Tarek/Raiden

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Basic Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Tarek (birthname)

Alias (optional): Raiden (Changed when he left the fire nation)

Gender: Male

Age: 31

Bending Power: Fire

Allegiances: No formal allegiances as of yet

Family Members(Optional): Father: Turok (Firebender, deceased), Mother: Syrena (Non bender, deceased)

Birth Date(Optional): 6 years before Avatar Aang's death

Extra Information: Raiden's father, Turok, taught him firebending from a young age, including lighting generation and redirection

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearance~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Appearance: Raiden doesn't look like the typical firenation citizen. Instead of the traditional ponytail worn by most firenation soldiers, Raiden has a shaved head in order to avoid notice. His face has been weathered by his many years of travel, but his eyes are filled with determination, drive, and resolve. A single scar lines his face, travelling down from under his right eye, across his mouth and onto his chin. Laugh lines creased into his cheeks indicate that he enjoys life, and that the ongoing war isn't a big concern of his. He travels in red traveling garments, and always has his spear (which doubles as a walking stick) with him. Raiden has a very short brown-colored beared, and grey eyes that turn slighly orange/red when he firebends.

Height: 6.2 feet

Weight: 185 pounds

Body Type: Thin, tall and not exceptionally muscular (athletic build more or less)


Voice: Raiden's voice is always calm and exceptionally clear. It is deep and doesn't change a lot with emotions

Extra Clothing/Gear: Apart from his travelling clothes and spear, Raiden also carries some light leather armour, a broadsword and a ceremonial fire nation dagger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Persona~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personality: Raiden is an easy going person. He has no vendetta against anyone and doesn't take sides in the war. He appreciates wisdom in any form, and loves to travel to forgotten places to discover secrets and gain a better understanding of the world around him. He also thoroughly enjoys humour in any form and is seldom seen sad or upset.

He does, however, tend to become angry when anyone throws things out of balance, exploits power for personal gain, desecrates a sacred place or misuses knowledge (although these things seldom disturb him enough for him to take action). He also pushes himself very hard and trains almost continually.

Likes: Ancient artifacts, tomes, and ruins, laughter, music, dancing, travelling and exploration.

Dislikes: War, dictators, profiteering, exploitation and water tribe food.

Goals: To achieve total enlightenment, or to come as close as possible.

Fears: Being captured by the firenation and forced into the war or incarcerated (For fleeing the fire nation)

Strength: Raiden is always calm and quick-witted, he can talk his way out of most problems.

Weakness: Raiden is too quick to trust and sometimes too slow to anger

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~History~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

History:

Born in the firenation, roughly six years before the great showdown with Avatar Aang and Firelord Ozai, Tarek grew up in times of great desolation and war. Turok, Tarek's father, was a firebender grunt assigned with guard duty at the royal palace. Although he never made it out of the firenation to fight in the war, he had the gift of observation. For countless hours he secretly watched the fire sages teach members of the royal family advanced firebending techniques, amongst them lightning generation. Turok even watched General Iroh, The Dragon Of The West, redirect lightning before the sages and the Firelord, who scoffed at the technique. He watched, he learned, and soon he was able to replicate the techniques. However, Turok never revealed his new skills to anyone. Soon after, Turok met and married a non-bender named Syrena, with whom he had a child and started a family.

Turok's relaxed position as a palace guard allowed him to teach his son, Tarek, the art of firebending and the art of "watching" personally. Turok kept his son hidden and out of schools and showed him the world outside of the firenation. After many years of training and secrecy Tarek was finally discovered on a mountain near his home by soldiers who had heard him practising with lightning. Now already in his late teens the soldiers demanded that he come with them, and that he has "volunteered" to be drafted into the military. Tarek asked if he could just say his goodbyes to his family and grab a few things and the soldiers reluctantly agreed. He went into the house and escaped through a back window with just his clothes, his spear, his sword, and his dagger. The soldiers searched but he was already long gone. In order to stay hidden and avoid any other encouters with firenation soldiers, Tarek shaved his hair and adopted the name Raiden.

Ever since then Raiden has been wandering the four nations, seeking treasures of knowledge and history, implementing all his father had taught him about watching and learning. Living alone and off the hospitality of others continually seeking enlightenment and trying to keep out of the war...

Approved.