Don’t tell me! You’ve never heard of Imps either, right?
Interviewer Um, well, actually…no…I…
Galleon No, I’m not surprised. Honestly, you’d think people would be a bit more sensitive to these things after all these years.
Interviewer Um, OK…well…
Galleon Some interview this is. I mean really! I’ve had more interesting interviews with a Wood-boar that died of unnatural causes. I don’t suppose you have any Wood-wine around here either?
Interviewer Ok, perhaps you can tell me a bit about yourself. I understand you used to be a fisherman?
Galleon Fisherman? Me? No, that's not right. Like other Imps, I do come from the Southern Tip, which is a fishing port, but I've never been a fisherman myself. I did serve a few years on the trading ship the Southern Seas but that didn't last long.
Interviewer I see. Well, how did you meet Joshua? Isn't the Southern Tip a long way from Morelle?
Galleon Actually, he rescued me. I somehow managed to get caught in a Wood-boar net when the two youngsters here found me. I was travelling the land trying to find other Imps at the time.
Interviewer Have you been travelling the land for long?
Galleon Longer than I can remember. I mean honestly. I've been travelling so long, half the Ashfer trees in Forestium have grown up and died of boredom.
Interviewer Haha. Well, thanks for that, Galleon. I think we'll need to move on now.

Fable

Interviewer So, it says here your name is Fable, is that correct?
Fable Well of course it's Fable. I thought I told you that earlier.
Interviewer Um...indeed. And I understand you run an inn?
Fable That's right. Fable & Florelle's inn. We serve the best Wood-wine in all of Forestium.
Interviewer I see. And where it is?
Fable Middle of the Forest.
Interviewer Right. OK, so do you get many visitors in the middle of the forest?
Fable I suppose so.
Interviewer Aha. And I expect you are surrounded by lots of animals, too?
Fable That's right. Ruddy vermin. I keep telling her we're better off cooking and serving them but...
Interviewer OK, that's great. I think we'd better move on and have a chat with your lovely wife.

Florelle

Interviewer And you must be Fable's lovely wife, Florelle?
Florelle Oh, yes, that's me. Thanks for saying so, me darling.
Interviewer It says here that you're the reason there are always so many animals around your inn. Can you tell me why that is?
Florelle Oh, well, someone's gotta look after 'em don't they dearie? Poor things. Injured forest creatures know to come to me and I’ll fix ‘em up good an’ proper.
Interviewer Wow, that's lovely. And what else do you do there at Fable & Florelle's inn?
Florelle Oh, well, I look after the customers and see that they're all fed good 'n proper. Me speciality is a pot of me 'ome made stew. It'll put 'airs on yer chest so it will.
Interviewer And do you get many customers?
Florelle Oh yes, we get 'em from far and wide. Traders mostly, mind. Not so many imps any more, though.
Interviewer Well, I hope business keeps up for you. Thanks for stopping by.

Melachor

Interviewer And here we have, Melachor?
Melachor Yes, that's me.
Interviewer And what do you do?
Melachor I've been a Trader for many years. It takes me far and wide throughout Forestium, although I haven't been on the road for some time now.
Interviewer I see. And do you have a family?
Melachor Yes, my wife, Veloria and I have two small children, Sandor and Jared.
Interviewer I see. And where do you all live.
Melachor In the North - about a day's travel west of Temerelle. It's a quiet and out of the way place but we like it there.
Interviewer It must be nice to be able to spend so much time with you family now that you aren't on the road so much?
Melachor It is. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them.
Interviewer That's great. We should all be so lucky! Thanks for taking the time to come along today.

Protello

Interviewer Ok, we're now talking to Protello, do I have that right?
Protello Yes, that's correct.
Interviewer It says here you are a magical being that can become other things? What's that all about?
Protello That's true. I'm a Metamorph. We have special powers and can, as you say, become other things when the need arises.
Interviewer It looks like you've chosen to be a Woodsman for us today?
Protello Indeed. I thought it would be easier for you. It's probably not wise to try to interview a wild Wood-boar or Raetheon.
Interviewer Well, I suppose that's true. So what other special powers to you possess?
Protello All Metamorphs have healing powers.
Interviewer Really? I bet that must come in handy?
Protello We don't like to show our powers. It isn't wise for any of us to do so. He has eyes everywhere and it isn't always safe for us to be out in the open.
Interviewer He? Who are you talking about?
Protello Why the Goat, of course. There aren't many of my kind left because of Him.
Interviewer Hmmm. He doesn't sound like a very nice person.
Protello Indeed. Half man and half beast, the Goat has a vicious temper and is best avoided at all costs. But some of us have managed to elude him.
Interviewer OK, well I think we should wrap it up there. Thank you for stopping by.

Q&A

Joshua

What have you always wanted to be in life? For a long time, I thought I wanted to be a Fixer but as it turned out, I was never really very good at fixing things. More recently, I've wanted to follow in my Dad's footsteps and become a Woodsman. I can't really see myself as a Warrior, though. Well, not yet at least. Maybe one day. I suppose more than anything else, though, I just want for me, Mum & Dad to be together and a family again.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Oh, I don't know. Maybe settled down with a family? I'd like to explore Forestium some more but I think I'd probably still be here, somewhere in Morelle. Perhaps one day I'll be helping out a group of young hopefuls trying to complete their trials. Maybe. Who knows?
Do you believe in love? Yes. Yes, I do. I wouldn’t have believed it before but now that I’ve found someone…
Do you believe in love at first sight? Erm…well, I mean, I guess...s…sure, I mean sure I suppose. Um…next question?
If there is something you can die for, what is it? I think I would die for Sarah. I mean, if I really had to, I think I would. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
What is your best childhood memory? Playing with my Dad. I only have a few memories of Dad but they are cherished ones. I miss him dearly.
If I promise to fulfill one of your wishes, which one would it be? I have a sister that died at birth. The one thing that I would wish for is that all four of us, me, my sister, Mum & Dad are all together and that we’re a family again. But I don’t suppose that’s going to happen. Wishful thinking I think. Still, it would be nice.
Who is your idol and/or your inspiration? Why? My Dad, definitely. I think of him all the time. I just wish he didn’t go off to fight that time when I was young. He might still be with us now if he didn’t.

