Rai Kana

Rai Kana (Usually written as "Raikana") is a waterbender and healer from the Southern Water Tribe and a player in the first generation chronicle, Wilting of the Lotus, as well as an NPC in the second generation chronicle in the form of Keidanai's mentor.

Physical Attributes
Raikana is of Water Tribe descent, with curly brown hair, dark skin and blue eyes. She wears her hair long (waist length, with a blunt fringe) for the most part of The Wilting of the Lotus, cutting it short after the events of A Memory of Storms. She often slouches to downplay both her figure and her height, both of which are more than she is comfortable with. However, she begins standing up straight after the invasion of the Southern Water tribe. She has a single white streak on the right side located at about her temple, gained after her mind-meld with Sulo in the events of The Poisoned Healer and A Memory of Storms. It is heavily implied, especially by the Voice in A Poisoned Healer, that Raikana struggles with her body image and wishes that she was shorter or her facial features less strong so she would look more feminine.

Initially, her clothing is a set of matronly and unflattering Water Tribe robes, although after these are taken from her by the Gravekeeper she switches to a blue wrap dress with a slate blue underdress and dark blue pants. She initially expresses discomfort with the exposure of her neck and sternum, but seems comfortable with it by the end of the timeskip. In the Fire Nation, she wears a red sleeveless shirt that exposes her midriff, a pair of maroon pants, and a shin-length red skirt. Initially, she covers her midriff with a black sash, but after the events of A Memory of Storms she begins to tie it around her hips instead. She also cuts her hair short and begins to brush her fringe sideways, exposing more of her face, and she gains a white streak at one temple similar to Sulo, although on the opposite side.

After the events of the first two books, Raikana undergoes a drastic change in appearance. She gains tattoos of blue lightning bolts over her chest, back, and limbs shortly after leaving Taishan Island, and she ceases to maintain her short hair, allowing it to grow to her shoulders and her fringe to grow out. Her unusual appearance leads to her being mistaken for a spirit and the birth of the legend of the Tempest Queen. After this, she begins to dress in Earth Kingdom clothes to cover the tattoos and protect her alternate identity. Her hair begins to go grey at the age of 22, giving her the uncanny appearance of being both young and aged, and as it grows longer she begins to wear it tied off her face in a low ponytail. Her hair is completely grey by the age of 33, and although she is now 42 she still has the odd incongruousness of completely silver hair despite a face that has only recently begun to show the ravages of middle age. Although this is usually concealed by the high collar of her shirt, she wears a black choker with a circular green-and-white enamel charm bearing the image of a lotus flower. She has an almost pensive, reflective demeanour about her, as if mediating on something only she can see.

As the Tempest Queen, Rai Kana unties her hair, and wears a long white dress cut to show off the tattoos-- low at front and back, slit up to just above the knee. It would appear provocative if it weren't for the fact that the Tempest Queen is deeply and viscerally terrifying to those who set eyes on her, evoking awe and wonder in those she defends and fear and panic in those who would attack them. Raikana herself is unsure where this quality comes from, but she suspects it's something to do with her spiritual link to Sulo or her inordinately high force of Will.

Personality
Raikana is one of the more motherly characters in the group, frequently expressing concern for the welfare of others and becoming angry with members of her team (Most often Kallai) for doing things she believes puts them in needless danger. She has a strong sense of duty to others over her own needs, and frequently puts her own feelings aside for fear of being selfish. She appears to have a complex regarding duty and selfishness, repeatedly doing what she thinks is best for the group as a whole even if it becomes to her own detriment. She also frequently displays a degree of confusion and downright incompetence regarding relationships, including misreading Kallai's advancements as a joke and frequently worrying if her friends value her as much as she values them. She is easily ruffled or flustered and has a short temper, although she forgives others easily-- the sole examples of her holding a grudge are her father Reelan and Espira, the Phoenix. However, she is also a spirited and energetic person and often the first to assert that a situation will turn out positively or to reassure other characters that things will turn out well. She is a very emotional person and is prone to outward displays of vivid and passionate emotion, and although she is a kind and loving person she is also easily hurt by others, and hyperaware of this vulnerability.

As the story progresses, she becomes progressively more amiable and kind of demeanour, although simultaneously she begins to openly display her resentment towards Reelan in conversations regarding him. The arrival of Kallai causes a backpedal in this way, with Raikana reverting to a more closed off and defensive demeanour, although this too slackens off with time. Post-A Memory of Storms, Raikana becomes considerably more upbeat and open in demeanour, even flirting with Kallai after a fashion, although she holds back on that front due to her suspicions about his impending death.

