Air Nation

**Air Nomads**

*"The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom."*

*-The nature of the Air Nomads.*

**Location:** Each side on the compass

**Head of state:** Four Councils of Elders (formerly)

Tenzin (formerly), Jinora, Rohan(for the New Air Nation)

**Religious Authority:** Airbending masters (for the Air Nation)

Four Councils of Elders (formerly Air Nomads)

**Currency:** None

Settlements: The Air Nomads lived in temples located in the four cardinal directions -- the Northern Air Temple (located high in the mountains on the northernmost part of the Earth Kingdom's continent); the Southern Air Temple (located in the Patola Mountain Range in the islands just north of the South Pole); the Eastern Air Temple (located in the archipelago to the southeast of the Earth Kingdom); and the Western Air Temple (built upside-down below a cliff in the islands just north of the Fire Nation).

Current Status: During the hundred year war they were, Completely eradicated and presumed extinct after a massive attack from the Fire Nation a hundred years before current day. But thanks to avatar Aang and later Avatar Korra the nation is prosperous filled with Air acolytes and New Airbenders.

The Air Nomads were a civilization composed of people who practiced the art of Airbending. While nomadic, Air Nomads did inhabit four major air temple, each built on remote locations, only easily reachable with Sky Bison. The Air Nomads were a highly spiritual group of people. Being that their economy was based solely on agriculture, they were the smallest of the four nations, but all of their members were benders. In his quest for world dominance, Fire Lord Sozin launched an attack on the Air Nomads in hopes of killing the reincarnated Avatar and ending the cycle. This resulted in almost complete extinction of the Air Nomads with the sole survivor being Avatar Aang. In order to preserve Air Nomad culture, Aang founded the Air acolytes, a group of nonbenders who volunteered to learn the ways of the Air Nomads. Airbending also began to slowly resurface through Aang's youngest son, Tenzin, and his three eldest children. After the harmonic convergence of 171 AG, however, airbending resurfaced across the world in several nonbenders, and the Air Nation was formed to carry on the Air Nomad traditions.

## History

### **The Era Of Raava**

In the era of Raava, ancestors of the Air Nomads received the element of air from lion turtles that granted the power through energybending. They could request the ability whenever they ventured into the Spirit Wilds, to aid in the gathering of food and resources. Unlike people from other lion turtle cities, the first airbenders coexisted harmoniously with the spirits and demonstrated great respect and understanding of spiritual matters. These people eventually formed the first Air Nomads after the lion turtles renounced their roles as protectors of mankind in 9,829 BG. At this point, the ancestors of the first Air Nomads left the lion turtle cities in favor of establishing temples in all four corners of the globe.

### **Before The Hundred Year War**

Although the Spirits had left the material world, the air nomads continued their studies of nature and philosophy and received their peace-loving character. They mostly traveled between their temples to complete the various stages of their education.

At some point during this time, they probably started their symbiotic lifestyle with the sky bisons, who became their companions and allegedly teachers in airbending. Their new home, the Air Temples, they built on high and inaccessible mountains, where the other nations could not get to. Although at least the Northern Air Temple lay on the land of another nation, they could survive untouched over the centuries.

### **The Air Nomad Genocide**

Despite their secluded way of life, they realized that a war was in the air and that they had to do everything they could to make the current avatar Aang ready for the conflict and bring peace to the world.

His airbending training was subsequently intensified despite already having earned his mastery tattoos. The revelation made Aang feel his childhood was taken away from him and everyone suddenly treated him differently. When the monks attempted to separate Aang from his master and father-figure, Gyatso, to complete his airbending training at the Eastern Air Temple, Aang, having overheard the conversation, ran away on his bison, Appa. They accidentally got caught up in a storm and crashed at sea. While sinking, Aang unconsciously entered the Avatar State, freezing himself and Appa in a sphere of ice, which kept him alive for the next century.

After the war started, the Fire Nation first destroyed all the Air Temples, knowing that the next Avatar would be an airbender. All air nomads except Aang were extinguished. Thus, at the time of the war, Aang is the avatar world's last airbender and the only survivor of the original air nomad culture.

The temples decayed over time. They were plundered by looters, treasure hunters, and lucky knights hoping for quick and easy money. The ritual goods and writings of the nomads were scattered all over the world. Much went into the hands of soldiers of the Fire Nation who were involved in the destruction of the air temple. They brought them as war trophies with their families home. Others went to rich private collectors of art treasures and cultural goods. Some could also have found their way into public museums.

Homeless refugees from the Earth Kingdom settled in the Northern Air Temple. On the one hand, they redesigned the temple to suit their needs, but they also experimented with aircraft inspired by murals and relics of the air nomads, which some travelers considered to be air nomads.

### **After The War**

Despite the victory over the fire lord, Aang was pretty much alone in reviving his culture.

A year after the war, Avatar Aang discovered a group of Earth Kingdom citizens who had built a fan club in his honor. Initially disgusted at seeing the sacred aspects of his culture mimicked, he eventually transformed them into the Air Acolytes, a community of nuns and monks dedicated to upholding Air Nomad culture. Years later, Aang's marriage to Katara blessed him with an airbending son, Tenzin, who was extensively taught by Aang in airbending and Air Nomad culture. The population of the Air Acolytes grew, prompting Aang to spearhead the restoration of the air temples to serve as their new homes. Aang also built a fifth air temple in the newly established United Republic of Nations, which came to be known as Air Temple Island. Tenzin, who became the Air Nation's representative on the United Republic Council, came to reside on the island with his wife, Pema, and their four children, three of whom are known airbenders.

After Aang's death, his son Tenzin took over the leadership of the new air nomads. He resided on air Temple Island, which was located in Yue Bay in front of Republic City and was built by Aang. It also hosted a large group of bison and lemurs, which had found Aang after the war.

### **Rebirth Of A Nation**

In 171 AG, the energy shift caused by Harmonic Convergence resulted in several nonbenders obtaining airbending abilities, prompting Tenzin and Avatar Korra to travel the world to recruit volunteers to be trained in the ways of the Air Nomads. The new team Avatar went in search of this. Tenzin took them to the Northern Air Temple and taught them the ancient culture of the air nomads, the spiritual life and their taming style.

