Post by kataraa on Jul 16, 2008 17:46:28 GMT -5
Note from admin: All text relating to the RP must be plain -- no colors, font changes or indents, please. It's distracting, not necessary, and it is not professionally accepted. This was stated in the rules.
Name: Katara
Before her birth, Hakoda, her father, had begun speaking to her mother, Kaya, about the name of their second child. Not knowing whether it would be a male or a female, her father determined that there would be a 'K' in her name somewhere to continue the unwritten tradition in their family. It was an innocent tradition, and one that the family never knew would carry on. After their first child's birth, Hakoda realized that having two sons would be any man's wish, but because his wife wanted a daughter, they began searching for female names. In the end, the young girl was named Katara (Katar if it would've been another son). There is no set meaning for her name, nor was she named after anyone. Her mother just liked the name and while growing up, she began to like it as well.
Age: Fourteen
Although very mature for her age, Katara has spent fourteen years on this earth. Born on a cool December night, the young girl grew up quicker than she was supposed to. Having her mother be murdered at a young age and her father going off to war, Katara immediately became the 'mother' out of she and her brother. Even though she grew up with her grandmother watching out for her, Katara learned quickly enough that she was to take care of those around her. This aspect carried on as she grew up. Even when she was only a young girl of ten, she was ordering her brother around and keeping him out of trouble. When she met Aang and she and Sokka went off, leaving their village, Katara became the mother of the group, showing her maturity even at the age of fourteen.
Nation: Southern Water Tribe
Katara was born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe. She allies herself with this nation more than any other. There have been times, however, when she has gone under a different alias and aligned herself with another nation. Throughout a portion of her journey she was allied with the Earth Nation and even, to stay under cover, the Fire Nation. In a broader outlook, she has allied herself with the protagonists of the world. In better words, the Earth, Air, and Water kingdoms. If she were asked her hometown, however, she would immediately respond with 'The Southern Water Tribe.'
Bender?: Waterbending
Physical Appearance: When someone looks at Katara, they may automatically think she is a very pretty young lady. That she is. Like the rest of her tribe, Katara was born with stunning silver blue eyes and a dark complexion. Katara's skin tone is that of a dark copper color, matching that of her family and tribe. Anyone would be able to look at her with her blue eyes and dark skin and immediately be able to tell she was from the southern water tribe.
Her face is set with a fixed expression of joy and determination. Katara is not the sort of girl that could hide her emotions easily. Without even speaking a word, one would be able to tell what sort of mood the young girl was in. When she is angry, her dark eyebrows lower in a glare and her eyes narrow in on her target. When she is happy her face lights up and a brilliant smile crosses her lips. When sad or upset, the dark-complected girl's eyes swim with tears and her voice cracks when she speaks. With this open-book of emotions, it is easy for anyone to tell what she is thinking. This makes Katara a terrible liar and not able to tell a good joke.
Cradling her heart shaped face are her long, dark brown locks. Only cutting it a few times in her life, her hair hangs long down her back in complicated waves and curls. Her normal hairstyle consists of a tight braid down her back with two locks of hair looped around her face. She has no bangs, and has never wanted them. When her hair is not back, she keeps it down and long with the crown section of hair pulled back in a pony tail. This is considered one of her 'fancier' looks than her usual work and travel braid. When practicing her waterbending, however, the young girl will simply tie her hair back in a ponytail with a piece of blue cloth.
As for her stature, Katara is a rather average young lady. Standing at five feet five inches she weighs only around one hundred and ten pounds. Katara is not small nor is she large. Slender and slim, she is very athletic and knows how to keep her body in pristine condition for her bending. Having most of her muscle in her legs and forearms, she is not overly built or weak in the least sense of the words.
Clothing/Armor:Coming from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara's clothing mainly consists of blues, whites, and blacks. Because of the cold weather of the south, Katara grew up wearing nothing but a heavy jacket of polar bear fur and heavy cloth all of her life. Her jacket, being more of a parka, was the thickest piece of clothing a Water Tribe woman could wear. Hooded and lined with all sorts of animal furs, this jacket was worn outdoors and in the coolest of weathers. Decorated with different designs on the bosom added on by her grandmother and small tufts of fur on the hood and shoulders, Katara loved to wear her parka. Normally she would also wear a pair of seal-leather gloves dyed blue with it and a pair of leather boots also in a blue color.
Underneath her parka, Katara wore a traditional ladies garment. The layer closest to her body consisted of undergarments of a white color. These underclothes were different pieces of white cotton fabric layered around her bosom and made as a skirt. This skirt reaches roughly to the tops of her knees and is slit down either side to allow her to move freely while she bends. Underneath the skirt, which she puts on when just in her underclothes, is a pair of white pants that are tight to her skin. She would never be caught wearing just the pants, and therefore places the slitted skirt on over them.
The next layer of her clothing is her visible dark navy second layer. Stripping out of her white 'under' skirt, Katara puts on a pair of navy pants and a navy tight and fitted long sleeved shirt. These pieces of clothing could be considered something like our 'under armor' but not of the same slick material. The material used for Katara's clothing is the same cotton-feeling cloth. Throughout the season Katara's second layer varies. In the coldest of climates she wears everything long-sleeved and tight. In the cooler and summer climates she replaces her long-sleeved undershirt and just wears her white 'bra-like' underclothing.
