Bhutran

## Background

Bhutran is an island nation that exists in the East China Sea. The small war torn country led by its dictator Ozai & a group of generals. Only a few parts of the country have been able to resist Ozai's reach of power.

Its citizens are born with a natural affinity to use magic, specifically one of the four elements: earth, water, fire & air. As a result of this, the country is split into four factions known as the Air Nomads, the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom & the Water Tribes. Each factions had its own seperate way of life, government, customs, etc. Things were mostly peaceful between them until a war broke out between the Fire Nation & the Air Nomads. In the end, the Air Nomads’ population was destroyed & the Fire Nation's leader took over as Bhutran's dictator.

## The Four Nations

### Air Temples

The Air Nomads are known for being wanderers, leading to them having four separate locations on Bhutran. They are the smallest population, with a current population of one, due to the decimation of its members when they had a war with the Fire Nation. Each of the temples were led by the Four Councils of Elders. At their settlements were air temples, large structures inhabited by the nomads & pilgrims from other nations. The temples are typically located in isolated & difficult-to-reach environments, such as mountaintops. Of the four temples, only the Southern Air Temple is still standing. Aerokinetics can also emphasize their skills enough to learn the ability of flight & astral projection.

### Earth Kingdom

The Earth Kingdom is the largest of the faction, having taken over most of the island. They are known for their diversity & strong belief in peaceful coexistence with all the other nations. Their economy is largely based on agriculture & limited industry. They usually adhere to a philosophy of peaceful coexistence & cooperation with the other nations. Though one of, if not the most powerful of the four, the Earth Kingdom experienced a series of crises, civil wars & political unrest following the war between the Air Noamds & Fire Nation. They operate as a constitutional monarchy & are divided into quasi-autonomous regions. Geokinetics can also emphasize their skills enough to learn the ability of seismic sensing & the manipualtion of metal, sand & lava.

### Fire Nation

The Fire Nation has always beenan absolute monarchy. Though smaller than the Earth Kingdom & Water Tribes, it has quite the presence on Bhytran. They are known for their successful economy, strong industrial sector & extensive technological developments. They have an extremely powerful military (strongest of the four) & play a huge part in the military affairs of Bhutran. Two decades ago, they successfully took over the country after a war with the Air Noamds that led to the decimation of the latter. Pyrokinetics can also emphasize their skills enough to learn the ability of electrokinesis.

### Water Tribes

The Water Tribe is located on the northern & southern part of the island. They were known for their resilience to hardship & respect of the world around them. The tribes were governed by the Council of Elders, who also elected the tribe's chief. Centuries ago, the water tribe separated into two primary divisions, the Northern & Southern Tribe, as the two major factions tended to not see eye to eye. The Southern Tribe adapted to the modern times while the Northern Water Tribe is the most similar to their ancestors, known for being quite conservative & in touch with their spirituality. Hydrokinetics can also emphasize their skills enough to learn the ability of using water as a catalyst to redirect energy paths to heal wounds & the manipulation of blood, thus allowing one to control another person's body.

## Inheritance

As stated before, Bhutan is a place where most of its citizens are born with a natural affinity to use magic, specifically one of the four elements. The acquisition of elemental abilities is dependent on a large number of factors & complex variables. Inheritance patterns are not well understood by the people of the world. Though each faction was affiliated to a specific elemnt, not all citizens from any nation were born with the ability to control an element. In the case of mixed marriages, the children may possess two elemental abilities but never both. For example, a pyrokinetic & a geokinetic could be brothers if their parents were descended from Fire Nation & the Earth Kingdom.

One important known factor in determining the likelihood of a person to inherit elemental abilities is the genetic history of the family. It can be considered a recessive gene, since it is possible for a person to inherit elemental skills even if they have two parents with no enhanced abilities, as in the cases of Katara & Toph. Likewise, having one or two parents with elemental control is no guarantee to inherit their skills.

Spirituality is an important aspect of elemental inheritance. It is for this reason that all Air Nomads, the most spiritual community of Bhutran, possessed aerokinesis. Another notable variable is the population size of the country. For example, the Earth Kingdom is the most populous nation but has the smallest *percentage* of geokinetics relative to the total population among the four nations. Generally, people can determine whether or not they will possess elemental control before reaching puberty.

## Trivia

* In 2007, the Suicide Squad was sent here to stop a political prisoner from getting executed. Things went flawlessly for the first time in months.
* The national lanauge of the country is Bhutranese. However, majority of the country also speaks English.
* They have not signed the U.N. Charter so ARGUS & the Justice League have no jurisdiction in the country.

## Notes

* *Earth-44 Explanation*: *So I've decided to incorporate the Avatar franchise into Earth-44. The franchise is set in an Asiatic-like world in which certain people can manipulate one of the four elements—water, earth, fire, or air—with telekinetic variants of the Chinese martial arts known as "bending." Most people speculate that it takes place during an equivalent of the 18th/19th century based on the technological advancements on the shows. They will be much more modernized on Earth-44 & many of the plot lines will be dialed back to fit in the show. For example, the Fire Nation did not try to have world domination. Ozai will be similar to Queen Bee, a dictator of a nation that fears them. And the Gaang is a group of teenagers (similar to revolutionaries) trying to take down the dictatorship due to their crimes against their country.*
* *Earth-44 Explanation: I've also decided that Bhutran will be somewhat similar to that of Themyscira & Atlantis. Not in terms of former secrecy but in how the country does not conform to the outside world's norms. Similar to how Atlantis has multiple city-states, Bhutran has its four nations. Their distance from the outside world has led to them having less technological advancements but higher spiritual connections & interesting scientific feats.*
* Instead of bending, it will simply be called elemental control like it is in the rest of Earth-44 to allow a more cohesive plot.