This proved to be a daunting task, as most of their new prospects rejected the idea of leaving their loved ones and worldly possessions behind. However, they discovered a group of airbenders captured by Earth Queen Hou-Ting, who was conscripting airbenders into her army to form a First Airbending Regiment. The new airbenders were rescued and when given the choice to be relocated somewhere safe or join Tenzin at the Northern Air Temple to live in peace and train as Air Nomads, they all decided to train under his tutelage. However, the two sides found it difficult to find a middle ground due to Tenzin's expectations of the volunteers being a complete reflection of the old Air Nomads. Eventually, both parties made amends and resumed training.

Following the insurrection of the Red Lotus and the incapacitation of Avatar Korra, the new Air Nation returned to its nomadic roots, but, unlike their predecessors' reclusive nature, they instead dedicated themselves to bringing peace and balance to the world. By 174 AG, the nation's population had grown, as more new airbenders came to train in the art on Air Temple Island. The Air Nation joined the fight against Kuvira when she invaded the United Republic and laid waste to Republic City. Following Kuvira's arrest, the airbenders joined the relief effort for the homeless evacuees at the evacuation camp while another group gathered around the new spirit portal to meditate and later protect it against intruders. The portal and land surrounding it was eventually given to them by President Zhu Li Moon in hopes that they would continue to thrive and flourish in an area rich with spiritual energy while at the same time keeping it safe from those who wish to exploit it.

### **The New Air Nation**

The Air Nation still receives wartime reparations from the Fire Nation, it was granted control over traditional Air Nomad territory by Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lord Izumi, and its people have a protected status under United Republic and Fire Nation laws. After the Spirit Portal and its surrounding land was given to the Air Nation, some resentment began to rise over the “special treatment” of airbenders. In particular, the new generation of Fire Nation politicians debate over the continuation of reparations.

## **Culture and traditions**

For hundreds of years, the Air Nomads were peaceful wanderers that traversed the world in search of enlightenment. Four permanent Air Temples, one at each corner of the globe, served as monastery homes for monks, nuns, and young airbenders. The Air Nomads were almost completely wiped out at the start of the Hundred Year War when Fire Lord Sozin ordered his armies to destroy the airbenders and their temples. Avatar Aang survived the genocide, and over the course of his lifetime he slowly rebuilt the Air Nation, inviting non-airbender acolytes to study the ways of his people. Following Harmonic Convergence, the airbending population grew significantly, and Master Tenzin and the Air Acolytes passed on the culture, teachings, and traditions of the original Air Nomads to the new generation of airbenders. The Air Nation quickly became a recognized force of good and peace in the world, and their people’s spirituality helps them mitigate human-spirit conflict. To this end, The leader of the United Republic, President Zhu Li, granted the Air Nation complete control over the sacred land surrounding the new Republic City Spirit Portal.

Before the Hundred Year War, Air Nomads lived austerely and communally, never taking more from the land than they needed and rarely trading with other nations in any official capacity. The Air Temples were self-sustaining, and anything created in excess was shared with charities. The Air Nation strives to uphold this way of life, but leaders recognize the necessity of adapting to modern realities. Airbenders are completely self-sustaining with regard to food and electricity, but with no factories of their own, they purchase modern amenities (radios, refrigerators, certain textiles, telephones) from other nations.

The monks and nuns of the Air Nomads lived a very tranquil and pacifistic lifestyle; strict vegetarians, they refused to eat any form of meat. Meditation was a daily activity among the older members of the temples while the younger airbenders would enjoy playing games and sports outside. One of these was Air Ball, which was played atop giant wooden posts and used airbending skills to get a ball through one of the goals on either side of the field. Male Air Nomads were bald (female airbenders shaved only to the crown of the head) and wore bright yellow pants and shirts with an orange shawl; the elder monks and nuns wore brown, orange, or yellow robes. Each airbending master had special blue arrow tattoos on their head, arms, hands, legs, and feet; the flying bison--the typical transport for the Air Nomads--also had similar markings.

Despite being extremely small, the Air Nation is influential in modern times. While the Northern Air Temple was destroyed by the Red Lotus, the other temples have prospered. Airbenders play a major role in international humanitarian efforts and are known to advocate strongly for global cooperation and peace.

Following Harmonic Convergence, the Air Nation welcomed new airbenders from around the world. The new airbenders brought their own customs and culture with them, diversifying the airbender way of life. Most new airbenders adopted Air Nomad traditions, choosing to refrain from eating meat, wear traditional attire, and shave their heads. However, these customs were not required or strictly enforced. While modern airbenders utilize new technologies like radio and television, the nation still strives to honor the non-materialistic ideals of their ancestors and balance their use of technology with periods of complete severance from the outside world.

With many potential threats to their lifestyle, the airbenders themselves argue over the best means of protecting themselves. Despite these looming obstacles, the Air Nation continues to thrive and do good around the world.

While other nations possess royalty and are run by hereditary monarchies, the Air Nomads were led by the senior monks and nuns of the air temples.  Due to the peaceful teachings of their leaders, the nature of the people was calm and tranquil. They also believed in equality for all, that people should live without divisions in society. In that spirit, same-sex relationships were completely accepted in Air Nomad culture, as their generally peaceful and open-minded way of life lead them to embrace all forms of consenting love. Because of this, Air Nomads had no need to "come out" about their sexual orientations.

Meditation was an important aspect of their religion. It helped them to find peace and to gather energy for the day. But the air nomads also had humor and did not miss out on making a joke now and then. They also liked to play pai sho and air ball, fly with their gliders and take care of their bison and lemurs.

The Air Nomads are the only nation comprised entirely of benders. Meditation was an important part of the airbenders' daily routines, as it helped them to focus their energies and understand the potency of their element. Due to their high spirituality, the monks believed that hope was only a distraction.

It has been mentioned that they had a good sense of humor, something demonstrated when Monk Gyatso employed a unique teaching method when tutoring Aang with his airbending skills, accurately blowing fruit pies onto other monks' heads as a prank. This activity was useful training and a fun game combined.

