High Watcher Jinpa
"Stepping outside and breathing in the air of their home, WAT, Jinpa saw the future gleaming in the warm sun beams. And they were ready for it."
Introduction
High Watcher Jinpa is a hardworking individual with a strong sense of loyalty and passion. They love writing more than almost anything and strive to become the best they can by pulling from their own experiences as well as the ones of others. They also have a knack for grand and exciting ideas, which may explain why the freedom of the Watcher Branch fits them so perfectly.
Table of Contents
Character
Appearance
Jinpa stands at 5'9, with creamy pale skin and void black hair. Gray eyes dart back and forth quickly, as if trying to take in every piece of information in a setting. Wearing dark red robes with folds of yellow, they both look regal as well as modest. Recently, they've grown their hair to their shoulders, regularly tying it into a bun.
Personality
Jinpa is a quiet person at first, preferring small, silent corners where they can sit alone for a while and write or observe. However, once known, they love engaging in long discussions over really any topic. Snark often hangs over their words, which can be off-putting, making their personality sometimes difficult to get along with.
Life
Jinpa was born on a warm autumn night in 290 A.G., one nun gave birth in the far northern tower of the Western Air Temple. Growing up without any family, they came to spend their days playing with the other novices or walking along the edges of towers, tracing their hand along the cracks and designs etched into the stone. From a young age, the monks and nuns that took charge of taking care of the children taught Jinpa about spirituality and respectfulness. One memorable summer night, the then six-year-old was exploring the cliff sides when they discovered Yua was there, observing the strange looking turtle ducks floating on the water. Yua was someone that happened to attend nearly every meditation session hosted, and often probed the leaders with philosophical questions that even stumped the senior monks. Even at such a young age, her stoic demeanor was anxiety-relieving yet intimidating.
“Would you like to watch them as well?” This one simple question was a turning point that spiraled into one of the closest friendships Jinpa had. Spending the rest of the night discussing Air Nomad philosophy as well as gossiping about some of the overheard conversations throughout the halls, they grew a companionship quickly, evening calling themselves “Spiritual Siblings.”
Growing up was relatively peaceful for them. They often spent time in the gardens and farms, flying to and from each tower bothering the many members. Kneading dough, swinging from vines, and almost jumping off of a tower without their glider, childhood was full of delights. That all changed Spring of 304 A.G. A worldwide broadcast went out, proclaiming the restart of the famed sport Pro-Bending. Word spread throughout the temple, eventually reaching (now) fourteen year old Jinpas ears. The hype was there, and many chose to fly down to Air Temple Island in winter, including Jinpa & Yua. Even from across Yue Bay, the lights of Republic City lit up the night, glinting off of the water. Elder Jinji lined up Nomads to fly across on Sky Bison, as the sun set and the moon began to rest carefully in the sky.
The event was incredibly exciting. All of the Air Nomads sat together, and I met so many new people! By the end, Nun Samten (a prominent Nomad from Western) fought against Elder Jinji. The fast-paced battle ended with a victory on Jinjis side, and the stands were full of cheers, screams, and passion as many United Republic citizens breathed sighs of relief that their gambling paid off. *bzrrt* The buzz of the loudspeaker silenced the loud conversations and stilled the leaving attendees. Panic filled the room as the announcer detailed the malicious plot created by the Red Lotus to destroy Republic City. This man, who we learned was named Cheng, hailed from the Earth Kingdom and had previously been a part of the terrorist group. Lightning struck outside the arena. But…. was it really lightning? Jinpa could hear their heart beating thunderously in their ears and head, as they ran out of the stadium without even realizing they had stood up. There was already no hope. Just as the solemn moon had reflected off of the sea, the violent orange of flames swayed in the water. More buildings began to crumble, almost as if they were merely dominos being knocked over.
“GO! Get the bison and help out citizens! Take as many as you can.” Elder Jinjis panicked voice sounded as if it was underwater.
“Jinpa! What the hell are you doing!?” Yuas normally calm and measured voice cut through the haze, awakening Jinpa from their daze. So many people came trampling out of the exit, nearly knocking me into what looked like dark oblivion. They grabbed hold of Yuas hands and jumped onto the nearest bison. Flying into the city, the dark wretched smoke surrounded them, trapping them in and constricting their breath. They jumped off with their gliders and searched for any survivors to help rescue, though the debris and time of day made it extremely difficult. Yua quickly found a couple in need of support, and flew off to find a quickly put together evacuation center. Jinpa remained in the rubble, pipes and sharp stones sticking out in odd places. The air was poisonous, flooding their lungs and making their head feel expanded and drowsy. A burning chest was the only reason they remained conscious, travelling through their body like a wildfire in blood. “Jinpa….” The world flipped, and then it fell away.
~
Lights. So many lights. Blinding, infringing lights. Cold, freezing cold air. Unbearable air. Crawling across skin. Flesh oh so sensitive. Vomit trailing down mouth. Noise filled Jinpas ears, resounding through their skull and shaking their skull. Waterhealers shouted across the large field, tending as many patients as possible. Ice cold water went from person to person, glowing a light blue as injuries were healed and infection fended off. With no truly present consciousness, all this happened without Jinpas knowledge. Just another body among the thousands of victims, many fatally wounded, families wondering if they would become another body beneath white cloth. Dangerously close to death, the combination of water-therapy and herbal remedies brought helped heal the lungs greatly. After three weeks of inconsistent sleep and memory loss, Jinpa woke up on Air Temple Island. Many refugees had gathered there in tents, covering the island in blue and white cloth. Their limbs felt like iron, anchored to the blanket covering the hard ground. Snow covered the trees, dancing through the air in beautiful pirouettes, flowing into the tent and resting on the quilt over their immovable body. Breathing in caused agony, their throat still extremely weak. After days of pure boredom and pain, Elder Jinji entered the tent, exhaustion and depression clearly written across her face.
“I hope you’re doing okay.” She forced a smile. They could only keep looking at the same blade of grass, poking up out from under the blanket. “Yua talked to me. She seems to be worried.” She sat down on the grass, crushing it. “To effectively continue your treatment, we think it’s best if you travel to the Northern Air Temple. The air there might be good for you and you’ll have close access to the Northern Water Tribe.” Their thoughts swirled, clouding, shifting, blinding. They passed out.
Within a month, their paralyzation slowly seeped away until they could walk rather well with the help of their staff. Breathing and eating were easier as well, though talking still sent scorching pain throughout their nervous system. That day, they were scheduled to begin their journey to the Northern Air Temple, preparing to live there for the next three-four more years. Supposedly their things had been packed and also sent to NAT, stored in a closet until their arrival. The flight took a few days, passing over the mountainous United Republic and getting more and more steep as we approached the Northern Earth Kingdom. There was a clear temperature difference here, the air moving quickly through their lungs and stinging them, leaving a tingling sensation all around. Nearly making them faint, Jinpa decided to not push themselves too hard and sat down, weaving their fingers up and down, up and down their glider. The hard wooden grooves reminded them of their youth in Western, the physical feeling bringing them back to their body, away from the memories the dizziness brought back.
The bison touched down at the bison garage at sunset, rapidly walking over to the hay pile in the corner of the room. Stumbling off of the bison, being there felt overwhelming, so different from their peaceful life surrounded by fog and beaches, the warmer and more inviting fountains surrounding their birthplace. In the north, there were only cold stone walls and frost covered rocks. Settling into a small tower on the western side, it took them quite a while to find and retrieve their belongings, not that there was anything particularly special in them. Slowly walking back to their new living place, the realization of what was happening set in. Collapsing down the moment they crossed the tower's threshold, the spruce wood flowers felt as if they were melting, sucking Jinpa into the ground. The air felt muddy and suffocating, as if it were simultaneously sucking the air from their lungs while filling them at the same time. The wheezing hurt their lungs more, making them feel torn. Sweat dripped down, kept pouring and pouring out until it felt like there was a sea of lukewarm water in a puddle around them. It went on, breath by breath, until eventually there were no more coming out.