Katara's final layer of clothing consists of her light blue robe. She holds close to her three different robes all of the same color and material but of different styles. In the coldest climates she wears a short-sleeved robe tied around her waist in white polar-bear fur. Slitted down each side and lined in warm furs, this robe reaches all the way down to her ankles. In the cooler climates she switches into her short-sleeved robe that does not have any furs trimming it. Still tied around her waist and reaching her ankles, she only wears this without her long-sleeved navy undershirt. And finally Katara wears a shorter robe without fur that reaches her knees. Again, this robe is tied around her waist and short-sleeved with slits down each leg.
For a final touch to each of her pieces of clothing, Katara wears the same moccasin-like boots and shoes and arm bands. With her warmest attire she wears arm protection from her wrist to her elbow. These are made of various skins and are dyed dark blue. And finally in warmer weather with her cooler outfits she wraps two pieces of navy cloth around each of her wrists three times. There is no set reason why she does this, she just enjoys it while she bends. As for jewelry, Katara wears around her neck a piece of navy blue cloth on which hangs a round stone about an inch in diameter. Made of a blue gem, it is carved in the shape of the Water Tribe insignia.
While those are her main attire, throughout her travels Katara changes into many outfits. While taken captive to rescue Haru, Katara was placed in dirty brown rags. While going undercover, she was attired in a black cloak. Staying out of eye sight of the fire nation, she had been clothed in a fire nation robe and cloak. While traveling through the fire nation the young girl and her friends stole some clothing off of a line and wore that to stay out of the eye of the fire nation. All the more way to blend in. And finally Katara has dressed herself as a painted lady in order to help others.
Weapons: Born as a waterbender, Katara uses her bending as her main form of weapon. While still in the Southern Water Tribe, she was still just an amateur bender. Only able to manipulate water and do with it as she pleased. Katara's form of bending is not very unique and she uses it as a practical way to protect and help others and herself. Waterbending, coming from Tai Chi, is a difficult yet relaxing way of bending the elements. While bending, Katara relaxes herself and concentrates on the task at hand. Before getting help, the young girl could do small tasks with her bending without tiring herself. When doing something big, like creating large waves or using the water as a weapon for a long period of time, Katara would get tired and have to rest.
When she met Aang and began teaching him waterbending, she learned along with him how to bend in special ways. First to her came Streaming the Water, which was a form of waterbending that she named herself. This form is basically when she uses a stream of water to her advantage. Whether that be attacking or just moving water from one body to another. When practicing more attack-like moves, Katara began using the Water Whip, which she uses quite frequently. This is when she takes a stream of water and uses it to her advantage like a whip to face opponents. Next are the water jets. Katara uses these to blast and keep back an enemy. With the high pressure water causes, this comes in handy when she and the others are trying to escape. Many times Katara has used a water wave to manipulate such things as a boat or a low-flying vessel. When first practicing this, it took she and Aang to manipulate a wave. Though as the time went on, she mastered it on her own. As a form of defense to hold an opponent, Katara mastered the water wall, which she would trap an enemy in and then freeze it as a sort of cage. The freezing or melting of water is called Water Thermokinesis. As time went on Katara then mastered the Ice Spikes, Creeper, Shield, Discs, Knife and Breath.
Another main ability that Katara received from her waterbending is her ability to heal. Though she isn't a master at healing, she is able to mend small, minor wounds at any moment. While at the Spirit Oasis, Katara placed a small amount of the water in a container. This water is said to have strong healing abilities. Though she has not used it yet, she is keeping it on hand just in case.
As she grows, Katara's bending becomes stronger and stronger. Though she will never be able to use the Avatar form of Waterbending, she will be able to use it in many other forms that will help her along her way.
Personality: Though it is already mentioned that Katara is a very mature young lady, there is much more about her personality that defines who she is. Katara is mature, loving, kind, ambitious, determined, wise, thoughtful, and sometimes stubborn, hot-headed, and reckless. She is the type of person that can change her attitude when provoked, showing two different sides of herself for all to see. This is a brief outline of the complex person she is.
Katara shows her maturity in many ways. For one thing, when she is around people that are panicked, confused, or needing of help, she is the levelheaded girl there to assist them. She doesn't usually freak out in situations and keeps her calm without showing much emotion whether it is negative or positive. This helps others relax in tough situations which makes her a good asset to many situations. Katara is also very mature when it comes to deciding what is right and what is wrong. She takes into consideration every element of every situation and analyzes it until she can come up with a good solution that will benefit for everyone. She is not reckless by any means and thinks about things before she acts.
Growing up as the mother of her family, Katara has grown to be a very kind, gentle, and loving young lady. Though she does not put her trust out there often, once someone gets in her trust boundary, they will be under her wing until they give her a reason to not love them. She is often willing to take anyone to shelter, protect, and help them.
Katara is the sort of girl that will set her mind's eye on a task and work at it until it is complete. This shows her ambition and determination. Though she is not much of a dreamer, she is a headstrong girl that will not stop at something until she knows she has mastered, completed, or has gotten satisfaction from it. This is a main reason she mastered waterbending so quickly to help Aang. She knew that in order for Aang to master it, she herself had to understand her bending in order to give him the boost he needed. Her ambition and determination is not only limited to her skills, but rather anything she does. From the smallest task of putting up camp to defeating the fire lord, Katara will not stop until she has succeeded.
