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The Island (Mahina)

The island that our people live on is the second largest, seeing as the largest is actually just a giant volcano that is constantly growing and is rather hard to live on. The rest of the islands have plenty of resources, but none have a forest as big as ours. There are many coves and inlets that allow easy access for our boats to the river (Epiliana) and its tributaries that run through the island and are the best way to transport resources. The island is mainly inhabited by water benders, though through the ages others have found us and on occasion joined. Our islands weren't well-known for a long time, however, and it was probably best that way. They were a peaceful place where all types of benders and non-benders can coexist, and still strive to maintain that peace, though the war has taken its toll.

The Society

There are probably at the very most 500 people in Lokahi, and perhaps around 8,500 people throughout all of the islands. In these villages everyone works for the community and we all take care of each other. If there is a dispute it is settled personally, but if it becomes a problem for the whole community the council will be called to deal with it. There is one main village (Lokahi), and a handful of others scattered about on Mahina and the other islands. Each village has their own council, with the most powerful council in Lokahi and a grand council formed when all the village councils convene. It is generally made up of two people (one elderly (at least 35, though usually 40-50) and one younger (at least under 40, though never younger than 15 and usually 20 something) representing Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and non-benders. Those who have been chosen remain until they die, are deemed unfit to participate, or leave the council. The council and people nominate someone whenever a replacement is needed. Usually the one who represented the younger generation graduates to their groups' elder and helps select their junior, though not always. This council sets the laws and sentences criminals, with guards that work to enforce these laws. They are pretty basic things like don't murder people, don't steal things, don't destroy things that aren't yours, don't start cults, and so on. If you think it's risky it's probably best to assume it's illegal, or you could ask me.

The Economy

With the arrival of the fire benders there have been quite a few changes, though many villages maintain their traditional way of life. In Lokahi water benders, earth benders, fire benders, and even a few air benders work together to keep the community running with their powers. Non-benders make up most of the population, however, and most of the labor force with benders often doing specialized work. Everyone is given a chance to learn different tasks and discover their skills and what they like, though some families pass certain skills and jobs to their children. The islanders mostly rely on their hunters (mostly small game, birds, and wild pigs), fishers, and farmers (taro root, coconut and banana groves, hapu'u ferns, sweet potato, yam, mountain apple, raspberries, and seaweeds, along with some other imported crops) for food. Wood is often used for boats and tools, and in buildings. Houses are mostly stone or hardened mud, however, thanks to a construction team made up of water and earth benders. Metal is not terribly common, and mostly used in tools, weapons, and jewelry. Obsidian, stone, bone, and glass (manufactured by fire benders using sand) are more abundant and often used instead of metals.

Name: Koamalu, "Grampa Koko", "Soup Guy"

Age: 58 years old

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Bender: Yes, Water

Role: Council Elder for Water, a flashy cook at his soup kitchen

Appearance:

Personality:

History: He comes from one of the richer families on the island and received a pretty good education. He has stayed pretty successful most of his life, and decided to use some of his money to set up a soup kitchen to feed those less fortunate. He rather enjoys cooking,, but seeing as he burns most things he usually only has soup unless someone else cooks. He also provides plenty of the funding for the arena and rarely misses a match. On occasion he'll join in for fun, though his granddaughter tends to scold him when he does.

SKills/hobbies: assorted things like fishing, wrestling, watching out for the community, running his soup kitchen for the poor

Other:

Name: Maipe

Age: 15 years young

Gender: Trans girl, DMAB

Sexuality: Not sure, hasn't really found something she's comfortable with

Bender: Yes, airbender, but doesn't often make it publicly known

Role: Sailor, fisher, rascal, makes enough for a comfortable life

Appearance:

Personality: Flexible, Lives for the moment, Independent, Excitable, Impulsive, Hates to live alone, peacemaker, go with the flow type

History: The daughter of some air benders that took refuge on the islands. She was trained some by her elders, but had trouble with their way of teaching and cut them off, deciding to learn on her own. Her bending progress suffered quite a bit and she only knows a few basic techniques as well as what she has managed to make up. She dislikes quite a few of the air bender traditions, and prefers styles like the fire benders use with short, strong bursts of densely compacted air.

SKills/hobbies: She loves sailing and is rather good at it. She often rents her boat out to poorer fishermen and plays a role as a ferry between islands and up and down the Epiliana river. She enjoys dancing and martial arts, though she was never quite able to get the hang of the air bender style. Even though she enjoys fighting she is a pacifist and does not wish to fight for real unless she must.

Other: Has a hawk that she's trained to fetch fish, small animals, and other things

Name: Chuntao

Age: 13 years

Gender: Female

Sexuality: She has a healthy appreciation of all genders, but is scared of the commitment required for a relationship

Bender: No, but she's from a family of fire benders

Role: She was a thief, though Grampa Koko hired her as a chef when he found this out. Now she works as his butcher and vegetable chopper, and often provides the fire for cooking in exchange for some money.

Appearance:

Personality: Tsundere, stubborn, greedy, proud, easily offended, impatient, can be rather caring once you prove not to be a threat

History: Abandoned at a young age and raised by a poor family, she hated her life and decided to try and make her way to a better life by leaving at the age of 12 and becoming a thief. Sadly, she usually ended up losing her fortune one way or another (she had a weak spot for hungry orphans), and remained poor. She got a job at Koamalu's soup kitchen, but still steals on occasion when there is a good opportunity. She lives in the soup kitchen, even though it's hardly more than a large shack.

SKills/hobbies: sleight of hand, thievery, cooking, picking fruit

Other:

Name: Peizhi Guo

Age: 34 years

Gender: Female

Sexuality: She doesn't really care, as long as you're cute

Bender: No, but comes from a family of Earth benders

Role: Works in the forge and collects supplies for the forge, lower middle class (isn't homeless but often has trouble making enough for food for the whole family)

Appearance: she's big buff tough stuff

Personality: stubborn, hard working, enjoys joking around but knows when to be serious, places her family, friends, and village above everything else, tries to hold herself to high standards, prefers to care for others and dislikes being helped,she is ready to fight for her village if needed

History: Practically raised in her father's forge, she never thought of any other career for herself. Her mother was water tribe and she ended up with a lot of hand-me-downs since her family was never very financially stable. Supporting about four generations who all had plenty of kids can be difficult when your family runs a forge in a place that rarely has metal to work with. Many of the earth benders in their family work in the few mines the island has and provides metal or as construction workers, and many members of the family have gone into the rather unskilled work of farming.

SKills/hobbies: A decent fighter who relies mostly on her strength, she goes to the arena for extra money. She also helps in construction with carrying heavy loads. However, her real passion and skill show in what few items she is able to forge.

Other: comes from a mix of earth and water tribe

Name: Hui Xiang

Age: 23 years

Gender: Male

Sexuality: he hasn't really explored that

Bender: Yes, fire

Role: Fire Nation Soldier, occasional entertainer

Appearance:

Personality: He tries to stay calm and follow orders, but is masking a rather irritable persona that dislikes following the rules. He finds that dancing is a good way to get his energy out and calm down. He doesn't often show emotions strongly one way or another and has a minor case of RBF, which often gets him in trouble with his superiors.

History: Comes from a lower class family of entertainers and dancers, and joined the army because he heard there would be easy money on a peaceful island.

Skills/hobbies: He rather likes tattoos and make-up, and is a pretty good dancer. Thanks to his training he is a decent fighter and swordsman, though he certainly isn't great. His best attribute is his agility and dexterity.

Other: