My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days--a time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But all that changed when the Earth Kingdom attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop the ruthless earthbenders. But when the world needed her most, she vanished.
Eighteen years have passed, and each nation has had trouble within its borders. The Earth Kingdom has taken advantage of the turmoil and continues its conquest. Among the chaos, the spirits still residing in our world have turned to attack people, and the entire world is now unbalanced. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn and that the cycle is broken. Others believe that the Avatar has gone into hiding due to being born in the Earth Kingdom that's hunting them down.
But I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world. We just have to find them first.
The coup that placed King Wei as the Earth Monarch bode ill for the world at large. While many were concerned, few would speak out as the previous King Xiong was an ineffective leader who was more interested in riches than helping his people. But it was out of the pole caps and into the volcano as King Wei proved to be a threat not just to the Earth Kingdom, but to the rest of the world. It began with high taxes and an unfound arrogance against those who were not native to the Earth Kingdom, and over the years said arrogance turned to tyranny. What was once a continent of peace and harmony turned into war and strife as people were forced out of their homes. Benders who refused allegiance were arrested and vanished from the public eye, with rumors surrounded forced manual labor circling heavily.
In an attempt to subdue any that would challenge them, the Earth Kingdom cut food trades with the other nations. As a result, a famine has spread throughout the Fire Nation, and while the Air Nomads have tried to compensate, it is not enough. With the Fire Nation weakened, the Earth kingdom made their first attempt to conquer. Their only saving grace was the interference of the Water Tribes, who sent their own people forward to stop the Earth Kingdom ships from ever touching Fire Nation soil. Even so, things cannot remain this way as the citizens are starving to death, long separated from those that once resided in the Earth Kingdom. The Water Tribes struggle to communicate with one another as the Earth Kingdom has interfered with any attempts at every turn, and the Air Nomads have chosen to protest peacefully, much to the ire of the other nations.
Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could hope to defeat King Wei. With the hopes of all nations on her shoulders, Avatar Korra sought to negotiate with the King. The latter refused, and according to rumors, a fight broke out between the two before the Avatar was forced out of the palace. Before the Avatar could take proper judgment, however, she passed. After twenty years, however, a new Avatar has yet to emerge. What is known is that the Avatar was born in the Earth Kingdom, but many feared they had already fallen into the Earth Kingdom's hands. As the years passed and no new Avatar emerged, the masses began to lose hope. Three days ago, however, several beams of light emerged from the temples around the world, signaling that the new Avatar had awakened. That was when The Rebellion was formed and sprung into action. While their numbers were scarce, they gathered who they could and sent them to the Earth Kingdom. Now, it is a race between the Rebellion and the Earth Kingdom to find the Avatar. Will the Rebellion find the Avatar in time, or will the Earth Kingdom gain the upper hand?
Spanning most of a continent as well as several subsidiary islands, the Earth Kingdom is the largest and most populated sovereignty in the world and encompasses much of the eastern hemisphere. The kingdom operates as a monarchy under the rule of a single Earth Monarch. It is home to most earthbenders and the people of the Earth Kingdom are proud and strong; they once adhered to a philosophy of peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the other nations of the world before King Wei's reign changed that to a philosophy of spreading their greatness to the rest of the world. Due to their manipulation of earth, earthbenders are virtually immovable, as reflected in the personality of many Earth Kingdom citizens. In general, Earth Kingdom culture is concerned with maintaining face: a person's good reputation and standing in the eyes of others. Respect for the family and one's ancestors is also a very common aspect of Earth Kingdom culture.
Earth Kingdom architecture varies by province. Like the other nations, it is based on its elemental color, in this case, green. The majority of the buildings are made of stone, wood, and plaster; these may be used in conjunction with one another or separately, depending on the available resources. Most buildings have sloping roofs covered with dark gray or green tiles; yellow tiles denote wealth and are used by aristocrats in Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom insignia is often put on important buildings and fortresses as a symbol of the government. Roads vary considerably – in the country, they are usually made of well-worn dirt, while cities have well-made flagstone streets. Much of the Earth Kingdom's population traditionally live in small villages, and tiny settlements of ten or so inhabitants dot the landscape; larger towns, such as Chin Village and Jiaoling, are found more infrequently. Despite this ruralization, a significant portion of the Earth Kingdom's citizens actually live in its largest cities such as Omashu, Taku, Gaoling, and Ba Sing Se.
