Post by Yuzuki on Jul 13, 2010 0:48:42 GMT -7
The Four Nations
[/i][/b][/center]This section is to help those who are not as familiar with the four nations to see what makes each nation unique in its own right. If you would like more information than what is provided here, please visit the Avatar Wiki: World of Avatar page. Most of the information on this page has been gathered from this website and it includes a vast amount more than what is listed here.
- ~*{ Air Nomads }*~
Three hundred years ago the Air Nomads were practically wiped from the world by the Fire Nation. Before this, the Air Nomads had two temples exclusively for males and two for females. However, since the Air Nomads were in need of a population, all of the temples have become home to both genders over the past 300 years. The Air Temples are loosely run by elder councils which consist of up to five individual elders, which in turn report to the head council member in the Northern Air Temple.
Of all the nations, the Air Nomads value equality the most as most all Air Nomads are monks and nuns. The clothing style of the Air Nomads closely resembles that of Tibetan Monks. The colors that often appear in their fabric are brown, orange, and saffron yellow and all of these colors are linked to the art of airbending. One other difference from the other nations is that the Airbenders receive arrow tattoos when they have mastered airbending. These arrows, placed on the head, the arms and legs, signify that an Air Nomad has mastered airbending and the flow of chi throughout the body. The arrows are an emulation of the natural arrows on the heads of flying bisons and who were the inspiration for the first airbenders. To become a master, an airbender must pass the thirty-six levels of airbending along with engineering a new technique.
[/li][li]~*{ Water Tribes }*~[/i]
The Water Tribes are divided into two tribes: The Southern Water Tribe which inhabits the South Pole and the Northern Water Tribe which inhabits the North Pole.
The Northern Water Tribe is run by a more monarchic chiefdom. It is a patriarchal monarchy but has the aspects of tribal group because the Chief is the Head of State. There is a small council that advises the Tribal Chief and helps him in making his decisions. Politics can also be very personal in the Northern Water Tribe as marrying the Chiefs daughter, the Tribal Princess, can be a significant step up in a political career.
There are certain customs in the Northern Water Tribe that differ from its sister tribe. Women become marriageable at the age of 16. Some marriages are arranged, with the bride in particular having no say in the matter. Engaged women wear “betrothal necklaces”, which are navy blue chokers bearing blue stone pendants hand carved by the husband-to-be. It is forbidden by custom for female waterbenders to learn waterbending for fighting purposes. Instead, they are trained as healers, able to use bending to heal wounds. Though the rules on females learning waterbending for fighting have changed slightly over the years, with only a handful of females being accepted every so often, the strict rules still apply.
The Southern Water Tribe is run by a loosely held chiefdom. Decisions in the Southern Water Tribe are made exclusively by the current Chief at the time. There is only one person in power at a time, and all others are completely loyal to that person. The people in this tribe are less stratified than its Northern sister tribe. The Southern Water Tribe has rebuilt itself over the past 300 years, but continues to keep the small settlements as it suits them better. The people of the Southern Water Tribe are scattered in tiny villages and settlements located across the South Pole.
Gender roles in the Southern tribe are far less rigid than the Northern Water Tribe. Girls are not forced into an arranged marriage, but are in fact free to marry whomever they see fit. This was one of the main reasons why some of the benders from the Northern sister tribe migrated down to the Southern Water Tribe.
Clothing styles in both water tribes tend to be of a blue and white shade. Typically a set of blue anorak and trousers is worn with thick fur coats with hoods due to the cold climate. In addition to the coats, they wear three-fingered gloves to keep their hands warm. In lighter clothing, which is generally used when traveling to warmer regions, their clothing resembles a kimono-like tunic. With split sides for leg movement, and fur trimmer leggings underneath. Lighter clothing comes in various styles, and not all members have to wear this set of clothing.
Females have what is called “Hair loopies”. Hair loopies are traditional hair pieces worn by women and girls of the Water Tribes. Two locks of hair on either side of the head are fastened with clips onto the back of the head, hanging down more loosely than the other hair. In the Southern Water Tribe, the loopies are usually plain but in the Northern Water Tribe, they are often braided into elaborate designs. Warriors of the Water Tribes are most often found wearing the Warrior’s Wolf tail which is where the sides of the head are shaved and only a ponytail is left
[/li][li]~*{ Earth Kingdom }*~[/i]
The Earth Kingdom is the largest and most diverse of the four nations, and its people are strong and proud. Their land is a massive continent in the eastern hemisphere and also has several islands. The Earth Kingdom is extremely diverse in that is has mountains, forests, grasslands, a desert, and man-conquered areas. The Earth Kingdom itself is run overall as a monarchy, the capital being Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom has a number of leaders who exercise power over individual parts of the Earth Kingdom, since the kingdom is so vast. While the Earth King has final authority over such leaders, these leaders do have considerable power over their lands.
The Earth Kingdom has three rings – the Lower Ring, Middle Ring and Upper Ring and they sport an array of greens, browns, golds, yellows, and many other colors that have an earthy feel. Those residing in the rural areas, such as the lower ring, often wear clothes similar to peasants and tend to wear dark green and brown, putting emphasis on their low position in society. In the middle ring the color of clothing is in lighter shades of green, and more elaborate styles. Women have dresses lined with a bit of gold or yellow, and men sport braided hair or more elaborate tunics. Those in the upper ring, the royals and the wealthy, usually wear robes similar to the Manchurian-Chinese Qipao, especially during parties or events. Their clothing is the most extravagant of them all. Their clothing is usually a lighter shade of green, with gold trimmings, and elaborate designs and patterns. Men wear longer and more embroidered tunics. The men of the Earth Kingdom also have a top of top-knot and usually wear a green ring around their top-knots.
[/li][li]~*{ Fire Nation }*~[/i]
The Fire Nation is located on an archipelago of islands located in the Western hemisphere of the planet and it the most advanced of the four nations with steam and gas power. It has a huge fleet of industrial war ships and even adopted airships into its military. The Fire Nation is also diverse in its landscape, featuring many volcanic islands in its archipelago and on the mainland, as well as a tropical climate. The country is an absolute monarchy, and could even be called a dictatorship. The head of state for the Fire Nation is the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord’s first child is the Heir to the Fire Lord and is usually referred to as the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess.
The Fire Nation mimics traditional Chinese elements, from their fashion to their architecture. Their clothing has layers of various colors, coats, and traditional pieces of armor which are common elements in their style, as in Chinese traditional clothing. Citizens and rulers of the Fire Nation wear colors ranging from black, red, yellow, gold, grey, brown and even as far as white. The different classes in society wear different clothing as a sign of their social status. Most of the commoners and peasants live in the outer islands of the Fire Nation so they are far away from the major towns and cities. They wear simple non decorative clothes, usually a dull shade of red. The Fire Nation royal family is the richest and most powerful family in the Fire Nation. They wear the most elaborate of clothing which usually is a shade of red. They also wear the famous Royal Armor. The same goes for the Nobles of the Fire Nation.
Top-knots are the official hairstyle of the Fire Nation, worn by both men and women. Fire Nation citizens often wear decorative headpieces in their top-knots. The Fire Lord has a special headpiece that is an ancient royal artifact of the fire nation, meant to be worn by the Fire Lord, the absolute ruler of the nation. The headpiece is shaped like the Fire Nation insignia, except it possess two additional prongs to make it appear like a crown. It is worn in the top-knot. Headpeaces are also worn by many people in the world to adorn their otherwise bare top-knots. These headpieces range from the very humble headpieces worn by normal citizens to the golden five-pronged headpiece worn by the Fire Lord. Also, red and gold necklaces are common among women of the Fire Nation and come in various styles.
[/li][li]~*{ Kyoshi Island }*~[/i]
Kyoshi Island is a small island off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, dotted with many small villages. It is famous as the birthplace of Avatar Kiyoshi and is home to the elite Kiyoshi Warriors. The island was created when Chin the Conqueror threatened it. Avatar Kiyoshi separated Kiyoshi Peninsula from the Earth Kingdom mainland to keep her people safe from future threats. Like all municipalities in the Earth Kingdom, Kyoshi Island answers to the government of Ba Sing Se. However, each of the collection of small villages has a Village Chief, in charge of organizing everyone, is director of the Kiyoshi Warriors, and also acts as a judge.
The Kiyoshi Warriors are an all-female group of fighters. Their fighting style and clothing mimic that of Avatar Kiyoshi, but they do not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. Clad in ornate, armored green kimonos, metal headdresses, and geisha-like makeup designed to intimidate opponents, Kiyoshi Island Warriors use metal fans as their main weapons. The warrior’s uniform has a gold insignia that represents the honor of the warrior’s heart and the silk threads symbolize the brave blood that flows through their veins. Holding their fans like extensions of their own arms, they aim to turn the strength of their opponents against them. The female warriors do not take kindly to training outsiders, let alone men, in these unique methods. The warriors all wear distinct individualized headdresses, or they wear a simple green headband if they have no headdress. [/li][/ul]