This is for my upcoming Avatar FanFics and gives a basic understanding of the western nations and their culture and history. It is not yet finished but I want to hear people's opinions and thoughts on this. So please leave any comments or review of my work.
The Earth Republic: The people of the Earth Republic are known for being as strong and as stubborn as the rock they bend and the massive mountain they built their capital city in. They are always willing to make sacrifices for the good of the state, and they have a strong conviction for following the way of their parents and grandparents which made their nation so strong in the first place. However, they distrust outsiders, considering them uncivilized barbarians and often come off as arrogant and rude. (Culture: Rome, England)
The Water States: The Water States are a collection of kingdoms and city states who consider themselves the birth place of civilization, not that is a completely untrue. This nation was the birth place of art, music, democracy, and philosophy as ideas and knowledge floors threw their lands like water in the ocean. But like any ocean storms are common and despite their claim of being the most civilized nation the Water States are divided and often at war. (Culture: France, Renaissance Italy, Greek City States)
The Fire Confederacy: Once the Fire Confederacy was like the Water States and Air Clans, dozens of independent tribes and kingdoms, fighting and raiding one another. But then Bryn Fire Storm used his lightning bending to united all of his people and formed the Fire Confederacy. Despite this unification the people of the Fire Confederacy are still very independent and don't like the idea of the central government interfering in their lives. The people of the Confederacy are also known for their skills as smiths and artist. According to legend it was the Confederacy that first developed steel and the chariot, it is also the home to bagpipe and harp. (Culture: Celtic, Gaelic, German, East European)
The Air Clans: The Vikings of the Air Clans are as fierce and unpredictable as any storm. The chiefs jealsly guard their power and while once in awhile a warrior is able to unite a group of the clans beneath him and rise to the position of jarl, the throne of the Konungr has remain empty since the death of High Queen Hilde. War among the clans and other nations is common, with them raiding one another for food and treasure. However, they maybe ruthless warriors but for the Vikings honor means everything for them, they treat their enemies with respect, they don't take any acts in war personally, and warriors will often turn on their commanders if their commander dishonored them with his actions. (Culture: Norse)
The First Air Bender: Long ago the great Viking clans of the north battled one another without mercy or honor. Lies and treachery filled the land and promises of gold and power became deadlier than any sword or axe. During this time a Chief named Bjorn called attempted to convince his countrymen that their behavior would lead to the down fall of their people and that they had to start acting with honor or the gods would punish them. For his trouble and his desire to keep his clan out of the fighting a group of chiefs attacked Bjorn's clan and during the fighting the great chief was struck down and his people were chased out of their homes and into the Frigid Mountains. During that time Bjorn's wife Hilde became the ruler of the tribe and then she journey to highest peak of Frigid Mountains. When she reached the mountain top she called out to the storm god to give her the power to punish the unhonrable chiefs and avenge the death of her husband. The storm god answered by offering her this power but only after she removed both her eyes as sign of her dedication, which she did without hesitation. After which he gave her the ability to bend the fierce winds to her command and with this power she railed her housecarls and lead them in a war of vengeance against the chiefs who murdered her husband. However once she had punished those responable for Bjorn's death she surprised friend and foe alike by not letting her warrior's sack the clans. Instead Hilde had them pledge themselves to her as their Jarl and with the support of her new allies Hilde began to conquer the rest of the clans. She defeated them one by one with her air bending and eventually became the first Konungr of all Vikings which she ruled wisely until her death.
The First Earth Bender: Many centuries ago the Earth Republic lived peacefully in the old city whose name has long been lost to pages of history and under the shadow of the First Mountain. Then army of warriors from what is now the Fire Confederacy marched southward in an attempt to sack the Republic's great city. The Senate sent an army to defeat the invaders but it was crushed at the battle of Paigen Fields. The city was in a panic as the people struggled to figure how to escape the approaching horde and in this confusing a young priest stood up and claimed to have unlocked the secrets of Earth Bending by studding the Minotaurs that lived in the caverns deep in the mountains. At first the people thought he was crazy, but the priest demonstrated his abilities by opening up a cavern in the First Mountain for the people to hide in. For three months the people of the Earth Republic took cover within the First Mountain, while the mighty horde laid siege. But despite the invaders' best efforts they could not break into the cavern and eventually had to leave. Afterwards the People and Senate of the Earth Republic decided to build a new city within the First Mountain and to honor the priest for saving the Republic it was decide to name the city after him. The priest name was Eternus and so the new city was named Aeternus Eternus Urbs Urbis or the Everlasting City.
