Kala (Kah-La)

Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors

Kala is a Master NPC who borrows some elements from Suki's playbook. Please see Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide, p32.
A hardened woman, Kala has the distinction to be one of the first women to be trained by Avatar Kyoshi to pick up the mantle of "Kyoshi Warrior." She is as fierce and skilled as a warrior as she is a mother; her children, Koji and Kanna, are her world. After becoming a widow in Yokoya Port, Kala learned the art of war from The Avatar herself and would become the leader of her elite group of warriors.

SLAVERY

Kala was born in the Southern Water Tribe colonies around 339 BG. Around the age of sixteen, she was captured by The Fifth Nation, a powerful, international rogue pirate organization. Kala spent her teenage years and early 20s as a slave. She was in charge of housekeeping on one of their many ships, spending everyday cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the pirate's children. Though life was hard, Kala was treated better than the other slaves because of her upbeat attitude.
At some point during her slavery, Kala met a fellow Earth Kingdom slave named Lei. Kala and Lei both worked on the same ship where he was in charge of washing the deck everyday. At some point, their friendship became romantic, but their relationship remained a secret, as slaves were not permitted to have sexual or romantic relationships with each other.

SECRET LOVERS

Five years later, Kala would become pregnant. Immediately, Kala and Lei knew that they had to escape The Fifth Nation, or face the wrath of their merciless leader, Takaga. Kala and Lei escaped on a small canoe in the night. For days, they drifted aimlessly in the sea, until they landed on the shores of Yokoya Port, impoverished community of farmers and fishers whose hard lives were marked by monotonous work and a stubborn sense of xenophobic pride. While Lei would be accepted immediately by the local fishers, Kala would face a lot of racism due to her Water Tribe appearance. Her complexion was darker than that of the natives of The Earth Kingdom, which made her an easy target for the locals to scapegoat for her problems.

MOTHERHOOD

Their first born, Koji, would be born around 309 BG. Lei would work with the fishers while Kala lived her life as a stay at home mom. Their second born, Kanna, was born around 300 BG.
Kala's time as a slave helped her embrace motherhood quickly. Since she was wary of going outside and seeing the townspeople, she spent much of her time indoors with her children. The family lived a quaint life in Yokoya Port.
Around 297, Lei disappeared under mysterious circumstances. His boat never returned to the port, and fishermen spent days looking for him in the open waters. His disappearance forced Kala to find a job as a fisherwoman, hoping to find her husband herself while earning to support their children.

BECOMING A WARRIOR

It was around this time when the men of Yokoya Port had been enlisted to join the fight as The Zodiac Inquisition ravaged the land. Meanwhile, women in the village were continually harassed by the visiting soldiers, merchants, and other visitors wandering Yokoya. Avatar Kyoshi often defended the women in the village, but her duties to the world meant that there were times where they were left to fend for themselves. One night, Kanna was threatened by a soldier for allegedly stealing his coin purse. Kala pleaded with the man and told him that it was a misunderstanding, as they had similar purses, and Kanna's was actually her father's. As punishment, the man demanded that Kanna would become his personal servant, or he would report her to the authorities which would inevitable land her in prison due to her mixed heritage.
It was at this moment when Kala decided that she had enough. Her life, husband, and dignity had been stolen, and now she was on the verge of losing her daughter. Kala picked up a broom and challenged the man in combat with it. Though he was skilled, she was able to use what techniques she observed The Fifth Nation soldiers used with their fishing spears. The solider and the townspeople were shocked by her abilities. She defeated him with a powerful blow to the neck, and he ran away from the village. The village women cheered Kala on for standing up against abuse, despite having no known combat skills. This was the first time she felt accepted.

KALA, THE KYOSHI WARRIOR

For a few months, Kala gathered the women of the village to teach them what she knew about combat. They knew that on times where they didn't have their husbands or the avatar to protect them and their children, they had to do it themselves. Fisherwomen, weavers, and homemakers became warriors and protectors. Around 296, Avatar Kyoshi witnessed them training in the forest. Inspired by their bravery, she decided to train them herself using the fighting styles of her girlfriend Rangi, an elite Fire Army soldier. These group of women would go on to become the first of the elite Kyoshi Warriors, with Kala as their platoon leader.
Kala would eventually be introduced to Fengyu, a young, queer Earth Kingdom man, who caught Kyoshi's eyes. Though the Kyoshi Warriors did not allow men to join their group and learn their ways, Kala related to Fengyu's story of being an outcast and his lack of loving parents. Kala would grow to care for the boy as her own and accept him into the Kyoshi Warriors as the only known male member in history (before 99 AG).
As The Zodiac Inquisition continued to ravage the Earth Kingdom, Kala and The Kyoshi Warriors grew in size as both protectors of Yokoya Port and Kyoshi's trusted warriors. Eventually, they themselves were recruited into The New Flying Opera Company to aid Kyoshi's fight against The Zodiac Herald spirts and their hosts. Kala would remain in Yokoya, which became their training ground for new recruits, choosing to stay close to her children.
Around 293, our heroes meet Kala and the Kyoshi Warriors. In the battlefield, she is kind and compassionate, a naturally nurturing matriarch that would make anyone feel warm and cared for. But when she dons the armor and wears the warpaint, she becomes a quiet and collected warrior, a formidable foe on any battlefield.

DRIVE: To protect the weakest members of her community, especially her children.
PRINCIPLE: Protect | 0/+1/+2/+3
CONDITIONS: afraid, angry, guilty, insecure, troubled, prideful, vengeful, frustrated
FATIGUE: 10x

Age

46

Pronouns

She/Her

Gender

Female

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Brown

Height

5'7

KALA'S TECHNIQUES

Parry | Defend and Maneuver | Stop an opponent’s attack before it connects. Choose an opponent who used advance and attack this exchange; during advance and attack, mark fatigue—1-for-1—to cancel an attack they use against you after they pay the costs.
Unstoppable Path | Evade and Observe | Move to a new location with perfect precision, speed, and care, dodging past or knocking off balance anyone in your way. Mark 2-fatigue and move to a new location. Any enemies who were engaged with you or who you meet along the path, including at your destination, are Impaired; they may mark 1-fatigue to avoid this status. You may immediately use one advance and attack technique when you reach your destination.
Counterstrike | defend & maneuver | Using impeccable timing, read your foe’s movement and lash out with blinding speed. Execute a Strike as if you had marked 1-fatigue against an engaged foe who chose advance and attack as their approach. You cannot use this technique if you have any negative statuses.