[Avatar d20 Project] Setting Main Hub

[AstralFire]

*nods* There's a lot to respect here. Some recognition would be cool. Just didn't want people getting their hopes up too high.

[Zuki]

Of course I'm going to hope for the impossible, and that they make it with the Fudge rules, thus bringing Fudge into the public eye and finally getting it quite a few players. Spirit of the Century traces back to it, and might just be big enough to give this a slight chance. A very slight chance.

I highly doubt that would happen, Fudge/Spirit of the Century's a mostly little-known sort of indie system by a similarly Indie third-party game company. On the other hand, I think a 'Spirit of the Elements' hack for Avatar would be just about perfect for capturing the feel of the game. The broadly defined nature of Aspects, Stunts, and Skills, along with the narrative feel of the system, would work really really well I think. One of the reasons I bought the book was so I could do a conversion at some point the future. Send me a PM if you want to keep chatting about this, or SotC/Fudge in general. I'd love to find some players or GMs for it.


Back on the original topic, I do like the idea of sending off a copy to the creators/writers/producers/whoever of the show, but I'm mostly seeing it as a kind of intricate fanmail. We love the show and world so much we did this complicated nerd thing with it, we hope that's cool with you and not copyright-infringing. Your blessings, can we has? It's a labor of love, and in my experience, creators like to find out about those. I've always gotten the impression the Avatar panels at Comiccon were very fan-friendly and laid-back.

[felinoel]

I highly doubt that would happen, Fudge/Spirit of the Century's a mostly little-known sort of indie system by a similarly Indie third-party game company. On the other hand, I think a 'Spirit of the Elements' hack for Avatar would be just about perfect for capturing the feel of the game. The broadly defined nature of Aspects, Stunts, and Skills, along with the narrative feel of the system, would work really really well I think. One of the reasons I bought the book was so I could do a conversion at some point the future. Send me a PM if you want to keep chatting about this, or SotC/Fudge in general. I'd love to find some players or GMs for it.


Back on the original topic, I do like the idea of sending off a copy to the creators/writers/producers/whoever of the show, but I'm mostly seeing it as a kind of intricate fanmail. We love the show and world so much we did this complicated nerd thing with it, we hope that's cool with you and not copyright-infringing. Your blessings, can we has? It's a labor of love, and in my experience, creators like to find out about those. I've always gotten the impression the Avatar panels at Comiccon were very fan-friendly and laid-back.

I think the original topic was that he had sent it, not that he was wondering about sending it

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

New area write-up. I'm putting it here because I don't know how long the other post can become before it gets too big. As usual, comments, questions, and corrections are welcome.

Edit: Even a description of the flaws would be appreciated. I don't know what people think if nobody says anything. If I'm getting stale in this kind of thing, it'd be good to hear about it. I won't take offense. Added another region.

Ling Chou Su Province/Western Outlands

Location on the map.

“As I looked out over the vast empty expanse before me towards the distant mountains on the horizon, I felt as though I were the first man to visit a newly created world. However, after a day of walking, I seem to find myself no closer to the peaks than before. I can only hope that the time passes swiftly.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry

Spoiler

Show

Population: 379, 496
Government: Monarchial in most parts, assorted semi-independent villages.
Imports: Iron, silk, grains, trade goods.
Exports: Seafood, gold, gems, leather goods.
Alignment: CG, CN, TN

Ling Chou Su is a place that lends itself to contemplation. The province is generally divided into three huge areas, each of them with its own way of pulling a man in. To the far west are the majestic mountains that tower over everything else from the coast to a good distance inland. To the far east is an arid land of canyons, badlands, and prairie. In between them lie the plains and pine forests.

A place where one must learn patience and persistence to survive, Ling Chou Su is nonetheless a mostly peaceful place. The parts that are not tend to be make up for that by being many times more dangerous.

Life and Society:

The people here are an independent sort that tend to believe in the power of the individual. In Ling Chou Su, when out of sight of others, it is easy to believe oneself entirely alone. However, they do acknowledge that a tribe, village, and even a city depends on cooperation, and generally get along well enough with each other. When they don’t, trouble ensues. The most heavily settled portion is the mountains, and that mostly along the coastline in rocky inlets and fjords. A few mountain valleys are large enough to support towns, and there is even one city that has spread out underground. The plains and forests are more sparsely populated, with towns and villages centered around a plentiful source of water. A few nomadic hunter tribes follow the game across the plains to the south. The badlands and canyons to the east have only a single village of note, and that is mostly underground near a well, and relies on trade to stay alive.

Major Geographical Features:

The Great Divide: The biggest canyon in the Earth Kingdom, and the world, the Great Divide is a full day’s journey across, and marks the eastern edge of the province. It is a marvel to look at, but is also a dangerous place to venture into. Many kinds of predatory creatures dwell within, and with food as scarce as it is, are able to smell a meal from miles away. Only those who don’t carry food can travel with any kind of safety, which necessarily limits the extent of any exploration. Passage across is only available where the canyon is narrowest, and requires the services of the aging earthbender who knows the safe routes in and out. However, for those willing to endure the pangs of hunger, a few secrets may be revealed. There are all manner of rumors concerning treasure or ancient ruins to be found within the canyon, and there is no denying its existence is a mystery, for no river runs through it that would indicate erosion. Local legends say it was created by angry earth spirits. What the truth is may be something else entirely.

Zendao Mountains: Taking up most of the western half of the province, these mountains hold a rugged sense that transfers over to the people that live there. Mining villages are common, though some are abandoned. Water is abundant in the form of huge glaciers, mountain streams, and a few full-fledged rivers that empty into the sea in the west, and so fog is also common. A few small forests twine their way through the valleys, and the heights are always buried under heavy snow. The roads are narrow and winding, but kept in good condition, and most people here have a good sense of balance and direction. There are no caves of any great size here, though there are a few abandoned mine shafts that people occasionally explore, looking for ore that may have been missed before.

Ji Sing Forest (non-canon content): This widely spaced forest of pine and other trees that do well in a drier climate is home to the more civilized towns as well as a diverse array of wildlife. It is wise to beware of poisonous animals, for they are more common here than some other places. The villages do a brisk business in selling antidotes to travelers. Most of the settlements have slow, peaceful way of life.

Wulong Forest/Hei Bai’s Domain: This great forest, which covers a large part of the northwest of the province, mostly along the coast and in the lower mountains, is the home of the great forest spirit, Hei Bai, who sometimes manifests as a panda, and other times a horrible beast. Which one depends on the mood the spirit is in. Towards the end of the war, the Fire Nation burned down a lot of the forest. The damage has only begun to regrow on the fringes, and those passing through usually consider it wise to make an offering at the shrine near Senlin Village. What’s left of the forest houses more than a few spectacular spots, including the Hall of Ages, a natural avenue of oak trees hundreds of years old, and the Grandfather Tree, an immense cedar with the history of this part of the world carved into its lower trunk, making it a living testament to what has been done in this part of the world.

The Twisted Land (non-canon content): These badlands are chock-full of strange rock formations: arches, mazes, columns, standing stones. The result looks like the work of either an insane earthbender or some incomprehensible natural process. One part of it is actually the result of an earthbender that was set on creating the world’s toughest practice arena, so they say. There’s no denying it is incredibly hard on anyone that wishes to try it. The arena consists of one large flat area surrounded by a ridiculously elaborate system of stairs, platforms, ramps, columns, walls, sand pits, and some rock formations that defy description. Handy instructions on how to work the course are provided by carvings left on a nearby cliffside, but some parts have worn away. The nearby Shodau Village will be more than happy to provide a complete scroll for a small fee.

Gao Shin River: This two-mile wide river is one of the biggest in the world. It flows swiftly, and has several low waterfalls along its length. It forms the northern border of the province, but there are few bases, because, despite the width, bridges are common. At first, there was only one, but when the owners began charging people to cross, then everyone got the idea of building their own bridge and doing the same thing. The result today is that crossing the river is free and easy.

Important Sites:

Jiang Jha Base: Located in the central portion of the Zendao Mountains, this heavily fortified Earth Kingdom base is the hub for all military activity in the western part of the province. It has normally holds fifteen hundred soldiers, but has space for up to three thousand if the situation warrants it. Other, smaller outposts are spread throughout the mountains, and couriers constantly travel back and forth between them. The base is one of the better equipped ones in the western Earth Kingdom. It has barracks, an infirmary, a temple, an earthbending arena, and a recreation area.

Senlin Village (Hamlet, 217): This small village, resting on the edge of Wulong Forest is completely unremarkable save that it was once attacked by Hei Bai, and now pays homage to the forest spirit at the nearby shrine. Some say they have gained the favor of the spirit, and now it defends them as well as its home, but there is no evidence of that.

Dekari (Large City, 13, 165, non-canon content): The biggest city in the Zendao mountains, this city tries to imitate Omashu on a lesser scale, and is mostly carved out of a mountainside. Construction has slowed to a trickle, as the city simply cannot support many more people, and many sections are now abandoned. It remains, however, a fairly prosperous place, for it sits on top of the biggest gold mine in the mountain range. The Earth Army is very prominent here to provide security, and earthbenders are in high demand. The prevalence of earthbending has led to the creation of an intricate system of ramps that resemble Omashu’s delivery system. This system is meant for people, though, and if one knows a willing earthbender, they can travel between places at a rapid rate. Gold brings out the best and worst in people, and such is the case here. You can find great good and great evil in Dekari.

Lumin Seaport (Small City, 8,456, non-canon content): Located at the northwestern tip of the province, at the mouth of the Gao Shin River, this port handles the overflow business from the smaller towns on the coast as well as the ships that are too big to fit there, such as Fire Navy ironclads, or some of the bigger Earth Navy ships. It is very busy even in the winter, and to maximize trade, the entire town is mostly located along the waterfront, so the salt air is smelled everywhere. It also houses a pair of shipyards that have been competing with each other for decades. During the war, it was conquered by the Fire Nation, which set about putting in several factories and other mechanical improvements at the yards, which are now capable of building smaller Fire Navy ships. They left them behind when they withdrew, and the city is growing even more, though at the cost of increased industrial pollution. Some people that don’t like the new look have left, but many more that do have moved in, though they tend to consist of opportunists and the lower class that have nowhere else to go that they can work.

Shodau Village (Hamlet, 314, non-canon content): The lone settlement in the east, this tiny village ekes out an existence in the desolate ? Badlands, on the ourskirts of the Great Divide. The people here only stay because they couldn’t make it anywhere else, or because they have nowhere else to go. Most of it is underground to avoid the heat, and were anything to destroy the four or five buildings that stand aboveground, nobody would know there is a village here at all. The village’s main export is a kind of mushroom that grows abundantly in the darkness. It is effective against poisons, induces healing, or it can simply be eaten, though it tastes awful in any form. The scrabble for survival has produced a village of good merchants, and the bargains here are among the most heated contests in the world. For a few coins, some of the braver villagers will offer to show a visitor around the badlands and point out the sights of interest.

Zhang Territory and Gan-Jin Village: This swath of land in the south of the plains is home to two tribes that have a very troubled history. The Gan-Jins were among the first people to permanently settle amid the pine forests, and built themselves a thriving village that allowed most of them to take life at their leisure. They consider themselves to have earned an easy life by the grace of their forefathers and the spirits, and are significant among the northern villages.

The Zhangs used to be a nomadic tribe, but as fate would have it, they were lucky enough to take enough meat to stay in one place for a long while, and decided they liked it. So they built themselves a settlement nearby the Gan-Jins, and the two tribes had a cordial relationship at first. Then, due to an unfortunate event, the details of which are still argued about by the tribes (Either Jin Wei of the Gan-Jins was robbed or Wei Jin of the Zhangs was imprisoned unjustly, depending on which version you believe.) there arose a bitter feud that lasted for a hundred years, until the Fire Nation conquered their lands.

