trying to rewrite it to be more useful as a setting instead of just describing the cartoon.
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Revision as of 18:58, 26 April 2014
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Lets say you want something that is fantasy, set in a large complex world that in no way rips off [[JRR Tolkien]], is presented in visual form and is just well made all around. Well Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko had come to your aid with
'''
Avatar: The Last Airbender
''' and
its new followup '''The
Legend of
Korra'''. It is in no way related to [[Avatar|James Cameron's similarly titled work
]]
(thank god)
.
+
'''
TL;DR
'''
a setting for AZN kung-fu
and
high magic without being the over-the-top [[Exalted]] and not the highbrow [[
Legend of
the Five Rings
]].
+
Lets say you want something that is fantasy, set in a large complex world that in no way rips off [[JRR Tolkien]], is presented in visual form and is just well made all around. Well Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko had come to your aid with '''Avatar: The Last Airbender''' and its new followup '''The Legend of Korra'''. It is in no way related to [[Avatar|James Cameron's similarly titled work]] (thank god).
== Setting ==
== Setting ==
−
You have a world
modeled
primarily off
east Asian civilization
,
in which there are
people
able to
manipulate
the elements
using martial arts moves
(
called bending
)
. Benders
are capable
of
bending either
Earth, Air, Fire or Water
, with the
exception
of
the Avatar who can master all four
and is re-incarnated every time he or she dies. There are, for the most part four civilizations...
+
You have a world
modelled
primarily off
dynastic China
,
plus some
people
can magically
manipulate
simple matter
using martial arts moves called
"
bending.
"
Benders
can bending one and only one
of Earth, Air, Fire or Water
. The
exception
to this rule is one person called
the
"
Avatar
"
who can master all four
types
of
bending
, and
universally regarded as
a
spiritual leader (think
: the
Dalai Lama
).
There is only ever one Avatar in each generation
, who
is
the
reincarnation
of the
previous Avatar can can remember (converse with
the
ghosts
of
) previous Avatars
.
−
*The Water Tribes: Eskimo like people who live in the North and South polar regions. The South Pole tribe consists
of
stereotypical Eskimos
,
whereas the ones living at the North Pole got bored of making simple igloos
and
carved their '''entire city''' out of ice. And then added canals to troll the physicists.There is also
a
swamp tribe that can manipulate the plants using the water inside them
+
−
*The Earth Kingdom
:
A large loose continental power ruled out of
the
massive fortified city of Ba Sing Se. Culturally diverse, but largely modeled on [[China]] and Korea.
+
−
*The Fire Nation: A technologically advanced state based off of a volcanic island chain with Imperialistic Ambitions (so, Japan
).
And by technologically advanced
,
we mean they have steampunk tanks, ships, a giant freaking drill and airships.
+
−
*The Air Nomads: A group of monastic people
who
lived in a series of temple cities, exterminated by the Fire Nation a century before
the
events
of the
series. Aang,
the
protagonist and avatar
of
Avatar: The Last Airbender was...we'll let you figure that out.
+
−
*The Spirit World: Every wonder what The Warp would be like without the GrimDark? Well now you do
.
+
−
A war
has
been going on for about a hundred years, in which the Fire Nation has been taking over the world during which time Aang was sealed away in ice. By chance he gets thawed out by two young members of the southern water tribe and goes on a quest to master Water
,
Earth
and
Fire.
+
The world
has
one language
, and
four nations:
−
==
Cast
==
+
* The '''Water Tribes''': Hunter-gatherer Eskimo-like people who live in the North and South polar regions. The South Pole tribe consists of stereotypical Eskimos, whereas the ones living at the North Pole got bored of making simple igloos and carved their ''entire city'' out of ice. Then they added canals to troll the physicists. There is also a water tribe scattered in equatorial swamps that manipulate the swamp vines by bending the water saturating the vines. Analogous to Indonesia, or a snowy Philippines?
+
+
* The '''Earth Kingdom''': A large loose continental power ruled out of the massive fortified city of Ba Sing Se. Wealthy and prosperous, they are masters of resource harvesting with bending as a safe and efficient means of mining metals and rare earths, and reduced labour required for farming. Culturally diverse, but largely modeled on [[China]] and Korea. The most urban culture.
+
+
* The '''Fire Nation''': A technologically advanced state based off of a volcanic island chain with Imperialistic Ambitions (so, Japan). By technologically advanced, we mean they have steampunk tanks, ironclad ships, a giant freaking drill and hot-air zeppelins. Their culture encourages ambition and competition.