Because of her determination, Katara brings out a part of her that isn't the best quality - her hotheaded and stubbornness. Katara is a single-minded being and she will put her entire focus on one task. If someone or something gets in the way of her completing said task, she will not hesitate to lash out at said person or thing getting in her way. This shows that Katara has a short temper and she is not one to mess with when she sets her mind to something. The young girl is also someone who will not sway her mindset to fix the needs of others. For example, if she has made it clear that she does not like nor trust a person, no matter how much they try to sway her to trust them, she will not. Stubborn as she is, she is the sort of girl who will hold grudges to the grave.
With her maturity comes wisdom. Katara is a very smart little girl and it is from her heart that her intelligence comes naturally to her. Though she may not be the smartest person in the world, she is still very wise and thoughtful in many aspects of life. For example she is a very good strategic.
Katara is a very complicated girl, but it is from the heart that she helps others and is always determined to find a way to save the world alongside her friends. Her maturity, loyalty, bravery, and ambition are good additions to the group.
Background: "Hakoda, what if it's a girl. We cannot name her Katar."
"It was my father's name, Kaya. If it's a girl, we shall name her Katara."
"Must we continue the tradition, darling? She will be unique without a 'K'."
"No, we must continue it. All of my family have a 'K'. It's tradition."
On that cool December night three days before the coming birth of a young daughter, two parents fought endlessly on a name for their child. The pregnant woman, Kaya, lay back on the bundle of bed as her husband knelt down beside her. Her belly was bulging with a child that would soon make a difference in their small southern tribe. An infant slept soundly in the corner in his crib made of cloths and leather. His name was Sokka, and he knew not that he would soon be the elder brother of a young girl. Kaya closed her eyes and her husband knew that it was no time to fight with her about names. As he stood to leave, an elderly woman pulled back the leather flap that served as a door to the small hut. She was his mother in law, his wife's mother and the midwife to their children. It was to be her job to birth their second child. The woman sat down beside her daughter, pressing a wet cloth to her forehead. Only a few more days until the birth.
"Katara get back here! It's dangerous out there. You're only a little girl."
"But mom, I'm four years old! Sokka can protect me. See his boomerang?"
"No and that's that young lady. Come back inside and work on your sewing."
"But I don't want to sew, I want to practice waterbending with the other women!"
Katara grew up like many southern water tribe children did. The first few years of her life she spent inside the family hut, watching her mother and grandmother go on with their tasks. She was a spunky toddler and was always begging to go outdoors. Within the first few months of her birth Katara would cry and cry until her mother took her outside in her arms or the back basket her grandmother wove with the thickest leather. She would be bundled up tightly in her warmest furs and her mother would walk her along the banks of the water. The sound of her mother's boots crunching through the snow would lull her to sleep but she would wake up the moment she was taken indoors. Katara grew to love the outdoors this way, and as the years went by and her mother allowed her to walk outside on her own, she would spend most of her days sitting beside the water as her brother threw rocks into it. At the age of four she began showing interest in water. Often she would sit and watch the other women and men practice their waterbending by the water. Then, at the age of six, she manipulated her first drop of water.
"Dad come here quick! Katara's doing something interesting! Hurry!"
"Katara, you're a waterbender! That's wonderful darling, I'm so proud of you."
"I was just doing what I saw the others do, Daddy. Then it moved. Sokka was scared."
"Was not! You got my boot wet and it startled me, that's all. It's cold water, you know."
Sitting in the middle of the family hut, Katara stared at a clay pot of water for the longest time as her brother sat against the wall with a knife and a piece of ice in his hand. She had been watching the adult waterbenders earlier in the day - studying each of their moves carefully. After about a half hour of staring at the water in the pot, she simply moved her hand so her gloved palm was hovering over the liquid. Moving her hand as if to pull a piece of cloth off of a bed, she watched as the water formed a single stream that rose as she rose her hand. From the corner she heard her brother gasp, startling her and causing her to drop the water, losing her concentration. Her parents rushed into the hut at Sokka's calls, but all Katara could think of was that she was a waterbender. She was special.
"And this is how you sew and weave a blanket, Katara. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes, Gran Gran, but I want to go outside. I'm tired of sewing and weaving."
"You may go outside after you learn to cook bread and clean the floors."
"But it's so nice out! All the other children are outdoors. Why can't I go too?"
Even after finding out about her abilities, Katara was still made to learn the simplest of tasks that a woman of the Southern Water Tribe learned. She learned to cook, clean, sew, and be a good mother to her future children. Through this stage of her life, between the ages of four and seven, the young girl learned and mastered these tasks with the help from her grandmother and mother. She formed a very tight bond with the women, and came to idolize both of them. To her it felt as though she had two mothers even though one was older than the other. As her relationship with the women grew, so did her love for her father and elder brother. Often times Katara and Sokka played with one another, but she was usually stuck inside while he went out and played with the other boys of the tribe. Katara looked up to her father who was Chief of the tribe and also a well-known warrior. Though he traveled often, Katara still held a very tight bond with him.
"Katara, stay inside! You too, Sokka. Don't go outdoors - there'a a raid."
"But dad, I want to fight too! Why can't I go with you? Please, I'm ready!"
"No you're not, Sokka, stay with your sister. Protect her. Don't come out."
"Be careful dad! Sokka and I will be fine, I promise. Gran Gran's here with us."
