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[ The Four Clans ]

The Water Tribe

Territory
The Water Tribe is found in a large tribe near a powerful river.

Appearance
Members of the Water Tribe typically have light or deep brown manes (if a mane is present), and blue eyes. Fur can be of any color, although blues are the dominant color, with the occasional white. Accessories are generally made of kelp, seaweeds, shells, pearls, and other materials easily accessible near bodies of water.

Government
The Water Tribe is led by the Water Chief, a male of great strength who has already proven himself a worthy leader on the battlefield.

Warriors
All male tribe members are fully-trained warriors. Water Tribe warriors typically wear black and white warpaint on their full face before going into battle.

Customs
Coming Of Age - When on the verge of adulthood, all apprentices are put in groups of three along with one experienced Warrior. These groups then have to safely navigate their way across the great river with minimal help from the warrior, whom is mainly there to ensure their safety and observe how they interact. Upon safely crossing they river, each of the Apprentices is marked with either the mark of Bravery, Wisdom, or Trust. They are then considered adults.

Mating - Upon coming of age, all members are free to choose their mate. The only instance of arranged marriages occurs among the children of the Water Chief, and even then it is extremely rare. When two members of the Water Tribe decide to become mates, the male makes a necklace for his future mate to wear. The couple can remain 'engaged' for as long as they wish, but when they do choose to marry they are brought before the Water Chief and their coupling is blessed.

New Moon - A celebration is held every new moon, during which it is common for other rituals (such as the blessing of a mating or the coming of age ceremony) to take place. This is a time of great joy for the Water Tribe.

Worship - Above all other gods, members of the Water Tribe worship what they perceive to be the God of Water and Goddess of the Moon. In the Water Tribe, the Moon Goddess is known by the name Tui and the Water God is known by the name La. These gods are represented as being mates, in a constant push and pull. It should be noted that those who choose not to worship either god sometimes worship an unnamed Goddess of Winter, as winter is seen as the season during which the Water Tribe is strongest.

History


The Earth Kingdom

Territory
The Earth Kingdom is found in a centralized clan among the rougher terrain of the lands.

Appearance
Members of the Earth Kingdom typically have black or brown manes (if a mane is present), and green, brown, or gray eyes. Fur is typically all shades of brown and green, with the occasional gray and white. Paler fur colors typically indicate those of noble blood. Accessories are generally made of leather, flowers, plants, and other materials easily accessible in the middle of the land.

Government
The Earth Kingdom is led by the Earth King, who is primarily a political leader, although he does command the warriors of his clan.

Warriors
Earth Kingdom warriors generally specialize in one of two areas. Earthbenders, who have learned how to use the terrain to their advantage and can easily set off rock slides into enemy forces in the right moment, and general foot soldiers. Foot soldiers are generally the first defense, and all warriors start out apprenticed to a foot soldier. If they so wish, they can climb the ranks by then apprenticing to an Earthbender.

Customs
Coming Of Age - When on the verge of adulthood, all apprentices are given the task of scaling the great mountain the Earth Kingdom is situated beneath. They are told to spend a day on the peak of the mountain to learn more of the kingdom they inhabit and upon coming down, they meet with the Earth King and are instructed to draw a map of the lands for him. If they are able to draw an at least semi-accurate map, they are considered adults.

Mating - Upon coming of age, all members are free to choose their mate. The only instance of arranged marriages occurs among the children of the Earth King and Nobles, and it is extremely common among them. When two members of the Earth Kingdom decide to become mates, the male goes to the female's parents and requests permission to take her as his bride. If permission is granted, he then scales the mountain for the second time in his life, this time to retrieve the elusive Panda Lily, which only grows on the mountains rocky crags. He then gives it to his future bride, and she commonly wears it as a piece of jewelry until they are formally married. The marriage ceremony is rather simple. The groom and bride gather their immediate family before the Earth Sage and recite simple vows to one another. After the ceremony, they are considered mates.

Worship - Above all other gods, members of the Earth Kingdom worship what they perceive to be the Goddess of Earth and God of Mountains. In the Earth Kingdom, the Earth Goddess is known by the name Mǔ Chén and the Mountain God is known by the name Hei Bai. These gods are represented as being mates, with Hei Bai ruling over Mǔ Chén. It should be noted that those who choose not to worship either god sometimes worship an unnamed Goddess of Spring, as spring is seen as the season during which the Earth Kingdom is strongest.

History


The Fire Nation

Territory
The Fire Nation is also found in a centralized clan among the rougher terrain, but they are very close to a dormant volcano.