The Air Nomads also revered certain events and holidays, such as Yangchen's Festival, which celebrated the Avatar's victory over a dark spirit. The holiday was marked as one of the highest on the Air Nomad calendar and, according to Aang, was also one of the funniest celebrations of their culture.

The arrow tattoos adorning an Air Nomad's body signifies that he or she has mastered airbending. This is an emulation of the natural arrows on the heads of flying bison, who can naturally airbend and are the original teachers of the art, much like the badgermole is to the earthbenders. Aspiring airbenders have no tattoos and in order to receive the tattoos as well as the title of a master, an airbender must pass the thirty-six levels of airbending or engineer a new technique. In actuality, Aang had only reached the thirty-fifth level before he left the Southern Air Temple, but his invention of the air scooter earned him the tattoos prematurely, making him the youngest airbending master in history until his granddaughter, Jinora, earned her tattoos at the age of eleven. Aang's son, Tenzin, later became the first to master the bending art following the Air Nomad Genocide. After receiving their tattoos, the airbender is anointed a master during a special ceremony.

The Air Nomads also preached against the concept of revenge, viewing it as being akin to a two-headed rat-viper: by destroying your enemy, you poison yourself.

A century later, under the new Air Nation, an oath of nonaggression was to be declared by a new airbender, by which they swore to adopt the more pacifistic ways of the Air Nomads by using direct combat solely as a last resort.Air Nomads is the collective term for the nation of people who practice the discipline of airbending. One of the four major nations, the Air Nomads were wanderers by definition, but had four air temples, one at each corner of the globe, hidden away atop mountain ranges and under cliffs, in the northern Earth Kingdom and on three remote islands. The theocratic Air Nomads were home to a monastic order of men and women who practiced airbending. Unlike the other nations, the people of the Air Nomads were, without any seen exception, all benders due to the high level of spirituality of their people.

The Air Nomads were a peaceful race who were wiped out by the Fire Nation. They lived in large temples and traveled the world on flying bison. They were the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. They also were fun-loving and had a strong sense of humor.

The NewAir Nationis made of the next generation of airbenders and Air Acolytes dedicated to carry on the tradition and culture of the Air Nomads. They occupy the original air temples as well as Air Temple Island.

The Air Nomads made up the smallest of the four nations in the world. They had a small economy, based entirely on limited agriculture. The population of the Air Nomads was small compared to even the Water Tribe and was far smaller than either of the world's two major powers, the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

### **Philosophy of Peace**

By solving all worldly concerns, the air nomads found inner peace and freedom. In addition, they had, according to Iroh, apparently a very strong sense of humor. The air nomads were led by the respective council of elders of the four air temples and taught in airbending. They have been taught to protect nature, to respect all life and not to harm any animal or plant. Therefore, they never entertained an army and relied mainly on the inaccessibility of the air temple. According to the monks' peace philosophy, absolutely every life is sacred, even the ugliest spider.

Furthermore, it is thanks to the peace-loving philosophy of life and the modest lifestyle of the Air Nomads that they never went to war in their history - they did not wage wars of aggression or defiance, even though they could defend their temples in an emergency.

With the founding of the new Air nation by Aang, this largely passive philosophy changed. The apprentices more actively intervened in conflicts and provided first aid to wounded, regardless of which side they belonged to (see The Promise and The Gap). As part of the Republican Grand Council, they also actively participated in the politics of their homeland.

With the emergence of new airbenders the politics of the Nation became even more active. They undertook peace missions, especially in the context of Kuvira's conquests, and helped avatar korra defend republic city, while the non-bender (such as Pema) helped evacuate the citizens.

### **Parenting**

The education of the children in the air nomads was in the hands of the monks and nuns - the biological parents are never mentioned, and guardianship seems to have been something commonplace. Of course, after the hundred War, this way of life could not be sustained - even after a foundation for the new nation had been established with the apprentices, the family connections to the outside world remained more open. Thus, Yee-Li can be seen in The Gap Band 3 as she makes friends with the dark, and also Aang's new family with Katara and his son Tenzin's marriage can be seen as examples of a modernization of the Nation.

### **Training**

Very young airbenders were brought to the Eastern Air Temple, so that young sky bison could choose a novice or a novice as companion and traveler. It was not the brewing student who chose bison, but the calf itself chose his / her partner for life. Since the bisons had taught the air nomads airbending, this was an important part of the training.

### **Freedoms**

If you believe Aang, the children enjoyed relatively great freedom to travel on their own through the world and meet peers in the other nations. He himself visited his friends Bumi in the Earth Kingdom and Kuzon in the Fire Nation.

### **Law And Order**

A notable characteristic of their unique culture, air nomad civilization is the only nation not known to have a judicial system. No known cases of crime or misconduct have been reported in Air Nomad civilization, exemplifying the effectiveness of their philosophy and teachings. A society which abets pacifism and equality, this country is the most peaceful and utopian in the world.

### Fashion of the air nomads

The colors worn by the Air Nomads were browns, oranges, and saffron yellows, which is the general palette linked to airbending.

### Clothing

Air Nomad attire was as simple as the lifestyle of the people who wore it. Staples included an assortment of loose apparel, such as cloaks, robes, and shawls. Monks sometimes also wore a set of beads, depending on their position in the council. In general, Air Nomad clothing became more layered as a monk increased in position and improved in skill.

### Monk robes

Senior monks who had become master airbenders wore layered robes much longer than those seen on children. The under-robes were designed with a yellow collar, while the flowing over-robes were brown. The armlets were loose and opened wide at the wrist.[2] Women of the same rank generally sported dresses in the same style, but with a yellow lining that extended over the bust and met a long underskirt of the same yellow color.

### Necklaces

Monk Pasang, an elder of the Southern Air Temple during Aang's childhood, wore a typical Air Nomad necklace.

Senior monks wore necklaces made of wood, signifying their rank and superior skill. The necklaces usually consisted of wooden beads and a number of round, wooden disks carved with the Air Nomad emblem. Necklaces could also include small leather knots or tassels.

After the conclusion of the Hundred Year War, Avatar Aang wore a similarly-fashioned wooden necklace but with four round disks, each bearing a different elemental symbol. To contact his past lives, he meditated on the disk bearing the previous Avatar's native element.

