Avatar RP (as in the animated series(s))

[PhantomSekai]

So I want to do an RP that takes place in the Avatar universe, without the Avatar though. You see, I find the lore and world that the two series have crafted to be an amazingly interesting world, so instead of making a bland RP that basically either re-tells the stories already presented in the show, I'm deciding to strictly take the universe established by this series, and creating a new story that instead revolves around new characters that have nothing to do with the actual avatar and such.

So, being able to pull from a universe so large that is pretty well known, I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain the ins and outs of this series. I'm just gonna post a quick refresh. In this world, people can manipulate or "bend" the 4 elements of fire, water, air, and earth. In this world, each bender is limited to usually one element, but the avatar can bend all 4, but he/she isn't important since our RP is only using the world that is established.

Anyways, there's a lot that we need to establish, like when is the RP taking place? Where do we want to start? And other stuff, but before that (we'll discuss it on an OOC page) I need to know that their's an interest to even do this rp. I really don't have a story in mind, so I'm more or less just winging this, but I'm sure there are a lot of people who would be willing to bounce ideas back and forth between us to get a plot together.

Anyways, if you're interested, just post here. Once we get at least 5 people interested, then I'll make an OOC with a more defined feeling of what we're doing lol.

[Adjectives]

I'm interested.

[Halvtand]

I'm very interested in this.

[Derren Krenshaw]

I would be interested in this.

[Halvtand]

Sooo... Anyone know someone that would like this?

[SlowPlow]

This sounds like an interesting perspective on the avatar world. I'll voice my interest.

[Feanor]

Possibly interested if a pleasing plot presents itself.

[Milkman]

I'm interested although it depends a bit on the plot :)

Anyway, first question. What time period are you thinking of using? Something before the 100 year war? During that time or something more similair to the Legend of Korra?

[Halvtand]

Personally I'd like to go for the extremes. Either a more primitive time than 'last airbender' or more modern than 'legend of Korra'. Imagine a metalbender with a gun.

[Feanor]

I don't think guns would ever be a viable option in this universe, fire bender would ignite the powder, metal benders would screw up the barrel etc. But I too am a fan of extremes. My vote is primitive, feudal tribes type setting.

[Halvtand]

Hm, interesting arguments, but not quite enough to convince me. I've only seen the first season of Korra (and all of airbender) so there might be more info on what I have to say (feel free to spoil to motivate response).

Fire benders could ignite the powder, the point is solid enough and hard to disagree with. Even so, I think this would be highly situational (a bender would for instance not want to set of a gun pointed at it). The precision and heat required would also be extremely high (I'm going by modern cased ammunition), a single flame touching or brushing the weapon wouldn't do much unless we've got ye olde blackpowder muskets. Starting a flame inside a bullet would (I think) require an insane amount of skill, on the level of fire lord or avatar.

Metal benders would screw with the barrel, once again a valid point, and the result would be devastating for the shooter. But here's something that also applies to the fire bender. Range.
Looking at the series earth benders seems to require direct contact with their material, the fire bender's flames almost always goes out from their bodies and, not counting the comet-fueled fire bending, seems to die out after about 30 feet (10m). Even water and air seems to have about the same range.

Anyway, there are a lot of tricks that benders would be able to use against a shooter, but I still believe that their existence is viable. It would also shift the power of our enemies from "benders are the most powerful" to "anyone could F you up"

But yeah, feudal tribe-stuff also sounds fun.

[Feanor]

The thing is case ammo WOULD even the playing field but that required hundreds of years of testing and experimentation to develop and the people who developed it didn't have enemies that could shoot lightning at them or plug their barrels with ice.
Range could be dealt with by blocking and closing distance, these are highly trained martial artists, they move quick. Sniping or complete surprise would be the only real effective way of using a gun against a bender. Come to think of it I don't recall arrows ever being used. Mei was the only person I can remember who used ranged weapons. I think ranged weapons would have quickly been abandoned due to range increasing reaction windows/projectiles could be affected with more ease than say, getting in close with a sturdy sword.

Personally I like the concept of mechanical bending equivalents i.e. the equalist tech. devices that allow nonbenders to either neutralize or match a bender in a fight. It just seems to me that sort of a technological tree would spring from their situation.

