Character Name: Itxaro (Hope) alab'Mitxel

Canon/Original: Original

Gender: Female

Age: 12 winters, very soon to turn 13 winters

Family:
Father: Mitxel (Michael) sem’Marz, 40 winters
Mother: Gaxuxa (gracious) alab’Zuzen (fair, just), 36 winters
Siblings: Erramun (Raymond) sem'Mitxel, age 21 winters
Kerman (brother) sem’Mitxel, age 19 winters
Berezi (special) alab’Mitxel, 18 winters
Niece: Alais (Joy) alab'Erramun
Plus a couple nieces/nephews from Berezi.

Spirit:: N/A

Occupation: N/A

Place of Habitation: da'Zeru

Physical Description: Itxaro has the medium complexion typical of her family. She stands a demure 5'1" but isn’t done growing just yet. Her eyes are so dark brown they seem black. Her hair is long, hanging almost to her waist and left hanging loose. Fortunately it seems not to tangle easily and despite her infrequent once or twice daily brushes hastily through it, there is a natural gleam much like the starling feather she often tucks behind her right ear. Her face is round, her cheeks slightly chubby with the youth of childhood still evident. This makes her high cheekbones less obvious and brings more attention towards her nose. Her frame is slender, her once flat chest now showing modest developing typical for her age. She lacks many womanly curves at this point, her hips nearly straight with the rest of her frame. Leg muscles are well carved due to the many sprints she does between adventures though her upper arm strength is not comparable at all.

Personality: Itxaro tries very hard to be the kind of woman the Zerui expect. She wants to be obedient and beyond just adequate in her home-making skills; however, she struggles to find the self discipline needed. When she should be concentrating on preparing for adulthood, she instead daydreams of swimming and weaving dyed leather ribbons into the hair of the other young girls, giggling all the while as they watch the clouds drift by. She isn’t very religious though she does believe in Eguzki. She prays more because it is expected of her than she thinking it is really heard.
Her swimming prowess is excellent and she feels most at home while near water. Even winter cannot keep her from the river’s edge. She will sit and watch the frozen surface as if waiting for someone or something to suddenly emerge. If only she could apply that same dedication to her chores! It isn’t that she is lazy. Itxaro doesn’t ever not accept a task but she can’t always maintain enough interest to see it through. She will begin weaving a basket only to leave it halfway finished and be off picking berries in the meanwhile.
The thought of animal spirits intrigues her, pulls at her subconscious even as she berates herself for the lack of faith. It worries her, this part of her that seems to be lacking and she is afraid that if other Zerui knew of her silent questions, she would be scorned or worse, abandoned with no hope of building home with a husband. She strives to be like her sister, a respected Zerui wife and mother, but her secret curiosity of the Endikai burns steadily in her soul and she cannot help but wonder which tribe Eguzki favors.
There is a part of her that resents the power the male tribesmen have though she dares not state this aloud for her father would issue a thorough scolding and perhaps beating. Men frighten her. They are so loud and firm. She is much more comfortable with women and has spent a lot of time alongside her mother whose patience now wears thin towards her youngest daughter and child. Itxaro is easily distracted and while her mother drones on about how to make the perfect cornbread, her mind is fast planning the next outing with her father. These are infrequent but on several occasions he has taken his youngest child and began to teach her archery. She shows much promise but without constant training, her skills are only mediocre.
Itxaro was given the sudden responsibility of raising her niece, young Alais, who is just three winters old. It is a very difficult job for her, forcing her to look after a toddler with a mind of her own. She is diligent enough to keep little Alais fed and clean but isn’t always the best at monitoring her activities. More than once Itxaro has “lost” her niece and because of this there is tension between her and her brother, Erramun, who is Alais’s father. Itxaro doesn’t particularly like her brother Erramun. She finds him stuffy and arrogant and is jealous of how much obvious affection their father has towards him.
She doesn’t worry about her appearance, brushing her hair so that her mother will be happy but rarely bothering to braid it. A quick splash upon her face in the morning and she is ready to start the day. She isn’t even aware of her growing body or the effect it has on men. Romantic thoughts are far off in her mind though she so desperately wants approval from her father. This wish for male attention may lead her to interest in someone but not for the same reasons other women seek husbands. She has no desire to have her own children, not yet, and not in the foreseeable future. She once confided this in her mother but after her mother’s aghast reaction and hurtful slap, she never spoke of it again.