Even though many parts of the Earth Kingdom have been traditionally mistrustful of outsiders, the Earth Kingdom has a long history of migration. Many live mobile lives as nomads and outlaws, while mass migration of those seeking work or fleeing poverty and unrest has been a common occurrence. In addition, the Earth Kingdom has traditionally harbored populations of Fire Nation and Water Tribe descent. Such foreign migrants usually arrived as traders, workers, and colonists; until last year, they integrated peacefully into the native society. A majority of their villages have been ransacked and conquered as the years have passed, and many benders that lived in them disappeared. Families have trouble contacting their home lands and many are fearful for the fate of their loved ones. Nowadays, there is a fierce prejudice against any benders that aren't earthbenders, and Earth Kingdom soldiers are all too happy to arrest any benders they come across, leading many to go into hiding.
The Earth Kingdom's change in its view of the world has resulted in an unbalanced world. They recognize that despite being a smaller nation, the Fire Nation's military is not to be trifled with, and thus targeted them first in their war of conquest. It started off by slowly lessening how much food was traded while raising prices, and by the time anyone noticed it was far too late. Last year, the Earth Kingdom outright stopped trade and launched their first attack, sending a fleet of soldiers via ships. Recognizing the threat, the Fire Nation called on the other nations to help. The Water Tribes were successfully able to fend off the Earth Kingdom with their superior navy, but as retaliation, the Earth Kingdom has gone out of their way to interfere with any communications between the two sister tribes.
The Fire Nation is an absolute monarchy led by the Fire Lord and home to most firebenders. Geographically, the nation is located along the planet's equator in the western hemisphere and is composed of several islands simply called the Fire Islands. The Fire Nation is the second-largest nation in terms of area, following the Earth Kingdom, while its economy is the most powerful in the world; its strong industrial sector enabled the Fire Nation to create an extremely powerful military.
The dress code and symbols of the Fire Nation are modeled after fire, naturally. Like the other nations, it is based on its elemental color, in this case, red. The majority of the structures are made of stone. They also have red pagoda-style roofs favored by the country. Fire Nation symbols are often put on important or nice buildings for decoration and inside it was common for a picture of the Fire Lord to be kept in a prominent, visible place. The Fire Nation's worldview upholds that only unity, centralism and strict order can ensure stability and prosperity. This does not include restricting freedom and creativity, as these aspects of personal expression are critical to societal development and harmony; however, children do not gain this freedom until they have been taught how to improve the Fire Nation with their actions, and the honor it brings them. These ideas are instilled from an early age.
Fire Nation society places a great emphasis on respect and honor, especially toward the nobility and elders; the concept of the famed Agni Kai stems from these beliefs. Should one be honored enough to be in the presence of a member of the Royal Family, that person needs to prostrate themselves in respect or risk being challenged to an Agni Kai to avenge the disrespected Royal's honor. Upon coming into contact with an elder or superior, it is polite to bow down. Unlike in other parts of the world, this bow consists in placing a hand in a straight fashion with the other being fisted placed underneath it vertically. This represents the superior standing with one below him, bowing. Also when receiving an order in the Fire Nation by a superior it is common to not bow, but make the hand symbol. Bowing is required upon greeting to one, when something nice has happened, after business, and leaving.
The Fire Nation's response to the Earth Kingdom's attacks have been righteous fury; they remain grateful to the Water Tribes for defending them last year and have maintained strong ties to them. However, the same cannot be said for the Air Nomads; while the latter has made a valiant effort into keeping the Fire Nation fed, they refused the Fire Nation's petition for additional soldiers. This has greatly soured the relationship between the two nations as the Air Nomads' peaceful protests have accomplished little while the people of the Fire Nation continue to suffer in light of constantly needing to defend themselves while the Earth Kingdom has cut them off from the many Fire Nation citizens who lived in the Earth Kingdom.
Air Nomads is the collective term for the monastic order of men and women who practice the discipline of airbending and the pacifistic ethics of their theocratic society. They are wanderers by definition, but have four air temples, one located at each corner of the globe, found atop mountain ranges and under cliffs, in the northern Earth Kingdom and on three remote islands, all of which are hard for outsiders to reach. Unlike the other nations, those born to the Air Nomads are, without any seen exception, all benders due to the high level of spirituality of their people. They are a peaceful race who live in large temples and travel the world on flying bison. They are the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. Their culture values both altruism and detachment from wealth and worldly affairs, and their relationship with the other nations varies. They are also fun-loving and have a strong sense of humor.