The First Water Bender: Thousands of years ago in the city of Gnosis there was a long draught that caused much starvation. Many people in the city where growing weak from the lack of food, including the pregnant wife of a philosopher named Thales. To figure out how to save his city and his wife, Thane pried to the goddess of wisdom who told him to travel to the nearby cliffs that over looked the sea and study how the moon and ocean danced. The other citizens of the city thought he was crazy but for a whole month Thane hiked up the cliffs every evening and would spend the night watching the moon and ocean dance. Then at the end of the month Thane had figured out the secret to their dance and used his new ability to drain a swamp near the city and used its water to feed their crops and saved the Gnosis. Thane spent the rest of his life teaching others water bending and perfecting his new art.
The First Blood Bender: Bob (will add real name later) was a water bending healer of great fame in the city of Genosha. His mastery over water and his unlimited knowledge of the human body made his skill at healing unmatched, but even he could not stop the spread of the plague known as the Black Death because the blood of its victims would turn black before dying. Where it started is unknown but it quickly spread to all four nations, killing thousands and leaving thousands more crippled from its affects. When the plague reached Genosha Bob watched helplessly as thousands of corpses piled up around him. Bob spent countless days researching and studding the deases until finally he discovered that he could use his water bending to manipulate the blood in people's bodies to heal them.
The Order of Blood: During the height of the Blood Empire under Phillip the Great, a blood bending naturalist philosopher whose name has been lost to the ages (IE:I need to think of one, suggestions are welcomed) had a slave from the Fire Confederacy by the name of William Hood (please forgive me I wrote this at 11:30PM). The blood bender was a cruel and sadistic master who subjected William to terrible experiments that should have killed him if it wasn't for a student of his master named Cal. It was Cal's duty to keep William alive with his own blood bending and he did job well for over five years William. However, during this living hell William learned how to resist his master's attempt at blood bending and eventually with help from Cal he was able to kill his master and escape from the Empire. Once free, William taught his technique to other warriors, including oracle Edward and this helped to bring down the Blood Empire. After the war William, Edward, and Cal formed the Order of Blood which was composed of blood bending monks who dedicated their lives to healing and the Blood Knights who swore both to defend the monks the monks of the order and too hunt down any blood bender who abused their power. The Order also services as the Oracle's privet army, defending him and his loved one's as well as caring out his orders and enforcing his will on those who oppose him.
The Oracle: The western version of the avatar.
The Metal Wars: During the Blood Empire's rise to power and conquest of the Earth Republic, a group of earth bending resitince fighters discovered how to bend metal. Once the Empire was toppled the Republic rose to become the most powerful of the four nations, partially thanks to metal bending. Skip a few hounded years and the constant bickering between the Populas and Optames that has been part of the Republic since its founding has now reached its boiling point with every election and political debate becoming a flash point for street fighting and rioting as armed gangs fought to the death to defend their party. Eventually civil war broke out with the Populas (and the Oracle) supporting Markus Brutius and the Optames (as well as most of the senate) supported Caligular Agustus. Eventually Markus was able to defeat his rival and proclaimed himself the First Citizen, and secretly (a secret that everyone knew about) made himself dictator for life.
At the time Markus's actions were supported by both the Oracle and the people of the Republic because the Senate had long ago stopped representing the desires of the people and instead became an allegory ruled by a small group of rich noble families and Markus was dedicated to the greater good. But over the next couple generations the heirs of Markus Brutius slowly expanded their power, conquering other lands a little bit at time while constantly claiming that it was in self-defense or in the defense of an ally. By the time of Markus's great, great, great grandson Jupin the Republic had come to dominate the west politically, economically and militarily and Jupin was planning to expand even more. Oracle Cleopatra however refused to allow him to expand any further and even demanded that he return some of the conquered land to its rightful owners, Jupin refused and such began the Metal Wars. Cleopatra tried to end the war before it started but the Empire had her assassinated before she had the chance and so the metal wars carried on for the next three hundred years.