~
Days turned into months, months to years. Winter at NAT looked prettier and prettier as the years passed, the snowflakes brushing past shadow painted walls. There was so much to explore there. Door upon door upon door, all leading to somewhere that might not have been explored for years. Jinpa enjoyed writing about the places they found, describing their shape, color, smell. The feel of the stone on their feet, the cobwebs and their designs, the way the dust settled in the air. All of these things could be written about; the feel of ink forming on paper felt so good. At first, staying at NAT away from everyone Jinpa had known and loved was terrifying. They had felt so lonely, as if days went past without them ever seeing another human being, even less so one that truly saw Jinpa for who they were. But as time progressed, they realized that was part of Northerns charm. The loneliness comforted them, made them think more of their inner self. Two years after the attack on Republic City, after constant healing visits and appointments, Jinpa was declared physically healed enough to be able to return to normal life. The residents of NAT congratulated them, some hugged them, and let them know how proud they were. And then the days continued. Nothing truly changed. Everytime Jinpa saw fire they still closed their eyes and counted until 75 three times, persisted in grabbing hold of their glider and rubbing their thumb along the grooves, not talking unless necessary. In their dreams, they still saw the rubble, smoke pouring out from beneath every rock, the husks of people whose lives flew away like silk in the wind. The one thing they could truly depend on was their writing. They wrote and wrote and wrote, finding new nooks and crannies around the Northern Air Temple, laying upside down off of a cliffside and peering out into nature.
One evening while exploring, one of the many doors they just loved finding led to a small cavern. Tentatively stepping down into it, Jinpa began to follow it deeper into the mountain. It grew increasingly hot, sweat dripping off of their forehead. At long last, they found a door deeply set into the walls of the cave. Behind it was a balcony made of stone, overlooking the largest hollow they had ever seen. It seemed mostly untouched, as if it were an abandoned project left forgotten with age. The only light came from torches, dimly burning as they slowly went out. Jinpa dropped a small rock down, trying to sense just how big it was. After four seconds, the ring of the rock against the ground bounced across the walls, reaching the curious nomad’s ears. An idea sprang into being in their head. They ran back to the ground above, jumping from one tower to another, exerting themselves far more than they needed to. They had heard of a couple of people trying to form a new branch with the help of Guru Div. Primarily located at Western, they saw the opportunity to join them. Writing a letter full of their plans and ideas, it only took mere days to receive a reply. It seemed as if they liked my plans, but would prefer to focus on the small Southern library being constructed by the guardians there. They had already created some plans, which they sent as well. A small room full of bookshelves and tables, constructed in the plaza across from the main temple. It might not have been grand, but it was certainly a start. Even though their plans had been temporarily rejected, they were still extremely excited. They had officially joined this newfound Keeper Branch.
Once the Southern library had been completed, focus turned on the potential plans for NAT. More people joined them as “Keepers.” Lhili, Amanthi, Chokey, all people dedicated to the cause of knowledge. This allowed them to meet and befriend so many new people, forging friendships even if they had never met them in person. Samten and Div even flew Northern, examining the cavern and drawing up plans with the rest of the small group. Settling on a design took ages, and still changed as they began building. They brought in some earthbenders, trying to expedite the process of digging and stone laying. Intricate patterns based on anatomy and nature were chosen as the primary theme, as were tributes to the legendary Air Nomad from the Northern Air Temple, Guru Laghima. Lanterns were hung, wood floors layed out, hallways paved, their walls decorated with bookshelves and ladders. It took years, the steady acclimation of progress bringing a smile to Jinpa’s usually flat face. By seventeen, the main library hall was completed. It had been three years since the attack on Republic City, and they had finally adapted to their new life.
