second wind

air nomads

physical

Region:

Civilization Type:

Real-World Influences: pre-colonial india

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable):

Element(s): air

Notes on region/landscape: grassland that opens up into a canyon, surrounded by mountains and cliffs, lots of fruit trees and green vegetables, rice

Notes on bending:

>government/societal structure

Government Type: ?

Current Leaders: Dinesh

Allies: mountain nomads, coral voyages

Enemies: sun warriors (kind of)

Political Conflicts:

Notes on gender in leadership: neutral, gender does not play a role

Notes on class:

Notes on warfare/military:

culture/class/gender roles

Notes on main societal values: pacifism, isolationism, spirituality

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage: no gender roles, marriage is a casual, small ceremony

Notes on class/ class relations:

Notes on family life: children are raised communally, sleep in the same dwelling as their parents

Notes on food/agriculture: harvest fruits and vegetables, make bread from rice flour, eat rice (chomps)

Notes on common clothing/jewelry: clothing is made from wool/silk traded from the mountain warriors, dyed orange with plants

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice: bowls, statues carved by air

Notes on music/dance: primarily religious/spiritual, horns and gongs

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire: more elaborate robes, carved jewelry

Notes on general spiritual beliefs: spirits are everywhere yeehaw, spirit world, encourage emotional detachment from the physical world

Notes on spiritual leadership: same as government leaders, more ideological than legal and governmental

Notes on architecture: live in thatched huts on the edges of cliffs

Notes on storytelling: traditional oral storytelling, passed from adults to children

Notes on art and gender: little gender divide between art, art is an extension of the spirits

history

Notes on history: from the lion turtle yeet

coral voyagers

physical

Region: coral isles

Civilization Type: loose collection of clans organized under small local leaders

Real-World Influences: polynesian (specicially hawaiian for kamalani’s family), maybe some other islands for religious order

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable): coral islands people

Element (s): water, fire

Notes on region/landscape: volcanic islands rich in plant and animal life

Civilization is spread out across multiple islands and atolls and varies based on region
At the time of the series the empire spans the entire western sea, from the fire isles to the earthen conitient

Notes on bending:

Local religious law states that only those ‘spirit-blessed’ (benders) have right to be chief
Most common element is water, though other elements exist in minority
Combative forms of watershaping are absent in the culture, though practical and medicinal forms exist and are commonly practiced
Most canoes are powered by watershaping
Majority bender population, benders viewed as blessed by spirits
Almost all leaders are benders
Some rituals involve bending water
Most common element is water, though other elements exist in minority
Combative forms of watershaping are absent in the culture, though practical and medicinal forms exist and are commonly practiced
Most canoes are powered by watershaping
Majority bender population, benders viewed as blessed by spirits
Almost all leaders are benders
Some rituals involve bending water

government/societal structure

Government Type: decentralized clan leadership, varies about

Current Leaders: vague & varied

Allies: Sun Warriors

Enemies: none

Political Conflicts: engaged in neutral trade with sun warriors

Notes on gender in leadership: leadership is typically gender neutral and varies based on clan

Notes on class:

Society divided between castes and roles- farmers, craftsmen, shamans, etc
Little to no mobility between castes, roles typically decided by birth. Many children follow in parent’s footsteps
Society is mostly communal and centered around castes

Notes on warfare/military:

Not focused on warfare due to generally peacable society and isolation from rest of world
No organized military, save for island-specific warriors that protect and serve tribal leaders, which mostly fight large fish and resolve minor skirmishes
Most inter-nation conflicts are solved peacefully under a court of law, or by ritual dueling (which is highly regulated by government)
While allied with the Sun Warriors, they are not directly involved in the war of the Fire Isles. Instead, they provide resources such as crops and raw materials.

