Post by Lemur God on Dec 6, 2005 21:48:37 GMT -5
The Air Nomads
For this board, we are running under the assumption that the Air Nomads weren’t the same as the Airbending monks. (After all, a monastery doesn’t really fit the definition of nomadic and little monks and nuns had to come from somewhere.)
The Air Nomads are now missing a central part of their culture as Airbending monks and nuns now extinct. The temples lie empty and are visited by bands that stop and pay tribute as they pass before moving on.
Air Nomads travel lightly, only clothing, tools for harvesting plants and hunting food. Air nomads, through the years, have become masters of staying out of sight, as more visible bands were slaughtered by the Fire Nation in their hunt for the Avatar. Because of this they are really reclusive, have an extreme fear of outsiders, and will hide and stay out of site before they will confront someone.
The clothing of the air nomads reflects the colors worn at the temples consisting most of oranges, yellows and whites. Shades of green are also common. The women wear bhindis (marks on the forehead or the bridge of the noise) and jewelry. They travel with Lemurs in tow (the animals are considered sacred) and travel on large birds similar to the mythological rocs. Flying Bison were the mounts of monks and are also considered sacred.
In the small bands, the highest status goes to the band Elder, who draws on his experience and long life to guide the band and provide a voice of wisdom. Music is a common pastime in these bands as most of the Air nomads history is told in an oral tradition of tales and songs. Favored instruments include the pan flute, the ocarina, small lutes, drums and even the bracelets the women wear can be used to keep time in song. The songs and dances of each band are different, but there are stories that are the same from band to band.
Occasionally three or more bands gather for a trading meet and set up a town out of nowhere that will last for weeks but can vanish in a matter of minutes. Air nomads have a light tan coloring, and often have grayish eyes and black hair. Any Air Nomad child born with the gift of air bending is subconsciously and consciously taught to suppress this gift, as the Air Nomads still remember the Fire Nation’s hunt and purge of the Air Benders. Once, before the temples fell, Air Nomad children were tested by monks and nuns at a young age and then inducted into temple life. With the Airbenders gone, the nomads have lost a large chunk of their spiritual heritage.
Any Air Nomad traveling apart from his band would be out of his element, their extreme mistrust of outsiders makes them anti social, though ironically they often find the only way to make money out side their band is by the social arts of dance, song and story telling.
For this board, we are running under the assumption that the Air Nomads weren’t the same as the Airbending monks. (After all, a monastery doesn’t really fit the definition of nomadic and little monks and nuns had to come from somewhere.)
The Air Nomads are now missing a central part of their culture as Airbending monks and nuns now extinct. The temples lie empty and are visited by bands that stop and pay tribute as they pass before moving on.
Air Nomads travel lightly, only clothing, tools for harvesting plants and hunting food. Air nomads, through the years, have become masters of staying out of sight, as more visible bands were slaughtered by the Fire Nation in their hunt for the Avatar. Because of this they are really reclusive, have an extreme fear of outsiders, and will hide and stay out of site before they will confront someone.
The clothing of the air nomads reflects the colors worn at the temples consisting most of oranges, yellows and whites. Shades of green are also common. The women wear bhindis (marks on the forehead or the bridge of the noise) and jewelry. They travel with Lemurs in tow (the animals are considered sacred) and travel on large birds similar to the mythological rocs. Flying Bison were the mounts of monks and are also considered sacred.
In the small bands, the highest status goes to the band Elder, who draws on his experience and long life to guide the band and provide a voice of wisdom. Music is a common pastime in these bands as most of the Air nomads history is told in an oral tradition of tales and songs. Favored instruments include the pan flute, the ocarina, small lutes, drums and even the bracelets the women wear can be used to keep time in song. The songs and dances of each band are different, but there are stories that are the same from band to band.
Occasionally three or more bands gather for a trading meet and set up a town out of nowhere that will last for weeks but can vanish in a matter of minutes. Air nomads have a light tan coloring, and often have grayish eyes and black hair. Any Air Nomad child born with the gift of air bending is subconsciously and consciously taught to suppress this gift, as the Air Nomads still remember the Fire Nation’s hunt and purge of the Air Benders. Once, before the temples fell, Air Nomad children were tested by monks and nuns at a young age and then inducted into temple life. With the Airbenders gone, the nomads have lost a large chunk of their spiritual heritage.
Any Air Nomad traveling apart from his band would be out of his element, their extreme mistrust of outsiders makes them anti social, though ironically they often find the only way to make money out side their band is by the social arts of dance, song and story telling.