Wayfinder

> “Wayfinder is more… it’s almost like a dance. Still uses those core Waterbending styles, but a bit quicker and more offensive. It makes parties on Kamehi particularly wild and energetic. I think you’d like them.” - Kue
>
>

The Wayfinders are a small nation of oceanic explorers, mostly waterbenders who live on ships and various uninhabited islands they’ve discovered around the oceans of the world. Their defacto capital is the city of Kamehi, on Kamehi Island: a large island shaped like a crescent moon with a dormant volcano. They are considered a self-governing colony, part of the Water Tribe but have their own government independent of both the other tribes.

They’re a relatively new culture in world history, just over one hundred years old and were founded by Southern and Northern Water Tribe refugees at around 120AG.

## History

In 120AG, civil war threatened the peace between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes. The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe at the time had threatened to annex the Southern Water Tribe and force the ideals and customs of the North onto the South. The South naturally rejected the patriarchal traditions of the North, but the situation grew more dire over the following months, as the North imposed hefty taxes on the South. The justification given for these hefty taxes was that “the South needed to repay its debt to the North for the efforts in rebuilding their sister tribe.”

Troops were eventually sent to Wolf Cove as a show of force. In fear of facing yet another war, many citizens fled the South to avoid the violence. Meanwhile in the North, hundreds of citizens protested the North’s treatment of their sister tribe. In an effort to quell dissent and display the illusion of unity, The Northern Chief exiled the protestors and their family and friends, for good measure. The hope was that the show of force would dissuade further protests.

Fortunately, the threat of civil war between the Water Tribes never came to fruition, nor did it ultimately require the intervention of Avatar Aang. A few short months later, The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe passed away in his sleep, and his successor completely reversed course, withdrawing troops from the South and undoing the taxes placed upon them.

However, by this point, ships full of Southern refugees, and Northern exiles had met on the open ocean. While some deemed it a coincidence, many believed that the Ocean Spirit itself guided these two factions together. It was at this first meeting that they decided to create a tribe of their own, separate from either Water Tribe but still part of the collective nation under their own government. The first island they discovered, Kamehi, cemented their belief that the Ocean Spirit was with them, as the island itself was shaped like a crescent moon.

Establishing themselves on Kamehi Island as their defacto capital, many of the Wayfinders continued to explore and live on the open ocean, and adapted their culture, their livelihoods with the various ocean climes they found themselves in.

### Economic Development and Modernization

While most of The Wayfinders live out on the open ocean, or in small towns and villages on various islands, Kamehi Island developed a respectable economy based primarily on tropical fruit, fishing, and tourism. The city of Kamehi itself is said to be the greenest city in the world; The Wayfinders have a deep respect not just for the ocean, but for nature itself, and thus they build their city either around nature, or incorporating nature into their architecture. Kamehi Island has a few small farms, but nearly every household has its own garden.

With The Wayfinders establishing permanent settlements on Kamehi Island, they would need electricity. The Chief of Kamehi Island reached out to the Fire Nation to ask for their aid in harnessing the power of their dormant volcano. The Fire Nation was happy to aid them, and established a geothermal power plant on the island.

### Present Day

After the Fire Nation takeover by Sozin's Elite, Kamehi was subjected to attacks by the Fire Nation naval fleet. Chief Tadok of the south sent his own fleets to assist Kamehi, but the island itself to prepare for any upcoming attack. However, the south was soon overwhelmed by a massive fleet and forced to retreat alongside with some refugee ships.

Eventually, Kamehi was occupied by the Fire Nation with news reporting that the leaders asked the people to stand down and surrender peacefully.

Some time later, the appointed Governness Ihn was charged with treason after being a suspected Blue Lotus plant. General Joryu was appointed in her place.

## Government

The various small communities out on the open ocean generally have no elected leaders, while on the smaller islands they inhabit, they elect a single chief. Kamehi Island itself democratically elected a single chief, which co-governs alongside the Council of Sages, which is a collection of spiritual leaders or “Ocean Sages”, as they’re called. The Chief and the Council of Sages speak only for Kamehi Island.

For the most part, the communities out on the open ocean or on the various islands, tend to keep to themselves. They’re not strictly isolationists as they have no qualms about allowing outsiders onto their islands. Kamehi Island, however, has joined the other nations with its own embassy in each of them, opening trade and allowing tourism.

## Locations

### Malukah

Malukah is the name of a collection of Wayfinder Ships that make their home on the open ocean. When not sailing across the sea, the various ships can be connected by various gangplanks, makeshift bridges and other such contraptions, turning Malukah from a collection of ships, into a small, open ocean village.

### Kamehi Island

The City of Kamehi on Kamehi Island is a permanent settlement, and is also the largest and most prosperous. While technically located in Fire Nation waters, The Fire Nation has staked no claim upon their island, and has at times, been quite welcoming to them. Powered by geothermal energy from their dormant volcano, Kamehi Island is what’s called a “Green City”, in that it is built around or incorporates nature into their architecture. It is built in such a way so as to minimize the impact the citizens have on the environment.