### Young Air Nomads

Young Air Nomads in training wore long-sleeved yellow shirts, loose orange shawls, brown pants, and tall red boots. The front of the shirt fell to the knees but was cut at the crotch to leave the material draping only over the outside of the legs. The shirt was held in place by an orange, belt-like wrap, and the end of the leg draping was tucked securely into the top of the knee-high boots. Both the leg draping and the shawls could act as a parachute, catching air as the young bender fell to slow their descent.

## **Customs**

### Shaving

Shaving one's head was a tradition in Air Nomad society. Both young nomads who were in training and master airbenders shaved their heads, while elders were permitted to grow beards and mustaches. Female master Air Nomads shaved the front portion of their heads in order to reveal their tattooed arrow and identify themselves as nuns. Air Nomads utilized shaving tools, with Aang possessing a curved, blue and white razor decorated with the symbol of the nomads. Much like washing, shaving was considered part of the morning ritual to prepare for the day ahead.

Shaving one's head was done for both practical and aesthetic reasons; having a shaved head allowed for increased sensitivity to surrounding air currents, which helped the Air Nomads to anticipate their opponent's movements and counterattack more effectively.

Many airbenders shave their heads bald, mostly men. It is a kind of honor to the fanbearers. It shows great humility. Thanks to a bald head, you have the advantage of being the smallest of air blows at the back of your head, which makes it possible to attack from behind to dodge quickly. However, no airbender has the duty to shave a bald head.

Tattoos

The arrow tattoos that run down an Air Nomad's chi paths signified their mastery of airbending. The design was an emulation of the natural arrows on the heads of Sky Bison, the original airbenders and animals revered by the Air Nomads. Apprentice airbenders had no Tattoos, as they received their markings after passing the thirty-six levels of airbending, or slightly earlier if they create a new airbending technique. The attainment of these tattoos was revealed during a public ceremony.

The wearing of these tattoos was taken very seriously: When members of the Yu Dao chapter of the Avatar aang fan club tattooed themselves in a similar matter, they intended it as an homage to Air Nomad culture. However, Aang himself saw the gesture as a great insult, as the tattoos were sacred to his people and had to be earned through rigorous dedication and training.

The blue airbender tattoos earns an airbender when he / she goes through all 36 levels of training and is therefore fully trained. Aang was not quite finished with his education, but had already got the tattoos, because he thought up the air scooter. Thus, at the age of twelve, Aang was the youngest master tamer in history until his granddaughter Jinora outdid him at the age of about eleven. At Jinora's tattoo ceremony, her head was shaved to sting the tattoos. Later, she let her hair grow again.

There are five ways to get the championship title and the blue tattoos:

You go through all 36 levels of training quite normally as mentioned above.

-One thinks of a new Airbending technique.

-One has a particularly strong connection to the spirits or the spirit world in general.

-It already proves very high leadership qualities at a young age and is.

**Fashion of the Air Nation**

As the cultural successors of the Air Nomads, the people of the Air Nation largely follow the same fashion trends as the extinct nation, though with some differences.

Air Acolytes

The outfits of the Air Nomads and Air Acolytes have stayed more or less the same as those traditionally worn by the Air Nomads, although the Air Acolytes wear fewer bright colors, reflecting their less prominent role in Air Nomad society. The young airbenders—Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo—wear clothing similar to that of the young Aang, while elder airbenders incorporate layers in their clothing, most noticeably the long capes which Tenzin and the elder Aang wear in addition to their shawls, and both are a vivid shade of scarlet.

Air Nomad formal wear

A new phenomenon in Air Nomad attire is the appearance of formal wear, which incorporates rich, lavish colors such as dark red and gold. At the gala held by Tarrlok in honor of Avatar Korra, Tenzin wore scarlet robes which covered the shoulders and legs and were open at the front to reveal the dark red and gold dress shirt he wore underneath, while Pema wore a dark red dress with a scarlet cape and shawl. The young airbenders wore similar attire to their everyday dress, only their orange shawls were replaced with a scarlet shawl and cape. Pema, Jinora, and Ikki had their hair specially arranged for the occasion: Pema wore her hair down, while the girls wore ribbons in their hair.

Airbender wingsuits

Wingsuits enable airbenders to easily soar through the sky without the use of a glider staff. Sometime between 171 AG and 174 AG, Asami Sato designed and had Future Industries develop wingsuits that enable airbenders to fly without the need of an airbender staff.[14] With fabric attached to the legs and arms that flares open due to the wind, the airbender wearing the suit gains more maneuverability and aerodynamic movement, enabling the user to have greater control over their motions in the air. While unused, the wings are attached to the hips and torso with press snap buttons. If the fabric comprising the wings was torn or otherwise damaged, however, it significantly impacted flying capabilities, sometimes preventing them altogether.

**Transportation**

The Air Nomads use of airbending extends to transportation. Without any external means of travel, Air Nomads can run great distances at high speeds. However, for longer journeys or for some applications, the Air Nomads make use of flying bison and gliders.

**Sky bison -** This was the primary long-range transportation used by Air Nomads. Flying bison use airbending to fly.

**Gliders -** Air Nomads possessed staffs to aid their gesture. They opened their staffs to gliders to fly.

**Windsurfing -** Aang made a makeshift wind surfboard out of his glider and a large piece of driftwood. It can be used for short distance travel over water.

**Wingsuits -** By 174 AG, wingsuits developed by Future Industries became a common attire at the airbenders of the Air Nation and replaced the need to carry around a staff for gliding.

**Season**

Each nation is influenced by a particular dominant season in which one can see their airbending at its peak. This is autumn for the air nomads: the airbenders are the strongest, and the birth rate was then highest.