The raid began. The raid took place. The raid ended. As she, Sokka, and Gran Gran cowered in the hut, Katara heard blasts here and there that were firebenders. Fear gripped hold of her and did not let go until her father came and fetched them. He and the other Southern Water Tribe warriors pushed the Fire Nation Soldiers back, but not without many losses. Among the deceased was Katara's mother. Katara's hatred toward the Fire Nation mounted at that moment. No longer was she going to sit back like a perfect little seven year old and watch as they took over the world. The Fire Nation took their waterbenders, but she was still left. She could do something. She was the only waterbender in the whole south pole. Her grandmother took the role of their mother as Hakoda went off to war with the other warriors. While he was gone, Gran Gran gave Katara her mother's betrothal necklace which she now cherishes. From that moment, Katara swore that she would find the man that killed her mother.
"Everything will be alright, you two. Trust me. I'll be home before you know it."
"But dad, please can't you just stay? There's plenty of warriors who can go."
"No Katara, they need me. As their chief it's my duty. Be careful and don't get into trouble."
"So does this mean I'm the man of the house now, Dad? Chief Sokka!"
Years passed after their mother's death. Hakoda came and went with the Southern Water Tribe's warriors. Katara and Sokka stayed with their grandmother. The two helped her with everything they could. There were threats of another raid, but no Fire Nation ships landed on their shores. Katara found that she missed her mother and father more and more as the days ticked by. She grew up without her mother and it was hard for her. Going through the changes a young girl went through with only her grandmother to guide her. Through this time Katara formed a solid relationship with her brother and they rarely fought. They learned to take care of one another and they grew up together, looking out for each other.
"Sokka wait up! Where are you going? Honestly, this is ridiculous."
"You're just slow, Katara. C'mon, we're old enough to go exploring now."
"Yeah, but what if Gran Gran finds out, huh? She won't like us going off."
"Stop worrying so much. With your bending and my boomerang, we're fine."
Years passed and everything seemed peaceful. There were no more attacks on their village but their father had not returned. Now as a fourteen year old young lady, Katara had practiced more and more with her bending and now she was able to do quite a bit more than seven years ago. As she and Sokka explored, they came across an ice burg. This ice burg changed their lives forever. Frozen within it was a boy, a twelve year old boy and a giant flying bison. The boy, called Aang, was the Avatar. At first Katara couldn't believe it, but once they brought the boy back to their village everything seemed to be total bliss. Everyone was happy. it seemed as though nothing could go wrong. Then, when an exploration went sour, another Fire Nation ship showed up on their shores. Damage was done, but Katara's journey continued.
Time passed and the children met friends, enemies, and adventure as they continued on their journey to help Aang master all four elements. It was a tough exploration and many lives were changed in the process. Through it all Katara has grown and will continue to grow as their adventure goes on. They will make friends, lose friends, and find friends in the strangest of places. They will change the world.
Sample RP: A storm was coming - that much was clear. The young fourteen year old girl strode toward the river with her mind set on one thing - experimentation. There was nothing better to her than trying new things with her bending. As she had helped Aang, so he had helped her. When she had first watched him airbend, she noticed how he tended to have fun with it - not just use his abilities as a form of weaponry. Now it was her time to try just that. Her main intentions were to try to manipulate the water so it took the shape of different things. She would hold it in position before letting it drop back into the pool. Simple, but a fun way to form art. Though Katara had never been one for artwork, she still thought she'd try it out just for the fun of it. After all, her companions were always complaining that she never had much fun.
It took her only moments to make her way through the trees and to the river's bank. The group was camping in the midst of woods on the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom. It was a warm day, and the sky was clouded over. It was going to rain. Of course as soon as they had landed Katara had insisted they set up camp. They all pitched in and within the hour they were all set up. Two tents, one for herself and one for Sokka. Aang had insisted on sleeping with Appa and Momo. That night, if it were to rain, Appa would be in a terrible fix. It was just like Aang to endure the same as his animals. Just the thought of it make Katara smile.
Sitting down on the muddied bank, Katara crossed her legs indian-style and placed her hands on her legs. Currently she was attired in her blue robe with the long sleeves. It was a bit too warm out to be wearing such clothing, but if it were to rain - she would rather get this outfit wet than another of hers. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the water flowing in front of her. A light breeze lifted a lock of her hair that had come loose from her braid, causing it to tickle her face. Swiping at it angrily, she sighed and kept her eyes closed, imagining the water in front of her. Opening her eyes, she raised her hands and watched as a block of water rose from the pool. It was in the simple shape of a rectangle. Taking another deep breath, she began to move her hands as if she were molding clay in front of her. The water responded to her movements and within moments she had a rabbit-looking creature that was to be Momo. Laughing at herself, she let the water drop back in. Alright, so she wasn't the best artist around.
Just then a water droplet hit her cheek, running down her dark skin. Looking up, she watched as the clouds opened and let the rain fall to the earth. Biting her lip, she stood up. Another experiment. As the rain picked up, she took yet another breath and closed her eyes. In her mind she imagined the water droplets falling around her. Lifting her arms from her sides she kept her elbows bent at her sides but lifted her hands so her fingers were all pointing to the sky. Turning her hands but keeping them pointing up, she stopped the raindrops falling on her, but the others in the area continued to fall. Opening her eyes, she laughed and let them fall once more. Now this was fun to her.
Realizing that she was getting wet, she ran back to the camp and helped put things away for the night. She was freezing, and was glad she had worn warmer clothing. When Sokka asked her where she had been, she merely replied that she had been practicing. "I was at the river, then it started raining so I came back." He asked no more questions and she was glad. She didn't want him to think she had been doing anything else but practicing. As she changed her clothes and crawled into her sleeping bag, she closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe her bending wasn't just for a weapon, after all.