History: Itxaro is the youngest of her immediate family. One would think the youngest becomes the most spoiled, pampered by parents who still view their last borne as their babe but this is not the case for Itxaro. Her father’s pride is aimed at his oldest son. This left Itxaro with a feeling of inadequacy while growing up. It was like she was forever trying to gain his approval but it wasn’t forthcoming. Her mother wants her daughters to be obedient, honorable Zerui wives and has taught both of her daughters the ways to make men happy since they reached adolescence. Itxaro’s disinterest only frustrates her mother who can relate much more to her oldest daughter, Berezi. Berezi is married with one child and another due any day. Her example is constantly told to Itxaro who silently opposes such comparison.
When she and her siblings were very young children, their parents were attentive but more so intent upon instilling the ways of the Zerui in their offspring. From the start, Erramun was favored since he was the oldest and male. Brother Kerman was included in their outings, leaving Mother at home with the daughters. Berezi was the model student and thought Itxaro immature and unworthy. The sisters didn’t get along well though their bickering was kept quieted around their parents. Itxaro very often felt out of place as if she had been borne into the wrong family, perhaps even the wrong tribe. At first she struggled to gain attention, even resorting to misbehavior and mischief. That quickly ended though once she was old enough to be punished for her actions. The physical lashings hurt more than her body, breaking her spirit with each blow. She had tried to be good and was ignored. She tried to be bad and was beaten.
Itxaro began to wander off by herself. On one of these secret excursions, she found the river and slipped inside. She hadn’t ever been taught to swim but for some reasons she wasn’t afraid. The current surrounded her, urging her to step deeper into its embrace and she did so. Before she realized what she was doing, she slipped and was pulled under. Miraculously she knew instantly how to swim. Whether she found favor with Eguzki or just attained natural talent, Itxaro conquered the waters that day and has every time since. She finds the raging rivers tranquil, seeks comfort in their roughness. When her skin is covered by the water’s flow, she feels the most alive.
When Itxaro was nine years old, she was put picking berries with Erramun’s wife Gaztain, another obedient, work-a-holic Zerui spouse. She was supposed to be right there beside her sister-in-law but instead had found a delightful little toad and was chasing after him. She heard the strangled scream and came running to find Gaztain collapsed and a large coiled snake nearby. Terrified and so sorry she hadn’t stayed to pick the berries as she had been told, Itxaro ran off to find Erramun. No one questioned her on what happened though it was known without being said that she had slacked off yet again. It felt almost as punishment that Erramun ordered Itxaro to care for his young daughter instead of choosing Berezi who was already an experienced mother.
At first Itxaro was resentful of Alais but as time went on, she found a kindred spirit in the toddler. The little girl seemed to share her adventurous soul and showed no fear when she took her to the river to swim. Alais learned how to swim when she was two years old, thanks to her aunt Itxaro. Itxaro can now be seen toting the growing toddler alongside her. There are times Grandmother keeps her but not nearly enough.
As Itxaro nears adulthood very soon, her parents have told her in no uncertain terms that she is to be promptly married and that is her life reason. It scares Itxaro and she says nothing in retaliation. She has even entertained the thought of running away but precious little Alais needs her... or so she tells herself.

Plot Potential: I think there are several possibilities. She could run away with or without Alais, study with the Endikai in secret, be married against her will, teach others to swim, befriend other young ladies, be stolen by the Thiasans and converted to their way of life by force or choice.