**Recreation**

Airball was a ball game played by the Air Nomads at a court of towering wooden poles. In the game, which could be played with a minimum of two participants, the players would use them to cause a hollow ball to ricochet among the poles and enter the goal on the other side of the court. This traditional game relied on an airbender's speed, balance, and accuracy. Played on a field of evenly spaced vertical poles, airball was a popular sport with the objective of scoring points by shooting a ball into a goal. The aforementioned goal is a circle that spins when hit. Players can score a point by either leaping from pole to pole until they are able to simply toss the ball in or by airbending the ball and causing it to ricochet and eventually enter the goal. As the game is greatly dependent on airbending abilities, players who lack airbending are at a great disadvantage.[1]

Due to its unique trait of being played on elevated poles, airball requires a certain amount of dexterity and balance, both of which are notable traits among the Air Nomads. As a result, most, if not all, non-airbenders who attempt this game will find it very difficult to play. [2]

**Game Components**

Ball

The ball utilized in this game is about the size of a soccer ball. It appears to be made of hollow, lightweight wood, with the sides slotted for minimum air resistance and maximum elasticity. Players use their airbending to get the ball moving, making it spin in order to provide momentum. As the game progresses, the ball is bounced between the poles as it makes its way toward the goal.

Field

The game's playing field is spacious, approximately seventy feet long and forty feet wide, loaded with over one hundred and twenty unevenly spaced, wooden poles. Although the poles differ in height, ranging from about fifteen to twenty-five feet, they all retain the same width of around two feet, making it relatively easy for a player to stand on top or eye beam.

Goal

The airball is a wooden square with an embedded circle that spins on a vertical axis when struck. They are relatively large, nearing the height of a young Air Nomad, and one is positioned on each end of the field. Points are awarded when the ball goes through one of these goals at any point in time during the game. [2]

Airball Court

An airball court has multiple wooden poles on which the players stand.

Players

It is known that there are goal defenders for each team and offensive players that try to gain control of the ball. Highly skilled airbenders may be able to play without the need of teammates, as was demonstrated by Aang, who was able to get the airball across the field and through the goal in one slice. However, it should be noted that the opposing defender was Sokka, who lacked knowledge of the game as well as the balance and airbending required to effectively pose a challenge.

Bison polo

Bison polo was a popular game played by the Air Nomads. The main objective of the game was to force a ball into an opponent's goal while flying on a sky bison. Championships for the game were held at the Northern Air Temple.

Kite flying

The Air Nomads fashioned kites in the likeness of cranefish for use after the celebration of Yangchen's Festival. These kites did not require strings since they were controlled using airbending.

Society

Before their genocide, the Air Nomads were an ecclesiocratic and monastic society that lacked social strata. The highest Air Nomad political body was the Council of Elders.

The Council of Elders seemed to have been the highest rank in the Air Nomad society.

The authority of the Council of Elders is not well known. However, it has been shown that they were not considered royalty. As the wisest members of their society, they were trusted with making decisions for the nation. Like the Fire Sages of the Fire Nation, the councils had one Head Monk or Head Nun, who seemed to have more authority than the other sitting members.

Average nomads

It seems that all nomads were considered equal in rights and in social rank, a belief they incorporated in their teachings about how to live life. This is natural because all Air Nomad citizens were benders. Thus, there were few differences between the abilities of various nomads.

Views on sexuality

In the air temples, the Air Nomads did not hide whom they loved. They were accepting of differences and embraced everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Air Acolytes

Following the end of the Hundred Year War, several fan clubs devoted to Avatar Aang sprung up. While Aang himself was opposed to these clubs' attempts to emulate Air Nomad society, he eventually realized that his culture should not only belong to the past and reformed the clubs into the Air Acolytes, teaching them all about Air Nomad practices and traditions.

Following the restoration of the air temples, Aang repopulated them with the acolytes though did not reinstate the gender separation. Historically, the Northern and Southern Air Temples exclusively housed monks, while the Eastern and Western Temples housed nuns. While the quarters of male and female acolytes are separated, they mingle together freely within each temple.

While the Air Nomads were regarded as monks, the leader of the acolytes is referred to as "abbot".

Education

Spiritual enlightenment was central to the Air Nomad culture, as all of its members regularly meditated, in addition to practicing airbending. Furthermore, they were taught to value all forms of life and considered it to be sacred, whether or not it was good or evil.  For children, there exists the Air Scouts, an organization that teaches young Air's various useful skills, such as how to tie proper knots around the horns of a cloud bison.

Because most airbenders live communally and spend a significant amount of time traveling the world, schooling is largely unstructured. Even so, airbenders prioritize the attainment of knowledge and airbending skill in their everyday lives. The entire community participates in raising and educating children, and ultimately individuals have the freedom to determine their own educational goals. Now that the Air Nation is a society mixed with airbenders and non-bending acolyte children, the Masters encourage unity and tolerance by celebrating every child’s unique talents and perspective, bender or not. The only defined standards are the 36 Tiers of Airbending an airbender must master before earning their tattoos.

Architecture

Air Nomads believed in peace and harmony in the world, which was positively reflected in their architecture.

Restored Southern Air Temple

The recently restored Southern Air Temple has a large tower and is the only temple with blue roofs.

The air temples were generally comprised of towers and pagodas arranged on a large mountain, or in the case of the Western Air Temple, hanging from a cliff. [2] Air Nomad roofs were made from ceramic tiles painted green, with the exception of the Southern Air Temple. [3] All of them, especially the Western Air Temple, were architectural marvels, being built on high mountains or even upside down.

List of architectural works

Air Nomad statues -There are statues of respected Air Nomad elsewhere who once lived there.

Eastern Air Temple -The Eastern Air Temple is built over three mountains, connected by elegant arch-like bridges. The temple also features a flying bison stable.

Northern Air Temple - Built on a mountain like the Southern and Eastern temples, the Northern Air Temple also had a number of towers and characteristic green roofs, but was destroyed by Ghazan in 171 AG.

Southern Air Temple - The Southern Air Temple has large towers and is the only temple with blue roofs. Statues of each avatar can be found in a dedicated sanctuary, a trait shared with the Northern Air Temple prior to its destruction.

Stupas - A mound-like structure that has the eyes and tattoos of an airbender painted onto the side.

Western Air Temple -This temple is located in the mountains north of the Fire Nation. Its design allows wind to flow into even the deepest chambers, which made the Air Nomads feel quite at home.

Natural Resources and Food

fruitcakes And Fruit pies were a typical traditional dish of the air nomads.

By channeling the power of the air under their control, the Air nomads could defend and protect themselves, as well as their temples and way of life. Not only did they know how to protect their livelihoods over millennia, but the nomads could ride their sky bisons, too, and they glided in the air, both as pleasure for leisure and as a duty to the nation on longer journeys.As the air nomads They never wanted to destroy a life, but they eat eggs and dairy products. On one occasion, Aang was ready to eat a pudding tart. They were also known for their desserts such as Fruitcake. The air nomads gladly sold their cakes to the other nations. A silver piece of air nominee money was used for charity and the rest of the profits saved.

The air nomads were very peace-loving people who tried to preserve and protect the environment around them. They have only two branches of industry intensified agriculture and horticulture, despite all that it was sustainable and provides itself in a natural way with fertilizer to balance not to destroy nature.

The ancient air nomads had many reasons to preserve their often very rich mineral deposits of ores and crystals. Due to the non-materialistic culture of the nation, these resources were either barely touched or unknown to its inhabitants. When they were destroyed during the Hundred Years War, the ores and minerals were mined. The air nomads area was a no-man's-land for a long time. It was abandoned by the Fire Nation. An excellent area for digging for iron and other precious metals and minerals.

The Air Nomads were a tranquil people who endeavored to preserve the environment around them. Any industry that they invested in, such as farming or gardening, was sustainable and powered naturally, so as to not disturb the balance of nature.

Air is the main source of power of the Air Nation, as it was for the Air Nomads. Their control over the element means they have no need for industrial machinery, combustion, or electricity, and whatever trades and crafts they engage in are fairly non-polluting. They are also able to ride on their sky bison and glide in the open air for transportation. By 170 AG, however, a Radio was located on Air Temple Island for communication purposes.

Due to the non-materialistic culture of the nation, the Air Nomads did not excavate the rich mineral deposits filled with iron and crystals that lay beneath their grounds.

Believing all life to be precious, the Air Nomads were strict vegetarians, though they were not against eating eggs or dairy products, as Aang was willing to eat an Egg custard tart. The nomads were also known for making sweet dishes such as pies, which were sold for One silver piece each with all profits given to charity. This vegetarianism was continued by Tenzin and his family, with a garden located on Air Temple Island for growing vegetables.

Economy

The Air Nomads practiced subsistence agriculture, growing enough food and crafting enough of the necessary implements to sustain their own survival without the need to trade with others. Industrialization was also largely neglected, as the use of airbending as their principal source of power rendered machinery and vehicles largely unnecessary.

Geography

In the era before the Avatar, the precursors of the Air Nomads lived on top of lion turtles, but with the rise of the Avatar, they left the safety of the lion turtle cities and came to live in large temples on remote mountains. There were four temples in all, one for each direction on the compass; two were run for and by males, and two were run for and by females. The young boys of the Southern Air Temple were known to travel to the Eastern Air Temple in order to choose their own personal sky bison. This was considered an important choice as the intelligent animals would be with the choosing airbenders for the rest of their lives. The islands just north of the South Pole, the islands located southeast of the Earth Kingdom, the tall mountains on the northernmost area of the Earth Kingdom's continent, and the islands just north of the Fire Nation all once belonged to the Air Nomads and are where their temples are located.

The Air Nation occupies the original air temples situated on remote mountain ranges on three islands. There are five temples in all, one for each direction on the compass. Unlike prior to the Hundred Year War, the air temples weren't separated by gender, housing both male and female. The Northern Air Temple which was located in mountains in northern Earth Kingdom was destroyed during the insurrection of the Red Lotus in 171 AG. Since then, the area around where the temple once stood has been given to the new Air Nation and the temple rebuilt. National emblem

The Air Nomad insignia is a stylized, swirling orb. Within the circle, coiling lines illustrate the wind. The symbol can be seen on the design of doors and surfaces in the air temples, as well as on pendants of monks' prayer beads.

The Air Nomad flag is a banner held between two wooden poles. The center of the banner is emblazoned with the Air Nomad insignia.

Number of airbenders

Due to the high level of spirituality of their people every Air Nomad was an airbender. But after the Purge of the airbenders Avatar Aang And many of his Descendants are known as the last airbenders. But after harmonic convergence many people manifested the lost art of airbending.

Spiritual beliefs

The Air Nomad society is centered around monumental temples, governed by monastic orders, causing spiritual traditions to be present in every day life. Spiritual and philosophical tradition teaches that enlightenment can be achieved by detaching oneself from the world, essentially freeing the spirit. To the monks, all life was sacred; therefore, they consciously refrained from harming the Earth or any living being, resulting in a wide vegetarian culture.  Before eating dinner with his family, Tenzin offered grace for their food. Due to this philosophy of peace, the Air Nomads also did not have a formal military. This lack of a formal military in conjunction with the power lent to Sozin's armies at the comet were contributing factors in the near extinction of the Air Nomads.

Being the original airbenders, flying bison were profusely represented, both in sculptures and murals, in the temples and they were heroic as lifelong companions.

To celebrate sacred days, the Air Nomads had festivals, like Yangchen's Festival, during which traditional music, ceremonial meals, ancient stories, and flying kites were common.

Occupations

Based on what is known about the Air Nomad culture, there does not seem to be a large diversity of occupations offered. The only known careers that were pursued by the nomads include:

Airbending instructor -Teacher that tutors young airbenders in the mastery of their native bending art.

Flying bison trainer -Caretaker of flying bison before being adopted by young Air Nomad children.

Member of the Council of Elders -Leaders of the Air Nomads that manage the government system.

Monk - Male who dedicates his life to religious teachings.

Nun - Female who dedicates her life to religious teachings.

Military

In contrast to wartime propaganda in the Fire Nation, air nomads never had any form of military. The air nomads live according to the philosophy of peace and nonviolence, they are pacifists. This means that they abhor first and foremost all forms of violence and war - a reason why most air nomads are vegetarians. Because of their pacifists, the peaceful life of the air nomads has led them to avoid conflicts and, if possible, peaceful ones Looking for solutions. However, they were willing to fight or defend themselves if they had no other choice.