Notes on economy:

Regional economy is very complex, spanning across entire ocean and mostly centered around trade of goods (both raw materials and crafted products)
Have a currency of tapa but also use currencies of the nations they trade with

Notes on Settlement:

Largest city- Noho Ali’i, located west of the Fire Isles

culture/class/gender roles

Notes on main societal values:

Society is centered around trade, navigation and sailing
Main societal ideal= keep community prosperous
Emphasis on community coming first, wellbeing of the people over wellbeing of the self
Emphasis on travel, navigation, and connection with others, large trade networks create a sense of unity
boats= very important. Respected individuals own canoes, typically handcrafted and sacred to individual

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage:

Little divide between genders rooted, men and women typically do the same work (agricuture, craftswork, etc) with slight variation
Men typically farm ‘men’s crops’, women typically farm ‘women’s crops’. Variation in crafting exists too (women - textiles, men- woodworking)
There is some divide between genders according to local religious law- men & women eat seperately
Third gender exists within culture- well-respected people seen as spiritual leaders with specific roles in community- typically interpret messages from the spirits, decide societal roles, teach and record oral history & mythos, etc. typically benders but not always.

Notes on family life:

Rites of passage at puberty are similar for both genders and involve reef-surfing (waterbending-based sport) and tattooing

Notes on food/agriculture:

Cuisine consists of fish, meat, and farmed crops. Many regions have access to crops not grown on their islands due to trade

Notes on common clothing/jewelry:

Clothing consists of plant-fiber-based clothe and typically leaves most of body bare to deal with humidity. Higher-caste individuals have access to finer quality material (imported silk, etc)

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice:

Tattoos are very important to culture (mark of spirits onto the self), processes assisted by waterbending. Designs vary from individual to individual but generally reflect tribal design, creating unity
Tools & items typically carved from wood
All art made for a purpose- everyday objects such as bowls, pots, and boars or religious pieces representative of the spirits
Most common arts include tapa, decorated bark clothe used in both everyday and spiritual purposes, as well as woodcarving
Abstract representations of nature, animals, humans, and spirits. Rarely realistic, sometimes idealized
Most crafting done by normal people or spiritual leaders
Sacred tattoo designs mirrored in artwork. First tattoos typically received at rites of passage ceremonies
Geometric patterns common on all art

Notes on music/dance:

Art and dance are both representative of devotion to nature, spirits, etc.
Dance & bending are a large part of spiritual ceremonies
Inter village communication via gongs & 'gong language’

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire:

Notes on general spiritual beliefs:

Everyday activities ingrained in the spiritual, cyclical nature of life

Notes on spiritual leadership:

Chieftains are chosen by shamans/spiritual leaders and are regarded as such. Typically rule as a pair (female leader & male leader)
However, most chosen leaders have connections (blood ties or otherwise) to previous chiefs
No distinction between religious power and power of government, spiritual & government leadership are one and the same
Healing (both herbal and through medicinal waterbending) done by shaman

Notes on architecture:

Structures are crafted from straw, wood and other natural materials
Despite being a voyager culture, most island settlements are permanent
Some settlements built over water on floating citie

Notes on storytelling:

Sacred tattoo designs mirrored in artwork. First tattoos typically received at rites of passage ceremonies
Geometric patterns common on all art
Storytelling passed on through spiritual leaders, typically third-gender

Notes on art and gender:

Textile work traditionally done by women, woodcarving done by men

history

Notes on history:

Society predates harmonic convergence and had bending b4 that as well
Some left to be pirates a bit earlier

sun warriors

physical

Region: Fire Isles Archipelago, centralized in most wester isles

Civilization Type: empire

Real-World Influences: early mesoamerican cultures, some influences from southeast asia

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable): Sun Warriors, Fire Nation

Element (s): fire

Notes on region/landscape:

The fire isles are a volcanic archipelago
Bryke says its like iceland but my heart says ‘they are way too close to the equator to be that cold’
So for the sake of having teya not freeze to death we’re gonna have the climate be closer to Mexico/Central America

Notes on bending:

The only element common in sun warrior society is fire, used in art known as fire-tossing
Fire is very respected in everyday life, even by nonbender, and is seen as a connection to the sun and the dragons
Firebending forms all rooted in studying the movement of the dragons
Fire also used in religious rituals
70% majority population are firebenders
Firebending plays major role in society, most higher class families have strong bending genes and choose marriages because of it

government/societal structure

Government Type: monarchy

Current Leaders: axolin’s bf who doesn't have a name yet

Major Cities: Atenyo, the far-eastern city Teya & Xo used to live in, a few others

Allies: Coral Voyagers

Enemies: Mountain Empire, Pirates

Political Conflicts: currently at war with Mountain Empire

Notes on Government structure:

One main city (Atenyo) in charge of all the other cities
City-states are somewhat independent- city leaders handle day-to-day conflicts but anything major (ie: things relating to the war) will be decided by the high chief
Leaders are chosen by inheritance, as are most positions/professions. Children typically follow parents footsteps and rarely marry outside of class

Notes on laws:

Law system is advanced and very rigid, varies slightly from region-to-region but main principles are the same
Leading families lead under the divine right to rule

Notes on economy:

Economy of jade coins exists
Intricate trade networks with coral voyagers, air nomads and other neighboring societies
Not a maritime nation in the sense that they have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to navies.
Rely on connection with coral voyagers for help with boats

Notes on gender in leadership:

Fairly gender-neutral leadership, easy for women to rise to positions of power
Uhhh thats it for this ig

Notes on class:

Society is very divided by class and social standing
Society divided into castes- government nobles, religious authority, military leaders, artisans, merchants, peasantry

Notes on warfare/military:

Sun Warriors have an extremely organized military, war and conquest are major parts of civilization and culture.
While most peasantry are taught basic fighting skills by their parents (both in armed combat and firebending) a special warrior class exists solely for combat

This is a recent development since the start of the war: the sun warriors weren’t that invested in actual warfare (more ceremonial warfare + managing their society) before the war

All soldiers undergo rigorous training from childhood until joining the army to fight in the war. Even divide between bending and nonbending combatants.
High status of soldiers (and rank of individual soldiers) displayed through variation of uniform & armor
Military leaders typically of a much higher rank than average soldier

Ex: teya’s family

Roles of military leadership passed through family- seen as an extension of the royal bloodline
Recently became allied with the coral voyagers with hopes of expanding their navy

Bc their navy s u c k s compared to the pirate fleets

Civilization is currently at war with the mountain empire after their southeastern cities were brutally raided

Rip huitzetecol

While most combat is armed, styles of fighting typically integrate firebending forms

Teya might end up using an atlatl (spear thrower)

Cities are heavily fortified
Nation’s capital is in the center of the largest island and is extremely fortified

culture/class/gender roles

Notes on main societal values:

Main societal values: agriculture, prosperity, expansion, etc.

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage:

Gender equality
Same-sex relationships also somewhat accepted, though expected to keep private and within family, as are most affairs
Marriage is typically reserved for upper classes and for political or social gain, and involves an elaborate, social, ceremony. In lower classes, marriage isn’t that big of a deal and mostly for procreation
Upper class marriages arranged by parents
Most upper class are married in their early-mid twenties as they enter adulthood

Notes on class/ class relations:

Marriage outside class is basically forbidden
Society is heavily segregated by class, even physically

Upper classes live in the centers of cities while lower classes typically live on the edges of cities

Notes on family life:

In teya’s class: parents will typically have 2-3 children, eldest child is seen as the heir but all children are expected to follow in parent’s footsteps
Children typically follow in parent’s roles- lower class children educated by parents while higher class children enrolled in formal education based on class/profession
education system is very strict and not divided by gender, teachers are very respected individuals. school uniforms are enforced but vary on educational division
Sport and dance both very important to society, both as recreation and for religious/spiritual purposes
Rites of passage are at the mastery of fire but only apply to higher classes, lower classes typically will not bother. Ceremony involves the child presenting themself to the dragons to be judged
Sport used as a form of dueling and for ritual purposes, settle arguments, etc.
Personal and family honor are very important- connected to strong images of importance of lineage
Both parents act as head of family household, individual leadership roles vary between people
Titles pass from parent (of either gender) to eldest child, regardless of gender