A fortunate few from each tribe manage to flee towards Ba Sing Se, and encountered each other and the Avatar on the road. The Avatar was able to resolve the feud and broker a tentative peace, and when the war ended and the refugees came home, they brought that peace with them. So far, things are still peaceful, though a little strained. The tension is still there, and wants only the right situation to erupt into another feud.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

General Fong. (Male human Earthbender 15) The commander of all military forces in the Zendao Mountains, Fong is a capable and brave leader. One of the most aggressive generals in the Earth Kingdom, he is known for unusual tactics. Starting as an enlisted man over 25 years ago, Fong originally fought against the Fire Nation on the front lines where his "no fear" attitude won him high praises from his superiors. Fong worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming an officer. He was different from the other officers, having a less formal education, but this set him apart and helped him on his path to becoming a general. Because General Fong started at such a low rank, the men under his command consider him one of their own and they are extremely loyal to him. However, he is not without his flaws.

His desire to end the war however he could led to his mistaken belief that he could use the Avatar, and the power of the Avatar State, as a weapon against the Fire Nation. He even went to the extreme of attacking the Avatar, and nearly smothering one of his companions, to force him into the Avatar State. The enraged Avatar then proceeded to lay waste to most of the base, with the soldiers unable to stop him. This incident cost Fong a great deal of credibility with his superiors, but he has held onto his position, and remains a general. These days, he feels a little bit useless due to the lack of an enemy to fight, but before long he may find he has enough to do with keeping the peace in the nearby former Fire Nation territories.

Tai Kun Rei Province/Frozen North

Location on the map.

“Today, I finally reached the summit of the mountain. Standing there, with the world laid out before me, and the clean alpine air whistling in my ears, I felt like a king. I began to understand why those that live here enjoy it so much, even with the bitter cold. I will still be very much glad to return south, but I will never forget what I have seen here.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Spoiler

Show

Population: 364,481
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Salt, Vegetables, Fruit, Wine.
Exports: Silver, Furs, Trade Goods, Cloth, Rope.
Alignment: NG, TN, LN

A land where everything happens in the shadow of the highest mountains in the Earth Kingdom, Tai Kun Rei somehow seems remote even in the well traveled regions. Seeming almost to exemplify the nature of the earth, enduring and expansive, the province is a place where life is rarely boring, but where new challenges arrive every day, and the people must meet them head-on.

Life and Society:

Life in Tai Kun Rei is dictated by the environment. The people in the north build their lives around the cold that they must endure for half a year, and the people in the south plan their lives around the lack of rainfall and how much food they can get out of each square mile. The province is peaceful for the most part, but as more and more Earth Army soldiers were pulled out to fight the war, bandits and other criminals began to seek shelter in the mountains, and they are still there. Right now, the people are extremely wary of strangers, and go armed everywhere. It may take a long time for things here to settle down. Tai Kun Rei is a turbulent place, where country life is not always simple.

Major Geographical Features:

Yukando Mountains: The tallest mountains in the Earth Kingdom, these mighty peaks dominate most of the province. Not many dwell in the higher reaches, but there are plenty of people that find mining, fishing, and farming to be very successful in the lower parts of the range. They hold nearly every kind of terrain one can imagine being there. Lakes, streams, boreal forests, rocky slopes. There are many paths through the mountains, and most of them are well traveled, and the region is actually more knowledgable than people think.

Yukura Hills: The foothills of the Yukando, they are still tall enough to be called mountains by those used to flat country. They are the most heavily inhabited part of the province, but the geography ensures that villages are usually separated by at least a few hours travel. The soil is not particularly rich, but not particularly poor either, and rice is the most common crop, as it can be grown on hills easier than others. Here is also the greatest concentration of Earth Army forces, who excel in fighting among the narrow paths and rocky hilltops. It has proven almost impossible to dig them out, not the least because the outposts are many and scattered, rather than few and large, and all of them are connected by underground tunnels, allowing troops to be quickly shunted wherever they need to go by earthbending. However, the army doesn’t actually try and govern too much of the province, for it would be an endless, time-consuming task to police every single village out here. Instead, they focus on specific villages that are the easiest to patrol and get to. This is even more true with the losses during the war.

Ishido River: This river in the southwest of the province, is fed by mountain springs and glaciers both, and is fast and noisy, thundering through rapids and ravines on its journey south. Quiet evergreen forests line its banks for a good way, and it is a peaceful spot to spend an afternoon.

Genjikaro River: Located in the southeast, this is the major river that runs through this land. It looks deceptively slow, but has an undertow that can rip the feet out from under anyone foolish enough to try and wade it, for it carries a great deal of water. It provides irrigation to the southern farms, and carries merchant traffic up and down its length.

Important Sites:

Northern Air Temple (Small Town, 1,313):
“Then I stumbled across this place. Couldn’t believe it! Everywhere, pictures of flying people!”
-The Mechanist, describing his discovery of the Northern Air Temple
The only Air Temple not built in Air Nomad territory, but on the northern edge of the Earth Kingdom, this place shows all the marks of a culture not restricted by gravity. Like the majority of the Air Temples, it consists of a series of towers built on a mountaintop. Although, it would be more accurate to say the towers are built around the mountain, for the Air Nomads strove to affect the land, even here, as little as possible. The temple contains many incredible features, such as beautiful murals that show the history of the Air Nomads, delicately carved statues, an open-air style that lets the cold mountain winds flow freely throughout the structure, and pathways that can only be negotiated by airbenders.

Though the airbenders that lived here were slaughtered one hundred years ago, the temple itself was left intact. Only a few years before the end of the war, it became inhabited again. A nearby Earth Kingdom village was nearly wiped out by a great flood, and in their search for safety, they came across the Northern Air Temple, empty and silent. They seized on the opportunity, and made a home here. Since they arrived, they have been refitting the temple to accommodate a non-airbender lifestyle, using the hot air that flows up from the heart of the mountain to power many mechanical inventions. They have even constructed gliders based on the airbender’s staffs that use hot air currents to fly. Unfortunately, in the process they have destroyed much of the temple’s original artwork and architecture. Even so, the Northern Air Temple remains a fascinating place. It now trades regularly with the nearby villages for food and other supplies via a newly constructed road. It is no longer hidden, but is still a place of sanctuary.

Caverns of Winter’s Breath (non-canon content): These extensive ice caves that wind deep into the array of glaciers on the highest peak in the Yukando Mountains are amazing to behold. The intricate network runs for miles, and houses many wonders, such as completely clear ice crystal formations, still lakes cold enough to kill in minutes, and all manner of delicate ice formations. Waterbenders from Jukana often come here to explore the maze. Nobody has ever mapped the caves completely, and there are some underwater portions that only a waterbender can visit. It is advised to dress warmly, for there is a constant icy wind playing through the caves, which is where they come by their name.

Heart of Frost (non-canon content): This barren stretch of the mountains is always buried in snow, and freezing cold, no matter what the season. The terrain is treacherous and icy, but the route is the shortest way north. It was built by earthbenders, who cut a path through the mountains for precisely that reason. Soon after it was finished, in the middle of summer, it began snowing heavily, blocking the pass for anyone unable to travel on the snow and ice. And even those who were capable quickly learned to avoid doing so, for travelers began vanishing, and reappeared as frozen corpses, even those wearing heavy winter clothes and knew how to survive in the cold. The word spread that the Heart of Frost was cursed, and haunted by some malevolent spirit that was taking revenge upon those who had cut their way through their domain. Whether or not the story is true, nobody travels this road now, save the truly desperate, or those that don’t know any better. The given odds of survival are about half-and-half.

Saranshi (Large Town, 3,132, non-canon content): Hidden away behind a large waterfall, this safe haven started life as the base of a notorious bandit clan that was the scourge of the southern mountains in the days before the Earth Kingdom was united. They were mostly wiped out by Chin the Great during his sweep through the northern lands, and the survivors gave up raiding in favor of normal village life to stay alive. After Chin met his death, some of them thought of taking up the old life again, but the majority had grown satisfied with life as it was, and had no interest in change. However, they agreed that they should put their skills to use somehow, and one of them voiced the idea that rather than attacking villages and travelers, they could help protect them. It was slow to take root, but in a few years time, the former raiders had become one of the best irregular peacekeeping forces in the north. Now, Saranshi is well known as a place for reformed rogues, escaped criminals, and anyone that wants a home in exchange for service. It is still hidden, though, for the village leaders are cautious about the Earth King taking a dislike to their vigilante activities.

Jukana (Small City, 7,341, non-canon content): This hunting and fishing village on the northern coast is an oddity among the other such towns. It was founded over one hundred years ago by the Northern Water Tribe, and so houses a large number of waterbenders. Before the war, communication between the colony and the North Pole was commonplace, but now, Jukana has had to survive on its own, and has done so fairly well. It is far more humble than the great northern city, consisting mostly of igloos and wooden huts, with only a few buildings made of sculpted ice. A thick defensive wall surrounds the village, and its sheltered harbor holds a small fishing fleet. The villagers trade extensively with the nearby Earth Kingdom towns.

Kusari (Small Town, 2,322, non-canon content): This town is built on the Ishido River, literally. Its founders used earthbending to raise up columns of stone to build houses and other buildings on. Why, one can only guess, but it does allow for easy fishing when the migratory fish come swimming back upstream. The town is difficult to navigate for the inexperienced. The river flows too fast for boats, so a mixture of earthbent stone bridges and wooden walkways connects everything. Some enterprising children have thrown rope bridges over a few gaps to create shortcuts. Kusari is a sleepy little town usually, but when war threatens, it becomes a strategic position that can be easily held. All the people need to do is cut the bridges to land and stand off any attackers. It also counts among its most prized possessions a set of what they claim are airbending scrolls. They are so worn and old that nobody can tell for sure.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

The Mechanist. (Male human Expert12) The mastermind behind the reconstruction of the Northern Air Temple, and the leader of his people, this eccentric inventor spends his time endlessly creating new ‘improvements’ for all things in life, whether or not there is actually a pressing need for them and if they are safe. (An example would be the finger-safe knife sharpener that he lost three fingers to before figuring out where he’d been going wrong.) Shortly after he and his fellow villagers began living in the temple, the Fire Nation found them, and threatened to reduce the temple to rubble unless he started making weapons for them. With no choice in the matter, he agreed, and designed several of the Fire Nation’s most successful war machines, including firebending-powered tanks, the war balloon, and gave input on the drill that would later attack the walls of Ba Sing Se. In the last year of the war, the Avatar visited the temple, and after discovering the arrangement with the Fire Nation, forced a battle in which the attackers were driven off. Ever since then, the Mechanist has put his talents to work against the Fire Nation, and designed some extremely successful devices to that effect, including earthbending-powered tanks and waterbending-powered submarines. Taken captive during the final months of the war, he returned to the Northern Air Temple after his release, and continues his work.

Teo. (Male human Expert3) The Mechanist’s son, Teo is a free spirit that enjoys soaring among the clouds better than drawing up blueprints. His outlook is remarkable given his condition. When he was an infant, he was badly hurt and lost the use of his legs. He now gets around in a wheelchair, but when he is in the air, he is perhaps the best flier in the Northern Air Temple, and is very popular among the other young folk there.

San Ying Province/Southern Coast

Location on the map.

“Most of this land is hidden behind the mountains, but now that I have descended into the country beyond, I find it surprisingly pleasant, not at all like the far north of the Earth Kingdom, which is bitterly cold. This is a rich land, in more ways than one, but remains far removed from what the mountain folk here refer to as civilization, save near the coast, and in the larger cities. Elsewhere, things are of a rougher nature.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Spoiler

Show

Population: 731,415
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Copper, Timber, Horses, Trade Goods.
Exports: Iron, Coal, Gems, Silver, Grains, Wool.
Alignment: TN, LN, CG

The far south of the Earth Kingdom is a mixed kind of land. In the north, the imposing mountains and tangled swamps serve as an effective barrier. Further south, as the Earth Kingdom finally gives way to the sea, the land turns lush and green on the plains and hills, and port cities thrive on merchant traffic. A place where civilization only abides in scattered outposts, and where the people have a strong sense of awareness about the land they live on.