But even if the Air Nomads had no organized force, they proved to be a strong opponent. As monk inevitably proves Gyatso's skeleton: he was found in the remains of several fire warriors. The firebenders, using the power of the comet, had attacked him and fought the remaining air nomads. Aang mentioned that Fire Lord Sozin defeated the old air nomads with an ambush.

Despite this peaceful philosophy of life and its pacifist nature Airbenders can certainly defend themselves. Some of their bending techniques result in a fatal outcome, see Zaheer.

After Avatar Korra was poisoned by the Red Lotus, Tenzin agrees that the restored Air Nation resumes its ancestral nomad ways with the intention of being the bearers and guardians of peace and balance in the world.

The Air Nation is helping the Earth Kingdom after the downfall of the Earth Queen. This was due to the assassination of Earth Queen Hou-Ting by the hands of Zaheer in 171 AG. Appointed peacekeepers, Kai and Opal are arresting three bandits who terrorized the Earth Kingdom state of Yi. Since the capital of the earth Federation Ba Sing Se fell into chaos since 171 AG. However, the air nation is too thin to cover the entirety of the Great Earth Federation with relief supplies and relief operations. Therefore, the self-imposed task of effectively disseminating order and balance is very difficult to implement.

They also participated in the defense of Republic City when the Earth Empire invaded it and later acted as guardians of Republic City's spirit portal, protecting the Spirit World from human intervention.

Cuisine

Since the Air Nomad civilization was almost wiped out at the beginning of the Hundred Year War, little is known about the culinary traditions of the Air Nomads. However, the most defining characteristic of their cuisine was a strictly vegetarianism. [1] Air Nomads were also known for their sweets, such as fruit pies and custard tarts. [2]

Cooking style

Little is known about the cooking style of the Air Nomads, except that they were skilled at baking [3] and steaming.

Common ingredients

Apple - Used for feeding sky bison.

Banana - Used for juices.

Eggs -Used in baked goods, such as egg custard tarts.

Flour - Used to make dough for pies, tarts, and other dishes.

Moon peach -Eaten whole.

Nuts - Eaten for a snack.

Onion -Used for juices.

Pickles

Plum - Used as filling in fruit pies.

Soy - Used to make tofu.

dishes

Dumplings - Presumably filled with vegetables.

Fruit pie -Baked pastries filled with minced fruit.

Macaroons - Cookie-shaped confection.

Onion-and-banana juice

Rice - Eating as a side dish.

Steamed tofu

Sweet buns -Rice dumplings wrapped in large flat leaves and a favorite treat or Meelo's.

Appearance

These are Air Nomads as Aang remembered them.

Before the era of the Avatar, the predecessors of the Air Nomads symbolized their belief, by practicing the same traditions, such as tattooing their bodies, albeit with a different design. The tattoos were more polygonal shape with a dot. The clothing that the men wore were orange cloth as a top and yellow as a bottom. Women donned different clothing; however, it included the same traditional colors.

The Air Nomads wear yellow, orange, and brown clothing. Aang and other young airbenders wore orange shawls over long-sleeved yellow shirts, an orange sash, double-layered pants with brown underneath and a loose yellow layer on top, and high boots that reach just below the knees. Older monks wore long robes in shades of yellow and orange, as well as wooden necklaces with the Air Nomad insignia carved into it. Most Air Nomads have gray or brown eyes and a light complexion.

By 174 AG, the new airbenders from the restored Air Nation had taken to wearing wingsuits, colored primarily red with additional yellow and gray accents, which permitted agile gliding over short distances without the need for staffs or bison.

Young boys to be trained as monks have shaven heads, while monk elders grow beards and mustaches; they had the longest and most prominent facial hair of any nation. Female airbenders do not fully shave their heads, just their foreheads so their arrow is visible. Shaving one's head is voluntary, though was encouraged so the airbender could feel the air around them.

After an airbender has received their tattoos, an anointment ceremony is held to truly declare them a master.

Airbenders who have attained a level of mastery in the art are marked with arrow tattoos, based on the arrows of the sky bison, the first airbenders. A primary arrow tattoo is placed on their shaven head that extends down their back, along with four others, one on each limb that terminates in an arrowhead at the hands and feet. The bottom tip of the triangle on the forehead end just between the eyebrows, while the arrows on the hands aim at the middle finger.

The arrows mark the paths through which chi travels through the body. Because of this, when an Air Nomad Avatar tattooed in this fashion enters the Avatar State, these tattoos are known to glow, along with the Avatar's eyes and mouth. If the body has received an injury deeper than the tattoo, that spot will no longer glow while in the Avatar State.

The Air Nomads generally wore yellow shirts and pants with a red or brown sash in the middle keeping them together, in addition to medium-length leather boots to protect their lower extremities from the harsh mountain weather. Although there are virtually no class divisions among nomads, some of the clothing they wear and colours they sport depend on their occupation and rank within the Air Nomad hierarchy. Civilians typically wore a short red-orange shawl across the tops of their shirts covering their shoulders and collarbones and the top half of their chests. Lastly, the Council of Elders sport rare golden-orange robes and wear beads with the Air Nomad emblem on a large circular disc in the middle.

After becoming master airbenders (typically at age 16), Air Nomads are given their airbending mastery tattoos and are mandated to start shaving their heads (in the future the latter condition is extended to being much earlier in their lives). Female airbenders shave from their foreheads to the crown of their heads while males have to shear all their hair off. Most Air Nomads have either brown or black hair, although there have been rare individuals who've had other hair colours like blond, though such colours are recessive in Air Nomad genetics.

Government

Air Nomads

Council of Elders

Government system:Ecclesiastical senate

Head of state and government:Four Councils of Elders

Most recent known head: Four Councils of Elders

Territorial divisions:Four air temples

Heads of territorial divisions:Head monks (Northern and Southern Air Temple) and mothers superior (Eastern and Western Air Temple)

Capital: No overall capital

Unlike the other three nations, which were ruled by royal families and structured governments, each of the Air Nomads' temples was led by a respected Council of Elders. Composed of wise airbending masters, they were both the political and religious authority and served as counsel for their citizens and airbending instructors.