Name: Katara
Before her birth, Hakoda, her father, had begun speaking to her mother, Kaya, about the name of their second child. Not knowing whether it would be a male or a female, her father determined that there would be a 'K' in her name somewhere to continue the unwritten tradition in their family. It was an innocent tradition, and one that the family never knew would carry on. After their first child's birth, Hakoda realized that having two sons would be any man's wish, but because his wife wanted a daughter, they began searching for female names. In the end, the young girl was named Katara (Katar if it would've been another son). There is no set meaning for her name, nor was she named after anyone. Her mother just liked the name and while growing up, she began to like it as well.
Age: Fourteen
Although very mature for her age, Katara has spent fourteen years on this earth. Born on a cool December night, the young girl grew up quicker than she was supposed to. Having her mother be murdered at a young age and her father going off to war, Katara immediately became the 'mother' out of she and her brother. Even though she grew up with her grandmother watching out for her, Katara learned quickly enough that she was to take care of those around her. This aspect carried on as she grew up. Even when she was only a young girl of ten, she was ordering her brother around and keeping him out of trouble. When she met Aang and she and Sokka went off, leaving their village, Katara became the mother of the group, showing her maturity even at the age of fourteen.
Nation: Southern Water Tribe
Katara was born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe. She allies herself with this nation more than any other. There have been times, however, when she has gone under a different alias and aligned herself with another nation. Throughout a portion of her journey she was allied with the Earth Nation and even, to stay under cover, the Fire Nation. In a broader outlook, she has allied herself with the protagonists of the world. In better words, the Earth, Air, and Water kingdoms. If she were asked her hometown, however, she would immediately respond with 'The Southern Water Tribe.'
Bender?: Waterbending
Physical Appearance: When someone looks at Katara, they may automatically think she is a very pretty young lady. That she is. Like the rest of her tribe, Katara was born with stunning silver blue eyes and a dark complexion. Katara's skin tone is that of a dark copper color, matching that of her family and tribe. Anyone would be able to look at her with her blue eyes and dark skin and immediately be able to tell she was from the southern water tribe.
Her face is set with a fixed expression of joy and determination. Katara is not the sort of girl that could hide her emotions easily. Without even speaking a word, one would be able to tell what sort of mood the young girl was in. When she is angry, her dark eyebrows lower in a glare and her eyes narrow in on her target. When she is happy her face lights up and a brilliant smile crosses her lips. When sad or upset, the dark-complected girl's eyes swim with tears and her voice cracks when she speaks. With this open-book of emotions, it is easy for anyone to tell what she is thinking. This makes Katara a terrible liar and not able to tell a good joke.
Cradling her heart shaped face are her long, dark brown locks. Only cutting it a few times in her life, her hair hangs long down her back in complicated waves and curls. Her normal hairstyle consists of a tight braid down her back with two locks of hair looped around her face. She has no bangs, and has never wanted them. When her hair is not back, she keeps it down and long with the crown section of hair pulled back in a pony tail. This is considered one of her 'fancier' looks than her usual work and travel braid. When practicing her waterbending, however, the young girl will simply tie her hair back in a ponytail with a piece of blue cloth.
As for her stature, Katara is a rather average young lady. Standing at five feet five inches she weighs only around one hundred and ten pounds. Katara is not small nor is she large. Slender and slim, she is very athletic and knows how to keep her body in pristine condition for her bending. Having most of her muscle in her legs and forearms, she is not overly built or weak in the least sense of the words.
Clothing/Armor:Coming from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara's clothing mainly consists of blues, whites, and blacks. Because of the cold weather of the south, Katara grew up wearing nothing but a heavy jacket of polar bear fur and heavy cloth all of her life. Her jacket, being more of a parka, was the thickest piece of clothing a Water Tribe woman could wear. Hooded and lined with all sorts of animal furs, this jacket was worn outdoors and in the coolest of weathers. Decorated with different designs on the bosom added on by her grandmother and small tufts of fur on the hood and shoulders, Katara loved to wear her parka. Normally she would also wear a pair of seal-leather gloves dyed blue with it and a pair of leather boots also in a blue color.
Underneath her parka, Katara wore a traditional ladies garment. The layer closest to her body consisted of undergarments of a white color. These underclothes were different pieces of white cotton fabric layered around her bosom and made as a skirt. This skirt reaches roughly to the tops of her knees and is slit down either side to allow her to move freely while she bends. Underneath the skirt, which she puts on when just in her underclothes, is a pair of white pants that are tight to her skin. She would never be caught wearing just the pants, and therefore places the slitted skirt on over them.
The next layer of her clothing is her visible dark navy second layer. Stripping out of her white 'under' skirt, Katara puts on a pair of navy pants and a navy tight and fitted long sleeved shirt. These pieces of clothing could be considered something like our 'under armor' but not of the same slick material. The material used for Katara's clothing is the same cotton-feeling cloth. Throughout the season Katara's second layer varies. In the coldest of climates she wears everything long-sleeved and tight. In the cooler and summer climates she replaces her long-sleeved undershirt and just wears her white 'bra-like' underclothing.
