Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Long ago, the four nations existed side by side, just as likely to send soldiers as diplomats. Life could be rough on the borders during wartime, but things would always settle eventually, and cities were prospering.
Then the Avatar’s family was killed.
It was an accident, everyone agreed on that—just another traveling caravan caught up in a bender’s fight during one of the Earth Kingdom’s squabbles with the Water Tribe. But something went wrong—terribly wrong—and the Avatar’s spouse and four children were trapped in a tiny cave that slowly filled with water. Avatar Rikke entered the Avatar State...and never quite came out.
Twenty years passed, and every spot of chaos was ruthlessly stamped out. Claiming that they clearly had no idea how to rule themselves, the Avatar took control of every national government within weeks of their loss. There was some initial resistance, but most people still adored the Avatar and were willing to follow their lead...and didn’t realize the full extent of their ‘reform’ until too late. Slowly but surely, over the next decade, the Avatar became the ultimate dictator of the four nations, joined by his Assembly of trusted and like-minded officials. The nations were further divided into Districts, to manage them more efficiently, totaling fifteen districts internationally. There was harmony, yes—but at the cost of the Trials.
Once a year, each of those fifteen districts must select two Champions, benders or non-benders, male or female, anywhere from sixteen to twenty five. The Champions are brought to Ba Sing Se, center of the Avatarium, where they will be treated with utmost respect and lavished with gifts and wealth for a time of two weeks. Then, they will be brought to the Arena, a different one every year—and there they will fight to the death. One Champion will walk out, their names remembered through time, their lives forever changed, their district lifted from poverty until the next Tournament; those that fail have their names struck from all record but the memories of their families, lost to history, as a reminder of the nameless lives lost during the petty infighting of the warlords in the Beforetime.
Although someone—somewhere—must be living happily, this world has entered an age of fear and sickness. There is only balance in the most technical sense. Every night, people pray to the spirits that seem to have abandoned us for a new Avatar, or at least an end to this yearly torture. I believe someone will be sent to save us.
I just don’t know who.
Then the Avatar’s family was killed.
It was an accident, everyone agreed on that—just another traveling caravan caught up in a bender’s fight during one of the Earth Kingdom’s squabbles with the Water Tribe. But something went wrong—terribly wrong—and the Avatar’s spouse and four children were trapped in a tiny cave that slowly filled with water. Avatar Rikke entered the Avatar State...and never quite came out.
Twenty years passed, and every spot of chaos was ruthlessly stamped out. Claiming that they clearly had no idea how to rule themselves, the Avatar took control of every national government within weeks of their loss. There was some initial resistance, but most people still adored the Avatar and were willing to follow their lead...and didn’t realize the full extent of their ‘reform’ until too late. Slowly but surely, over the next decade, the Avatar became the ultimate dictator of the four nations, joined by his Assembly of trusted and like-minded officials. The nations were further divided into Districts, to manage them more efficiently, totaling fifteen districts internationally. There was harmony, yes—but at the cost of the Trials.
Once a year, each of those fifteen districts must select two Champions, benders or non-benders, male or female, anywhere from sixteen to twenty five. The Champions are brought to Ba Sing Se, center of the Avatarium, where they will be treated with utmost respect and lavished with gifts and wealth for a time of two weeks. Then, they will be brought to the Arena, a different one every year—and there they will fight to the death. One Champion will walk out, their names remembered through time, their lives forever changed, their district lifted from poverty until the next Tournament; those that fail have their names struck from all record but the memories of their families, lost to history, as a reminder of the nameless lives lost during the petty infighting of the warlords in the Beforetime.
Although someone—somewhere—must be living happily, this world has entered an age of fear and sickness. There is only balance in the most technical sense. Every night, people pray to the spirits that seem to have abandoned us for a new Avatar, or at least an end to this yearly torture. I believe someone will be sent to save us.
I just don’t know who.
wow. that—that was a very long intro, so here’s the tl;dr:
- the Avatar went crazy a few decades back, took over the whole world
- their dictatorship is the one that started the Tournaments as punishment for chaos/being ‘out of balance’
- no one actual knows if Avatar Rikke, the one who took over, is still alive. there may well be a new Avatar out there.
- six Champions from the Fire Nation; six from the Northern Water Tribe; six from the Southern; twelve from the Earth Kingdom; thirty Champions total, i’m a-okay with doubling up but most of them will probably be cannon fodder NPCs
- you can be a bender or non-bender, skilled or unskilled, 16-25 age range, whatever you want!
- i’m planning on a power grid system; you get a certain number of ‘points’ to spend on a few skills like strength, speed, ‘special’ (bending or a unique fighting skill like the Kyoshi fans), etc. these skills will factor into who wins what kinds of fights. if anyone has a better suggestion, please let me know!
- battles and actions will be decided by a mix of chance and statistics. i.e, if someone with no strength stat tries to hurl a boulder, it’s not going to work. similarly, if a firebender with a low bending stat tries to generate lightning, also not going to work.
- the arena layout will be a secret until the Tournament begins, and there will be ‘gamemaker events’ like in the books
so that’s that! if you’re interested, give me a sign, if you have questions, ask away, and with enough people i’ll get the ooc going!