Notes on food/agriculture:

Very agricultural society, built on farming
Most common crops: corn, sugarcane, peppers, avocado, cotton, tomato, quinoa
Cities are built close to water for irrigation

Notes on common clothing/jewelry:

Ornamentation and jewelry common, especially in higher classes, typically crafted from gold (imported and mined from colonies). Turquoise inset is also common

Turquoise most common amongst most-respected upper class, sign of authority
Represents the sky and also its pretty and rare

Clothing is loose and often sleeveless, typically dyed shades of red. Hair is typically worn up in a ponytail to help with the intense heat
Soldiers do not wear much armor due to heat and humidity, war paint is used and typically covers the eyes

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice:

Art made to serve purpose- both everyday objects and those used in ritual
Artisans are the most respected of the lower classes, especially architects and engineers that plan the empire’s cities. Most cities are incredibly complex works of stone that take decades to complete
Painting/drawing is not very common compared to the prevalence of sculpture. Forms are often exaggerated and idealized, and depict humans, spirits, animals, and mostly dragons
Relief sculpture is very common, especially in large, important buildings
Other common forms of art include textile and jewelry crafting, which are both made by street-level artisans and can be purchased by anyone.
Firebending-assisted metalworking forms are very common and widely used (specifically for weapon-crafting)

Notes on music/dance:

Sport and dance both very important to society, both as recreation and for religious/spiritual purposes

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire:

Why did i make this its own thing anyways teya wears blue when she goes to a party
Fancy jewelry :)

Notes on general spiritual beliefs:

Religion and devotion to the spiritual play a major part in everyday life and practices
Most major holidays revolve around sacrificial festivals to the dragons, spirits, and the element of fire
Holidays are very important and one of the few times all castes are unified in one common activity
Rituals are very complex and range from city-wide festivals to ensure a good harvest to intimate rituals to bless the fertility of a family member
Religion also tied heavily to medicine as a result of close connections with the bhanti tribe
Sacrifice is important to religion- both animal and blood, though rarely involving death. Pre-battle rituals are held by specific priests to ensure victory in war

There are a few exceptions to the no death rule tho :)

Notes on spiritual leadership:

Spiritual leaders are forbidden to have children and cannot pass on titles through succession, children of warriors or leaders can choose to become shamans, some are chosen by shamans through visions of the future

Xochitl chose to become a priest

Religious leaders have recently lost political sway due to the disappearance of spirits in the human world

Notes on architecture:

Large temples are the center of sun warrior cities, and most important structure
Palace in capital is (at the time) one of the most impressive works of architecture in the world
Most cites have similar patterns of structure and architecture- upper classes tend to live in the center of the city while lower classes live on the edges to be closer to the fields
Most architecture is stonework

Notes on storytelling:

storytelling/education done through the educational system
Also passed from parent-to-child in lower castes

Notes on art and gender:

Art not segregated by gender, instead mostly by class
Arts are not regulated by gender and instead localized within family groups (family of weavers, family of leatherworkers, etc).

history

Notes on history:

Existed as an independent society long before harmonic convergence
Unified somewhat recently

mountain nomads

physical

Region: Northernmost area of modern-day ek

Civilization Type: loose alliance between a collection of nomadic villages

Real-World Influences: proto-Mongols, medieval mongol clans

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable):

Element (s): earth, lots of nonbenders

Notes on region/landscape: largely consists of grassland/steppe; forests to the south and mountains to the north

Notes on bending: the few earthbenders that exist use it for farming

government/social structure

Government Type: Group of “spiritual” elders (not v good at their jobs)

Current Leaders:

Allies: other local nomadic villages

Enemies: Mountain Empire (attempted colonizers)

Political Conflicts:

Notes on gender in leadership:

Notes on class:

Notes on warfare/military: all members of the village (besides children and the elderly) are expected to fight against threats; nonbenders use spears and bows/arrows

culture/class/gender roles

Notes on main societal values: conservation of culture/history, family, benefit of the clan

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage:

more common for men to hunt but women can as well, women generally do the weaving/making clothes
marriage is typically the most extravagant type of celebration
people are expected to marry within their own class

Notes on class/ class relations:

Notes on family life: multiple generations live in a one-room ger, all members tend to livestock and farming plots

Notes on food/agriculture: mostly hunter-gatherers, however they raise domestic chicken-lizards (eggs, meat) and wooly pigs (for clothing, milk, and weaving arts)

Notes on common clothing/jewelry: long-sleeved tunics that go past the knees for both men and women, men wear belts while women do not, usually made from

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice: weaving and dying rugs/tapestries using natural plant dyes

Notes on music/dance: traditional folk songs used to tell stories/history (influenced by mongolian long song)

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire:

Notes on general spiritual beliefs: all misfortune is punishment from the spirits, if one person in the village is tainted by it they are a danger to the others and must be expelled; children are considered most vulnerable as victims

Notes on spiritual leadership:

Notes on architecture: family dwellings are sturdy, circular tent-like structures adorned with colorful woven rugs/tapestries and a hole in the center of the roof as a vent (gers)

Notes on storytelling: focused heavily on spiritual consequences, very superstitious about omens, the meaning of names

Notes on art and gender:

history

Notes on history:

used to live farther to the east in mountain empire territory
Dulguun used his powers of foresight to learn about the mountain empire’s plan to conquer the nomads, warned the village elders and convinced them to move further west into the steppe
left several other villages from the alliance behind, elders believe the misfortune of Dulguun’s curse was punishment for not staying to fight

polar clans

physical

Region: southernmost reaches of the northern continent

Civilization Type: nomadic collection of small tribes

Real-World Influences: inuit/yupik peoples

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable): Water Tribes

Element (s): water

Notes on region/landscape:

It’s a tundra. Literally just tundra
Maybe since its a bit more south-oriented theres like. Some trees but not many

Notes on bending:

The people of the north pole are descended from the original settlers of the water lion turtle
About half the population holds the element of water, known as watershaping
Combative watershaping is typically only used by male hunters, while healing is taught to women, by other women
While nonbenders are held in the same regard as their bending counterparts, most tribal leaders are waterbending

government/societal structure

Government Type: small independent tribal leaderships

Current Leaders: (of Ukalik’s tribe) Pana

Allies: the mountain nomads

Enemies: bears idk

Political Conflicts: theyre literally so isolated from everyone they’re barely involved with anyone

Notes on government structure:

Divided into small, mostly unaffiliated clans led by tribal leaders
Each tribal chief is part of the overarching tribal council
Organized into hunter/gatherer system. Men typically hunt, while women gather herbs and plants as well as cook, weave and sew.

Notes on laws: Very loose law system very tied to spiritual beliefs, tribal leaders are typically ultimate authority

Notes on religion in leadership: Leaders are chosen by spiritual elders and are closely tied to individual tribal spirituality but not exclusive spiritual leaders.

Notes on gender in leadership:

Women and men are very segregated- clear distinction between men’s tasks and women’s tasks
Women are very respected but not considered to be capable of leadership/hunting/fighting
Patriarchal society

Notes on trade: Trade with the mountain nomads for like. Fish and different furs. Stuff like that

Notes on warfare/military:

Tribal hunters double as soldiers if conflict ever arises
Due to the tribe’s isolation, conflict is rare and mostly internal- small scuffles between tribes
Most tribes are on fairly neutral grounds with each other and will help one another if the need arises
Most common weapons include spears, knives, and other simple weaponry
While not an official navy, most tribes have enough small canoes to transport a decent amount of warriors over water. However, these boats are small and mostly used for fishing, and do not constitute as a navy

culture/class/gender roles

Notes on main societal values:

Main societal ideal= providing for family and community
Importance on doing what’s right for the entire group instead of the individual