~
One early summer night, just after the collective dinner, (now) Elder Samten gathered the diners into the ceremony hall. It had been no secret that the Western Air Temple had been under renovation for the past few years. Even during their living there were the towers being expanded and fixed. However, it seemed as if the entire temple had been fully completed and spruced up. Many of them talked, with the general opinion being happy but not truly interested since it wouldn’t truly affect their lives. But Jinpa was curious. ‘What did WAT look like now? Would they be able to find the many secret passageways and signature places?’ They couldn’t stop thinking about it, and started going to bed questioning for the following weeks. Finally, they went to seek counsel with Samten. Being the intelligent leader that she was, her advice was simply to return to their home, and see how they feel. As a nomad, they were under no obligation to remain anywhere for any permanent amount of time. This satisfied Jinpa, and they decided to fly out by themselves with their bison, Poppy, to try and resettle down at their place of birth. The journey was long and difficult, yet exhilarating. Stopping by in small Earth Kingdom and United Republic towns was quite enjoyable, as they were able to meet and interact with so many strangers they would never see again. It took roughly a week, give or take the many times Jinpa realized they were heading the wrong direction or rested on a mountain for a little too long. They arrived just as the sun rose. The rosy pink fingers of dawn shone on the plentiful morning fog. It had been years since they had seen this place, and so much of it was different. Touching down in the Western bison garage just as they had done at Northern all that time ago, the cold dew covering the grass sending electric currents from their feet through their body. The realization of what they were doing set in. They had to find a place to stay, get real food in their body. Planning on talking to their keeper friends Lhili and Gavien to try and find a room for themselves, they spent the day talking to random apprentices and nuns looking for their associates. By the end of the day, they hadn’t eaten anything but one spare steamed bun. Gliding down to the supposed dinner hall, Jinpa practically knocked over all those between them and the food being served. The dumplings filled their stomach fast, sauces stinging their tongue. There was chatter amongst the eaters; while a new face showing up to dinner one night was incredibly common, yet it seemed as if Jinpa was the subject of their conversations. Deciding to ignore it and continue eating, it wasn’t until they felt the physical touch on their shoulder that they were really bothered. Turning in annoyance, the familiar yet cold face of their past friend Yua stared back. She had clearly aged. Not in height or bone structure, but merely the look in her eyes. A contentful emptiness swallowed her pupils, quiet observation passing through them.
“It’s nice to see you again.” Her voice was still. The room had quieted down, with many quietly trying to leave. Yua was highly respected by many, becoming one of the youngest ever Airbending masters and had very recently became the third ever nomad to detach herself from the world. There was compassion there, but it had changed; grown into a far less personal love.
“Oh.” Even though this response was less than polite, she seemed just as mannered.
“Would you like to take a walk?” Jinpa was confused, their food still unfinished on the table.
The warm summer sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, finally leaving the cliff sides to cool. Cool night breezes whipped through between the towers, almost as if it was dancing. Yua and Jinpa conversed for hours, just as they had some eleven years ago. Simply the presence of her spirit relieved tension, the air around her seeming to settle as if it were resting; perhaps tired from the caper across the ravine. She had wisened, far beyond the normal maturity of a twenty year old. Her duties as a master had taken her all over the world, allowing her to meet all kinds of people. Jinpa repeatedly found themselves staring at their demeanor, the way she peered at the world in such a careful yet kind way. This, they realized, was a true Air Nomad. One that would later prove their incredible worth.
~
Resettling at the Western Air Temple was challenging at first. The once anxiety-relieving stones no longer calmed them. Jinpa began waking up at random through the night, cold sweat dripping down their burning body. Throughout the day, their eyes struggled to remain open. Their now great friend Lhili often had to shake them, suddenly bringing them back to reality, away from the dark dark thoughts clouded with smoke and ash. Talking became once again difficult, breathing felt like a chore. Frequently vomiting up their meals, the healing done by the waterbenders felt as if it were unravelling, being torn apart string by string. Jinpa more than twice since they first reunited. After nearly a season of pain, they travelled to Yuas tower, decorated with scrolls and full of plants all in perfect condition. They waited for her to return from her morning practice for what felt like hours, their stomach burning away through their chest, consuming their flesh and lessening them. She touched down just as the sun reached high in the blue sky, weakened by the growing transition into autumn. Her eyes betrayed her surprised posture, displaying little to no shock over Jinpas whereabouts.