+
+
* The '''Air Nomads''': Monastic wanderer-gatherers who lived ascetic lives, like what white people think Tibetans live like. They have four temple-cities that the wanderers will cycle through, and monuments scattered throughout the territories of the other three nations. By the time of the first story, the Air Nomads were purged <s>with holy fire</s> by the Fire Nation in an attempt to prevent the reincarnation of the next Avatar. The Avatar was born to Air Nomads anyways, and is the protagonist of the first story.
+
+
There is a fifth faction, of the fae creatures collectively called "Spirits," who used to be common but have mostly left the physical world behind for their own Spirit World that is an alternate dimension. The spirits that remain in the physical world are dedicated to the places they reside, interacting very little with people but they have been known to pick-up on the ambient mood of communities around them (ie. a river spirit will be irritable if the river is polluted an neglected, a mountain spirit will be confrontational if the nation has been at war).
+
+
'''When the first story starts''', the Fire Nation has been expanding aggressively into the Earth Nation for four generations, which hasn't been reacting beyond resisting in small city states and issuing an "everything is fine they'll never win" message from the capital in what's obvious procrastination, hoping the Fire Nation will give up and decide the constant sieges are too expensive (spoiler: nope). The Fire Nation has already extinguished the Air Nomads, satisfied they have prevented the rebirth of the next Avatar prophesied to end their conquering. The Fire Nation naval aggression have made a virtual embargo on the Water Tribes, isolating north from south and both from the Earth Nation.
+
+
The only surviving Air Nomad after the pogrom is the current Avatar, who hid himself in cryosleep. Nobody was around to resuscitate him so he was out of the picture for a century or so. His education was interrupted, and feels he needs to learn all four forms of bending as well as visit each of the isolated culture/nations before he can fulfil his purpose as a peacemaker.
+
+
'''The second story''' is sixty years after the first story, and the world's technology has advanced to the level of the 1900's -- ironclad ships are common, we can see industrial manufacturing in privately-owned companies instead of Fire Nation government military efforts, automobiles are uncommon but visible, and we see people listening to crystal radios. Most of the story takes place in "Republic City," a city-state independent of the other three nations and regarded as a symbol of the international peace. There is civil unrest, as the improved technology is closing the gap between benders and non-benders, causing resentment since benders have had a leg-up in social strata. There is an organized insurgency against benders calling themselves "Equalists," matched by a "let them eat cake" attitude from the bender upper class.
+
+
The Avatar of this era is a young woman from the water tribes who is comfortable with the physical powers granted by her mastery of multiple elements, but stunted in her training with spiritual matters and diplomacy, making her a poor mediator in the role that's expect of her, and easily manipulated by politicians. The Equalist insurgents are lead by a charismatic leader named "Amon," who claims to have a method for permanently disabling any person's bending ability; crippling the Avatar would be a huge symbolic victory for the Equalists, who see the Avatar as the pinnacle bender and biggest target for their resentments.
+
+
==
Characters ==
+
=== The Last Airbender =
==
*Aang: Protagonist de jour. Mostly optimistic (when he's not panicking) and the nimblest motherfucker you'll ever meet. Favorite mode of transport: flying bison. Known to go godmode when shit hits the fan.
*Aang: Protagonist de jour. Mostly optimistic (when he's not panicking) and the nimblest motherfucker you'll ever meet. Favorite mode of transport: flying bison. Known to go godmode when shit hits the fan.
*Katara: Feminist motherly waterbending love interest. Occasionally kicks ass. WARNING: FRIENDSHIP SPEECHES AHEAD.
*Katara: Feminist motherly waterbending love interest. Occasionally kicks ass. WARNING: FRIENDSHIP SPEECHES AHEAD.
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*Zuko: Exiled firebender prince. Originally a whiny bitch attempting to hunt the avatar, but undergoes *gasp* CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT [/gasp] and transitions to antihero and then companion.
*Zuko: Exiled firebender prince. Originally a whiny bitch attempting to hunt the avatar, but undergoes *gasp* CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT [/gasp] and transitions to antihero and then companion.
*Iroh: Zuko's uncle. Basically what would happen if one of the dirtier-minded Buddhas could shoot lightning, breathe fire, and drink enough tea to cause a younger man's heart explode.
*Iroh: Zuko's uncle. Basically what would happen if one of the dirtier-minded Buddhas could shoot lightning, breathe fire, and drink enough tea to cause a younger man's heart explode.