Life and Society:

Life in the north has a frontier mentality. What the mountain folk refer to as ‘civilization’ has failed to make much of an impact, and they hold city-dwellers in a kind of contempt, as though they could not endure the harshness of the mountains. Most northerners are honest enough, but there are quite a few unscrupulous folk that are more than happy to take advantage of the inexperienced traveler. The wise man travels with a trustworthy native guide when crossing the north of the province. In the south, where life tends to be easier, civilization is in full flower, making itself felt more and more as it reaches to the coast. There, where most of the province’s food is grown or caught, life includes all the quirks of the city, but still retains an air of detachment, for the Fire Nation, concentrating their efforts in the northern Earth Kingdom, only occupied the coastal cities and towns, and left it at that. Yet they might have been hard pressed if they ever had tried to push north, for while the Earth Army prescence here was minimal even before the war, the citizens have proven extremely effective at hit-and-run warfare.

Major Geographical Features:

Tencho Mountains: This enormous mountain range resides only partially in San Ying, with only the western half running across the north of the province, the ultimate deterrent to invasion. Passage over them is a long journey, and possible only in a few locations. The fastest is Sky’s Edge Pass, which is narrow and treacherous, but still used by those who value speed more than safety. It is only open half the year, buried under snow the rest of the time. The mountains hold many small settlements devoted to mining, or farming in the low portions. They hold extensive caverns and tunnels, some of which are rumored to be home to powerful earth spirits. The caves are known to be home to badger-moles, wolf-bats, and other creatures that live underground.

Foggy Swamp: This humid, misty place, in the lowlands of the west, is, to all appearances, completely impassible, and not a place anyone would want to live in. The swamp houses an abundant variety of plant and animal life, including stinging insects and cat-gators that are ever alert for their next meal. And beyond the simple physical discomforts, there are strange tales passed around about what has supposedly happened to people that have braved some of the outer reaches of the swamp. Yet people do live here. Hundreds of years ago, a large migration took place from the Southern Water Tribe through this part of the Earth Kingdom. When they came to the swamp, they decided to stay, for whatever reason, and over time, they diverged far enough from the old ways that they have become a new culture that now enjoys life where they are, and desire only to continue it. The swamp dwellers have even developed a different style of waterbending, much more simple (some say crude) than the usual flowing movements, and have discovered the technique of bending water inside plants in order to manipulate them. They lead a simple but happy life, catching fish and hunting other game, and welcome visitors, though few indeed are their guests. They trade with the towns on the edge of the swamp for various essentials, but have no other outside contact, and pay little attention to what passes in the outside world. They also seem to be mostly unaffected by the strange spiritual experiences that occur with others. Other people sometimes see visions of people they have lost, or loved, people they think are gone. These visions can be quite disturbing.

Linshei Forest (non-canon content): A sprawling evergreen forest running along just south of the mountains, this forest is remarkable only for the quiet that pervades its confines. The trees grow thick and tall, shutting out sunlight and casting the forest in a nearly permanent twilight. The floor is blanketed with needles and bracken, as well as shade-loving plants, deadening all footsteps, and seeming to snatch any sound out of the air. It is home to more than a few predatory animals and those they hunt. The boar-q-pines in particular are dangerous to travelers. But there is a passable road cut through it in the east, running up to a low pass over the mountains, and most trade passes over it. There are logging villages on the edges of the wood, but nobody will venture very far into it, except one, whose people have built a village in the treetops, and move about on a network of ropes and wooden bridges. Why, nobody knows, but it does make for a interesting place to live.

Nan Shan River: This quiet river that runs down into the west winds through the Linshei Forest is low and murmuring, with few rapids or waterfalls. The ones it has are spectacular, though. One waterfall is fifty feet in height, thundering down into a seething bowl of foam. The water flows down from the mountains, and when the river floods, it has been known to drown a great deal of forest for days.

Rulon River: A short river that runs straight and swift out to the sea, this river has little remarkable about it, save for where it does empty into the waves. There, it falls down into a natural bowl, surrounded by high cliffs, before going over a waterfall into the ocean. The little lake is heated by an underground hot spring, and is a very popular vacation spot.

Important Sites:

Gaoling (Large City, 22,235): This city near the south coast is among the largest in the province and has done well for itself in trade. The inner city houses the common folk and the markets, while the outer city and the outskirts are home to the richer estates. The city is not walled, but resists attack by the strength of its earthbenders and their skill at using the wooded terrain around the city. It is perhaps one of the truly cosmopolitan places in the province, civilized without being decadent, and is by all accounts a pleasant place to live. It is also the home of the world-famous Earth Rumble, an underground earthbending tournament. Every year, earthbenders gather from all over the world to fight for the championship belt and the prestige that comes with it. The goal is to knock the opponent out of the arena. A few of the more prominent contestants live nearby, including the second-place winner of the last tournament, the Boulder, an somewhat vain man that usually refers to himself in the third person. Gaoling is not without its darker elements. There is a syndicate that collects ‘protection’ fees from most of the more profitable businesses in the town, and it continues to elude any official investigation. As it has several earthbenders on its payroll, it is assumed they have a hidden headquarters somewhere underground.

Kyoshi Island: A tiny island about a day’s sailing off the southwest coast of the province, this island is famous as the birthplace of Avatar Kyoshi, and as the home of the warriors that have taken on her name. It was not always an island, but was once attached to the Earth Kingdom as a peninsula. When Chin the Great reached this place, he stood against Avatar Kyoshi, and demanded she surrender the territory at once. In answer, Kyoshi used an incredible display of all four elements to crack the earth and split the peninsula off from the mainland, moving it to its current location. Chin was left standing on the edge of a cliff, which crumbled under him, and he fell to his death. His empire died with him. Now, the island village subsists through fishing and farming, and attempts to avoid getting involved with any worldly affairs, even going so far as to declare neutrality in the war, asking that both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom leave them alone in that regard. It is home to a group of martial artists that are dedicated to Avatar Kyoshi. They wear green and gold uniforms, white and red face paint, and fight with fans as well as swords and shields on occasion. Very few earthbenders live here, so they are the prominent fighting force for each village, and are extremely skilled. The basis of their technique relies on using the opponent’s force against them.

Teoro (Village, 613, non-canon content): The only convenient settlement to stop at when traversing Sky’s Edge Pass, this town was built around its iron mines, but has grown to be a self-sufficient community since then. With a large number of the villagers being earthbenders, it has a large defensive wall blocking off the narrow pass that allows entrance. The stone gates can only be moved by a pair of earthbenders, and there are always a few villagers stationed on the wall to watch for new arrivals or for an attack. Teoro treats visitors stopping by on the journey over the pass well enough, though the people are not above taking advantage of the ignorance of those they believe too wealthy for their own good. The mines have become quite extensive in the years since the village was founded, and zigzag in all directions under the mountains, breaking through into natural caverns in some places. Genemite has been found here in small amounts, and most of the villagers love it, though they do sell some to travelers for the right price. The town is buried about half the year under heavy snows, quite literally, necessitating an underground network of tunnels running under each house, and a large underground storeroom for the winter supplies. Some villagers can be hired out as guides around this part of the mountains.

Tenhari Ke (Small City, 9,832, non-canon content): This famous city may be one of the few completely secure places in the world. Built entirely underground, it is impossible to enter without passing through a maze of passages that can be shifted back and forth according to the will of the earthbenders who live there. Buried deep under the Tencho Mountains, some people may question why anyone would choose to live here. But at their first sight of the city, they usually understand. Tenhari Ke is a magnificent place to look at. Lit by the luminescent green crystals that grow profusely here, it has been sculpted into a work of art as much as a place to live, and has been built around several stunning natural features of the caverns. The caverns and tunnels are built wide and tall, so that instead of feeling suffocating, they merely feel secure and safe. The food is the only complaint most visitors have. On the surface, some of the city hunts the creatures that dwell in the mountains, while others hunt those that live below, but the majority of the food is the edible fungus that grows very well here, and it is an acquired taste at best. It also serves as the main ingredient of tanjiro, the infamous strong drink of the place, that while just as sour and acidic as the rest of the food, is one of the most powerful liquors known to man. They do a brisk trade with nearby towns and villages.

Kinlai (Village, 553, non-canon content): This little settlement on the west coast of the province, borders the Foggy Swamp, and is made up mostly of those of the tribe within that enjoy a greater degree of contact with the outside world. Ships stop at the village every so often to trade for some rare plants found only within the swamp, and other exotic goods in exchange for the few items the swamp tribesmen can’t manufacture for themselves. Some of the waterbenders hire out as help for short sea voyages, using their talent to push the vessels along. Others provide swamp skiing services for a small fee, for those that want to dare the sport.

Chin (Small Town, 1,235): This small coastal town in the southwest of San Ying is one of the few places that still honors the memory of the would-be ruler of the Earth Kingdom, Chin the Great, or Chin the Conqueror as others call him. It is the place where he fell to his death, and there is a statue honoring him located near the place. The people formerly held festivals every year dedicated to deriding and condemning the Avatar that had killed him, but in the last year of the war, Avatar Aang was able to protect the town from Fire Nation forces, earning their gratitude. The festival now celebrates the fact that the Avatar was not boiled in oil, as he had been sentenced to do when facing trial. Chin is a fairly insignificant town, lacking a proper harbor even though it sits on the coast, and located near no major trade routes, but their cuisine has a good reputation.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Huu. (Male human Waterbender18) A resident of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Huu spends his days mostly in communion with the swamp, under the great central banyan tree. From here, he can sense if any harm is being done to it, and go to stop whoever is responsible. He has a very distinctive way of dealing with intruders. Rather than trying to convince them to stop, he prefers to take them and dump them outside the swamp’s borders. He favors using waterbending to bend the water in the abundant vines, creating an enormous construct that often strikes fear into those he attacks. However, for those that approach in peace, Huu proves a rather tolerant and friendly person. He claims to have reached enlightenment under the banyan tree, and it is certain that he understands the strange things that happen within the swamp better than most others of the tribe.

Xin Fu (Male human Earthbender14) The referee and owner of all profits from the Earth Rumble tournaments, Xin Fu is a ruthless businessman that always gets what’s coming to him…one way or another. He takes advantage of any opportunity for profit, but he does run a fair arena, and knows how to keep the fights interesting and bringing in the crowds. He rarely takes the field himself, but sometimes hires the services of the more well-known contestants for various shady jobs. In recent times, he has become even more serious than usual after returning from a mysterious mission of some kind. He only says he doesn’t want to talk about it, but rumors abound about what happened. The most prevalent are that he ran afoul of a master earthbender whose glance shakes the ground and whose voice shatters iron…these may be exaggerated, of course.

Toph Bei Fong (Female human Earthbender21) Toph is the only daughter of the Bei Fong family, the richest people in Gaoling and among the richest in the world. However, most of the world does not know she exists, or knows her as someone different. Toph was born blind, and smothered with protective measures by her parents, who instinctively saw her as helpless and fragile. She grew to hate being perceived that way, and ran away more than once, only to find nowhere to go. During one such trip, she encountered the badger-moles, the first earthbenders, and was able to learn the earthbending technique that allowed them, as much blind as her, to see through vibrations in the earth. Armed with this new ‘sight’, she poured all her energy into learning advanced earthbending under the nose of her parents and everyone else, and even began participating in the Earth Rumble tournaments under the fighting name ‘The Blind Bandit.’ By the time of the sixth tournament, she had become the champion of the arena, despite being only twelve years old.

It was during this time she met the Avatar, and agreed to become his earthbending teacher. Traveling with him during the final months of the war, she took a critical part in some of the biggest events of the time, and survived to see the end of the war. Now, her current whereabouts are unknown, but thought to be still near the Avatar.

Suki (Female human Martial Artist(Passive Way)14) The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors that dwell in the largest village of Kyoshi Island, Suki is, naturally, quite skillful in unarmed combat, and has a playful sense of humor as well. Until recently, she had no desire to leave the island, but after Avatar Aang and his friends paid a prolonged visit, it inspired her to try and make a difference in the world. She and the other warriors of her village set out to do what they could against the Fire Nation. Sometime later, unfortunately, they ran afoul of the then Princess Azula and her allies, and were taken prisoner. As the leader, Suki spent several weeks in the Fire Nation’s highest-security prison, the Boiling Rock, but was rescued by the Avatar’s companions, and lent her skill to their cause in the final moments of the war. After the war was declared over, she opted to return home to Kyoshi Island, but may not remain there for long as she has become romantically involved with Sokka of the Water Tribe.

[felinoel]

One of my players was remaking his character sheet and we were looking for defense bonuses but they aren't on the table thing

http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/Ea...nder2-full.png

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

Added the south Earth Kingdom. I'm adding notable characters (with the exception of Iroh) in the places they were born in and lived most of their lives in. I put Iroh in Ba Sing Se because I assume he doesn't intend to move anymore.

[felinoel]

Added the south Earth Kingdom. I'm adding notable characters (with the exception of Iroh) in the places they were born in and lived most of their lives in. I put Iroh in Ba Sing Se because I assume he doesn't intend to move anymore.

Well he does still have his duties with OWL, but we have no clue what those duties could be so it probably would be better to assume that

[Mephibosheth]

One of my players was remaking his character sheet and we were looking for defense bonuses but they aren't on the table thing

http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/Ea...nder2-full.png

I took them out of the class tables to emphasize the fact that the variant is recommended, not required. I added notes on the Variant Rules page that outline which class defense bonuses to give.

[felinoel]

I took them out of the class tables to emphasize the fact that the variant is recommended, not required. I added notes on the Variant Rules page that outline which class defense bonuses to give.

I see

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

New area write-up. I hope I got everything. If you see anything I missed, please let me know.

Hu Sin Provinces/Northwestern Expanse

Location on the map.

“This place seems more Fire Nation than Earth Kingdom now. Fireworks, fire flakes, firebending exhibitions. You’d think they’ve forgotten their own heritage. You’d think they’d forgotten what their parents paid for this.”
-Jet, remarking on the changing attitude of Hu Sin.

Spoiler

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Population: 771,381
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Iron, Coal, Silver, Silk, Spices
Exports: Obsidian, Glass, Herbs, Leather Goods, Trade Goods
Alignment: LN, TN, LE

This place is usually referred to as more than one province because it has long been divided into many small regions on the map, with each local governor or magistrate keeping a very stubborn hold on their little fiefdom. That changed when the Fire Nation invaded. They wasted no time vesting all administrative authority in the provincial capital. Now, Hu Sin is developing into a maelstrom of unrest and dissent. The terrain is conducive to this, with low hills, thick forests, and broad rivers cutting each town and village off from all but a few others. However, within those few others, the people are remarkably sophisticated and advanced. Hu Sin is a place where things happen.

Life and Society:

Life here is never dull, whatever else can be said for it. The coast has few large ports, and many of the towns there have a dark reputation. The inland villages have a history of minding their own affairs, and not speaking much among themselves, but this rarely translates to rivalry, instead remaining a kind of suspicious courtesy. The newcomer may get the feeling that everyone is watching them, and they probably are, but this goes away after a week or so. The divisions between the Earth Kingdom villages and Fire Nation colonies run very deep, especially since many Fire Nation citizens have been born here, and regard it as their home too.

Major Geographical Features:

Sejuna River: The biggest river in the Earth Kingdom and the world, this torrent flows from the northern inland sea, northward to the cold waters of the arctic. No bridges span its length, and it is deep enough and level enough to admit the passage of Fire Navy ships. During the war, all passage across was given and monitored by the Fire Nation. Now that the war has ended, independent ferries are beginning to spring up again, but they are still few, and the Fire Nation still gets the most people across for the best prices. In winter, the northern half freezes over, and traffic flows freely across the thick ice.

Kajali River: Formed from two other rivers, this waterway has its source in the depths of the earth, from a pair of underground springs, and is clear and cold. Running from north to south, it is commonly used to divide the province into west and east sections. With several long loops along its length, it is in most places shallow and easy to cross.

Mukari Mountains: Just barely high enough to be called mountains, this range is nonetheless the most prominent feature of the west coast of the province. Their sides are generally forested, but the higher parts are bare stone. Many of the peaks are old volcanoes, no longer active, but a few are still smoking, and are a cause of concern to those that live nearby. The old lava tubes and chambers are frequented by curious travelers, even though some of them carry toxic fumes from the molten rock that still simmers under them. It is a major source of obsidian for the Earth Kingdom, even though the glass is low quality compared to Fire Nation exports.

Muraken Hills: Rising in the southeast corner of Hu Sin, these hills seem like great teeth of stone. They have little greenery about them, and are not a good source of minerals. The chief advantage of living there is that they have some of the most defensible ground in the province, and as such, the provincial capital is located here.

Kensho Forest: This forest is less a single expanse of trees, and more a dense network surrounding the many towns and villages of the east and south. Some sections are not even connected to the main part of the forest at all, but still bear the name. It begins as a normal decidous forest in the south, but as it travels north, it gradually becomes a uniform expanse of boreal evergreens. The trees have provided the timber to build defensible walls for every hamlet out here, and most of the villagers know how to use a bow or a quarterstaff. Small shrines to various forest spirits are located in the larger sections, and it is also the home of the abandoned Freedom Fighter headquarters, a village built among the largest trees in the south that was the base of a band of Earth Kingdom guerillas.

Ki Tan Island: A large island off the western coast of Hu Sin, this land is mostly dominated by stony hills, save for the fishing villages and coastal towns that line the edges.

Important Sites:

Gaipan (Small Town, 1,478): Formerly a sleepy logging town, it was turned into an outpost by the Fire Nation a few years before the end of the war, and took on a decidedly militaristic bent as Fire Army soldiers used it to stage raids on Earth Kingdom supply lines. They had great success with this tactic until a gang of guerrilla fighters moved in, building a base high in the treetops of the nearby forest, and dubbing themselves the Freedom Fighters. Made up mostly of people who had lost their homes or loved ones to the Fire Nation, they proved quite effective at sabotaging most of the Fire Nation’s movements around Gaipan. Some of the townsfolk offered them clandestine support in various ways. However, after their leader attempted to flood the town to eliminate all possibility of the Fire Army using it as a base, the citizens turned against them as well, and with their hiding place in danger of being discovered, they moved out. Since then, Gaipan once again served the Fire Nation well. With the end of the war, the Earth Kingdom citizens actually would prefer the Fire Nation stay, as the town is now of much greater significance than it was under the Earth Kingdom, but since Gaipan has no value beyond its location, it looks likely it will go back to the way it was, just a minor logging town.

Pohuai Fortress: This massive base, encircled by two thick iron walls, and occupying a heavily defended harbor, is the Fire Nation’s main military headquarters for the province. Here, the newest soldiers were given additional training and educated about how to conduct themselves in the Earth Kingdom before being shipped out to the front by rail. With the war over, it has been reduced to a mockery of itself. With soldiers no longer needed, the base has fallen into disrepair, and is down to a skeleton defense. However, the Yu Yan Archers, a legendary unit of bowmen, are still housed here, and they remain very dangerous. One tale claims that they can pin a fly to a tree from fifty feet away—without killing it. The base commander, General Shinu, is reportedly very dissatisfied by the way things have gotten, but has little idea of what to do about it. He also has other problems, and as he is the commander of all Fire Army forces in the province, other soldiers that have nothing to do with themselves. It is rumored that the Fire Lord plans to turn Pohuai over to the Earth Kingdom rulers and consign the soldiers to follow their authority, but Shinu is quick to point out that they have no basis in fact and are pointless to talk about.

Taku (0, currently abandoned, formerly Small City, 13,764): Formerly a prosperous trading center, Taku was one of the first Earth Kingdom cities to fall to the Fire Nation early on in the war, when the forces of Fire Lord Sozin wiped out most of the population and sent the rest fleeing southward to carry tales of the Fire Nation’s strength to the rest of the province. No on has yet returned, and the marks of battle can still be seen in shattered walls and statues, scorch marks, and the bones of the fallen. Many things still lay where the citizens left them when they had to leave. Taku is built on and into a hillside, but does not extend very far underground, instead opting to circle around the hill to a greater extent. The city is likely to remain abandoned for the foreseeable future. Nobody wants to make a home on a graveyard, and only curious travelers stop by now. There are stories of ghosts still haunting the ruins, but nobody takes them seriously.

Xanhao Herbalist Institute (1): Built on the top of one of the Mukari Mountains, this expansive building houses one of the most extensive collections of herb lore and information on plants in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. Formerly, it was renowned for the skill and effectiveness of its healers and herbalists. But when the war approached, most of them moved out to offer their services where they were needed most. As time went on, fewer and fewer remained. Now, only one person still lives in the institute, an aged woman who has become rather eccentric after being alone for so long, with her only company a small cat. Her remedies are still sought after by Earth Kingdom soldiers and citizens, though, and they visit every so often.

Garsai (Metropolis, 31,325, non-canon content): The provincial capital, Garsai was among the last cities of Hu Sin to fall to the Fire Nation. It lies in the south and east of the province, on the borders of the Muraken Hills. In a three-day long battle, with Fire Lord Azulon personally leading his troops, it was at last defeated, and solidly occupied by the Fire Army. It remains so today, but the Fire Nation’s hold is increasingly precarious. Despite negotiations to release the occupied territories into Earth Kingdom jurisdiction, some of the citizens, the older ones that remember what their parents told them about the days before the war, have seized on the opportunity to attack the Fire Army soldiers and Fire Nation citizens. The city is rapidly becoming divided into two camps, the Fire Nation colonists and citizens, and the Earth Kingdom ‘peacekeepers’ and soldiers that continue to move into the city. Garsai is built high rather than wide, and many tall towers stretch to the sky across the hilltops, with bridges of all kinds running in between them. Only the lower parts of the city sprawl over the countryside. Before the war, there were many problems in some sections, but the Fire Nation has successfully reduced the crime rate by nearly half. The remains of the criminal element are that much more vicious to compensate, and with the other pressures the Fire Army soldiers are under, they are beginning to move to reclaim their old territory. A city of deep divisions and complex politics, Garsai is not likely to stabilize anytime soon without direct intervention from the Fire Lord, the Earth King, or the Avatar, and those three already have many other problems.

Makapu Village (Village, 503): This little village has escaped the wrath of the Fire Nation by virtue of being insignificant in all military aspects and by its location, tucked away in the Mukari Mountains. However, it also sits next to Mount Makapu, an active volcano that is on constant danger of erupting. The citizens formerly had a tradition of climbing the mountain to check if it was in danger of erupting. Ever since a fortuneteller by the name of Aunt Wu moved in, they have a tradition of asking for her prediction of whether or not the village will be destroyed. She doesn’t charge for readings, so a fair amount of people come by to get their fortunes told, though naturally, such predictions are often vague. The volcano did erupt about half a year before the ending of the war, but the village was saved through the intervention of Avatar Aang. It now has a huge stone wall formed by hardened waves of lava that is quite dramatic to look at.

Sangyan Seaport (Large City, 20,012, non-canon content): This enormous coastal city is the biggest settlement on Ki Tan Island, and lies on its southeast coast. Formerly a major Earth Navy base before the war, it has since been turned into the biggest Fire Navy base in northwestern seas. Like Lumin Seaport further south, it has a modern shipyard, but this facility is much bigger, capable of building any and all vessels up to and including Fire Navy Empire-class battleships. At least a dozen Fire Navy ships are usually docked here, and are moved out as the situation dictates, though there is space for thirty-six ships. Over a hundred years, the lines between Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation have grown blurred, and now, the city is perhaps the first example of a blending between the two. Earthbending is not prohibited, as it formerly was in other Fire Nation territories, and children of both nations are taught at the same schools. Here, you can obtain many unique products that are the result of input from two different cultures. However, whatever it’s accomplishments in that area, a large part of the city has to deal with the industrial pollution from the shipyards and factories, and the air quality around that section is usually bad. The city’s governor is under considerable pressure to deal with this, but there is no readily available answer. There is a standing reward of a thousand gold pieces to anyone that can figure out a way to get rid of the pollution.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Jet (deceased): The charismatic leader of the Freedom Fighters, Jet was the brains behind their operations around the town of Gaipan, and very often part of the muscle as well. He was able to take a dissolute group of renegades and transform them into an effective fighting force. However, his hatred of the Fire Nation increased with the years, and eventually, determined to stop them at any cost, he destroyed the nearby dam to flood the town and kill everyone there—Fire Nation or not. The townsfolk, warned by Avatar Aang, escaped in time, and afterwards were hostile to him and his warriors. Forced to leave, most of the Freedom Fighters broke down into scattered bands, with Jet heading towards Ba Sing Se with two of his best warriors, intending to start a new life. His efforts were doomed to failure, when he proved unable to stop trying to fight the Fire Nation, even in the form of two seemingly innocent refugees. For his trouble, he was arrested and brainwashed by the Dai Li into living peacefully. He was able to fight back against them, with the help of the Avatar and his companions, but was killed in the process. The fate of the two warriors he brought with him is unknown.

Jun (Female human Fighter13) One of the most notorious bounty hunters in this part of the Earth Kingdom, Jun owes a fair amount of her success to her shirshu, one of the infamous animals that can unleash a paralyzing toxin with a flick of its tongue, and can track anyone by scent anywhere in the world. However, she is no slouch at unarmed combat, and when pressed, wields a barbed whip that can shred skin in a single lash and that is also dipped in shirshu venom. She doesn’t work for cheap, but she usually does get the job done. Her usual haunt is a seedy tavern in a town on the edge of the Kensho Forest, but she travels a great deal, and at any given time can be found anywhere in the Earth Kingdom.

Xao Xan Province/Far West(non-canon content)

Location on the map.

“What’s it like? Ha! What isn’t it like is more the question. There are far too many contradictions here, and they always seem to be clashing in one way or another. Doing anything is a gamble here, and one’s luck isn’t always good. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
-Jojo the Kissing Bandit, when asked what Xao Xan was like.

Spoiler

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Population: 379, 491
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Silk, Herbs, Leather Goods, Ship Supplies
Exports: Bamboo, Fruit, Wool, Perfume, Furs
Alignment: NG, NE, TN

Xao Xan, it is always said, is a spinning coin, and one can never tell when the fortunes of those within will turn with it. The eastern half is relatively peaceful. Safe behind a thick network of interconnected Fire Nation outposts, it houses most of the bigger cities and towns, and is considered by the Fire Nation the more desirable part. They have tried, however, for years, to pacify the other half, but have never achieved complete success. The people are also of two kinds, the commoners that just want to be left to the simple life, and those that consider the province a good place to practice the darker trade sof the world. It is unlikely Xao Xan will ever truly lose its rebellious souls.

Life and Society:

Life here varies from the typical farming, hunting, or bamboo cutting to the desperate defense of villages from invaders, whether Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. In the Fire Army-occupied east, life is the strict and orderly fashion that has been in favor for many years among that country. In the rural country, life is a struggle for survival against the weather and the bandits that control large parts of the province.

Major Geographical Features:

Tuwaru Forest: The biggest expanse of bamboo and the plants that grow with it in the Earth Kingdom, this ‘forest’ stretches across the center of the province, and is inhabited by a generous population of panda bears, tiger-dillos, and other animals. The villages and towns located just outside the forest use the bamboo for all kinds of building material, and trade it to the rest of the nearby provinces. Logging trails are cut through the outer edge in a patchwork of confusing routes, and more than a few villages seem to have moved into the forest with the years, with a few of them switching from mostly farming to mostly hunting for the furs. The maze of trails creates an idea situation for the bandits that are continually on the move within the forest, and prey on the weaker villages. Some of them consider themselves honorable, and exact ‘tribute’ from their victims in exchange for putting the village under their protection and claim the territory as their own. Others won’t think twice about knifing a lone traveler in the back. It is said the local forest spirits will protect those who honor them, and there seems to be some truth to that, as the local priests seem to be able to avoid any harm. Fire Nation soldiers fight a constant battle to keep the towns they occupy and the routes between them safe without burning down the forest.

Sokalu River: Curving down through the west half of the province, this river cuts through the Tuwaru forest, and is used for fresh water and fishing by many villages. It is bridged in too many places to count, which is a good thing, because it is said to run so fast that it will carry one’s shadow half a mile downstream as you cross, where it will smash on the rocks.

Nejuma Hills: These hills are cut through by a natural maze of ravines and valleys. This being the case, most of the settlements are located on the tops, with many bridges crossing the short gaps between them. Most work that is done in the darkness takes place down in the ravines, hidden away from prying eyes, but every so often, some of the predatory animals from the nearby forest find their way in, and people are liable to go missing.

Numako Swamp: This watery, sucking bog in the south of the province has been called the gutter of the Earth Kingdom, and it has more than earned the name. Quite besides the usual perils such as quicksand pits, predatory animals, and malevolent swamp spirits, the human element claims a place as the greatest of the predators, and their prey is each other. No Earth Kingdom of Fire Nation soldiers will dare to follow any criminal into the swamp, and so it has become a haven for the truly dedicated enemies of society. There are wild stories of all kinds that revolve around this place, and more of them are true then most suspect.

Important Sites:

The Labyrinth: The most complex part of the ravines and gullies that run through the Nejuma Hills, this rock-strewn maze is not entirely natural. Some parts have been deliberately made more difficult to navigate through and find the way past by earthbending, for in the center there exists a strange order of earthbenders that borders on the legendary. Stories abound about them, and those that go looking for them generally come home a few days later, tired and very lost. A few never return, and it is assumed either they have found what they were looking for, or they became lost forever and died in there.

Bandit Camp: In the central portion of Tuwaru, this place is neutral ground for the bandits of the forest, and is used for negotiations of territory, settling disputes, and dividing up plunder. At any given time, any of the gangs that operate in Tuwaru can be found here, and depending on which one it is, the visitor may either merely be relieved of his valuables, or killed on the spot.

Skyfire Cliffs: A high cliffside on the very northernmost tip of Xao Xan, this place provides a spectacular view of the northern lights. A small temple sits on its edge, and holds a mirror that is said to reflect the true nature of those that look within, provided they are deeply in tune with their surroundings. It doesn’t work for most, but some swear that they have changed their lives based on what they saw.

Bukari Kai (Large Town, 4,471): The largest of the swamp settlements, this town sits high above the murky waters on bamboo stilts, though some parts are built on the few pieces of dry land that exist. It is a city of thieves, rogues, cutthroats, and other such people, and the only reason that the population doesn’t decrease is that newcomers are always arriving. For those brave enough to venture within, all manner of illicit or illegal goods can be obtained for some of the cheapest prices in the world, as well as information on anything happening in the province.

Xailan (Metropolis, 41,253): The provincial capital, this city in the eastern half of Xao Xan is completely Fire Nation. The common citizens were evacuated to the neighboring Hu Sin Province, while the soldiers stayed behind to fight, and they were wiped out to the last man in a week-long battle. Now, having been extensively rebuilt in the Fire Nation style, the city is considered a civilizing influence on the rest of the nearby towns and villages. It is quite impressive to look at, encircled by thick stone walls that have been plated with a thin layer of iron to prevent entry by earthbending. The city is built on a flat plain, and stretches for miles. Steam power from underground springs is used for many inventions throughout Xailan, and it is a mechanic’s paradise. It also houses a famous firebending academy. The governor while he enjoys the privileges of his position, takes the duties that come with it seriously, and is constantly pushing the boundary of civilization westward. With the war’s end, this effort has been largely halted.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Jojo the Kissing Bandit (Female human Earthbender8/Rogue5): A green-clad bandit queen that dominates the eastern tip of Tuwaru Forest, Jojo is tolerated by the few remaining Earth Army forces, both because they themselves have been mostly reduced to bandits, and because she is that rarest of thieves, the charitable robber that mostly steals from those that can stand it or deserve it, and she is hostile to the Fire Nation, resisting their advances at every corner. She earned her nickname by her trademark of leaving the mark of a kiss on her male victims. This has led to a fair degree of notoriety, and some travelers have been known to express a desire to be robbed by her.

Renjin Shou Province/Eastern Mountains(non-canon content)

Location on the map.

“As I write these words, I am sitting in the common room of an inn that has been owned by the same family for the last five hundred years. A sense of age and comfortable familiarity permeate everything here. I could almost imagine I am home again, sharing a meal with my family, were it not for the prevalence of mounted travelers. I fear I may never get the dust they raise out of my tunic.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Spoiler

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Population: 139,371
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Grain, Timber, Silk, Coal, Tea
Exports: Horses, Wool, Leather Goods, Livestock, Rope
Alignment: LN, TN, LE

Somehow, everything seems smaller here. The mountains are dwarfed by the taller ones to the south, the forests are dry and thirsty, and even in the larger cities, it seems like everyone knows each other. This is a very rural province that has little contact with the rest of the Earth Kingdom, despite being near a major source of river traffic. While in some places this lends itself to stagnant and dull lives, in other places it promotes a sense of community and fellowship that is unmatched elsewhere. Renjin Shou is a place where the people look out for each other for the most part. However, more than a few leaders, due to the never-changing state of power have become complacent, and more concerned with maintaining the status quo than actually ruling.

Life and Society:

The country life is a hard one, the more so because the land is a poor place for farming, and the best mineral veins are further south in San Ying. With the forests mostly scrubby and stunted from the lack of water, most of the commoners keep livestock, and this is a good place to buy mounts of any kind, even animals distinct to the Fire Nation nearer the coast, where that country holds sway. In the few cities, everything is taken at a slow pace. Some travelers have been known to believe the natives take a strange kind of pleasure in dragging things out, but in truth, they simply don’t see a reason to move faster unless there is something cataclysmic going on. One fact of note is that the more backwoods villages are mostly unable to read.

Major Geographical Features:

North Tencho Mountains: The northern part of these mountains, extending up from San Ying Province, is considerably lower than the southern part, yet they are the tallest in the eastern Earth Kingdom, save for the few peaks around Ba Sing Se. In a select few caverns are the only places in the world where rulin crystals are found. These luminescent green crystals, when placed in a fire, give the flames a deep green light, and are used by many storytellers to enhance the atmosphere, and by those who prefer carrying or using torches that don’t spoil their night vision. But they are very expensive, as the crystals take a long time to grow, and wear out eventually. The rest of the mountains are typical of the range.

Meido River: A small and short river, more resembling a stream, this river is completely peaceful. Teluma Base is located at its mouth. It has a number of favored swimming spots along its length. Rafters pole their crafts up and down the slow-moving waters, carrying various cargoes.

Kyonsharo Forest: A thin strip of green that marks the border between the west of the mountains and the east of the Si Wong Desert, this little forest is smaller than normal, due to the dry conditions. There is little wildlife here, and what there is of it is not seen a lot. However, more than a few villages are glad for the shade it provides.

Important Sites:

Earth Avatar Temple (Hamlet, 246): Hidden among the tallest of the northern Tencho Mountains, this temple to the Avatar is thousands of years old, and contains an incredible wealth of knowledge and artifacts of the Avatar and earthbending. Indeed, some scrolls here are reputedly copies of copies of copies of the very first earthbending scrolls. Most of these items are safely hidden away in the temple sanctuary, which can only be accessed by earthbending, and only a master is powerful enough to do it alone. Otherwise, it takes two earthbenders, one for each door. This is a homage to the first earthbenders, Oma and Shu. The Earth Sages that live here are still loyal to the Avatar, and are content to wait for him. They spend their time in meditation, and in keeping the temple self-sufficient.