The Air Nomads did not seem to have a formal central government. While it is known that they had temples, it is uncertain if they had cities or villages as well. The Air Temples were gender-segregated, with two temples inhabited by males (Northern and Southern temples) and two temples inhabited by females (Eastern and Western temples). Each temple was run by a council of around five elders. The oldest airbenders of each temple maintained its everyday functions and watched over the younger inhabitants. The master monks and nuns also taught the younger airbenders how to master their skills. As pacifists, it is unlikely the Air Nomads had an army.

Air Nation

Government system:Unitary Pseudo-Ecclesiocracy

Head of state and government:No overall head of state; just certain respected individuals

Most recent known head: Tenzin

Territorial divisions:Five air temples

Heads of territorial divisions:Abbots and abbesses

Capital: No overall capital if they did it’s probably air temple island.

To preserve the culture of the extinct Air Nomads, Avatar Aang founded the Air Acolytes, a group consisted of mostly Earth Kingdom nonbenders that would uphold Air Nomad philosophies and traditions. After the acolytes' formation, the air temples were each administered by abbots and abbesses.

The customs of the Air Nomads were first revived by the Air Acolytes before being taught to and carried out by the new airbenders of the Air Nation.

Following the abolition of the United Republic Council and the airbender boom in 171 AG, Tenzin, by virtue of being the world's most senior airbending master, continued to have a say in global affairs as the figurehead of the Air Nation. He continued to reside on Air Temple Island as he oversaw the growth of the nation, training an increasing number of new airbenders in their bending art.

Air Nomad Territory

Air Nomad Caves

The Air Nomad cavesare an ancient cave system located on a mountainside near the Northern Air Temple. They were once frequented by airbenders, who came there to meditate and contemplate the mysteries of life and the universe. By 171 AG, it was used by the Red Lotusas its base to imprison the members of the new Air Nationand hold AvatarKorrabefore they poisoned her in an attempt to kill her while in the Avatar State.

Air Temple Island

Air Temple Island is located off the coast of Republic City in Yue Bay. Avatar Aang himself and is home to Tenzin, his wife Pema, and their four children Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan, as well as the Air Acolytes. Also residing on the island's colonies of flying bison and ring-tailed winged lemurs.

Eastern Air Temple

The Eastern Air Temple is located in a mountain range in the southeastern Earth Kingdom and was one of the two temples that exclusively housed female Air Nomads. [8] The site includes many statues of Avatar Yangchen. After the Air Nomads were killed, the temple became the home of Guru Pathik, who taught Avatar Aang how to unlock his chakras and gain mastery of the Avatar State. [9] It is notable for being situated on three separate mountains, connected by bridges and was the place where all young airbenders would choose the flying bison that would become their life companions. [8] According to Tensin, it is the most spiritual of all air temples. [10]

Laghima's Peak

Laghima's Peak is a large mountain formation located ten miles from the Northern Air Temple. It has a great cultural significance to the Air Nomads as it is named after their renowned poet, Guru Laghima. Laghima's peak is among the tallest landforms located in the northern Earth Kingdom mountain range. The top of the mountain features a natural arch, which has two asymmetrical pillars of rock form and narrow bridge with an opening underneath. This results in a relatively flat surface on the mountain's peak.

Northern Air Temple

The Northern Air Temple was located in the mountains along the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom and was one of the two temples that exclusively housed male Air Nomads. Prior to the Air Nomad Genocide, also served as the location of the bison polo championship. Years after the devastating blow the Fire Nation had dealt to the Air Nomads, the deserted temple was colonized by a group of Earth Kingdom refugees, led by a renowned inventor, after their town was destroyed in a flood. The mechanic modified the temple to make life easier for the new inhabitants. The temple once held statues and paintings; however, these and other parts of the temple were destroyed by the mechanic to make room for his new technology. The temple returned to its more traditional appearance after it was restored by the Air Acolytes after the end of the Hundred Year War, though it was destroyed in 171 AG when Ghazan used his lavabending to melt the foundations.

Southern Air Temple

The Southern Air Temple is located in the Patola Mountain Range and was one of two temples that exclusively housed male Air Nomads before the beginning of the Hundred Year War. It was not for the home of Avatar Aang. It features an airball arena and an inner sanctuary that houses numerous statues or past Avatars. The temple also contains a statue of Monk Gyatso and was the last known residence of the winged lemur species. It was restored to its shape by the Air Acolytes after the end of the Hundred Year War.

Western Air Temple

The Western Air Temple is located in the mountains north of the Fire Nation and was one of the two temples that exclusively housed female Air Nomads. Like the Eastern Air Temple, it boasts statues or Yangchen. The temple is notable in that, unlike the other three temples, it is situated underneath the edge of a cliff instead of atop a mountain. The spiers seem as though they were built upside-down, and because of that, the temple is hidden from passersby. The site is also decorated with many flying bison paintings that have been in relatively good condition, unlike those in the Northern Temple. Renowned as the birthplace of past Avatar Yangchen, [11] Avatar Aang and his friends later made it their temporary home in the later stages of the War.

Whaletail Island

Whaletail Island is an island situated on the South Sea, off the southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom and north of the Southern Air Temple. The island gets its name from its distinctive shape, which resembles whale's tail. Water Tribe sailing lore claims that whales can never be found anywhere near the island because they believe it to be the tail of the largest whale on Earth. [1]

## Well-known Air Nomads

Avatar Aang

Avatar Yangchen

Bumi II

Lefty

Appa

Pepper

Poki

Pik (Avatar Yangchen pets)

Pak (Avatar Yangchen pet

Daw

Guru Laghima

Guru Pathik (spiritual brother of the Air Nomads)

Ikki

Jinju

Jinora

Kai

Malu

Meelo

Monk Tang Xu

Monk Afiko

Monk Gyatso

Monk Pasang

Monk Tashi

Official Avatar Aang Fan Club of the Ba Sing Se region (non-violent)

Official Avatar Aang Fan Club of the Yu Dao Region (non-violent)

opal

Otaku

Pema (nonbender and apprentice)

Rohan

Sister Lio

Shung (Non-Bender and Air Trainer), (Abbot of the Southern Air Temple)

Tenzin

Zaheer (Outlawed by the New Order as a felon and expelled from the Order.)

Yung

Juicy

Oogi

Momo