“Have you lost weight?” The question was extremely simple. No edge to it, not judgment. Just curiosity. The answer was clearly yes. Where the muscle once inhabited was now weak skin held together by bone, shadowed and dying. They tried to respond, but the words got stuck, clogging their throat and choking them. Fuzzy black spots clouded their vision, spreading like algae in water across their eyes. Before Jinpa knew it, hot tea scalded their mouth, burning the skin and strangely soothing them. Their sight returned, and the atmosphere settled. “You’re extremely sick. Feverish and underweight. Have you been starving yourself?” Nodding induced vertigo, so they remained still. The crisp taste of bread found itself in their teeth, the crumbs dotting their tongue. Once the piece was finished, worry over vomiting flew through Jinpas mind, yet as time went on, there was nothing but a soothed stomach and a relaxed form. “I’ll let you sleep.” Yua walked off, presumably to her bedroom within the tower.
Hours went by before Jinpa woke up. By then the quieting sounds of nature were everywhere, the dark night sky and light gray clouds covering the temple. As they lifted themselves up, the feeling of their knees struggling to lift nearly brought them to tears. The impact of their skeleton on the floor felt unnerving, the press of rib against chest stung. “I think you should stay here for a few days. It might be better for you.” Yuas voice cut through the painful silence. Staggering to the nearby seat, their legs almost tripping over themselves as they moved. Yua sat down with them. “I struggled too, did you know that?” Her voice sounded distorted, almost as if underwater. “My dreams are full of them. The burning towers, broken roads, and especially the children. The ones too gone to be healed.” While emotion was something she didn’t often display, her subtle glances gave away there was some feeling there. Even if she hadn’t noticed herself. The one sided conversation ended there, however they remained in their seats for the remainder of the night.
The rest of the week went just as the first day had, with slightly less sleep loss. Yua often made ginger root tea, using the native ginger roots on top of and around the mountains. Though they didn’t talk as much as they once had, their conversations consistently led to spirituality and wellness. Her advice and counsel was extremely insightful, the observations of their behavior poignant. By the time the few days they were spending at Yuas ended, they had already found comfort living with the plants, which they had begun to name. One was Damchoe, another Ungeehn. The green tendrils felt good wrapped around their wrists, as if it were tethering Jinpa to where they were now. Weeks passed without any effect on them, almost as if they were merely an afternoon, one long evening. They hadn’t vomited in what felt like forever, weight slowly returning. Once their health permitted it, the two meditated every twilight on a rock protruding out from the fog blanketing the bottom of the ravine. Spending time quietly in such an isolated place made it feel as if their spirit was flying, unlike their dreams; buoyantly floating away through the clouds. As the season changed, so did their perspective on the events that occurred nearly four years ago. Those beautiful snowflakes softly landed on their skin. The cold brought out blood, making their skin lightly pink and splotched. Melting water stung their eyes, summoning tears and blurring their vision. “I’ve always liked winter. So many people dislike the cold, but I think there’s something refreshing about it.” Yua walked over, standing next to Jinpa on the edge of her tower. “Some associate it with death, which I suppose I understand. But death doesn’t really scare me. If anything I’ll just be freed from this plane.” Her philosophy was strangely soothing, the words stabbing them. Beginning to sob, Jinpa laid down, nearly falling off of the tower. The salty water pouring down their face and carving a path down their frosted face. Anything Yua said was only received by their subconscious, the whistle of snow and wind filled their ears, blocking out any words. After nearly twenty minutes of crying, Jinpa wiped off their tears, and accepted Yuas invitation for tea.
~
As Jinpa recovered, their life reformed in a way they hadn’t expected. Spirituality became a much bigger part of their life, with their respect for the spirits ever present in their daily life. However, their respect did not limit them from having fun. Jinpa and their friend, Lhili, spent hours messing around in the Western library, mocking the pretentious ways old Air Nomads wrote about how much hay a sky bison had eaten that day. After their small winter hiatus, they dived quickly back into their duties as a keeper. Expeditions and classes became a large part of their life, journeying to the Northern Water Tribe, Kyoshi Island, and even Ba Sing Se (where many spirit shenanigans transpired). It wasn’t until two years had passed since their move to the Western Air Temple when the most important announcement of their life was released. All keepers now had the opportunity to reach a new rank, one named “watcher.” This rank would join the Monastery, the group of people made up of masters, abbots, and the council. The two were full of excitement, already writing down all of their ideas and plans for how to bring the keeper mission into the limelight, teaching as many Air Nomads how rich other cultures are. The Watcher Test was made up of five volumes, all daunting but intriguing. To Jinpa, a new adventure awaited!