Ojura (Small Town, 1,310): Considered by the inhabitants to be among the oldest continually inhabited places in the world, this town takes pride in that most of its citizens have never left. They believe that this means it is one of the most desirable places to live in the world, and it is an excellent place to stay when passing through the province. Everything seems very old, and most likely is. Businesses and homes have been lived in for many generations, and a sense of history is quite prevalent. Perhaps the best library in the province is located here. The citizens are a simple folk, but far from foolish, and more than one man has been taken in by the lazy attitude towards life and wound up regretting it.

Teransu (Large City, 23,235): The provincial capital, this is the biggest city in Renjin Shou, and one of the only such capitals that is not walled. For defense, it relies on conventional troops, and cavalry in particular, used in unconventional ways. The outer parts of the city are built with the intention of letting any invaders in, then making sure they never get out. A few good men can hold off many times their number by taking advantage of the bizarre street and building construction. Located on the northern coast of the province, it handles the lion’s share of commerce from the northern Earth Kingdom, which has made it wealthy compared to the other towns and cities.

Teluma Base: This coastal fortress is one of the few remaining ports for the Earth Navy, which has always been at a disadvantage when facing the Fire Navy. Defended by surface-to-surface rocks that its earthbenders can hurl with deadly accuracy, and by a fleet of eight ships, it is a formidable obstacle to any invaders. However, the garrison can only secure the base and the area immediately around it. With the end of the war, the soldiers have begun an effort to reclaim the rest of the coasts, hills, and plains, which have been occupied for decades by the Fire Nation.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Malu the Ghost Witch (Female human Airbender15): A legend, this mysterious figure is said to live in one of the remote east mountain passes, where she destroys all who seek to slay her and end her domain over the pass. Anyone who seeks to cross without seeking her permission faces all manner of obstacles. Strange mists, storm winds that blow anything not tied down off cliffsides, sudden rockslides where there shouldn’t be any, and other such events. After the first few caravans arrived greatly reduced and very much unnverved, the pass was abandoned by merchant and military traffic. While it has been many years, nobody dares to venture in to see if she has died, or to the forest groves where one traditionally waits to ask permission to cross. She is said to hold dominion over many spirits, but in reality, she is the only survivor of the massacre at the Eastern Air Temple. Her parents sent her away just before the attack, and she has lived here, in complete isolation ever since. But she is ancient, and may have died. What her fate is, nobody knows except the winds.

[Mephibosheth]

I know I haven't mentioned anything previously (an omission for which I apologize), but these write-ups are awesome! Where are you getting all this great information, particularly concerning place names and geographic features?

Mephibosheth

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

Thanks. About the place names. I get the canon names off the official site at nick.com, but for the places that are canon but don't have names, like mountain ranges or forests and such, those names I make up. I'd have mentioned it, but it sounded a little stupid to add 'non-canon name'. If you'd prefer I mention it in the future I can do that. The actual information about most of this is also made up, except for places where the show actually displayed information. I haven't the faintest idea how many soldiers General Fong's base actually holds, or of the history of the Zhangs and Gan-jins other than that they give, so I just create the rest of it out of whole cloth. The only thing they give of the Kolau Mountains, where Omashu is, is the name. Same with Garsai.

A lot of the world is left unmapped, obviously, so it's up to us to fill in the blanks. I'm planning to take a break after I finish building the Earth Kingdom, and let somebody else have a shot at the other nations. I shouldn't be the only one that gets to make up things. Plus, I haven't any idea what kinds of plots and rumors are 'forthcoming', I was going to leave that to everybody else for the most part. I may have rambled a bit, but I hope I answered the question.

[felinoel]

Thanks. About the place names. I get the canon names off the official site at nick.com, but for the places that are canon but don't have names, like mountain ranges or forests and such, those names I make up. I'd have mentioned it, but it sounded a little stupid to add 'non-canon name'. If you'd prefer I mention it in the future I can do that. The actual information about most of this is also made up, except for places where the show actually displayed information. I haven't the faintest idea how many soldiers General Fong's base actually holds, or of the history of the Zhangs and Gan-jins other than that they give, so I just create the rest of it out of whole cloth. The only thing they give of the Kolau Mountains, where Omashu is, is the name. Same with Garsai.

A lot of the world is left unmapped, obviously, so it's up to us to fill in the blanks. I'm planning to take a break after I finish building the Earth Kingdom, and let somebody else have a shot at the other nations. I shouldn't be the only one that gets to make up things. Plus, I haven't any idea what kinds of plots and rumors are 'forthcoming', I was going to leave that to everybody else for the most part. I may have rambled a bit, but I hope I answered the question.

Well my map has all the canon-ly named places, that seems easier to find names for them

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

Added the northwest tip of the Earth Kingdom. Since they give us officially nothing about that place, I found it easier to say at the top that the whole place is (mostly) my own thoughts rather than add in each little tag that it isn't canon content.

Edit: Added the east mountains. For whatever reason, these entirely homebrewed places are easier to write than the canon content.

Edit2: New write-up. I'm getting down to it, now.

Anlong Tai Province/Inland Lakes

Location on the map.

“I think the thing that struck me the most was the quiet. Even though people are always busy, it’s as though they’re afraid of offending somebody with any noise. Or, as I’ve heard, perhaps it’s so they can listen to the wind and waves for what the weather will bring. Not that such things ever worked.”
-Admiral Sezuno, musing on growing up in Anlong Tai

Spoiler

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Population: 93, 923
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Timber, Ship Supplies, Rope, Grains, Salt
Exports: Seafood, Trade Goods, Cloth, Pottery
Alignment: TN, LN, NE

Consisting of the two great inland lakes, and the coastline around them, this province lies almost entirely on the water. The people are quite attuned to the water, and fishing villages are the usual settlements, along with a few larger port towns and cities. With the two lakes nearly cut off from one another, a clear division between Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom territory is visible, and the Fire Nation’s immediate withdrawal is being demanded. Here, whoever controls the water, controls Anlong Tai, and so far, no one nation or person can do that.

Life and Society:

Life here revolves around the shifting tides and the luck in fishing, for the most part, and this is a good place to find masters in all aspects of boatbuilding. Tradition and superstition are very prominent, and shrines to various spirits of the wind and wave are abundant, as the people hope to ward off storms and bad luck. In the larger cities, life tends towards the busy. It always seems like there’s something that has to be done this very minute.

Major Geographical Features:

Lake Hensai: Completely controlled by the Fire Navy, the western lake is strictly policed by their ships, and most naval activity is closely monitored, even commercial traffic. Nonetheless, small sailing vessels ply the coast under cover of night. The lake is home to some small Fire Nation colonies, but many of these have been abandoned under pressure from the Earth Kingdom settlements. Small Fire Navy bases are located along the northeastern shores.

Lake Lusai: Mostly under Earth Kingdom control, the eastern lake plays host to a few small Earth Navy bases as well as a goodly part of Earth Kingdom merchant shipping, what there is of it. Fire Nation pirates, unable to exist in the western lake, make forays all around these waters, using their access to Fire Nation technology to wipe out any rivals. They and the Earth Kingdom smugglers are constantly at war, with neither side seeming to be able to gain an advantage. With war’s end, such activity has dropped somewhat, but neither nation has the time or manpower to effectively patrol these waters, even if they could agree on who they belonged to.

The Serpent’s Pass: A narrow strip of land, this treacherous pass is the only land connecting the southern Earth Kingdom to the north through the lakes. The only other way is either to go around to the west or east, or to take a boat, and most people usually pick one of those options, for the pass is infamous for taking a fearsome toll on those that attempt the passage, and only those who have no other way to go try and cross it. At the beginning of the pass is a sign that seems to exemplify its nature. It reads, “Abandon hope.” Contrary to its name, the pass does not wind like a serpent, but is mostly straight. It comes by the name for the enormous sea serpents that ply the waters nearby, waiting for a chance to pick off the unwary traveler. One section of the pass towards the northern end is underwater, forcing travelers to swim or go back, and it is here they are most likely to be attacked.

Full Moon Bay: The biggest bay in either lake, this place harbors a number of port towns, as well as a hidden ferry service to Ba Sing Se on the other side. It is located in the south of the eastern lake. Very wide, it plays home to a large fishing fleet, and is prone to rough stretches of water and reefs. Navigation here is a tricky business in some parts, and experienced pilots and helmsmen are very highly valued. More than a few old wrecks can be seen along the shoals, both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. There are also a few hidden coves that provide safe haven for pirates and smugglers.

Chameleon Bay: This little bay, on the north side of the eastern lake, is the mouth of a small river that leads directly to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. It gets its name from the fact that it is easy to pass by without noticing unless one knows where it is. Easily defended by a small number of people and ships, it is solidly held by Earth Kingdom forces, which have replaced the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe that held that post for some months in the last year of the war. However, the new defenders have managed to make an agreement with the Water Tribe to obtain the instructions on how to make tangle mines, which have proven very effective against the Fire Nation ships. Now the bay entrance is heavily mined, and to enter requires a pilot that knows the safe routes in and out. As well, a pair of surface-to-surface rock emplacements have been installed on either side of the bay. Despite these obstacles, it is a quick way to get goods by water into and out of Ba Sing Se.

Lantaru River: Flowing southeast from the eastern lake, this river empties into the eastern seas. It has a small lake halfway along its length. It is deep enough to admit Fire Navy ships, and has no bridges. However, despite this, it has a slow current, and it is possible to swim across with a minimum of effort. The surrounding terrain is rocky, but wet enough for an abundant variety of plant life.

Important Sites:

Imala (Large Town, 5,013, non-canon content): Sitting on the northern side of the Lantaru River, just past its source in the eastern lake, this town has a direct train route to Ba Sing Se, and a few other towns. Being so close to Ba Sing Se, it has never been very big, and attempts to hold the interest of travelers and its own citizens by the quality of the work it does. It seems as though every building is intended to be a work of art, and here it is possible to find some of the finest craftsmen in the Earth Kingdom. In particular, the town produces earthbending-sculpted statues and figurines of surpassing skill. With so many earthbenders, the town’s walls are thick and strong, though not many would attack the town anyway.

Andei (Large City, 14,135, non-canon content): The provincial capital, this large coastal city sits on the southern end of the eastern lake, and is one of the Earth Kingdom’s busiest seaports, not least because it handles a great deal of business that flows back and forth between Anlong Tao, Ba Sing Se, the Si Wong Desert, and even Renjin Shou Province in the east. With the prevalence of pirates and the threat of the Fire Navy, the harbor is guarded by massive walls and a pair of immense iron gates that date back to before the war, as well as a team of earthbenders. The city has all the advantages and disadvantages of prosperity, and the current ruler is inclined to turn a blind eye to the lesser offenses as long as the money keeps coming in. However, he is merciless in military matters, and is intent on improving the remains of the Earth Navy so that it can stand up against the Fire Nation, should the war resume.

Slate Waters (non-canon content): An infamous cove that is used as a meeting place by pirates and other outcasts from society, this little natural harbor is renowned for the peculiar gray color of the water that it holds. So far as any investigators have found, this water is as fresh and drinkable as the rest pf the lake, though it seems to have some curious properties that shift with the seasons. A small temple sits on the top of the cliffs that surround the cove, and the priest acts as a fence for stolen or smuggled goods. The cove itself is riddled with jagged rocks, and only someone who has been there before can safely guide a ship in and out.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals (non-canon content):

Sezuno (Male human Firebender15): The Admiral of the Western Fire Navy, Sezuno is a rarity, having been born in this province, and rose to his rank mostly on ability. Replacing Admiral Zhao, after that officer’s spectacular defeat at the North Pole, he has done his best to avoid such a disaster, and concentrated his efforts in the Earth Kingdom. Now that the war has ended, he is uncertain if his efforts at enforcing order on the inland lakes will be wasted. He remains loyal to the Fire Nation, but has his suspicions about the new Fire Lord, and suspects that the nations will be unable to keep the peace. He has been quietly setting up contingency plans in the event war resumes.