The Air Nomads have the smallest population of the four nations in the world. They have a small economy, based entirely on limited agriculture, and the smallest population of all the nations. Due to the peaceful teachings of their leaders, the nature of the people is calm and tranquil, famously known as peaceful, egalitarian people who embrace a life of simplicity and environmental preservation. They traditionally live according to montastic customs, and the Northern and Southern Air Temples act as homes for Air Monks, while the Eastern and Western Air Temples act as homes for Air Nuns. However, this gender separation is not universally enforced and it is common for many to intermingle. All airbenders grow up to become monks and nuns unless they chose to leave the Air Nomad life behind or are exiled. When monks and nuns stop at villages across the world along their journeys from temple to temple, most peasants gladly provide them hospitality in exchange for help with chores, news, and entertaining stories from other parts of the world, or a promise to relay messages to distant relatives. Air Nomads are raised communally, and often have a main guardian who they are not related to, though they are aware of their blood relatives and often have close relationships with them. Masters of airbending are one of the most visually distinct as they are tattooed with blue arrows.
The Air Nomads have taken no strong stance against the Earth Kingdom's actions, resulting in a tense relationship between them and the Fire Nation in particular. While they have provided as much food and resources as they are able, it is unfortunately not enough. As the only nation without a formal military, they cannot offer soldiers, though fighting goes against their ways; an oath of nonaggression is often declared whenever a new airbender reaches the age of adulthood, swearing to adopt to the pacifistic ways and having direct combat be used solely as a last resort. This has been ill received by both the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes; the former is in disbelief that the Air Nomads would rather protest peacefully than take action, while the Water Tribes have repeatedly urged the Air Nomads to join them. Alas, their pleas have been ignored, though rumor has it that many monks and nuns are starting to doubt their inaction.
The people of the Water Tribe are generally peaceful, and strive to live in harmony with nature and the other nations of the world. Living in the harsh conditions of the poles and the swamp has made the people of the Water Tribes resilient to hardship and respectful of the world around them. There are two primary divisions of the Water Tribe, the Northern Tribe and the Southern Tribe, though both are at least de jure governed by the Northern chief. The Water Tribe is less powerful than both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, due to its geographical location and the small size of its population and economy. The economy is dependent on the ocean, given the country's location and lack of arable land, apparent manufacturing capacity or minable resources.
The appearance of the Water Tribe is based on its corresponding element, water. Each of the nations has its own elemental color, which in the case of the Water Tribes is blue. The Foggy Swamp Tribe is an exception, as they tend to wear green due to their affinity with plants. The Water Tribe is divided into three distinct groups, primarily based on their geography and affinity for waterbending. The Southern Tribe occupies the South Pole, the Northern Tribe occupies the North Pole, and the Foggy Swamp Tribe occupies a swamp in the Earth Kingdom. Family is hugely important to Water Tribe culture. All members of the Tribe recognized each other as kin to an extent, and it was traditional to name a child after a family member. The Northern and Southern Tribes have a positive relation to one another and it is not uncommon for families to travel to and fro, even if the journey is a long one. Generosity is also highly valued among the people of the Water Tribe, to the extent that the generosity of their traders was considered legendary in the other nations.
When the Fire Nation pleaded for help against the Earth Kingdom, they immediately sent forth their waterbenders and ships, successfully pushing away the Earth Kingdom navy. While the two tribes wish to join the defense of the Fire Nation in a more united fashion, continued interference with their communications has resulted in sabotaged operations. That said, both need no cooperation to rise to defend their shared neighbor. They have asked the Air Nomads to act as messengers, but even these take precious time and require a willing Nomad, something that is, tragically, rare these days. The Water Tribe thus has put all their energy into keeping the Earth Kingdom at bay by sea, resulting in many waterbenders constantly fighting in war.
Fire Lord Zhun Li is the current leader of the Fire Nation. He governs alongside the Fire Sages and noble clans. A man of few words, his rule has been challenged by the Earth Kingdom’s actions. While the famine has done much damage, he has ensured that the Fire Nation endures. He has taken great offense to the Earth Kingdom attacking but is grateful for what it has revealed when it came to the relationships between the nations. Finding an unlikely ally in the Water Tribe was a pleasant surprise while the Air Nomads have disappointed him. He is said to have great respect for both Chief Dentak and Kato.
