Gan Koto Ning

[Gan]

BASICS
name - Gan Koto Ning
age - 18
gender - male

BIRTH
Nation - Fire Nation
element - White Fire Bender

APPEARANCE
height - 6'6", 2 m, and 200 cm
weight - 260 pounds, 117.9 kilograms
build - Gan has a thin, muscular build, very tanned from his days as a Pirate
hair - Short black hair spiked up with a headband and two red feathers
face - He has a face of royalty, if he was normal he might have joined a travelling actor show and played a Prince or Noble. Red eyes gleam from his almond eyes.
distinguishing features - A lot of scars on his body, and a majority of the upper half of his body is covered in tattoos. He has a birthmark of a Lightning Bolt on the back of his neck.
other - He prefers to go shirtless because it is easier to move in, more comfortable, quickly able to switch into combat, and less likely to catch fire.

HISTORY
Gan Koto Ning was born the oldest of a triplet into a poor family in the slums outside of Omashu. Determined to make a better life for their two sons, Gan and Zhao, and one daughter, Kana, his parents, his father a Fire Nation descendant that stayed after the war about two hundred years ago, and his mother a Water Bender, started the long journey back to the Fire Nation Lands. When they reached the Coast, they found their way onto a ship and waited for the departure. The newborn triplets were three months old after the journey had reached this stage. Gan was the most energetic, almost never sleeping, his red eyes darting everywhere, Gan's middle brother, Zhao had gotten sick and doctors were grim about his future, while the youngest, Kana was always sleeping. They started the trip home, thinking everything was okay. In reality it wasn't, after a day at sea, Zhao never awoke again, and Kana was determined blind by When they arrived at Chung-Ling City two months later, a distant relative greeted them and took them to his home. They gave Zhao a burial and his parents mourned for three months. They continued life almost like normal, but they would never be normal again. Kana and Gan had even started walking.

Six months passed and Gan’s father, Hua joined the Army as an Archer, and his mother, Ai, got a job as nurse. Kana had developed some sight to where she wasn’t completely blind, but Gan was the one that was of interest to his distant relative, Buo. Gan was very tall for a fourteen month old, and he started to show signs of being a Fire Bender. Buo pulled a few strings and had Hua transferred to Kasai where Gan and Kana would receive superior schooling, and Gan’s greatness could be revealed. Hua was displeased with Buo, but he took the chance. They arrived within a week due to the Air Ship that was provided for them. Some time passed and Gan started to learn Fire Bending at the school. He was destined for greatness as he excelled through the movements. He was calm for a Fire Bender though. He moved with fluidity instead of the sharp precise hits that the still Militaristic Fire Nation still used. He continued his Bending training and he learned naval and land tactics, and was set for a Military career, possibly leading to a young Admiral, until a training mishap.

When he was eight, he and a group of other Naval students were practicing a beach landing from the sea when a group of Pirates attacked. They captured several of the young boys, including Gan and left in a hurry. They escaped to a Pirate Village on the southern side of the island that housed the Western Air Temple. Gan tried to fight his way out, but when a chi blocker hit him, he was left helpless on the deck of the ship. Gan’s parents tried to find him but the Pirates by then had moved the captives to a village somewhere within the Northern Earth Kingdom’s coast. Gan eventually admitted surrender and he was taught the ways of Pirates. He went on his first raid when he was eleven, using both Fire Bending and a Pirate Sword he had earned in a friendly Agni Kai. Gan gained respect within the Pirate community, and was inducted into a Captain’s personal crew. He received the tattoos and uniform of the group, which he still displays proudly to this day. He continued raiding until he was fifteen.

