Washta

"Good" as her name says

Washta

Washta is a Makkah spirit binder in training and niece to the high chieftain. Having trained as a brave prior to joining the Makkah binders, she's an excellent warrior and horserider, but struggles with binding spirits beyond stone. She suffers from depression but would do anything to keep her nation and people safe.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

She's buff, fast, agile. Tall. Not many curves. Described as solid.

Facial Features

Face shape is kinda long and rectangular. Big, hawk-like nose, and she's got dark circles under her eyes. She looks tired all the time.

Identifying Characteristics

Splotchy pale marks on her left hand (kinda like vitiligo) said to be caused by being born on a Pale Takhi night.

Physical quirks

Right-handed, stands with her arms crossed (if without her spear), marches more than walks, stands straight and in a firm stance.

Special abilities

Spirit binding

Apparel & Accessories

She wears simple buckskin shirt and leggings with small fringe. Moccasins and wrappings--the wraps hold a small throwing knife. On special occasions or battles she'll wear the warrior shirt her mother made her as a brave. She'll have a couple eagle feathers in her hair.

Specialized Equipment

Washta primarily uses a spear and shield in battle, but also carries a stone dagger on her belt.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Washta's parents had dealings with the mountain peoples, which climaxed to Washta running away and wandering the grasslands for a cycle before finding her way to the spirit binders and training in their ranks. She chose to become a spirit binder after nearly dying and being saved by a spirit that came to her in a dream. She's hoping to find that spirit again as a spirit binder.

Gender Identity

Female, she/her

Sexuality

Straight probably

Education

In her family band she trained and graduated as a brave.

Employment

She's a Makkah spirit binder.

Accomplishments & Achievements

She became a brave, she traveled far on her own for a cycle, she got accepted as a Makkah spirit binder, she can at least bind a spirit of stone.

Failures & Embarrassments

Her parents abandoned their band, tribe, and all of the Makkah Nation by joining the mountain tribe.
No matter how Washta practices the spirit dances, she can't bind any spirits beyond that of a stone.

Mental Trauma

She suffers from depression

Morality & Philosophy

She knows the world can be a very dark and terrible place, and so she does what she can to make it less so.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Love for people is what pushes her forward, and her desire to see them safe and happy.
Washta desperately wants to belong somewhere, to be valued and helpful. She left her band because she didn't belong there, and hopes to find a home among the spirit binders.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Amazing horserider and warrior. She's also good at hunting and playing lacrosse.
She's bad at socializing and painting. She isn't naturally talented at dancing but forces her body to learn it as to be a spirit binder.

Likes & Dislikes

She likes horses, learning new things, traveling, the sea, and honey-drizzled cornbread.
She dislikes snakes, flippant and ungrateful people. She beats herself up a lot of the time cuz of low self-esteem.

Virtues & Personality perks

She's persistent, enduring, and generally calm and level-headed. She likes to be kind and gentle, especially to horses and strangers.

Vices & Personality flaws

Washta's very serious, rather solemn, and doesn't express her feelings very well, which often makes her seem distant, judgey or disapproving. Often she's bluntly honest (aka rude).

Personality Quirks

Scratches at her left hand unconsciously when nervous.

Hygiene

Washta doesn't mind being a little dirty/dusty/disheveled. Her tipi is an organized chaotic mess.

Social

Contacts & Relations

She's the niece of the high chieftain.

Family Ties

She's an only child. She was very close to her mother and had a loving father for most of her childhood and some teenage years. She hasn't seen them ever since she left her band.

Religious Views

She worships the High Spirits. The Star Mare is her favorite.

Social Aptitude

Introverted, doesn't talk much unless she has a question, is asked a question, or needs to correct someone. Pretty confident, not shy, but her low self-esteem can get in the way of asserting herself.

Hobbies & Pets

Shadowmoon is her pinto stallion. He was a gift horse from her parents when she became a brave. He is eight cycles old and traveled with her during her "wanderings" and as a spirit binder--he's her spirit horse. During her wanderings she participated in a race and won a supposed prized buffalo horse as a prize. The highly-praised horse turned out to be an old mean mare who immediately bit Washta, leaving a scar. Despite their rocky beginning, Washta patiently worked with the mare and gradually gained her trust and respect. Stormfire only lets Washta touch, ride, or pack her.
She wanted a dog in her youth but her father never let her (he got headaches from barking and didn't want to give meat to it).
She enjoys most anything that has to do with her hands. Making weapons, beadwork, embroidery, basket weaving, whittling, net making, etc. Simple things that don't require too much effort. She loves racing horses and other horsemanship competitions and likes playing lacrosse.