In between Book Two and Book Three, Raikana becomes disconnected and aimless, heading back to the Southern Water Tribe to consult with her father Reelan and mentor Uran for advice, before departing again. However, shortly after this something reignites her spark, and the Raikana that reaches Omashu is a Raikana desperately trying to make herself anew. Although she is harbours an anger and resentment for Kallai, simultaneously she is slowly coming to peace with herself, and over the course of the next few years she gradually comes to terms with the tumultous events that had taken place. Sulo and Raikana make their peace on the third anniversary of Kallai's death and then Sulo disappears, a loss Raikana feels as keenly -- or moreso -- than the loss of his brother, her first love.

However, over the next few years Raikana gradually deals with the losses and heals the wounds of the past, and when she learns of Keidanai's situation she reacts with compassion. She knew what it was like to lose a parent and to contend with her own burgeoning power, as well as navigating the transition to womanhood without the support of any other women until late in her teens. Ultimately, Raikana took Keidanai as a student because she saw a reflection of herself in her young niece, and she desperately wanted for Keidanai to have the things she had been denied by her circumstances. She does her best for the next decade to take the supportive mentor role, both as a Waterbender and as a female relative. Her relationship with Kei is very close and supportive, and Raikana considers this one of the few things in her life she has done right.

As such, middle age has made Raikana a calmer person, a woman marked by scars of the past and who has moved beyond the pain they caused. Inwardly, she knows that the marks other people have left on her are permanent and she will never return to the way she was before, but she also acknowledges than loss is the price of love, and it was a price in retrospect that she was willing to pay. However, age has not blunted the depth to which she feels her feelings, and the wounds of the present still cut very deep. Raikana tries valiantly to be philosophical, and that does help, but the fact that she is naturally a passionate and emotional person makes it impossible to truly remove herself emotionally, only give the appearance of removal.

Waterbending
Raikana has trained in the Southern Style of Waterbending since the age of six, and is fairly proficient at the start of the series, gradually achieving Waterbending Mastery as the story goes on. Although she lacks the natural gift that Mayna posessed, she compensates with a singleminded determination to master her own power and what she perceived as the one thing about her than had material worth. She favours direct jets or blasts to the centre of gravity to unbalance an opponent, or sharp ice needles or spears directed at vital areas such as the jugular. She also displays knowledge of sublimation in the final battle.

Healing
Raikana, although not particularly gifted at Waterbending, is an exceptional Healer and considers this a point of pride for most of her life. Exceptional success in a Healing roll leads to her experiencing the feeling of obtaining the injury she is healing-- this is possibly due to her high Will stat, or to do with her subconscious desire to take the suffering of others on herself.

Chibending
Raikana knows one chibending move, the exact nature of which is unclear. Apparently it is a family secret, passed to Reelan by his wife Mayna and then passed to Raikana. It increases waterbending power, however Raikana has never attempted to use it on anyone outside the Southern Water Tribe.

Lightning Redirection
At some point during the events of "The Braver Hungry", Raikana gains the ability to redirect lightning.

Raikana's Monster/The Tempest Queen
During The Poisoned Healer, an entity referred to only as "Raikana's monster" makes an appearance. This entity is a physical representation of Raikana's self-doubt and anxiety, and appears as seven-foot, skeletal version of Raikana herself, fused to the floor with ice and with the vast majority of the flesh from her torso missing. There are spikes of ice protruding from her head, shoulders, back and elbows. The monster is not in itself hostile but will react in defence, and cannot be destroyed. In its passive state, the monster assumes the form of an emaciated seven-foot Raikana, a single row of ice spikes on her head in a similar manner to a crown.

During The Braver Hungry, the Monster undergoes a change of form-- she takes on Raikana's tattoos, which flash and crackle as if made of lightning, and her clothing switches to a white dress, with icy Lotus flowers woven through her hair.

Upon the accidental creation of Raikana's alternate identity as the Tempest Queen, she adopts a variation of the Monster's appearance when acting as the Tempest Queen. This in Raikana's eyes is her own way of conquering the Monster-- making her into a strength rather than a weakness.

Backstory
Raikana is the elder daughter of Reelan, the Water Tribe's first machinist, and Mayna, the daughter of the tribe's leader Uran and part of a very prestigious line of Waterbenders. She had a happy childhood, and was the first of six siblings. However, Mayna died shortly after giving birth to twin girls, causing Reelan to have a downward spiral that culminated in him essentially locking himself in his workshop for two years. During this time, Raikana effectively became the primary caregiver for her siblings and devoted all her time to looking after them, as many of them were too young to care for themselves in any capacity and she felt a sense of duty to set her own wants aside for the needs of her family. During this time, Raikana lost a lot of her friendships due to not having the time to see her friends. When Reelan emerged from his workshop, it was with his relationships with his children either ruined beyond repair or nonexistent, and although his reappearance led to the removal of some of Raikana's burden, the damage done to their relationship was seemingly impossible to repair. Although Raikana loves her father she simultaneously resents him for checking out when she and her siblings needed his support most. Although Reelan is present in his children's lives, it is heavily implied that in terms of authority he has very little, with his children looking to Raikana or Uran instead.