Appearance
Members of the Fire Nation typically have black or brown manes (if a mane is present), and amber, gold, brown, or gray eyes. Fur is typically found in reds, dark browns, grays, black, golds, with the occasional white and pink. Paler fur colors typically indicate those of noble blood. Accessories are generally made of precious metals and gems, as well as other materials easily accessible near volcanoes.

Government
The Fire Nation is ruled with an iron paw by the Fire Lord, a male who is an extremely powerful warrior of noble blood.

Warriors
The Fire Nation warriors are the strongest out of the four clans, and generally the most vicious. Warriors are encouraged to be as cunning as they are vicious, and it isn't uncommon for novice divisions to be used as distractions so more experienced warriors can get the upper hand.

Customs
Coming Of Age - When on the verge of adulthood, all apprentices are sent to the dormant volcano and instructed to travel all the way to the top. They must then retrieve a volcano rock, and mark their faces with volcanic ash before traveling back down the mountain. If they successfully complete this task, they are considered adults. It should be noted that faking this ceremony is considered one of the highest dishonors to not only the participant, but also to the family. It is almost never done.

Mating - Upon coming of age, all members are free to choose their mate. The only instance of arranged marriages occurs among the children of the Fire Lord and Nobles, and it is an extremely common practice among them. When two members of the Fire Nation decide to become mates, the male goes to the females parents to ask permission to take their daughter as his bride. If permission is granted, then both family's are gathered to witness a ritualized duel between the male and female. The two are only declared mates after the male wins the duel without injuring his future bride. In the instance of a female 'throwing' the duel, she is dishonored and banished from the Fire Nation.

Agni Kai - An Agni Kai is a duel that is often declared among those of higher ranks if one has been insulted by another. It is a duel for honor, and both males and females can participate in it. When a dispute arises, one member often challenges the other to an Agni Kai. If the challenge is accepted, the two combatants move to the official dueling area. The ceremonial opening begins with the two combatants opposite each other with their backs turned. The combatants stand, face each other, and begin the duel as soon as the old elephant skull overlooking the ring is struck. The Agni Kai is over when either party is incapable of continuing, whether by exhaustion, incapacitation, or death. An Agni Kai traditionally takes place at either Sunrise or Sunset.

Fire Days Festival - The Fire Days Festival is a celebration that occurs once a year during the Summer Solstice, when the sun is in the sky the longest. During the festival, all members of the Fire Nation gather and commonly wear stylized masks while participating in many event such as storytelling, observing ritual performances, and even a speech to the entire nation by the Fire Lord himself.

Worship - Above all other gods, members of the Fire Nation worship what they perceive to be the God of Fire and God of the Sun. In the Fire Nation, the Fire God is known by the name Agni and the Sun God is known by the name Aruna. These gods are represented as being brothers, with Aruna ruling over Agni. It should be noted that those who choose not to worship either god sometimes worship an unnamed God of Summer, as summer is seen as the season during which the Fire Nation is strongest.

History


The Air Nomads

Territory
The Air Nomads wander from location to location, although they do have seasonal "camps" that remain constant from year to year.

Appearance
Air Nomads typically have dark brown manes (if a mane is present), and brown or gray eyes. Fur is typically found in yellows, oranges, and browns. Accessories are generally made of feathers, beads, fur scraps, and many other materials. Air Nomads tend to have the most diverse accessories due to their nomadic lifestyle.

Government
The Air Nomads are ruled by a council of five Air Sages who are regarded as the elders of the clan. Decisions are made by all five Sages together.

Warriors
The Air Nomads do not have a set group of warriors. Although generally when an Air Nomad decides to take on a job as a warrior, they focus on defensive tactics rather than offensive tactics.

Customs


History


[ The Avatar ]

The Avatar is the only member of the entire pride to have devoted him/herself to all four of the elements. He is considered a peace-maker, and is always contacted regarding matters that could cause distension between the clans. The Avatar is reborn after each death around a week afterward, in a never-ending cycle that involves all of the clans. The current Avatar was born to the Air Nomads, and the next will be born to the Water Tribe. There are always signs pointing to the new Avatar that appear at birth, or when the newborn Avatar is old enough to recognize the world around them.

In most cases, after the death of a Avatar all newborns in the following weeks are presented with a variety of objects and told to pick four of them. They are regarded as the future Avatar if they choose objects representing all four clans. Such as a shell for the Water Tribe, a stone for the Earth Kingdom, a piece of charcoal for the Fire Nation, and a feather for the Air Nomads.

But among the Air Nomads, there is one exception to this rule. Any cub born with the arrow markings that denote an air master is regarded as the new Avatar.