## Culture

The Wayfinders have a deep sense of community and family, due in part to their origins from the South and North Water Tribes. While they still revere and honor the Moon Spirit, they have a deeper, more abiding reverence for the Ocean Spirit, whom they believed brought them together to form their new nation in the first place.

The Wayfinders are a highly spiritual people with a deep respect of not only the ocean, but nature as well. One of their key beliefs is that, as long as they take care of the ocean and nature, nature and the ocean will provide for them. As such, their population is predominantly Waterbenders. The Wayfinders have even perfected a Waterbending style unique to their culture that uses graceful, fluid and flowing dance-like movements, while maintaining the core of waterbending, turning their opponent's energy against them. Offense flowing into defense and vice versa.

The Ocean Sages are their spiritual leaders, helping to teach and guide the citizens of Kamehi Island in “The Way of the Ocean”.

### Waterbending Style

Wayfinder style is unique to the Wayfinder culture and Kamehi and utilises a different form altogether compared to Southern/Northern, and Foggy Swamp. The core of Wayfinder Style is still reminiscent of Northern or Southern server tyle of Waterbending, with an emphasis on turning the opponent's energy against them, but utilizes almost dance-like movements, keeping to that "core" of flowing between offense to defense, while emphasizing offense.

## Way of the Ocean

The Way of the Ocean is a way of life for the Wayfinders. It encompasses daily life, morality, spirituality and even combat. As such, The Ocean Sages who embody the ideal of the Wayfinder way of life, are the spiritual guides for the people of Kamehi. It encourages all Wayfinders to find balance within themselves, and to live in balance with the ocean, and with nature.

### The Way of the Ocean in Daily Life

In daily life, The Way of Ocean is a guide for how the people of Kamehi should ‘live as the waves of the sea’. Flow with life and keep your heart, eyes, and mind ever in the present. To ‘live as the waves of the sea’ is to live life ever flowing, never looking back and never thinking about what once was, nor fretting about what will be. One must live in the moment, just as the waves washing up on the beach.

The Way of the Ocean also tells people that they should be ready to adapt to change. Just as water will take the shape of any container it finds itself in, the people of Kamehi must change to adapt to their surroundings.

### The Way of the Ocean in Spirituality

The Way of the Ocean is important in spiritual affairs, and plays a large role in birth, marriage, and death. When a child is born, their parents and family gather on the beach, and an Ocean Sage blesses the new life by gently and carefully submerging the child in the waters of the ocean. Being baptized in the waters of the ocean is considered a great blessing; to be touched by the waves of the Ocean Spirit itself is an honor beyond reckoning.

In Marriage, a ceremony is often held upon the beach and presided over by an Ocean Sage. The couple and the Ocean Sage must stand with their feet in the water as the waves wash over them. In doing so, The Ocean Sage calls upon The Ocean Spirit to bless the couple with a long and prosperous life together.

The ocean and Ocean Spirit are both held in the highest regard. The Ocean Sages teach that one must live not only in balance with oneself, but to find balance between oneself, the ocean, and with nature. The Way of the Ocean teaches that if you take care of the ocean upon whose waves you ride, and the land upon which you live, the ocean and nature will in turn take care of you. As such, The Wayfinders are always looking for ways to minimize their impact on the environment and the ocean. They never over farm or over fish, and never allow for pollution. It is said that the lake on the interior of Kamehi Island has the clearest and cleanest water in all the civilized world.

Lastly, in death, the most important rite for the departed is for them to be cremated and their ashes scattered over the ocean. The Ocean Sages hold a ceremony for the departed before scattering their ashes to the ocean. During the ceremony, they encourage all those who knew and loved the departed to let out all their grievances, and all their grief, to mourn, and to learn to let go. As before in life, all should ‘live as the waves of the sea’.

### The Way of the Ocean in Combat

The Way of the Ocean has its place in combat as well. For waterbending, this means embodying the ocean when facing an opponent. Wayfinder style is the most aggressive style of waterbending, rivaling fire for sheer ferocity, and earth for raw power.

While Wayfinder style still resembles other bending styles at its core, of smooth, flowing motions, The Wayfinder must “fight with the fury of the ocean”. The Ocean Sages point to how unforgiving and powerful the sheer force of the oceans waves can be, and seek to mirror that ferocity in their waterbending. The result is a Waterbending style that invokes the sheer power and ferocity of the ocean during a storm.

## Notable Wayfinders

* Kue
* Salim

## Trivia

* Kamehi and the Wayfinder tribe were created by former member Eerie.
* Wayfinders are based off Polynesian culture.
* The Waterbending style for Waybinders is a mix of Capoiera and tai chi.