SAMPLE RP (with this character only):
Daylight streamed down amongst the overgrown fields, it’s lull a gentle warming upon one’s face. The tribal camp was small, spread out just enough to not seem overcrowded yet not far apart enough to give complete privacy. The sturdy leather flaps of the tents all faced east as should those of the Zerui faith. Some sent trails of smoke up through their open tops, breakfast fires already being prepared for the first meal of the day. Others remained silent, void of activity and the occupants inside lost in slumber or already vacated.
Such was the tipi Itxaro shared with her parents. Her father had long since risen and joined with a gathered hunt prepared to follow the herd of deer found recently. Her mother had taken little Alais to be washed, directing her youngest daughter Itxaro to rise and start their own fire. She had nodded in agreement, slow to wake since yesterday’s long swim within the Oran River had taken its toll on her muscles. She felt blissfully weak, as if a long massage had turned her legs to mush. It was always that way after her time in the water. It somehow made her feel more alive, more aware of her own existence. And she smiled as she rolled onto her back, remembering the feel of that cool current. If only she could escape to the riverbanks every day, then how glorious it would feel to walk about with jelly inside one’s limbs.
The sudden noise outside the tent made her startle, hurriedly folding the make-shift bed she had been lying in. Her mother entered, eyes adjusting to the slightly dimmer room before instantly knowing her daughter had failed to do as she was bid. A scowl upon the mother’s face as she set Alais down and glared towards Itxaro. “What hope will you have, Daughter, for marriage if you cannot finish a simple task?” Her voice was deflated, as if anger had been replaced by weariness for awhile. Itxaro’s cheeks burned and she turned her face away in shame. She was embarrassed to know she had been lounging about dreaming of the river as if it were Eguzki himself.
“I am sorry, Mother,” she said softly, her gaze lifting to meet her parent’s sight but finding her mother was already busy doing what she had failed to do.
She was left unanswered and so took her niece by hand and led her from the enclosed room. “Come Alais,” she murmured to the child, “we shall help pick the ripened berries then.” Toddler and girl left hand in hand, each smiling at the other with secrets only they knew... one too young to tell and the other too afraid to.

What's the name of the Creator God the Endikai worship?: ((yep))

Hm. First of all, make sure you read OUR information; we're not going off of stereotypical 'Native American' stuff. For instance, 'corn bread' = no; they grow barley (their bread is called ogi). Secondly, 'tipi' = no; we just call them tents and longhouses. Little details; that's about it for that stuff. It isn't very important, but it is something to keep in mind. Here's something else... the dialogue of the Zerui and Endikai doesn't have to be stilted, if you don't like, you know, stereotypically 'Indian.' Of course, you can write it as you like but that's not a necessity. I find it helps to make characters more 3-D to write them in a way that's slightly modern and comfortable. Again, the choice is yours.

I like the character, though, and I like the character history particularly. It's very detailed! I got a real sense of the personality and how she'll play out in RP. Beware of too much of a sob-story, though. That can get tiresome if it isn't handled really well.

Your plot potential is fine, though some of it is unlikely. Thiasans don't typically kidnap the Baskar. Marriage is possible, but it might be fun to pursue some friendships and communication between the two tribes. She could talk to some Endikai, etc. Ha--in fact, she sounds like another Nahia; Nahia is obsessed with the Thiasans, whereas she's obsessed with the Endikai...

Yeah, it isn't so fun to be a Zerui woman.

Anyway, I can think of any number of characters for her to play with. The total contrast between herself and her brother is also very interesting (they're ideologically diametrical opposites, aren't they?).

Well done. I won't make you revise based on the few 'errors' I spotted. So that's it! Accepted, and welcome, and sorry I was so nit-picky; I figured you could take it. :)

I can take it ^^ No really I think it helps me out so thanks.

I thought perhaps tipi may be interchangable for tent but I won't use that again and my fault about the cornbread. I should have caught that.

She and her brother are indeed ideologically different so it should be interesting to their family storyline.

Yay! I'll make it fun lol.