Chief Dentak is the current leader of the Water Tribe, housed currently in the Northern Water Tribe. A boastful and courageous man, he is ignorant to most politics and often leaves politics to his council. While most feel he could do with a little more diplomacy, he has made it clear that actions, not words, are what solve problems. His earnest ways have easily won over his countrymen and it is why they follow his orders without question.
The Southern Water Tribe is currently being led by Kato after communications with their sister tribe have been sabotaged. Kato is much more cautious than Dentak but is just as brave, ensuring that the Water Tribe performs their duties of keeping the Earth Kingdom from taking to the seas. He is a passive man for the most part, but still acts when necessary. He is largely motivated by his wife, Kaea, who assists him in most things. Many state it is Kaea who really runs things but leaves the bigger decisions to her husband so as not to upset their sister tribe.
The Air Nomads have the Council of Elders to lead them. Each air temple has its own council of head abbots, head monks, or head nuns as the political and religious authority. The councils of each temple are composed in accordance with the primary gender residing in each respective temple. It is Head Sister Sangye of the Western Air Temple that has been sending as much food as possible to the Fire Nation, though her pleas for additional help from the other temples were met with silence. As a result, the Council has had many conflicting opinions; some say that Sangye should not have acted without consulting the other temples while others point out that the Air Nomads don’t have much to offer in the first place.
This roleplay is firmly in AU territory. The Hundred Year War was successfully mitigated by Avatar Roku and an era of peace followed through Avatar Aang's time. His successor, Avatar Korra, passed twenty years ago, but her successor has yet to be located. In the meantime, the Earth Kingdom has been left unchecked, upsetting the balance between nations. While some things have stayed the same, others have changed. We're looking for active, driven players to make a small ragtag bunch of misfits--or if you're interested in other roles, there's no harm in asking! Players have the option to play whatever bender (or non-bender!) they please. If there are any questions or interest, feel free to ask :)
“The Earth King took our kindness for weakness. That won't happen a second time.”
NAME
Zai Yao
AGE
18
BIRTHPLACE
Fire Nation Capital
ELEMENT
Fire
APPEARANCE DETAILS
A young man of average height, like many of his neighbours, Zai has clearly seen better days. While it is clear he was once fit and strong, his cheeks have grown sallow on long days and short rests, and a few visible ribs attest that it's been a long time since he's seen a hearty meal. His dark brown hair hangs limp and lifeless at his shoulders, chopped raggedly with a knife and often pulled back in a ponytail. He dresses like any Earth Kingdom peasant down on his luck, his clothes weather-stained and well worn, and often wears a wide-brimmed straw hat to ward off searching eyes. Underneath, although often rimmed by tired circles, his topaz eyes contrast his tired frame, remaining at all times sharp and alert.
PERSONALITY
"Firebending has no training wheels. Learning requires boldness. You have to step beyond the limits of your control and trust in your ability to wrest it back again. Every time you bend, you walk a razor's edge between control and chaos. It is not for the faint of heart."
Zai is a true son of the Fire Nation: proud, strong-willed, and driven. What little that dares to stand between him and what he wants is met with ferocity and uncompromising resolve. Similarly, his experience shadowing his father in diplomacy has shown him to approach problems from many angles, and given him an appreciation for solving problems with words as well as actions.
However, most of his shadowing was done in talks with existing allies, and they rarely involved truly opposing interests - in almost all cases, a deal could usually be reached to mutual satisfaction. As such, his skill in diplomacy is still lacking when it comes to an obstinate adversary, and Zai can quickly become frustrated with them, too proud to concede too much in the name of compromise. Zai also knows that his instincts and discipline need work; try as he might, he is still vulnerable to letting his own feelings get in the way of getting a truly insightful read on a situation.
Above all, Zai loves his country and his heritage, and chafes bitterly under the yoke of the Earth Kingdom. The insult and betrayal of his father’s disappearance and his own attempted arrest festers in his heart, fueled more by every grueling day and hungry night he spends as a fugitive on their soil. On top of that, anxiety for the fate of his people plagues him, and combined with his stewing distrust and growing hatred for the Earth Kingdom, it is beginning to create a dangerous mix.