Andrew

What have you always wanted to be in life? To be honest, I can't really think of anything specific. I've always been happy here in Morelle, training for the trials with Joshua. I guess I'll be a Woodsman before too long anyway, so I suppose that's as close as I'll get to anything that I truly want out of life.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Ten years is a long way off. I can barely keep track of the here and now.
Do you believe in love? I don’t know. I suppose so.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Maybe for others. I can’t see it happening to me. Girls and I…well, we just don’t, you know.
If there is something you can die for, what is it? Well, Joshua is my best friend and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. But actually die for him…
What is your best childhood memory? I don’t really think about my childhood much. I was orphaned when I was about two. I suppose my best childhood memories are of getting into mischief around Morelle, after I was taken in there. That was before I met Joshua, of course. He’s kept me on the straight and narrow since I met him.
If I promise to fulfill one of your wishes, which one would it be? Um, I think it would be that I would become a great Warrior and then eventually the village Elder. I’d love to take young Woodsmen through their trials – you know, really take part in them like the Jemarrah Elder does.
Who is your idol and/or your inspiration? Why? I’d have to say it’s the Jemarrah Elder. He’s so vibrant and active. You don’t find Elders like that anywhere else in Forestium. Our Elder in Morelle is old and frail but Sarah’s Father is just amazing. I’d like to be just like him.

Sarah

What have you always wanted to be in life? A fixer. Definitely a fixer. I've wanted it ever since I can remember – right from when I was a little girl. I love tinkering with things and learning new skills. I suppose that's why I've become such a good cook. You know, always experimenting with new recipes and things. I'll turn my hand to just about anything really, so long as I'm fixing things.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Wow, there's so much of Forestium still left for me to explore so I think I'll be learning new skills for a long time to come yet. Maybe I'll get around to perfecting my hunting skills and actually catching a Wood-boar. I've tried it a few times and just can't seem to manage it. I did catch a Raetheon once. Well, it was an accident, you see it had a broken wing and sort of stumbled into my trap by accident. I would never intentionally catch a Raetheon, of course.
Do you believe in love? Hmm, well that’s a really interesting question. Of course people do love each other. I mean, where would we be without love, right?
Do you believe in love at first sight? Oh I think love at first sight is very romantic, don’t you think? I do think it’s absolutely possible for two people to fall in love with each other right away. Take Joshua and me for example. I think we were made for each other and, well, it sort of happened to us really, didn’t it?
If there is something you can die for, what is it? I would love to see all the peoples that have been banished by The Goat returned to their loved ones. That’s surely worth dying for, don’t you think?
What is your best childhood memory? I used to love climbing up to the lookout posts with Isabelle back in Jemarrah. We’d often hide there if we’d done something wrong and Dad was looking for us. I have lots of memories of the two of us playing with Dad, of course. He’s so funny. I remember this one time when Isabelle insisted on trying to teach him how to dance. He was so uncoordinated, he tripped and tumbled and brought half the kitchen down with him. We laughed so much, I couldn’t breathe.
If I promise to fulfill one of your wishes, which one would it be? It would be to get rid of The goat – forever! He’s mean, viscous and, well, just horrible. He’s caused nothing but trouble ever since I learned about him. I’d get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could.
Who is your idol and/or your inspiration? Why? My Mother. She was such a tender woman. I only have a few memories of her but I miss her dearly. In my mind’s eye, she is perfect and the sort of woman that I aspire to be.

Galleon

What have you always wanted to be in life? Taller. No, seriously. There’s nothing quite like a comfortable chair and a good mug of Wood-wine to keep away the night’s chill. When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be a fisherman. I even served a few years aboard the trading ship, The Southern Seas. First Mate I was. You know, I reckon I could have made captain if I stuck at it. Hmm. But those are just the wishes of a foolish old dreamer…and a short one at that. That ship has sailed. More than anything else in the world, all I want now is to find my people – alive and well, I hope.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Well, I'd like to go back to the Southern Tip at some point. Maybe if I do find my people someday. Well, we'll see.
Do you believe in love? Of course. What do you think the world would be like if there was no love? I mean, honestly! Where do you get these questions?
Do you believe in love at first sight? Ask Joshua.
If there is something you can die for, what is it? I’d die for mug for of Wood-wine right about now.
What is your best childhood memory? I don’t have any. Really, is there any Wood-wine around here somewhere?
If I promise to fulfill one of your wishes, which one would it be? That my people would be returned and everyone would live happily ever after. Yeah, right! Well, I’d settled for the Imps all being returned at least. To be honest, we’re not a very amiable race of people and I doubt we’d all live happily together even if everyone did come back but it would be nice to at least speak with other Imps after so many years again.
Who is your idol and/or your inspiration? Why? Well, he may be miserable half the time and he does have less charm that a Wood-boar that died of unnatural causes, but Fable does make a mean Wood-wine. Other than that, I don’t really know anyone else that I look up to. Joshua has a lot of courage and tenacity, I suppose, but I can hardly call him an idol. I mean, I’m old enough to be his Father.