Raikana was trained in waterbending by her grandfather Uran-- a departure from family tradition where the eldest daughter is taught by the most senior female waterbender of the family. However, as his wife Kelyss Sr had died when Raikana was three and his daughter was also dead, the role of teaching Raikana fell to him. He continued to mentor Raikana until she left to journey with the other Lotus Blossoms.

After the events of the Wilting of the Lotus, Raikana returns to the Southern Water Tribe to seek the counsel of her mentors, only to depart again shortly after. It is shortly after this that she runs into a storm and, tormented by the things she never said to Kallai, instead says them to the lightning in the storm, venting her anger and sorrow to the element he once bent. Shortly after, she is struck by lightning.

She goes ashore the next day and inadvertently frightens a group of Earth Kingdom fisherman, who assume her an ocean spirit and flee. A series of further sightings around the South Coast of the Earth Kingdom of a strange woman in white clothing with tattoos of lightning causes a local legend to spread about a mysterious spirit of storms, the ocean, rivers and lakes. The most common name for this spirit is the Tempest Queen, which covers the entirety of the Earth Kingdom and the near side of the Fire Nation, as well as the Northern Water Tribe, although there are other names depending on region: "Caller of Storms", "Wave Walker" and "River Walker" are common in the Earth Kingdom, with "Lady of Lightning" being commonplace on the far side of the fire nation. The Southern Water Tribe tend to refer to her as "Stormchaser".

The events of these years are explored in more detail in The Braver Hungry.

After this, she begins travelling the Earth Kingdom, visiting several of her friends and overseeing the birth of Fi before returning, again, to the Southern Water Tribe, where she discovers the existence of Keidanai. Disturbed by the idea of herself teaching the new generation, she flees.

Raikana travels for a further six years before returning home, leaving with Kei as her student. She has been mentoring Kei for the past twelve years while simultaneously travelling, up until the point she left Kei in Omashu. Her current status and whereabouts are unknown.

Reelan
Raikana's relationship with her father is tumultuous at best, and has been so since the death of her mother and the resulting downward spiral. Due to Reelan emotionally checking out, Raikana became master of her own household at the age of ten. Although she had outside help, her need to stay home and look after the children Reelan had deserted caused her to become a social pariah, in addition to already dealing with gossip concerning Reelan's disappearance. She plainly resents him for his actions following her mother's death, however she still cares about him deeply and is concerned for his welfare. She thinks little of his capabilities of a father, stating that the management of her household was something she did not need his help with and repeatedly expressing her resentment towards him prior to her return to the Southern Water Tribe. However, she shows concern for him as well as her siblings during the Fire Nation attack and when she has a breakdown in his workshop Reelan steps in to calm her, something that greatly increases her esteem of him, and she afterwards admits that "he's shaped up as far as fatherhood goes". In addition, Reelan is the one to teach her her single chibending trick after she breaks down in his workshop following the death of Kaidas. During the events of The Braver Hungry, Reelan offers Raikana counsel on two matters: recovering from the death of Kallai , as Reelan had also lost a lover in the form of Raikana's mother Mayna , and in the decision to tutor Keidanai. Although Raikana still resents the loss of her childhood as she stepped up to take the reponsibilities Reelan had left behind, the two are on good terms.

Mayna
Mayna was originally Raikana's waterbending tutor, and Raikana regarded her very highly. The feeling was very much mutual: Mayna loved her eldest daughter dearly, as she had been told all her teen years she would likely never be able to successfully carry a pregnancy to term and Raikana was the thing that proved that wrong. Not only did her eldest child live, but she thrived, as did those that came after her. In the episode A Memory of Storms, Mayna is shown to be honest to the point of bluntness with Raikana regarding the matter of life, death, and healing, speaking honestly about her feelings regarding the inevitability that is the death of a patient. Mayna passed away when Raikana was ten, and this deeply impacted her. The image Mayna left behind was idealised by those unwilling to speak ill of the dead: a beautiful, talented and well-loved woman, close to the heart of the tribe. Raikana knew she had no hope of living up to the ideal death made of Mayna, and so Mayna became a source of pain and disappointment for her, a medium through which she expressed dissatisfaction with her own achievements and progress. This came to a head during Raikana's spiritual breakdown after her failure to save Sulo, where the environment she creates included the voice of Mayna taunting her about her failures and for her failure to live up to Mayna's last words: "You are my legacy."

