Name: Pona, of the Northern Tribe
Age: 25
Looks: Curvy, but not overweight, with the characteristic dark skin and blue eyes of her people. Unlike many people of the Water Tribes, however, she cuts her hair short (think GI Jane, a military cut). Living in Ba Sing Se for several years, she has picked up a lot of Earth Kingdom clothing in addition to the clothes of her homeland, and so could be in either the browns and greens of an Earth Kingdom woman or the blues and whites of the Water Tribes on any given day.
Character archetype: Adept
Move 1: Water wall/shield (Short-range): Water is shaped into a small wall, in order to block or redirect attacks, and is often used in conjunction with a long or mid-range attack for counterattacking (block attack with wall, wall swiftly changes into whip).
Move 2: Water whip (Long/mid-range): A simple ranged water attack, in which the bender uses water to mimic the tension and striking force of a whip.
Move 3: Waterbending Nerve-strike (Melee): As explained above, this move basically numbs the limb of an opponent by swiftly super-cooling the nerve cluster that governs said limb. In certain circumstances, and given enough precision, this can temporarily block the flow of chi in a person’s body, reducing the effectiveness of bending. Of course, this kind of attack is very tricky, and prone to ineffectiveness.
Extra feats: Her knowledge of chi pathways and the human body originated in her healing training as a young girl in the Northern Tribe, and her healing ability has only increased from there. In fact, her main duty is as her employer’s family healer, and she does her job well.
Also, as she has no dominant side or hand, it is easier for Pona to target two enemies at once with her long and mid-range water attacks, such as the Whip. This same ambidexterity can be a hassle, however, when she is required to move quickly on her feet, as sometimes her brain can attempt to move both legs at once, disrupting her balance. It isn’t a big problem, but certainly enough to warrant the extra feat, I’d say.
Character History: Born and raised in the beautiful Northern Water Tribe, Pona has always been known for a certain extraordinary ability in waterbending. Never a fan of huge waves and pillars of ice, she was always more subtle, skilled in healing and other precise, specific actions. If she was enraged, the ability to raise a wave or two was certainly there, it just didn’t manifest very often. Thus, not quite outstanding, but intelligent and certainly skilled, as a young woman (around 19), her parents encouraged her to take a journey around the world, and learn about the different cultures and peoples, hoping for her to eventually go to Republic City and work as a diplomat.
However, after a year of traveling, and having seen most of the cities of the world, Pona decided that the place she truly wanted to live was Ba Sing Se. She found that the culture and history of the great city was much more interesting than the technology and progress of Republic City, and would spend hours in the library at Ba Sing Se University. After a few months working as a freelance healer and barber (using water instead of tools gave her styles a unique look, and she found that she had a knack for it), Pona was hired by a noble family to be the personal healer and teacher of their youngest son, Tao. He was a sickly boy, and after hearing of Pona’s prowess as a healer, they immediately sought her out and brought her to their home in the Upper Ring. She has lived and worked there for the past five years, mostly healing, but also as a tutor to all of the children, including Tao, who grew into a healthy young boy in her care.
When the family’s eldest son was killed by the unknown murderer, Pona was devastated, and decided to start investigating on her own…