Completing the four new volumes (one had already been completed) was going to be a challenge, one that they knew would be easier done with others than not. Trying to settle on suitable projects was difficult, but they knew that fate would direct them in the proper direction when the time came. First, they decided to explore the world. Doing this in partnership with Lhili and Gavien was extremely fun, as it was a way to continue work on the keeper branch while spending time with their good friends. Just as they had three years prior, talking to normal citizens of foreign lands invigorated them, recording and saving their stories though writing. After roughly two months, they decided their journey was over. Returning to WAT, they tore the papers of writing out of their journal and assembled them into a small folder, stuffed into one of the many scroll holes in their native library.
A few weeks after they returned home, they woke up to pounding on their door. Lhili stood there, her eyes clearly full of ideas. She proposed a creative project, one that combines her illustrative talents and my story-telling. Detailing the events that occurred at her recent Ba Sing Se expedition, as well as the dangerous spirit typically called Rashi. This took them nearly a year, as both of them suffered a strange amnesia-like effect when trying to recount what they had experienced. However, they pushed through and presented their project to those elders that were available. It was a success, and the two spent the night laughing and partying in Lhilis room.
For a while, they made no progress. Jinpa spent their days bothering Yua and writing about the animals they found while exploring the mountains around WAT. The feeling they had when they explored filled a hole they didn’t know they had. Realizing this, they began plotting out two expeditions. One to the United Republic, attempting to strengthen diplomatic ties with the mighty nation, and one to Lacus, a former Earth Kingdom capital which had since been abandoned. While researching for their trip to Lacus, they fell in love with intense history, culture and knowledge. Both expeditions were a success, and were immensely entertaining to attend and prepare for.
Lastly, Lhili, Jinpa, Gavien, and a new keeper named Nori decided to complete one final task. Masters Amal, Yua, and Bikhi all chased the group of four around a peninsula as they tried to find clues. It was terrifying, their expert Airbending skills kept them all on their toes. But when put to the test, they performed. Lhili, Gavien, and at last, Jinpa, earned the rank of watcher and made their dreams come true.
~
Being a watcher was hard work. There were many duties that made it up, but Jinpa had never been happier. Spending all day in their office organizing papers, outlining better communication forms and planning expeditions filled their time, every thought and dream full of scrolls, proposal forms, and strangely turtle ducks. Receiving the tattoos was viscerally painful, the sting as their qi lines were marked and painted over more harrowing than anything they had experienced, besides for perhaps the attack on Republic City. Months shifted into years, their world changing drastically. Yua became a Grandmaster (as well as later the elder of the Eastern Air Temple), their fellow watcher Astra became the elder of Air Temple Island. Working with their friends was incredible, and nothing had made them feel more complete. Four years passed incredibly quickly, their 26th birthday fully putting into perspective just how old they had become. A few days after their birthday, they were contacted by Elder Astra, questioning if they would like to take on more responsibility as a watcher. Jinpa quickly answered yes, as the watcher mission was one that they fully committed themselves to. After sending their answer, they received the news that Jinpa and their great friend, Lhili, were to become the first “High Watchers.” Ecstatic, the two practically screamed in their towers all night, dancing around and accidentally creating a small tornado in their rooms. Eventually, Lhili fell asleep on the cold wooden floors. Stepping outside and breathing in the air of their home, WAT, Jinpa saw the future gleaming in the warm sun beams. And they were ready for it.
by Motherlly
Jinpa
Political Figure:
High Watcher Reign:
315 AG - Present Predecessor:
N/A Nation:
The Air Nomads
Appearance
Year of Birth
290 AG
27 Years old
Children
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
5'9