Kaidas
Kaidas was the eldest of Raikana's siblings, being less than two years younger than Raikana herself, and was her closest and only friend for much of her teenage years. Raikana obviously holds him in high esteem and is proud of his efforts to contribute to the politics and daily runnings of the tribe in the form of becoming the council's messenger. His death in the first raid on the Southern Watertribe hits her very hard, prompting a breakdown in Reelan's workshop shortly after his death. After the deal with the Taishan Dragon. Raikana holds on to the hope that Kaidas may have lived, and is upset and distressed to the point of departing the dining hall in order to deal with her grief alone.

Terhal
Although the first time Raikana is seen interacting with Terhal he antagonises her by saying healing is "women's work", it's also evident that Terhal relies on Raikana for emotional support. In The Braver Hungry, he is first seen going to her for advice on how to approach Tara Lin, who is he is intrigued by, and later confiding in her his emotional confusion upon discovering the aforementioned has a child by a dead man, who he presumes she still loves. Raikana also teases him upom finding out him and Tara have had children, to which he responds by fondly calling her "the worst".

Myro
Although Myro and Raikana do not interact very much during Book 1 and 2, their relationship features prominently in The Braver Hungry. Myro and Raikana, although outwardly very different, are quite similar in temperament, and Myro regards Raikana as a parental figure. He is also the most understanding of Raikana's family regarding her feelings about mentoring Keidanai, telling her that Hahli wants to mentor her daughter initially and that this will give Raikana time to come to terms, although when Hahli vanishes he pleads with Raikana to take Keidanai with her, telling Raikana she is the only person he trusts to keep his daughter safe and protected.

Kelyss and Tezana
Raikana is fiercely protective of Kelyss and Tezana, her two youngest siblings, although her relationship with them is almost parental rather than sisterly. She has raised the two of them from the day they were born, and she is fiercely protective of them both to the point of immediately dropping other concerns in order to protect or rescue them and referring to them with considerable pride as "my girls". In The Braver Hungry, they turn to Raikana for help and advice regarding differentiating themselves.

Ailis
Raikana adopts Ailis as a younger sister figure more or less instantly, and although she cannot always directly help the other girl with the things she struggles with Raikana makes a consistent effort to be a supportive presence to her if needed, to the point of shouting at Kallai for calling Ailis a murderer. She scolds Ailis often, but this is more often than not out of fond exasperation for the other girl than any genuine anger. She feels a considerable amount of guilt for allowing Ailis's sky bison Teechi to pass away, although at the same time she feels the raising of baby bison may help Ailis mature/

Tara
During Book 1 and 2, Raikana is not particularly close to Tara primarily due to a difference in age and maturity and also her feeling that Tara's stubborn adherence to airbender ideals does more harm than good. Although she genuinely cares for her, she struggles to relate to her, although this is alleviated as Tara ages throughout the chronicle and Raikana takes on an older sister role to her in a similar manner to Ailis. The two of them drift apart after the end of Book 2, although it is during this time that Tara is introduced to Terhal, on whom she makes quite the impression. The two are reunited during the birth of Fi, and later that year the two travel together to the Southern Water Tribe. Over the next few years as Tara kindles a relationship with Terhal, Raikana begins to consider Tara not just a member of her Lotus family but also her flesh and blood one, especially when she and Terhal have children together.

Fu Zen
Raikana immediately takes a liking to Fu Zen, recognising him as a kindred spirit, and they remain close friends all the way through the chronicle. Although they come from vastly different backgrounds and skillsets and come across vastly different ways, Raikana recognised something of herself in Fu Zen-- endurance. Fu Zen physically fought his way to victory, relying on his physical strength to succeed, while Raikana fought her way emotionally, using her strength of spirit. She sees him as the elder brother she hadn't realised she wanted, and although she studiously ignored his advice on the matter of Kallai she valued his opinion and held him in consistently high esteem. In her opinion, Fu Zen was not traditionally intelligent, but he was a man of great wisdom and creativity.

Xian
Although Rai Kana admired Xian for her strong leadership skills, capableness in combat, and ability to keep her head, this meant that Raikana almost felt Xian was intimidating and "too cool" for her, and didn't really make an effort to befriend her until they ended up sharing a living space for an extended period in the Western Air Temple. However, after this she becomes progressively more comfortable and friendly around Xian, although a combination of her respect and admiration and her lack of self-esteem meant she felt she never really measured up and that Xian wouldn't have that much of an interest in being friends. She grows out of this after the end of Book 2, and offers Xian support during her pregnancy and Fu Zen's long slow spiral into his illness.