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage:

Men and women live separately, divided between gender
Marriages are typically arranged but rarely involve large ceremonies

More like ‘i like you you like me lets move in together and have a baby but we gotta ask the old wise village lady first’

Notes on class/ class relations: Not applicable due to size of civilization and societal structure

Notes on family life:

Men’s rites of passage at 15- early form of ice-doging/ proving oneself as a warrior
Women’s rites of passage at puberty
Young boys lived with their mothers until rites of passage, in which they move to live with the men of their tribe and learn to become hunters
Young girls live with their mothers until the women’s rites of passage in which they become of marrying age, they live with the rest of the women until they marry
Society is mostly communal and is rarely structured around traditional family unit

Notes on food/agriculture:

Not an agricultural society due to harsh conditions, diet is mostly meat-based & foraged locally
Most common ingredients: fish, meats, berries, herbs, roots, seaweed
Food is not spicy due to lack of spices and cold climate
Cuisine consists mostly of fish, seal and other hunted meats. Due to the cold climate and lack of agricultural system, most food is sparsely seasoned
Despite the lack of an agricultural system (due to extreme cold), some plants can be foraged- namely berries, herbs and seaweed

Notes on common clothing/jewelry: Clothing typically consists of parks and other warm clothes, constructed from furs and skins. While mostly natural shades of beige and brown, some have details in muted blue tones

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice:

Art is handcrafted and typically very functional instead of purely ornamental
The most commom medium is bone remains of hunted animals, which are crafted into intricately designed tools with a variety of purposes
Warrior’s face paint is applied before battle and is typically made from crushed plants

Dim colors- grays, blues, blacks, whites

Children’s toys are crafted from bone by mothers. Most artistic tradition is passed from mother to daughter
Abstract representations of common animals, as well as humans and geometric forms

Notes on music/dance:

Song is frequently used for storytelling
Throat singing- done by women as a form of entertainment

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire: Parka design and ornamentation is also very significant and detailed- embroidery patterns are often specific to the person and imbued with protections against spirits

Notes on general spiritual beliefs:

Art is viewed as an extension of the spiritual
Most spiritual practice tied to tradition rather than organized religion

Notes on spiritual leadership:

While some elders remember the time when spirits roamed the earth, most have forgotten/were not born at the time. Despite this, a great sense of respect for the spiritual has formed within the community
Women assume most medicinal roles in addition to the roles as storyteller, and have adopted medicinal waterbending in addition to traditional herbal medicine

Notes on architecture: Tribesmen and women reside in small, easily transportable tent-like structures, or igloos crafted using waterbending

Notes on storytelling: Most traditions and stories are passed down by women due to motherhood, leading women to become de facto spiritual leaders/storytellers

Notes on art and gender: Most artistic tradition is passed from mother to daughter

si wong tribes

physical

Region: Si Wong Desert

Civilization Type: independent city-state, recent colony of Mountain Empire

Real-World Influences: medieval islamic society, amazigh culture

ALTA Modern-Day equivalent (if applicable): Sandbenders

Element(s): earth

Notes on region/landscape:

Very rough, earthy terrain prone to long dry spells and little rain.
Scare vegetation

Notes on bending:

While a majority of the population are nonbenders, about 30% possess the element of earth and use it in an art known as earth-shaking or sand-shifting
While the art of sand-shifting is unique to the desert culture, earth-shaking originates to the north and is from the mountain empire
Both practices are widespread
Most bending is used combatively or for construction or infrastructure, and is rarely used for arts and ritual
Most benders born into lower castes are drafted into the army or into construction services/whatever organization keeps the city moving

government/societal structure

Government Type: monarchy

Current Leaders: Issam Al-Mutari

Allies: Mountain Empire

Enemies: Sun Warriors, Coral Voyagers, Pirates

Political Conflicts: indirectly involved in mountain empire war with Sun Warriors

Notes on gender in leadership:

Some small-office officials are women, though most religious and government authority is patriarchal