Katara's final layer of clothing consists of her light blue robe. She holds close to her three different robes all of the same color and material but of different styles. In the coldest climates she wears a short-sleeved robe tied around her waist in white polar-bear fur. Slitted down each side and lined in warm furs, this robe reaches all the way down to her ankles. In the cooler climates she switches into her short-sleeved robe that does not have any furs trimming it. Still tied around her waist and reaching her ankles, she only wears this without her long-sleeved navy undershirt. And finally Katara wears a shorter robe without fur that reaches her knees. Again, this robe is tied around her waist and short-sleeved with slits down each leg.
For a final touch to each of her pieces of clothing, Katara wears the same moccasin-like boots and shoes and arm bands. With her warmest attire she wears arm protection from her wrist to her elbow. These are made of various skins and are dyed dark blue. And finally in warmer weather with her cooler outfits she wraps two pieces of navy cloth around each of her wrists three times. There is no set reason why she does this, she just enjoys it while she bends. As for jewelry, Katara wears around her neck a piece of navy blue cloth on which hangs a round stone about an inch in diameter. Made of a blue gem, it is carved in the shape of the Water Tribe insignia.
While those are her main attire, throughout her travels Katara changes into many outfits. While taken captive to rescue Haru, Katara was placed in dirty brown rags. While going undercover, she was attired in a black cloak. Staying out of eye sight of the fire nation, she had been clothed in a fire nation robe and cloak. While traveling through the fire nation the young girl and her friends stole some clothing off of a line and wore that to stay out of the eye of the fire nation. All the more way to blend in. And finally Katara has dressed herself as a painted lady in order to help others.
Weapons: Born as a waterbender, Katara uses her bending as her main form of weapon. While still in the Southern Water Tribe, she was still just an amateur bender. Only able to manipulate water and do with it as she pleased. Katara's form of bending is not very unique and she uses it as a practical way to protect and help others and herself. Waterbending, coming from Tai Chi, is a difficult yet relaxing way of bending the elements. While bending, Katara relaxes herself and concentrates on the task at hand. Before getting help, the young girl could do small tasks with her bending without tiring herself. When doing something big, like creating large waves or using the water as a weapon for a long period of time, Katara would get tired and have to rest.
When she met Aang and began teaching him waterbending, she learned along with him how to bend in special ways. First to her came Streaming the Water, which was a form of waterbending that she named herself. This form is basically when she uses a stream of water to her advantage. Whether that be attacking or just moving water from one body to another. When practicing more attack-like moves, Katara began using the Water Whip, which she uses quite frequently. This is when she takes a stream of water and uses it to her advantage like a whip to face opponents. Next are the water jets. Katara uses these to blast and keep back an enemy. With the high pressure water causes, this comes in handy when she and the others are trying to escape. Many times Katara has used a water wave to manipulate such things as a boat or a low-flying vessel. When first practicing this, it took she and Aang to manipulate a wave. Though as the time went on, she mastered it on her own. As a form of defense to hold an opponent, Katara mastered the water wall, which she would trap an enemy in and then freeze it as a sort of cage. The freezing or melting of water is called Water Thermokinesis. As time went on Katara then mastered the Ice Spikes, Creeper, Shield, Discs, Knife and Breath.
Another main ability that Katara received from her waterbending is her ability to heal. Though she isn't a master at healing, she is able to mend small, minor wounds at any moment. While at the Spirit Oasis, Katara placed a small amount of the water in a container. This water is said to have strong healing abilities. Though she has not used it yet, she is keeping it on hand just in case.
As she grows, Katara's bending becomes stronger and stronger. Though she will never be able to use the Avatar form of Waterbending, she will be able to use it in many other forms that will help her along her way.
Personality: Though it is already mentioned that Katara is a very mature young lady, there is much more about her personality that defines who she is. Katara is mature, loving, kind, ambitious, determined, wise, thoughtful, and sometimes stubborn, hot-headed, and reckless. She is the type of person that can change her attitude when provoked, showing two different sides of herself for all to see. This is a brief outline of the complex person she is.
Katara shows her maturity in many ways. For one thing, when she is around people that are panicked, confused, or needing of help, she is the levelheaded girl there to assist them. She doesn't usually freak out in situations and keeps her calm without showing much emotion whether it is negative or positive. This helps others relax in tough situations which makes her a good asset to many situations. Katara is also very mature when it comes to deciding what is right and what is wrong. She takes into consideration every element of every situation and analyzes it until she can come up with a good solution that will benefit for everyone. She is not reckless by any means and thinks about things before she acts.
Growing up as the mother of her family, Katara has grown to be a very kind, gentle, and loving young lady. Though she does not put her trust out there often, once someone gets in her trust boundary, they will be under her wing until they give her a reason to not love them. She is often willing to take anyone to shelter, protect, and help them.
Katara is the sort of girl that will set her mind's eye on a task and work at it until it is complete. This shows her ambition and determination. Though she is not much of a dreamer, she is a headstrong girl that will not stop at something until she knows she has mastered, completed, or has gotten satisfaction from it. This is a main reason she mastered waterbending so quickly to help Aang. She knew that in order for Aang to master it, she herself had to understand her bending in order to give him the boost he needed. Her ambition and determination is not only limited to her skills, but rather anything she does. From the smallest task of putting up camp to defeating the fire lord, Katara will not stop until she has succeeded.
Because of her determination, Katara brings out a part of her that isn't the best quality - her hotheaded and stubbornness. Katara is a single-minded being and she will put her entire focus on one task. If someone or something gets in the way of her completing said task, she will not hesitate to lash out at said person or thing getting in her way. This shows that Katara has a short temper and she is not one to mess with when she sets her mind to something. The young girl is also someone who will not sway her mindset to fix the needs of others. For example, if she has made it clear that she does not like nor trust a person, no matter how much they try to sway her to trust them, she will not. Stubborn as she is, she is the sort of girl who will hold grudges to the grave.
With her maturity comes wisdom. Katara is a very smart little girl and it is from her heart that her intelligence comes naturally to her. Though she may not be the smartest person in the world, she is still very wise and thoughtful in many aspects of life. For example she is a very good strategic.
Katara is a very complicated girl, but it is from the heart that she helps others and is always determined to find a way to save the world alongside her friends. Her maturity, loyalty, bravery, and ambition are good additions to the group.
Background: "Hakoda, what if it's a girl. We cannot name her Katar."
"It was my father's name, Kaya. If it's a girl, we shall name her Katara."
"Must we continue the tradition, darling? She will be unique without a 'K'."
"No, we must continue it. All of my family have a 'K'. It's tradition."
On that cool December night three days before the coming birth of a young daughter, two parents fought endlessly on a name for their child. The pregnant woman, Kaya, lay back on the bundle of bed as her husband knelt down beside her. Her belly was bulging with a child that would soon make a difference in their small southern tribe. An infant slept soundly in the corner in his crib made of cloths and leather. His name was Sokka, and he knew not that he would soon be the elder brother of a young girl. Kaya closed her eyes and her husband knew that it was no time to fight with her about names. As he stood to leave, an elderly woman pulled back the leather flap that served as a door to the small hut. She was his mother in law, his wife's mother and the midwife to their children. It was to be her job to birth their second child. The woman sat down beside her daughter, pressing a wet cloth to her forehead. Only a few more days until the birth.
"Katara get back here! It's dangerous out there. You're only a little girl."
"But mom, I'm four years old! Sokka can protect me. See his boomerang?"
"No and that's that young lady. Come back inside and work on your sewing."
"But I don't want to sew, I want to practice waterbending with the other women!"
Katara grew up like many southern water tribe children did. The first few years of her life she spent inside the family hut, watching her mother and grandmother go on with their tasks. She was a spunky toddler and was always begging to go outdoors. Within the first few months of her birth Katara would cry and cry until her mother took her outside in her arms or the back basket her grandmother wove with the thickest leather. She would be bundled up tightly in her warmest furs and her mother would walk her along the banks of the water. The sound of her mother's boots crunching through the snow would lull her to sleep but she would wake up the moment she was taken indoors. Katara grew to love the outdoors this way, and as the years went by and her mother allowed her to walk outside on her own, she would spend most of her days sitting beside the water as her brother threw rocks into it. At the age of four she began showing interest in water. Often she would sit and watch the other women and men practice their waterbending by the water. Then, at the age of six, she manipulated her first drop of water.
"Dad come here quick! Katara's doing something interesting! Hurry!"
"Katara, you're a waterbender! That's wonderful darling, I'm so proud of you."
"I was just doing what I saw the others do, Daddy. Then it moved. Sokka was scared."
"Was not! You got my boot wet and it startled me, that's all. It's cold water, you know."
Sitting in the middle of the family hut, Katara stared at a clay pot of water for the longest time as her brother sat against the wall with a knife and a piece of ice in his hand. She had been watching the adult waterbenders earlier in the day - studying each of their moves carefully. After about a half hour of staring at the water in the pot, she simply moved her hand so her gloved palm was hovering over the liquid. Moving her hand as if to pull a piece of cloth off of a bed, she watched as the water formed a single stream that rose as she rose her hand. From the corner she heard her brother gasp, startling her and causing her to drop the water, losing her concentration. Her parents rushed into the hut at Sokka's calls, but all Katara could think of was that she was a waterbender. She was special.
"And this is how you sew and weave a blanket, Katara. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes, Gran Gran, but I want to go outside. I'm tired of sewing and weaving."
"You may go outside after you learn to cook bread and clean the floors."
"But it's so nice out! All the other children are outdoors. Why can't I go too?"
Even after finding out about her abilities, Katara was still made to learn the simplest of tasks that a woman of the Southern Water Tribe learned. She learned to cook, clean, sew, and be a good mother to her future children. Through this stage of her life, between the ages of four and seven, the young girl learned and mastered these tasks with the help from her grandmother and mother. She formed a very tight bond with the women, and came to idolize both of them. To her it felt as though she had two mothers even though one was older than the other. As her relationship with the women grew, so did her love for her father and elder brother. Often times Katara and Sokka played with one another, but she was usually stuck inside while he went out and played with the other boys of the tribe. Katara looked up to her father who was Chief of the tribe and also a well-known warrior. Though he traveled often, Katara still held a very tight bond with him.
"Katara, stay inside! You too, Sokka. Don't go outdoors - there'a a raid."
"But dad, I want to fight too! Why can't I go with you? Please, I'm ready!"
"No you're not, Sokka, stay with your sister. Protect her. Don't come out."
"Be careful dad! Sokka and I will be fine, I promise. Gran Gran's here with us."