Ayahsk
Of all the other Lotus Blossoms, Raikana's relationship with Ayahsk is probably the most straightforward and consistent, which is something that she values in itself. The two become good friends over the course of the Chronicle and continue to be friends into adulthood. Raikana feels Ayahsk is the person within the group who most understands her need to wander after the losses of Kallai and Sulo, as he is also a wanderer. His time in the wilderness leading up to the Wilting of the Lotus had healed his soul somewhat, and it is Raikana's time wandering the coasts and rivers that puts her on the road to recovery and begins the process of healing after the loss of the two men who would otherwise have been her companions for life. Although she sees him rarely, she holds him in high esteem, and occasionally catches up with him over tea

Inanna
Raikana has a deep respect for Inanna both for her personality and for her skill as an Earthbender, as well as her ability to tolerate Bumi. Raikana considers Inanna one of the most steady and reliable members of the team and if she seeks the company of another Lotus Blossom, Inanna is one of the most likely candidates. However, she is also concerned by Inanna's increasing callousness and bloodthirstiness over the course of the chronicle, often requesting that the younger girl stay her hand or asking her to take a more moderate approach. She is entirely unaware of Inanna's infatuation with her, and would probably find the mere idea puzzling. As an adult, she greatly admires Inanna for balancing her responsibility to the King's Guard with her family life, something Raikana never even got the opportunity to do,

Sulo
Raikana and Sulo gradually form a fast friendship over the course of Book 1. Despite very different outward presentations bought on by the differing factors in their lives, the two of them share common traits of parental abandonment and neglect, feelings of inadequacy, and the inability to reach out to anybody besides each other. This is only exacerbated by Sulo's visit to Xirrou, which sends Sulo into a depression, while simultaneously worry about her family and confusion with Kallai means Raikana is preoccupied with problems of her own. This continues until Sulo's spirt crumbles under the weight, sending him down into the spirit world and dragging Raikana with him, where she attempts to pull him back together and then creates a nightmarish landscape with her Monster at the centre as a spiritual splint when she fails, allowing the other Lotus Blossoms to finish what she started and put Sulo back together.

However, the partial mindmeld with Sulo during this process left Raikana changed. She gained a white streak in her hair similar to Sulo's, and her fiery and hotblooded personality was tempered somewhat by Sulo's internal awareness, allowing her to examine herself and her own motives and emotions and alleviating some of her confusion regarding her own feelings. In return, Sulo takes on a little of Raikana's fiery disposition, becoming more direct and outspoken. The two of them bring out the best in each other, and after A Memory of Storms their mental connection means they are never far apart. They fight well together and work well together, and contribute towards each other's personal growth. Sulo is Raikana's rock after the death of Kallai, helping her work through her intial grief and providing emotional support for the three years following his death, albeit mostly at a distance. In The Braver Hungry, it is Sulo who points out that Raikana has begun the process of healing, and his subsequent disappearance hits her hard-- she repeatedly alludes to a sense of "emptiness", describing it as a matching wound to the one Kallai left. However, she never feels the need to talk to Sulo the way she talks to Kallai, as their relationship was less turbulent and there were not buried feelings involved. The only time she talks to Sulo is at the very end of The Braver Hungry, where she voices her feelings about letting Keidanai go off on her own.

Kallai
Kallai intitally makes a less than favourable impression on Raikana, an impression only compounded by the fact that she interprets his flirting as an attempt at playfully messing with her, a course of action she becomes progressively more and more aggravated by as time goes on until she is forced to consider the idea that he might mean it, especially since she has reluctantly come to be more than a little fond of him. At this point, Raikana becomes progressively more and more upset and confused regarding Kallai and his actions towards her, until his actions in The Poisoned Healer clarify his intentions somewhat. She becomes considerably more friendly towards him after that, even responding positively to his flirtatious demeanour on a couple of occasions. in The Dragon and The Phoenix, she asks him to "Come back alive" before he leaves to confront Stronti's invading force, and kisses him before he sacrifices himself to rid the Phoenix of its last Vessel. Shortly after, she gets lightning tattoos in memory of him.

Keidanai
Although she was initially reluctant to teach Keidanai, upon the child expressing fear at her lack of control of bending and Reelan suggesting that the girl would need a female role model who understood what she was going through she accepted. Raikana and Keidanai had a good relationship, with Keidanai often speaking to Raikana about things that troubled her and Raikana believing strongly that Kei is capable of making her own informed decisions regarding the direction her life will go.