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+
=
== Legend of Korra ===
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== Legend of Korra ==
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−
Long story short, Aang and his Gaang manage to bring an end to the war and its seventy years latter. After they won, the colonies that the Fire Nation set up in the Earth Kingdom get put together into a new multicultural state called the United Republic, ruled from Republic City. In the following years, things have progressed to a level of development about that of the 1920s with radios, film and mass produced automobiles. The New Avatar comes in, a young lady named (as the title would lead you to believe) Korra. And she spends her days getting her ass kicked by [[Eliphas the Inheritor]]'s bastard son. Just another indicator of how awesome Eliphas is.
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−
+
−
Season 2 is about a new threat, due massive cultural change the Southern Water Tribe had due to the war many of their religious practice are being ignored the Northern Tribes invades the South believing this is why the Spirits are being pissed off and attacking people. We also learn about the origins of the Avatar.
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−
+
−
=
=Cast==
+
−
* Amon: Eliphas the Inheritor's bastard son [[Communism|and a hero of the common man and working class who strives to end the oppression of foul bending class and bring about true equality and a golden age of happiness]]. His name is first because he is the best. Also, has the BEST voice in the entire series.
+
* Korra: The title character, and a brash tomboy and athlete who lacks spiritual aptitude (which means she punches people instead of meditating and talking things through like some kind of hippy... which isn't a good ideal when your chief enemy is claiming you oppress people who disagree with them). Gets her ass kicked a lot despite already mastering three of the four elements. The team's Avatar.
* Korra: The title character, and a brash tomboy and athlete who lacks spiritual aptitude (which means she punches people instead of meditating and talking things through like some kind of hippy... which isn't a good ideal when your chief enemy is claiming you oppress people who disagree with them). Gets her ass kicked a lot despite already mastering three of the four elements. The team's Avatar.
* Mako: Writers said he's "Zuko without the angst" however they forgot Zuko had other traits and so is just some generic dude Korra wants to make out with, and kind of a creepy asshole. His primary characteristic is a scarf. Team's Firebender. Becomes a cop in the second season.
* Mako: Writers said he's "Zuko without the angst" however they forgot Zuko had other traits and so is just some generic dude Korra wants to make out with, and kind of a creepy asshole. His primary characteristic is a scarf. Team's Firebender. Becomes a cop in the second season.
* Bolin: Mako's younger brother unlike Mako, Bolin is an earthbender and has character traits. He's the team's "funny guy", being on the better side of the whole dudebro thing while avoiding asshole territory.
* Bolin: Mako's younger brother unlike Mako, Bolin is an earthbender and has character traits. He's the team's "funny guy", being on the better side of the whole dudebro thing while avoiding asshole territory.
+
* Amon: Eliphas the Inheritor's bastard son [[Communism|and a hero of the common man and working class who strives to end the oppression of foul bending class and bring about true equality and a golden age of happiness]]. His name is first because he is the best. Also, has the BEST voice in the entire series.
* Asami Sato: Daughter of this world's inventor of the automobile and easily the most rounded and best member of Team Avatar (unless you're a Mako/Korra shipper, in which case she's an evil rich slut and totally going to be a traitor, you guys). The token normal, and oddly enough the only good guy to never lost a fight (namely because she brings a taser to a kung fu fight).
* Asami Sato: Daughter of this world's inventor of the automobile and easily the most rounded and best member of Team Avatar (unless you're a Mako/Korra shipper, in which case she's an evil rich slut and totally going to be a traitor, you guys). The token normal, and oddly enough the only good guy to never lost a fight (namely because she brings a taser to a kung fu fight).
* Naga: Korra's pet Polar Bear-Dog.
* Naga: Korra's pet Polar Bear-Dog.
* Vaatu: Meet the Chaos God of the Avatar world.
* Vaatu: Meet the Chaos God of the Avatar world.
* Unalaq: Lorgar of the Avatar world.
* Unalaq: Lorgar of the Avatar world.
+
== Warning ==
== Warning ==
Under no circumstances allow M Night Shyamalan near this franchise again.
Under no circumstances allow M Night Shyamalan near this franchise again.
+
+
== Games ==
+
* There's an [http://the-logbook-project.blogspot.ca/2014/02/avatar-world-version-13-released.html Apocalpyse World hack] for Avatar like stories. (They dropped the sex movies, you perv.)
+
* There's a Savage Worlds splatbook for Avatar (link needed)
+
* "Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple" for the vaguely Asian-setting protagonist gang tries to solve other people's problems & hilarity ensues, with a little magic but there's no hit points so there's no kung-fu roll playing here.
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[[Category: Television]]
[[Category: Television]]