Speech

Low, quiet voice. Can yell real loud if necessary.

Relationships

Hiamovi

Uncle (Important)

Towards Washta

4

3

Honest

---

Washta

Niece (Important)

Towards Hiamovi

4

2

Honest

---

History

Washta knew she had an Uncle Hiamovi from his occasional visits in her childhood, and she knew he was High Chieftain, but she never understood how important that position was until she joined the spirit binders. She was surprised to discover how happy he seemed to see her, and how kindly he treated her, and wasn't entirely sure how to respond to his affection. But she decided he was the only person she had left to trust, so she told him most of everything, and was relieved to discover she'd made a good choice.
Hiamovi visited his brother's family a handful of times since becoming a spirit binder and High Chieftain, and has always liked his niece. He and his brother weren't close, almost unfriendly, and Hiamovi never knew how bad life had gotten for his family before it was too late and Washta showed up at his camp, half-starved and in pain and asking only to be taught the skills necessary to serve her Nation.

Relationship Reasoning

Washta sees Hiamovi as her only remaining family member, really, because her parents joined the mountain tribe and she never met any of her aunts or grandparents. She figures he's the only one she can really trust now, so she did, and the moons she's spent training as a spirit binder in his camp has only improved her opinion in him.
Hiamovi feels partly responsible for what happened to Washta and her parents. He wonders if he could have prevented what happened had he bothered to be closer to his brother. He hopes that by caring for Washta now he can redeem himself a little, and help Washta become the strong person he knows she has the potential to become. He seems a lot of himself in her.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

They're both spirit binders, and both failures in some way in that aspect. Hiamovi can call spirits of every type and strength, but he can't actually half-bind them and fight with that bond. Washta can bind and move and fight, but only with a single type of spirit, it seems. They both had/are having a rough time of it training.
They're also both introverted, rather quiet and solemn, and kinda lonely/friendless--at least, Hiamovi was as an adolescent and young adult.

Shared Secrets

Washta told him most everything about her parents, and he hasn't told anyone else. They share the burden together.

Shadi

Trainer, Watcher, Friend (Important)

Towards Washta

3

4

Honest

---

Washta

Trainee, Captive, Friend (Important)

Towards Shadi

3

3

Dishonest

---

Relationship Reasoning

Shadi was assigned to be Washta's watcher/trainer partly as punishment, partly as reward/opportunity. She'd done something dumb during training the day prior to Washta's arrival, so she got the job of babysitting a glorified prisoner. But this was also her chance to prove herself as a good teacher and trustworthy person, so maybe she could graduate early and become a hania sooner. So, Shadi gave it her all to train Washta well and become her friend.
Washta isn't here to make friends. She's a spy for her uncle. Yet she can't help but appreciate Shadi's help with her full-binding. Washta's worried she'll get attached to her, and vice versa, and that'll make everything hurt more when Washta leaves. If. If she leaves.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

They both have full-bindings with stone spirits, they both have mountain tribe family/blood/history, they both love their people strongly and want to protect them.

Ituha

Rival (Important)

Towards Washta

1

-5

Dishonest

---

Washta

Rival (Trivial)

Towards Ituha

1

-1

Honest

---

History

Washta and Ituha are in the same squad. Ituha's the unofficial leader of the squad, and Washta often causes trouble for the squad, though she doesn't mean to. Ituha is mean to Washta and Washta does her best to ignore her, though she wishes they could be friends.

Commonalities & Shared Interests

They're both training as half-binders of the Makkah Nation, but Ituha's good at it and Washta is not.

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Location

Grasslands of Makkah

Ethnicity

Grasslands Peoples

Circumstances of Birth

Born during a Pale Takhi

Birthplace

Northwest grasslands

Spouses

Siblings

Current Residence

Traveling with the Makkah spirit binders

Eyes

Black

Hair

Braided, reaches halfway down her back, black, straight

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Warm, red-brown tone

Aligned Organization

Makkah Nation

Other Affiliations

• Makkah Spirit Binders

Known Languages

She knows the grassland language and hand-signs. She understands some mountain peoples language and can recognize some bead/thread pattern.
As a spirit binder, she knows some spirit chant, enough to summon and communicate with a spirit.