BIOGRAPHY
“Dad, why do we get our food from the Earth Kingdom?”
“It’s a beneficial relationship, Zai. We have things they want, and they have something we want. By trading in this way, both nations are made stronger and more prosperous than they were before.”
Zai’s father was a highly ranked government official in the Fire Nation. As the dignitary of foreign affairs, he worked closely with the Fire Lord himself to arrange trade agreements and other dealings with the other three nations. It was a good gig; the nations had always been at peace and maintained amiable relationships, and it was rarely very difficult to finalize deals - there was rarely friction, and most of his job was just a matter of negotiating the minutiae to every party’s satisfaction. He travelled often and had many friends across the world, and considered himself very lucky.
Until things started getting… tense.
By the time Zai, his first son, was born, the Fire Nation’s relationship with the Earth Kingdom was starting to get a little strained. Prices of imported goods, especially food, began to rise, and proved something of a stumbling block for their relationship. It seemed like nothing at first - the Earth Kingdom had a weak harvest this year, the seas were rough that year, and so on - and later, reports of strife inside the Earth Kingdom seemed to confirm that the trade interruptions were simply the result of a series of unfortunate events befalling the Fire Nation’s long-time trade partner.
By the time Zai was 10, the effects of poor trade were becoming noticeable even in the Capital. Shortages were taking their toll even on the aristocracy’s dinner tables, and high inflation was sparking the beginnings of civil unrest. However, the people of the Fire Nation did not easily yield to stress, and their strong sense of unity and patriotism allowed them to band together and maintain order even as their situation grew more and more precarious.
Fortunately, as the son of a dignitary, Zai was shielded from much of his Nation’s growing suffering. He never went hungry, never felt unsafe, and never had to go without. He enjoyed a happy home life and a fine education, receiving firebending training from the same Master who trained the children of the Fire Lord. He took to bending readily and with great enthusiasm, and it wasn’t long before he became an accomplished firebender himself.
But as the years wore on, the Fire Nation’s position only got worse. Trade slowed to a trickle, and although Zai was still sheltered from the worst of it, his Nation’s hardships were always present to him. He was not blind to the suffering of his people; his heart hurt for them, and he wanted nothing more than to learn all he could from his father to follow in his footsteps and serve the Fire Nation.
When he was 17, his chance finally came to make a real difference. Things were becoming desperate for the Fire Nation, and increased reliance on the Water Tribe and Air Nomads was not enough to effectively ease the strain. Zai had shadowed his father for a few years on stop-gap measures with the two more friendly nations, but now the Fire Lord tasked him with his most important job yet: to visit the Earth King and negotiate an end to the trade interruptions. To his delight, Zai was allowed to accompany his father on the trip to observe his father working his magic when it mattered most.
Ba Sing Se was a marvel to behold, and Zai and his father received a royal welcome. Many meetings were held with Earth Kingdom representatives - of agriculture, shipping, fisheries, and many more - and before long, Zai’s head was spinning from the complexity of it all. It was over a month before the Earth King himself would meet with Zai’s father.
But when the time finally came to see the Earth King, Zai's father told him to stay behind. Confused and hurt, Zai tried to argue, but begrudgingly agreed to wait in their guest mansion in the Upper Ring, wondering why his father thought he was unworthy.
But his father never came back.
In a single evening, Zai turned from guest of honour to fugitive - and worse, he didn’t know why. He had to escape the clutches of the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se and flee on his own, his father’s royal escort nowhere to be found. By the time Zai reached the coast, and was turned away, he learned the horrible truth: the Earth King had declared war on the Fire Nation and launched a brutal assault, only barely held off with the help of their allies in the Water Tribe. As a result, the coast was locked down, and Zai was stranded.
It’s been a year since then, and Zai has been barely scraping by in a small Earth Kingdom village near the coast, forced to conceal both his identity and his bending under threat of internment. He does not know what became of his father, and he has no way to contact his mother. He watches anxiously from the other side of the sea, scratching for any information he can get on the status of his home, but powerless to do anything to help. All he knows is that somehow, he needs to find his father - and make the Earth King pay for what he's done.
TRIVIA
Zai’s favourite food is blackened eelfish. He’s yet to find it outside the Fire Nation.