He had been practicing with another Fire bender and two other Students that had also joined with him. The other students taken so long ago were either ransomed or they also joined as crewmen. His new master, whom happened to be his Pirate Captain, praised the three boys and allowed them to either return home and become better Fire Benders, or stay and become better Pirates. The three boys were torn, Gan and Batu decided to stay, while the third went home. They stayed in touch with him, and were surprised when his family welcomed him back into their lives. By now Gan was exceptionally tall, but still fluid in his Fire Bending and Sword Play. His Master often joked about his fluidity calling him an Oversized Firewater Bender. He also started to learn how to use Chi blocking remembering how it affected him so many years back. He mastered it quickly and was prepared to use at any moment. Also within the crew there were Earth, Air and Water Benders and he was taught some of their basic moves so he could fight them, but he stopped at the basics. He didn’t want too much time taken from his Fire Bending Training. The time he did allow to be taken was given to his study of Pai Sho, and Tea Making. His favorite being Jasmine Tea.

As Gan approached his seventeenth birthday, the Pirate village was attacked by a large group of the Poison Rose members. Gan fought who he could, but watched as Batu and his master were butchered by the bastards. Gan sliced and burned his way to a ship and saved who he could. When they left the port, the attack was over but the village was in ruins. They went straight to Kasai as Gan’s family still lived there. They were captured by a Fire Nation fleet, but surrendered and Gan, as acting Captain, proceed to tell who they were running from. The Admiral that captured him immediately brought them into the walls and, in return for their safety, they had to join the Fire Nation Army, everyone except Gan agreed. He declared his loyalty to the Fire Lord, and said he was going to find and kill the Poison Rose members with his bare hands if he had to, he was arrested but signed on as a Mercenary, he would be paid once the Poison Rose was dealt with permanently.

He went home to find his family after ten years without them. His father was a Captain in the Military, and his mother was a surgeon. Kana, his beloved sister, had grown into a beautiful young woman and a Water Bender like their Mother, and after several surgeries in her youth, had completely gained her sight. He told them everything that had happened and asked for their forgiveness. They were hesitant, but eventually allowed Gan back into their home. He was happy to finally be back with his mother and father. They at first didn’t believe it was him until he showed them his Birthmark on his neck. The first thing he did was visit Zhao’s grave and spent three days there in a silent mourning.

At eighteen he still often travels the sea and across lands. He has been all over the Fire Nation, and Fire Nation communities within the Earth Kingdom, and has been considered a Master in Fire Bending after defeating several well-respected Fire Masters in Agni Kais. He was given a small dojo by Buo, where he takes in refugee Fire Nation citizens and Pirates and trains them to fight. He will train anyone that isn’t Poison Rose in any Bending, having learned the basics of the other three, Swordplay, and Chi Blocking. He likes to concentrate on people around his age or younger, but he’ll train anyone willing to learn. And every lesson is free, as he accepts only donations, which go straight to a refugee fund and saving up for his future Tea Shop, as he has other means to pay for the necessities.

PERSONALITY
Gan is very patient and slow to anger, different from other Fire Benders. His attitude isn’t rash or arrogant, if anything he’s very calm and passionate. He is hardly ever in a rush, wanting to take in whatever he can. He spends time outside of training, fighting, and teaching to write poetry and small memoirs of his travels. Gan does have a temper though, but it tends to go away quickly depending on the situation. He is sworn to a Pirate Code and a personal Code of Honour, which allows him to keep a level head in tough situations. When meeting people, he is very charismatic, and somewhat flirty with women when they don’t have to meet due to business.

He also loves tea, considering himself an amateur botanist, he grows his own herbs to make tea while playing Pai Sho daily, using it to help teach his students patience, and how to open their chakras. In his dojo, he has benders from every nation so every child is accepted there, no matter what Nationality they are. From this he has learned many ways to adapt to situations, and even learned what plants in what regions make the best Jasmine Tea.

However when he gets angry and enters combat, his movements are precise and powerful. His blade dances with his Fire Bending in a controlled rage. He is very graceful and indeed a sight to watch. When fighting for his life, or an ally’s, he will use anything he can, when fighting an Agni Kai he waits for his opponent to tire out before attacking, and if he is a duel to teach a student he hardly holds back, allowing them to learn from their mistakes. He is a very firm believer in learning from past experiences.

Overall he’s a generally happy person, for a Fire Bender that is. He isn’t as happy as some of the Air Benders he’s met. He holds great respect for all Masters of any Bending Style, as they had worked as hard, if not harder, than him.