[Halvtand]

Evening out the battlefield was exactly what I was going for by proposing the gun.
Of course this might send us a hundred years or more into the future (the world leapt from basically medieval(except for the fire nation) to late 1800/early 1900-tech in the series pretty darn quick). With inventors being benders or helping them development could even go much faster than it did for us.
Closing distance as a means to deal with firearms is a definite maybe. The thing is that you can't react to a bullet like you can react to an arrow or thrown weapon. At most I think you can move irregularly, hope that the shooter will miss and/or run out of bullets. I mean, an olympic runner can run 100m (around 300y) in just under 10sec if he does nothing else in his life and runs in a straight line, an old six-shooter can be emptied with relative accuracy in half that time.
But I guess all arguments can be turned around like this, it mostly comes down to if benders over all like or dislike the idea. If benders don't like the idea of guns then the inventor would have a really hard time. If they like the idea then I guess it would be developed in a week, haha.

I actually think I remember Katara stopping a few arrows with frozen water, Longshot (in Jet's gang) and of course the legendary Yuyan archers use archery, so there is a definite opening for ranged combat. Many of the bending-tricks used against guns can also be used to stop arrows.

The equalists tech felt a bit off to me. It just felt stupid that the best way to counter benders was to best them at their own game. I would've liked the "normal" people to come up with a way that allowed them to truly surpass the benders. But I guess that wouldn't have been as cinematic.

[Feanor]

That is right, I forgot about those archers. Been a while since I saw those episodes.

Now, just a quick clarification: I would love a more modern (or future) setting. I could easily get behind the idea of guns existing, in fact I would love it, that was just an errant thought I was exploring.
And I think given more time the equalist tech WILL surpass the benders. I see eventually the benders themselves using the tech to augment their own powers.

Only thing is (this will be a spoiler but you said you didn't mind.) at the end of season two of Korra the portals are opened and left so humans and spirits can freely pass between the worlds. Since this new age hasn't been shown I would LOVE to RP in a futuristic bender setting with regular and frequent interaction with spirits.

[Milkman]

I do think a futuristic setting would be really interesting, especially in a way where technology has surpassed bending as a combat form in a military sense. It takes many years of training to master a martial art and 5 minutes to learn someone to shoot an AK-47. In a futuristic world bending would still exist but be more of relic of the past, practised as a sport or a form of martial arts show/entertainment a bit like shaolin monks of today. Bending would be far more uncommon then it was during ATLA and The legend of Korra because it holds less of a meaning and is a tradition that is in great decline. The story could revolve around a group of benders who somehow got involved in something greater and needs to use their art to resolve it and empower the traditions of old.

[Halvtand]

Feanor:
Haha, I wasn't too attached to the idea of having guns either, just thought about it as I wrote that post and then went with it. Always fun to see where things like that goes, was lucky and found someone willing to go through it this time, thumbs up to you.

I also think that the equalists tech will get better, I just don't agree on the beginning of it. But I guess I'll have to live with it. Hasa diga eebowai.

Milkman:
That sounds awesome. Maybe bending becomes less and less common (of natural causes) in the future. After a while laws are put in place to restrain this minority, like its a crime to bend in public unless you have a license and shit... Then it just becomes art like you said. I like it. And it is very much in the "technology is bad"-tradition of the series.

[Milkman]

A crime to bend in public or without license. That sounds like a dystopian future that could very much happen in the United Republic of Nations. After the end of the first season of The Legend of Korra, government positions are openend up for non-benders also. It is not unlikable to think that such a nation would slowly move towards a more anti-bender mindset under the pretext of fighting crime and terror :)

[Feanor]

Hmmm I kinda like the concept of an harsh role reversal. Being stopped by the police for bending papers that sort of thing. I almost would want a story in which bending is illegal for citizens. Its used by the military or in specific art instances. We could be the bending equivalent of the equalists. Terrorists to some, freedom fighters to others.
Or just used with permits for artisans/workers etc.

Obviously this is extreme but we are spitballing.

[Milkman]

Feanor said
Hmmm I kinda like the concept of an harsh role reversal. Being stopped by the police for bending papers that sort of thing. I almost would want a story in which bending is illegal for citizens. Its used by the military or in specific art instances. We could be the bending equivalent of the equalists. Terrorists to some, freedom fighters to others.Or just used with permits for artisans/workers etc.Obviously this is extreme but we are spitballing.

I like that idea :)

Unfortunately there has not been a sign of live from the topic starter.

[Feanor]

Milkman said
I like that idea :)Unfortunately there has not been a sign of live from the topic starter.

Worst comes to worst we'll start it by ourselves but I would like some input from the OP.