Seijo Shin Province/Eastern Horizon (non-canon content)

Location on the map.

“When I first left my home here, I viewed Seijo Shin as a place of boredom, where life was a back-breaking torment, a mindless existence, or slothful ease. But now that I see it once again, I can see the good here too. I see the value of hard work and the feel of the seasons for those that live with the land. I see the meticulous detail and attention that is invested on craftsmanship and all kinds of work. And I see that the only kinds of people that grow lazy are those that have nothing better to do. Even those who spend time in meditation are honing their minds to a razor edge. Here, as in all places, things balance out, one way or the other.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

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Population: 551,331
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Iron, Gold, Timber, Salt, Coal
Exports: Silk, Grains, Fruit, Spices, Vegetables, Trade Goods
Alignment: LN, LE, CG

In Seijo Shin, more than anywhere else, it sometimes seems, the prominent color is green, in a thousand different shades. In the north, gently sloping plains provide some of the most fertile farmland in the Earth Kingdom, and even among the cities, green and gold are the favored colors for roofs. In the south, where the province becomes a peninsula, thick jungles blanket the land, and are home to a staggering variety of plant and animal life. Only at the very tip of the peninsula does the land turn to a wide expanse of sand dunes and rocky shores. Seijo Shin seems peaceful, but the easy life has led to a kind of decadence in the cities and increasing demands on the farms, and the jungle tribes don’t appreciate the encroachment into their lands.

Life and Society:

Life here, in a part of the Earth Kingdom that was hardly touched by the war until the very end, is nonetheless not always easy. When life is good, either for the farmer who has a good harvest, the rich citizen, or the prosperous tribesman, it’s very good. But when it’s bad, it’s very bad. The lower class citizens of the north struggle to survive the taxes and quotas of the harvest, and the jungle tribes in the south are fighting for their land constantly. The tension here is not well concealed, and it is easy to see Seijo Shin could use a little help.

Major Geographical Features:

Kemaro Islands: Three tropical islands sitting to the west of the Jusenti Jungles, these lands are more or less typical of such places, covered in palm trees, trailing vines, and other such vegetation. The fishing villages here have a very relaxed way of life, and are hospitable to all travelers, so nobody has ever bothered to try and conquer them, there being nothing the islands produce that is particularly valuable. Some inhabitants leave to travel the world as nomads, in the tradition of their ancestors that traveled a long way to reach the islands. They are not always well received, though.

Jinshai Island: A large island off the east coast of the province, this land holds one of the few active volcanoes in the Earth Kingdom, and those who live here must be on constant guard against sudden lava flows. The sight is quite spectacular. The volcano is of the shield type, and continually sheds a slow trickle of molten rock into the ocean, creating sheets of volcanic rock. Earthbent channels keep it contained, but every so often, it overflows them and must be stopped before destroying the nearby villages. The major port town here experiences twenty-foot waves in some places, and higher during monsoon season.

Jusenti Jungles: Taking up the southern two-thirds of the long peninsula that is the south half of Seijo Shin, these jungles are steaming hot, incredibly thick, and for all practical purposes impenetrable…at least to the unobservant eye. People do live here, gathering the abundant fruits and other edibles, and hunting a few of the larger animals. They trade rare plants, pelts and skins, and some of the foods to the civilized lands in the north in exchange for metal tools, weapons, and other goods they can’t make for themselves. Of late, the northerners have begun cutting into the outskirts of the jungle with an eye towards finding a few of the place where the tribes get the gems they sometimes offer up for trade, and obtaining some of the exotic woods that grow here and nowhere else. The tribes have not taken this quietly, and now things have come to a stalemate. The tribesmen are cut off from the trade has been very lucrative for them, and the civilized folk dare not go within bowshot of the mass of greenery. It is said ancient ruins are buried deep in the jungle, and are sources of great spiritual knowledge and power.

Sulin River: Marking the north border of the province, this river is long and wide, providing water for many of the northern farms. Goods flow along its length, from Ba Sing Se out to the eastern ocean in exchange for other goods coming back. The river has a great deal of silt, and is quite muddy in some places, especially its mouth, so most people refrain from drinking the water straight from the river.

Opano Plains: Covering the northern half of Seijo Shin, these grassy fields are rumored to be so fertile that the farmers don’t even have to plant seeds. Though this is doubtful, it is true that a great deal of foodstuffs originate here. The wet climate, ready sources of water, and rich soil make perfect conditions for farming, and most of the countryside is taken up by such activity. A few drier stretches towards the south remain unsettled, and various plains animals are found there.

Important Sites:

Subutai (Metropolis, 61,310): The provincial capital, this enormous city shows its arrogance, and the strength to back it up, even in how it is built. While its walls are hardly the equal of Ba Sing Se, they do stand at least a hundred feet high, and have four great gates, one for each of the four cardinal directions. The implication is that they have enough soldiers to defend all four at once. Inside, the division between the upper and lower classes is very distinct. The city is divided into four quarters. The northern quarter is the noble district, with great castles and richly appointed estates. The western quarter is the business district, home to market and shops. The eastern quarter is where the middle class live. The southern quarter, better known as the thieves’ quarter, is where the most unfortunate live their lives. Tension has always been high, and with the army drawn primarily from the three better off quarters, the soldiers are not helping.

Zantien (Metropolis, 52,582): The second largest city in Seijo Shin, and the main rival to Subutai, Zantien is located more towards the south of the plains, and is generally thought of as superior to its rival in quality of life, if not size. Its walls are only half as high, but the city is not divided in any way, and is a mixture of many different walks of life. Though this does make it confusing to get around in for the newcomer, the citizens are very helpful in that regard. The earthbenders here are famous for their use of stone and earthen armor in interesting ways.

Daruka (Small Town, 1,312): This little town, on the western coast of the jungle, is one of the few places that one can still come to trade with the tribesmen. The people that live here are a curious combination of the tribes and the civilized lands to the north, and trade with both of them. They have grown rich of late, and the town is quite well-appointed for so small a settlement, which has made the people very happy, and they welcome all travelers. However, they refuse to guide anyone into the jungle as long as the tribes continue to remain hostile to outsiders.

Temple of the Spirit (Hamlet, 472): An ancient building in the heart of the jungle, this isolated temple, though centuries old, is still inhabited, and is a place of learning. The monks here follow a strange path of spiritual enlightenment, and are extremely knowledgeable about the spiritual forces at work in the world. They claim a kind of kinship to the Air Nomads, and some parts of the temple show the distinct marks of airbender design. Very few people beyond the jungle are even aware of the temple’s existence, much less the trove of knowledge that it holds, for the monks very rarely journey into the world.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals (non-canon content):

Rem Jha the Traveler (Male human Earthbender21): One of the most highly cultured and well traveled people in the world, Rem Jha started out as a cartographer’s apprentice in Zantien. Sick of copying maps, he ran away to see the world, making his own maps along the way. In the course of eighty years, he has been everywhere and done just about everything. The atlas he has compiled is considered the most complete and accurate in the world, but his journals are even more widely read. Now, having returned home, he is still going strong, even at ninety-five years old, and teaches earthbending to all who show significant dedication to the art. He is also a master at Pai Sho, and favors a little-used gambit involving the White Lotus.

Sung Xwi Province/Northeastern Coast (non-canon content)

Location on the map.

“What’s it like? It’s wet. That’s all you need to know, unless you’re planning to live here, and you don’t look as desperate as the usual people that do that. Though I am reserving judgment, because only an idiot would ask what it’s like that has already been through half of it.”
-Rukil, to Rem Jha the Traveler, on Sung Xwi

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Population: 209,924
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Timber, Iron, Quality Stone, Silver, Grains
Exports: Herbs, Seafood, Salt, Trade Goods, Leather Goods
Alignment: LN, LG, CG

Sung Xwi is not one of the more hospitable places in the Earth Kingdom. No matter where you go, it seems to always be raining, or if it is the winter, snowing. The amount of farmland here is sadly lacking due to the northern swamps and the southern rainforests, making supporting a large army or population difficult, and the province is close enough to Ba Sing Se for it to have little real independence. With the people not very rich, bandits and other criminals make up a very small percentage of the population, and the Earth Army patrols are virtually nonexistent. Yet there is a simple satisfaction to be found if you know where to look.

Life and Society:

Life in Sung Xwi is hard, and often without much reward. Wresting a living from the poor soil consumes much of the time, and there are few large settlements here. However, this simplicity has a kind of appeal to some residents, who have grown to enjoy the apparently endless rain and snow. Some people move here to avoid various troubles, and some move out to find a better life, but the flows balance other out. The various lords recognize that they can’t possibly get any more out of their estates than what they already are, so the villagers live without fear of retribution. The people work hard, but they are happy.

Major Geographical Features:

Sendra Inlet: A broad expanse of salt water stretching inland for miles, this marshy place holds very little to attract anyone. When the tide is in, it is a shallow, brackish salt marsh, and when the tide is out, it is a sucking mud plain. A road stretches across it in the middle, built of large squared-off stone blocks and wooden bridges that stay above the water even at high tide, but it has not been repaired for many years, and many bridges have broken or are in extreme disrepair. Shellfish live here in great numbers towards the ocean, if one can dig them up.

Sekumin Swamp: If there is a good kind of swamp, Sekumin is it. A broad expanse of slow-flowing waters and rocky earth in equal measure, the swamp more resembles a wetland river delta. Waterfowl and other aquatic animals live here in abundance, as well as moisture-loving mosses, flowers, and trees. It is foggy or rainy much of the time, water is very much the dominant element. However, things become cold and barren in winter, so few people live here. Some villages on the outskirts of the swamp hunt birds and collect certain types of grasses and mushrooms. Sekumin is perhaps best known as the main source of the Black Lotus, a beautiful flower that holds one of the deadliest poisons known to man, and its twin, the White Lotus, which contains the antidote. The two always grow together, and there is a curious tale behind why that is.

Kenkali Rainforests: This forest resembles, to some extent, the steamy Jusenti Jungles of the province to the south, yet it is different. In the jungle, it is hot, wet, and humid. Here, it is cold, wet, and frequently windy. The trees tend towards towering, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed walking among them. The west of the forest is home to a few logging camps, but the wood here tends to split, twist, and shred when cut. It’s good for cooking, but not much else, so the rainforest still stands, much as it has for hundreds of years. The villages here are small hunting and gathering communities for the most part, but are hardly ignorant of the rest of the world. Many travelers pass through here, and the villagers have a keen interest in things that might threaten them. Earthbenders are rare here, and they concentrate on using actual earth rather than stone, creating many forms that seem akin to the sandbenders of the Si Wong desert.

Ameda Bay: A curving, broad bay just south of Sekumin Swamp, this expanse of water is mostly peaceful, at least as far as the human element is concerned. But it is a place where carnivorous aquatic creatures congregate, and occasionally battle each other, and the northern half holds a network of low sea caves that can be navigated by rowboat, and yield beautiful wave-polished stones that are used in jewelry. There are also rumors of treasure hidden somewhere in the caves, but nobody takes them seriously, considering they are well mapped and divided into specific claims.

Important Sites:

Sunrai (Small City, 8,131): The second smallest provincial capital in the Earth Kingdom, this city is looked on as little more than an outpost of the authority of Ba Sing Se, even though it is located near the southern border of Sung Xwi. It is true that the ruler of the province is mostly a figurehead. However, it is not Ba Sing Se, but his underlings that hold the real power, and they ignore the Earth King’s decrees on a regular basis. Since hardly anyone really cares what is going on in the province, it is an ideal situation for them to foment unrest, but they have no interest in military aggression, and seem, at least on the surface, content to enjoy the benefits of their position. The city itself is a poor one, due to the few business prospects of Sung Xwi, and the people have little hope of that changing anytime soon.

