Airbenders (references to Season 3,)

[frigidmagi]

Last Airbender being a topic of discussion at the moment I have decided to open a thread to discuss well the Airbenders themselves.

Last night, Havoc, Hotfoot, Cat and myself were discussing "Could any Airbenders have survived the genocide?"

I myself believe that the answer is yes, easily.

Let me review what we know. More or less a 100 years ago before the show start, the Fire Nation used the power of Sozen's comet to fuel an attack on the Airbender temples. Even powered up the attacks seemed to have been costly but successful. The Monks at the temples and quiet likely the children under their care were wiped out. It was also a failure because it did not succeed in killing or capturing the Avatar. The Fire Nation would then start a generations long campaign to reduce the Southern Water Tribe to a shattered clan of surviviors living an almost post apocalyptic lifestyle, the northern tribe would retreat to isolation in it's capital and the Earth Kingdom would become the main field of battle.

The temples were the center and life blood's of Air nomad culture. It seems that least a large part of their children were brought up in them. Their art was centered there, their stories told there. The Air Nomads had no formal military by Aang's own admission. They had no government beyond the temples. Destroying the monks and clearing out the temples did in fact destroy the Air Benders as a culture. But that's not the same as killing them as a people. For one thing how could you ever be sure you got all of them? They're flying acorss the whole planet from pole to pole! The Air Nomads were clearly widely dispersed (look at the distances between temples and their placement) and highly mobile. It is next to impossible to kill a widely scattered group of high mobility individuals.

Consider these facts: The existence of Flying Bison. The fact that Aang before he was even 13 could and did travel across the world by himself creating friendships in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. The name Air Nomad. The fact that Sokka and Katara were able to pass as Fire Nation citizens. The White Lotus society and it's opposition to the war.

These suggest at least 4 ways that the Air Nomads could have survived.


1: Secret Je *cough* Air Benders

In our own history when a people are heavily oppressed and made targets of, we have examples of some of them blending in and disappearing. Given that Katara and Sokka were able to pass as Fire Nations citizens without problems, why couldn't the Air Benders do the same? Imagine a group of Air Benders hiding out in the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation by posing as non-bending citizens of those tribes. The secret of their heritage being passed down from parent to child along with training in air bending, assuming the survivors have this ability. Secrecy, blending in and avoiding detection are high values.

2: A rag-tag Air Fleet

By staying out on the fringes of the world, moving from high mountain to high mountain by cover of night and storm. Small fleets of nomads eeke out a harsh and perilous existence, never in one place for very long, working hard to avoid even being seen by outsiders. Meeting other fleets briefly only to foster out children and bison to avoid inbreeding and exchange goods and infromation. Living like this would be unfun.

3: Welcome to Z... The Air Bender Enclave

It should be noted that the world of Avatar still has vast and relativity untouched wilderness. Because of this it is not impossible that some Air Nomads simply went into a large wilderness or found an isolated island and stayed there. The Sun Warriors and Swamp Benders are prime examples of cultures who have pulled this off successfully.

4: Under the Petals, an another kind of list.

The White Lotus Society is a secret cross cultural society that opposes the war and promotes peaceful relations among other things. While we do not have enough information on the Societies abilities and resources we do see in the end of season 3 that the WLS is capable of rising an army to free the largest city in the world and one of the largest cities in fantasy. Among it's members are leaders of the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe and Fire Nation giving it access to authority and perhaps more importantly power. Using this if the WLS could move fast enough, it would be possible for them to save some Air Nomads and find places to hide them, perhaps even in comfort. This assumes that the WLS moves fast enough however.

[LadyTevar]

I think a mix of the Secret Je and White Lotus Society. I've wondered before if the Guru who was showing Aang the Chakra may have been a non-Bending Air Nomad. He had a touch of the culture.

Whatever happened, there is a new 'Culture' of Air Nomads, made of those who have learned to build aircraft at the former temple. Now that they are not creating weapons of war for the Fire Nation, they could start up a air freight/passenger service between the Nations.

Still, Aang is going to have his hands full locating and training what Air Benders may be left. They are needed to keep the Balance.