Lesson One
Intro to the Avatar World
The World of Avatar is a wonderful place, filled with amazing people and spirits with amazing skills and powers! The world is broken down into four nations/countries:
- The Water Nation
- The Fire Nation
- The Earth Nation
- The Air Nation
In every Nation, there are normal people, but there are also people with special skills; they are called Benders. Benders are people who are born with skills that enable them to control a certain element. The four main elements correlate with the four nations: water, fire, earth, and air. The Water Tribes of the North and South Poles are the home of Waterbenders, The Air Temples are the home of Air Nomads (Airbenders), the Fire Nation is the home of Firebenders and the Earth Kingdom is the home of Earthbenders.
However that leaves us with another question, what is an Avatar?
THE Avatar is a person who has the power to discipline all the elements and unite them into one and are the bridge between the physical world and the spirit world. As a result, they possess amazing and stunning powers. It is believed that the Avatar's duty is to serve the World and maintain the balance amongst the four nations. When one Avatar dies, they reincarnate into a different body born to a different nation in the following pattern: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. This cycle also represents the shift of the seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The cycle is a very important thing, because the Avatar has to master all the elements in that specific order, beginning with the Nation that the Avatar was born in. Once they have mastered one element, they must move onto the next one until they have mastered all four of them.
Every nation uses a different method of discovering the new Avatar. For example, the Air Nomads use toys. When a child is born, the nomads put thousands of toys in front of the child and if the child specifically picks a certain four toys belonging to the previous Avatars, it indicates that those toys are familiar to him or her and that he or she is the Avatar.
Now, let's take a look at bending. There are many types of bending, even amongst a single Element; here is a chart that might make it simpler to explain:
However that leaves us with another question, what is an Avatar?
THE Avatar is a person who has the power to discipline all the elements and unite them into one and are the bridge between the physical world and the spirit world. As a result, they possess amazing and stunning powers. It is believed that the Avatar's duty is to serve the World and maintain the balance amongst the four nations. When one Avatar dies, they reincarnate into a different body born to a different nation in the following pattern: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. This cycle also represents the shift of the seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The cycle is a very important thing, because the Avatar has to master all the elements in that specific order, beginning with the Nation that the Avatar was born in. Once they have mastered one element, they must move onto the next one until they have mastered all four of them.
Every nation uses a different method of discovering the new Avatar. For example, the Air Nomads use toys. When a child is born, the nomads put thousands of toys in front of the child and if the child specifically picks a certain four toys belonging to the previous Avatars, it indicates that those toys are familiar to him or her and that he or she is the Avatar.
Now, let's take a look at bending. There are many types of bending, even amongst a single Element; here is a chart that might make it simpler to explain:
We can see that the Air Nomads can bend air, which is very obvious, but some of them also have the skill to bend sound, since sound travels in airwaves. In addition to water, Waterbenders can bend the water in blood. This technique, Bloodbending, is extremely hard to master and also very dangerous; it allows a person (the bloodbender) to take full control of another living being's actions. Due to it's difficulty, it can only be performed while the Moon is full. Some Earthbenders can bend metal, since it's simply a refined version of typical earth, but despite this, remains a very hard material to bend with. And lastly, some Firebenders can bend lighting, but those who can are rare as it takes a lot of patience and skill to master.
Furthermore, there are also some materials that benders can combine to bend as well.
Now, returning back to the Avatar. In addition to the Avatar's bending and sprit powers, it can also access an incredible physical and mental state called the Avatar State. This state is distinguished by glowing eyes and in the case of airbenders, glowing tattoos. While an Avatar is in the Avatar State, they experience enormous power--the combined powers of all the Avatars before them. However with this power also comes a great price; if an Avatar is killed while in the Avatar State, the Cycle of reincartion will be broken and the Avatar will not exist anymore. We will talk about the Avatar State and Aura, later.
The identity of the next Avatar is revealed when they turn sixteen by their native Element's Sieges. Here is an example of Avatar Roku's sixteenth birthday:
Furthermore, there are also some materials that benders can combine to bend as well.
- Both Fire and Earthbenders can bend Magma, which in and of itself is just fiery rock.
- Earth and Waterbenders can bend plants, but it is not as efficient, because they can only bend the water/minerals inside of the plants. However, Waterbenders can not only take the water from plants and use it, but they can also bend the water inside them to move and shift vines. This kind of bending is utilized by Waterbenders that live in swamps, who are especially talented in that field of Waterbending.
- Water and Airbenders can control snow, because it's a mixture of frozen water and 60% air inside.
- Air and Firebenders can use the power of combustion, which means that they can cause explosions with their mind--a rare, but feasible talent.
Now, returning back to the Avatar. In addition to the Avatar's bending and sprit powers, it can also access an incredible physical and mental state called the Avatar State. This state is distinguished by glowing eyes and in the case of airbenders, glowing tattoos. While an Avatar is in the Avatar State, they experience enormous power--the combined powers of all the Avatars before them. However with this power also comes a great price; if an Avatar is killed while in the Avatar State, the Cycle of reincartion will be broken and the Avatar will not exist anymore. We will talk about the Avatar State and Aura, later.
The identity of the next Avatar is revealed when they turn sixteen by their native Element's Sieges. Here is an example of Avatar Roku's sixteenth birthday:
(SOUND WILL BE COMING SOON)
After their birthday an Avatar must then leave their home to travel the world for further training. The Avatar has four years to master a single element, and they must do it following the pattern mentioned earlier, the Season Cycle. Starting from their native element, the Avatar will then master the next three elements preceding it in whatever order that follows the pattern. So, for example, if the Avatar is from the Fire Nation, they would have to master Fire, Air, Water and then Earth. Normally, by the time they are sixteen and told of their status as the Avatar, the Avatar will most likely have mastered their first and native element, which leaves them with twelve years to learn three elements. And in those twelve years, the new Avatar must also deal with meditation and spiritual practices in order to become able to master the Avatar State. Here is an example of what Avatar Roku had to go through during his training:
After their birthday an Avatar must then leave their home to travel the world for further training. The Avatar has four years to master a single element, and they must do it following the pattern mentioned earlier, the Season Cycle. Starting from their native element, the Avatar will then master the next three elements preceding it in whatever order that follows the pattern. So, for example, if the Avatar is from the Fire Nation, they would have to master Fire, Air, Water and then Earth. Normally, by the time they are sixteen and told of their status as the Avatar, the Avatar will most likely have mastered their first and native element, which leaves them with twelve years to learn three elements. And in those twelve years, the new Avatar must also deal with meditation and spiritual practices in order to become able to master the Avatar State. Here is an example of what Avatar Roku had to go through during his training:
(SOUND WILL BE COMING SOON)
I think that would be all for now, we have to save something for the other lessons... Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you something about the Spirit World, one of the most important things in this world.
The Spirit World is a place where creatures, shapes and spirits of all kinds live; the Avatar represents a bridge between the two Worlds. The Spirits keep an eye on this world and help us, in other words they – protect us, give us energy, power, and much more. But don't fret, we shall talk about it more specifically in later lessons!
I think that would be all for now, we have to save something for the other lessons... Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you something about the Spirit World, one of the most important things in this world.
The Spirit World is a place where creatures, shapes and spirits of all kinds live; the Avatar represents a bridge between the two Worlds. The Spirits keep an eye on this world and help us, in other words they – protect us, give us energy, power, and much more. But don't fret, we shall talk about it more specifically in later lessons!