Yamadara (Small City, 5,135): Sitting at the northernmost border of Sung Xwi, Yamadara is the most prosperous and well-traveled city in the province, even more so than the capital. The people have always considered their city the real center of activity here anyway, and that is close enough to the truth. The neighboring Tai Kun Rei province does a brisk trade with them for items not found in the mountains, and they sit directly between the easternmost part of Tai Kun Rei and the source of incredible wealth that is Ba Sing Se. The city has grown wealthy from the two-way trade, and holds the largest concentration of earthbenders in Sung Xwi.

Stonewood Glade: On the far east of the Kenkali Forest is a large section of petrified trees that have somehow been preserved mostly intact. Whether this is the result of some strange combination of bending, spirit magic, or Avatar powers nobody can say, but the stone trees look very strange and eerie, especially at night. Few animals frequent this place, but there are tales of earthbending power to be found here through some strange ritual or another, and there is no denying the story of one earthbender that claimed his strength came from this place. However, he refused to speak of what happened.

Isle of the Mists: This is the largest expanse of (relatively) dry ground in Sekumin Swamp. About a square mile as viewed from the water, it seems to take on enormous proportions once one actually sets foot on it, going on for miles of fog and stunted trees. Some braver explorers claim to have seen a great tower through the mists, but nobody has been able to verify that claim. The isle is believed to be the domain of either some mysterious spirit or simply a spiritual place that is to be approached with great caution.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Rukil (Male human Earthbender11) The leader of the largest village in Kenkali forest, Rukil is a fairly powerful earthbender and a wise leader. However, he lacks tact, and his incredibly blunt speech forces him to remain very quiet a great deal of the time. He depends on his wife to act as intermediary for him, and thus is able to keep his village a good place to live. He knows the rainforest better than most others, and often seeks solitude among the tallest trees.

[Rogue 7]

Hello folks. There was enough interest in an Avatar game in my gaming club that I find myself DMing for one. Five players. I won't give any plot spoilers in case some members are browsing, but, got any advice for a first time GM? And more importantly, how current to your revisions is the Avatar D20 site?

Also: This won't come into play until much later (like, Dragon to the final boss later), but my villain concept right now is for mainly a fire-earth hybrid. As such, I'd like to see 2-man teams (1 earth, 1 fire) as lavabenders. Is there a concept for that out?

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

The site is actually fairly current, I think. The character builds are not, but everything else is up to date. But I can't officially say so, that's for the founders to say. As for advice, I've tried DMing before, and I can offer a little advice, though doubtless it's been given before.

Keep the game moving, keep the events interesting, and make sure the players all get a chance to show off their skills. If you've got an earthbender, present them with opportunities to make bridges or shift aside obstacles, and so on. Also, make sure you know where you want the players to go, and gently guide them in that direction. Nobody likes being railroaded, but if you have an end goal in mind, usually you can be flexible enough that any path leads there eventually. There are other threads that can offer better advice on this site, I imagine, and other members that can better advise you on using the Avatar Project, but that's mine. Just be careful if anybody takes levels in Dai Li Agent. They're still working on that one. And Sandbending hasn't been resolved either, even though I think that should be a greater priority.

[Rogue 7]

The site is actually fairly current, I think. The character builds are not, but everything else is up to date. But I can't officially say so, that's for the founders to say. As for advice, I've tried DMing before, and I can offer a little advice, though doubtless it's been given before.

Keep the game moving, keep the events interesting, and make sure the players all get a chance to show off their skills. If you've got an earthbender, present them with opportunities to make bridges or shift aside obstacles, and so on. Also, make sure you know where you want the players to go, and gently guide them in that direction. Nobody likes being railroaded, but if you have an end goal in mind, usually you can be flexible enough that any path leads there eventually. There are other threads that can offer better advice on this site, I imagine, and other members that can better advise you on using the Avatar Project, but that's mine. Just be careful if anybody takes levels in Dai Li Agent. They're still working on that one. And Sandbending hasn't been resolved either, even though I think that should be a greater priority.

Thanks.

I plan to set it about 400 years in the future, so the Dai Li are long gone. By character builds, I doubt you mean the actual classes, right? Because slogging around on the forums every time I want to see them would be troublesome.

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

No, I mean the sheets for the iconic characters of the show. The classes are fine.

[Mephibosheth]

Yep. Zak Crimsonleaf is right. The bending classes on the website are up to date, though the iconic character builds haven't been updated to reflect some of those changes and I think there were some changes made to the martial artist that I haven't added to the site.

Let us know how the campaign goes. I hope everything works out well.

Mephibosheth

[phoenixcire]

I have a question: Why do firebenders get fire resistance but waterbenders do not get cold resistance? Also, firebenders even get cold resistance when it seems they should be weak to it. So, why can firebenders get cold resistance but waterbenders(who typically live in an arctic environment) cannot?

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

I believe the reasoning runs along this line: A waterbender cannot altar the temperature around or inside themselves. They can bend water or snow out of the air, but they cannot take away the chill from the wind or shield themselves from the wind like an airbender, nor can they raise the temperature by simply moving water around. A firebender can manipulate their own body heat so as to keep themselves warm in cold weather, keeping the cold from lowering that temperature. And since they handle fire so much, they instinctively channel its destructive power away from themselves, thus, they gain resistance to fire.

Oh, and I added another write-up.

[phoenixcire]

I believe the reasoning runs along this line: A waterbender cannot altar the temperature around or inside themselves. They can bend water or snow out of the air, but they cannot take away the chill from the wind or shield themselves from the wind like an airbender, nor can they raise the temperature by simply moving water around. A firebender can manipulate their own body heat so as to keep themselves warm in cold weather, keeping the cold from lowering that temperature. And since they handle fire so much, they instinctively channel its destructive power away from themselves, thus, they gain resistance to fire.

Oh, and I added another write-up.

While, for the most part, that makes sense, I remember seeing a waterbender exhibit a huge resistance to cold. During the Pakku/Katara fight, Katara was standing in a pool of water throwing ice disks at Pakku. If that isn't a resistance to cold then I'm not sure what is. If anything, cold based attacks should be resisted. Also, seeing how waterbenders typically live in arctic climates they would better know how to survive in such weather extremes. I mean, seriously, do you think a little wind chill would bother someone who is used to wind that's around 40 degrees colder? I know for a fact it doesn't in the real world. So why would it in a game world?

In addition, the ability to control their own body temperatures isn't a natural thing that firebenders do. It's an ability that firebenders are taught. A firebender would need to know that they are taking cold damage to realize that they need to use that ability. So it wouldn't be a natural resistance, it would be a temporary halting of a continual damage source.

[Zak Crimsonleaf]

Well, Katara was extremely excited at the time, and perhaps did not feel the cold as keenly, and she was in there for less than half a minute. Granted, it would have been felt later, but in the heat of the moment, she probably would have ignored it. And as a waterbender, she certainly could have bent the freezing water away after the fight was over.

As for natural resistance, there you go into familiar ground. That would normally fall under the category of racial bonuses, and since as of now, all humans living in the Avatar world are of the same race, there is little to be done. Perhaps you should suggest or construct a variant in which the Four Nations are seperated into races. It would not be appropriate to give cold resistance just to waterbenders when other people live in the Water Tribes.

That is true, a firebender would have to actively resist heat or cold, but over time, it would become so instinctive that the firebender would barely realize they were doing it unless the damage being resisted was extreme. However, you make a good point. It just seems easier to give them the resistance than to make it an ability one must activate.

[felinoel]

Well, Katara was extremely excited at the time, and perhaps did not feel the cold as keenly, and she was in there for less than half a minute. Granted, it would have been felt later, but in the heat of the moment, she probably would have ignored it. And as a waterbender, she certainly could have bent the freezing water away after the fight was over.

As for natural resistance, there you go into familiar ground. That would normally fall under the category of racial bonuses, and since as of now, all humans living in the Avatar world are of the same race, there is little to be done. Perhaps you should suggest or construct a variant in which the Four Nations are seperated into races. It would not be appropriate to give cold resistance just to waterbenders when other people live in the Water Tribes.

That is true, a firebender would have to actively resist heat or cold, but over time, it would become so instinctive that the firebender would barely realize they were doing it unless the damage being resisted was extreme. However, you make a good point. It just seems easier to give them the resistance than to make it an ability one must activate.

I still vote for human subraces based on nations! But oh well not too many others like the idea...

[Foolster41]

I do, I think it would add variety to non-caster classes.
Also, it seems cold affects fire bending (Boiling Rock), which makes me think they don't really have any resistance to cold.

[AstralFire]

I do, I think it would add variety to non-caster classes.
Also, it seems cold affects fire bending (Boiling Rock), which makes me think they don't really have any resistance to cold.

The normal firebender, yes. Zuko and Iroh, at least, know how to keep their 'inner fire' up to get around this limitation.

[Knaight]

I seem to remember Sokka screwing up the cold room to let Zuko use fire.

[phoenixcire]

I still vote for human subraces based on nations! But oh well not too many others like the idea...

Subs based on Nations, I believe, are very logical and shouldn't be dismissed as easily as they have been. The problem lies in pinning what nation with which bonuses. For this I like:

Fire +2 Int -2 Cha The Fire Nation shows their intelligence through technology, mandatory schooling and strategy. Their hotheadedness tends to be abrasive to others.

Water +2 Cha -2Int The Water Tribe peoples are friendly and jovial with a good-natured spirit. However, their seclusion and tribal nature tends to cut them off from the rest of the world, leaving them ignorant to the ways of the world.

Earth +2 Con -2 Dex People of the Earth Kingdom are known to be as tough as the stone that they work with. They also tend to be as rigid and unyielding as the ground they stand upon.

Air +2 Dex -2 Con The Air Nomads have unsurpassed agility while lacking a bit in hardiness.

[Mephibosheth]

I originally gave firebenders fire resistance way back in version 1.0 (which then got carried through to this version) as a way of mirroring the movement abilities the other benders get. There's really no way to create a "movement through fire" ability that remains faithful to the show, so fire resistance was the best I could come up with. Besides, there's a precedent.

On phoenixcire's proposed racial statistics, the only major problem I have with them is that they make members of the Earth Kingdom inherently inferior benders with their penalty to Wisdom (the ability that governs pretty much all bending). Perhaps a penalty to Dex instead of Wis? Otherwise they look pretty good. If we were to follow through with this, I would definitely want to put together some additional racial abilities like a bonus to saves against cold weather for Water Tribe members, maybe a racial bonus to some Knowledge checks for Air Nomads (since they're all monks). I'm sure we can think of others.

Mephibosheth

[phoenixcire]

I originally gave firebenders fire resistance way back in version 1.0 (which then got carried through to this version) as a way of mirroring the movement abilities the other benders get. There's really no way to create a "movement through fire" ability that remains faithful to the show, so fire resistance was the best I could come up with. Besides, there's a precedent.

On phoenixcire's proposed racial statistics, the only major problem I have with them is that they make members of the Earth Kingdom inherently inferior benders with their penalty to Wisdom (the ability that governs pretty much all bending). Perhaps a penalty to Dex instead of Wis? Otherwise they look pretty good. If we were to follow through with this, I would definitely want to put together some additional racial abilities like a bonus to saves against cold weather for Water Tribe members, maybe a racial bonus to some Knowledge checks for Air Nomads (since they're all monks). I'm sure we can think of others.

Mephibosheth

I fixed the bonuses for Earth to have -2 Dex instead of Wis. Also changed the description of why it's plausible.

I still believe that firebenders shouldn't get a resistance to cold because they aren't naturally strong against it. Cold weather adaptability is even planned for within the class

Firebending is all about breath control; applying this properly allows a firebender incredible resilience to harsh outer cold.
• As a full-round action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, a firebender can take a deep breath and hold it for a number of rounds equal to 5 times his Constitution score. While holding his breath this way, a firebender maintains his body temperature at normal levels and is immune to nonlethal damage by exposure to cold environments. After letting out his breath, a firebender cannot use this seed for at least five minutes. For every point by which the Firebending check exceeds the DC, the firebender holds his breath one additional round.

So having +4 to checks, 5 resist and the Fire in the Stomach seed all together is a bit much. I like the seed and feel that the others are redundant.