Kasmina: character profile in The Seer of the Sands

As a general rule, I don't base characters on people I know. Occasionally I'll borrow a physical habit or tic, or use a favorite word or phrase, but I don't try to build characters on that basis. Here's what I do instead.

First, it tells me that when the story begins, she's very confident. She rarely ever asks questions, because she's been trained not to; most people assume she already knows everything. She helps others, but her mother has raised her not to simply accept gifts; she always operates on the basis of fair transaction. Kasmina, therefore, is good-hearted and fair-minded, but there's never anybody around to answer 

• Kasmina has a peculiar insight into the hearts and minds of others. Although she isn't certain that this wisdom is divine, she does come to rely upon it. Therefore, she isn't very good at reading emotional cues from others; she never developed the need for that skill. She just always 
• Similarly, Kasmina often begins conversations in the middle. If someone comes to ask her about something, she won't engage in opening conversational gambits ("Hi, how are you today? Hey, I want to ask you something, is that okay?"). She already knows where the conversation is headed, so she'll cut to the chase. This often puts other people off their stride, especially when they think they're being clever and secretive.
• She always knows when people are lying to her. This makes her very bold about accusing others of dishonesty, and it's something she just can't abide. She doesn't like dishonest people; they're too much work. This means she's going to run into inevitable conflicts with others about their own private, personal histories, particularly with Galen Oswell, the devious would-be sorcerer of the group.

Basically, Kasmina's personality is based on a reasonable set of assumptions about her power, her perception, and her purpose to the story. She's