The raid began. The raid took place. The raid ended. As she, Sokka, and Gran Gran cowered in the hut, Katara heard blasts here and there that were firebenders. Fear gripped hold of her and did not let go until her father came and fetched them. He and the other Southern Water Tribe warriors pushed the Fire Nation Soldiers back, but not without many losses. Among the deceased was Katara's mother. Katara's hatred toward the Fire Nation mounted at that moment. No longer was she going to sit back like a perfect little seven year old and watch as they took over the world. The Fire Nation took their waterbenders, but she was still left. She could do something. She was the only waterbender in the whole south pole. Her grandmother took the role of their mother as Hakoda went off to war with the other warriors. While he was gone, Gran Gran gave Katara her mother's betrothal necklace which she now cherishes. From that moment, Katara swore that she would find the man that killed her mother.
"Everything will be alright, you two. Trust me. I'll be home before you know it."
"But dad, please can't you just stay? There's plenty of warriors who can go."
"No Katara, they need me. As their chief it's my duty. Be careful and don't get into trouble."
"So does this mean I'm the man of the house now, Dad? Chief Sokka!"
Years passed after their mother's death. Hakoda came and went with the Southern Water Tribe's warriors. Katara and Sokka stayed with their grandmother. The two helped her with everything they could. There were threats of another raid, but no Fire Nation ships landed on their shores. Katara found that she missed her mother and father more and more as the days ticked by. She grew up without her mother and it was hard for her. Going through the changes a young girl went through with only her grandmother to guide her. Through this time Katara formed a solid relationship with her brother and they rarely fought. They learned to take care of one another and they grew up together, looking out for each other.
"Sokka wait up! Where are you going? Honestly, this is ridiculous."
"You're just slow, Katara. C'mon, we're old enough to go exploring now."
"Yeah, but what if Gran Gran finds out, huh? She won't like us going off."
"Stop worrying so much. With your bending and my boomerang, we're fine."
Years passed and everything seemed peaceful. There were no more attacks on their village but their father had not returned. Now as a fourteen year old young lady, Katara had practiced more and more with her bending and now she was able to do quite a bit more than seven years ago. As she and Sokka explored, they came across an ice burg. This ice burg changed their lives forever. Frozen within it was a boy, a twelve year old boy and a giant flying bison. The boy, called Aang, was the Avatar. At first Katara couldn't believe it, but once they brought the boy back to their village everything seemed to be total bliss. Everyone was happy. it seemed as though nothing could go wrong. Then, when an exploration went sour, another Fire Nation ship showed up on their shores. Damage was done, but Katara's journey continued.
Time passed and the children met friends, enemies, and adventure as they continued on their journey to help Aang master all four elements. It was a tough exploration and many lives were changed in the process. Through it all Katara has grown and will continue to grow as their adventure goes on. They will make friends, lose friends, and find friends in the strangest of places. They will change the world.
Sample RP: A storm was coming - that much was clear. The young fourteen year old girl strode toward the river with her mind set on one thing - experimentation. There was nothing better to her than trying new things with her bending. As she had helped Aang, so he had helped her. When she had first watched him airbend, she noticed how he tended to have fun with it - not just use his abilities as a form of weaponry. Now it was her time to try just that. Her main intentions were to try to manipulate the water so it took the shape of different things. She would hold it in position before letting it drop back into the pool. Simple, but a fun way to form art. Though Katara had never been one for artwork, she still thought she'd try it out just for the fun of it. After all, her companions were always complaining that she never had much fun.
It took her only moments to make her way through the trees and to the river's bank. The group was camping in the midst of woods on the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom. It was a warm day, and the sky was clouded over. It was going to rain. Of course as soon as they had landed Katara had insisted they set up camp. They all pitched in and within the hour they were all set up. Two tents, one for herself and one for Sokka. Aang had insisted on sleeping with Appa and Momo. That night, if it were to rain, Appa would be in a terrible fix. It was just like Aang to endure the same as his animals. Just the thought of it make Katara smile.
Sitting down on the muddied bank, Katara crossed her legs indian-style and placed her hands on her legs. Currently she was attired in her blue robe with the long sleeves. It was a bit too warm out to be wearing such clothing, but if it were to rain - she would rather get this outfit wet than another of hers. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the water flowing in front of her. A light breeze lifted a lock of her hair that had come loose from her braid, causing it to tickle her face. Swiping at it angrily, she sighed and kept her eyes closed, imagining the water in front of her. Opening her eyes, she raised her hands and watched as a block of water rose from the pool. It was in the simple shape of a rectangle. Taking another deep breath, she began to move her hands as if she were molding clay in front of her. The water responded to her movements and within moments she had a rabbit-looking creature that was to be Momo. Laughing at herself, she let the water drop back in. Alright, so she wasn't the best artist around.
Just then a water droplet hit her cheek, running down her dark skin. Looking up, she watched as the clouds opened and let the rain fall to the earth. Biting her lip, she stood up. Another experiment. As the rain picked up, she took yet another breath and closed her eyes. In her mind she imagined the water droplets falling around her. Lifting her arms from her sides she kept her elbows bent at her sides but lifted her hands so her fingers were all pointing to the sky. Turning her hands but keeping them pointing up, she stopped the raindrops falling on her, but the others in the area continued to fall. Opening her eyes, she laughed and let them fall once more. Now this was fun to her.
Realizing that she was getting wet, she ran back to the camp and helped put things away for the night. She was freezing, and was glad she had worn warmer clothing. When Sokka asked her where she had been, she merely replied that she had been practicing. "I was at the river, then it started raining so I came back." He asked no more questions and she was glad. She didn't want him to think she had been doing anything else but practicing. As she changed her clothes and crawled into her sleeping bag, she closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe her bending wasn't just for a weapon, after all.