Notes on class: Most traditional culture has been rectified by empirical control and replaced by a rigid caste system, at the top of which is the empire-controlled government

Notes on economy

Uses same currency as mountain empire
Currency was standerdized only after colonization
Due to the city-like nature of the settlement, inter-community trade is common. Often, the women of a family will specialize in a trade (such as leatherworking, jewelry making, or cooking) which will be passed through generations

Notes on warfare/military:

Traditional, pre existing culture did not have much in the way of warfare (men of the tribe usually doubled as soldiers if inter-tribal conflict ever arose)
After mountain empire took over, military was established as part of government-mandated education program
Middle class men typically enlist in army as part of their education, which provides stable income for their families
Military is very powerful and land based but doesnt do much (as most of the war front is closer to the sun warrior settlement) other than fortify the city & protect the royal family. Mostly for show. Despite this, the military is very organized as an extension of mountain empire’s power
Most soldiers are outfitted with a saif and a shield, and don armor over their robes. Earthbenders are trained in specific forms of combative bending

Notes on city layout:

While some tribes remain nomadic, most have been absorbed into a very large, nomadic tribe known as the Wandering City of Siwa
The ‘city’ consists of a large, migratory movement that moves between agricultural sites and follows the migration patterns of livestock
Settlement’s movement is powered by earthbending large slabs of stone (on top of which structures are built) over sand, similar to sand-sailers but on a larger scale. It takes a large number of benders to operate
The city is divided into seven quadrants based on the seven moving platforms the city is built on. Most are of uniform size, save for the imperial platform which is larger to house the royal palace and temple
The city alternates between long periods of rest and short periods of travel
Buildings are crafted from earth, typically from earthbending

Culture/Class/Gender Roles

Notes on main societal values:

Main cultural ideal- preserve both the family and tradition

Notes on gender roles/differences/marriage:

Women and men, while viewed as equal, work and worship separately
Separate gender roles heavily emphasized, especially within the role of parenthood
Mothers typically raise children of both sexes until the boys turn of age to start farming (usually around 10 or so). They will continue to teach their daughters until they are of marrying age
Marriage traditions vary from sub-tribe to sub-tribe, even mix from patriarchal to matriarchal tradition
Most tribal tradition has been merged due to empirical influence with the traditions of the reigning Mutari clan being seen as most civilized
Marriages are typically arranged among the upper classes

Notes on wedding traditions

A lot to fill out huh
Dowries are a thing

Notes on class/ class relations:

Separate classes function as a working machine to keep siwa together
Caste system is looser than that of the Sun Warriors (allows intermarriage- wife moves to caste of husband) with similar tiers
Religious authority subservient to governmental power as opposed to being equal
Benders are typically of lower classes than the nobility as bending is chiefly used for labor-intensive work, meaning the most powerful bending bloodlines are among the lower castes

Bending seen as poor man’s work

Notes on family life:

Most families are structured into simple, 4 generation units. Both sexes share in individualized work and religious ritual, as well as family leadership.
Much day to day life has remained the same even when under empirical control. Most major change is amount of people consolidated into one area
Strict rules of succession and inheritance extremely ingrained into societal custom and belief. Violation of said rules of succession often leave parents ostracised and looked down upon
Royal family is patriarchal, with the title of chancellor passed from father to eldest son

Notes on food/agriculture:

Major crops are grains, citrus, dates, and some vegetables
Traditionally nomadic culture adapted to follow herding patterns of livestock, siwa still follows herding patterns
Dried meats very common in cuisine
Cactus wine is a thing
Cuisine is typically simple due to nomadic lifestyle and is typically meat-based and meant to last a long time, high in spice

Dishes are more complex for the upper class

Notes on common clothing/jewelry:

Textile is a very important part of the culture and its history, notably due to the amount of it needed to operate the travelling city. Artistic traditions of textile-making are passed from mother to daughter and is a very revered practice.
Jewelry-making also a female-dominated field passed from mother to daughter with much religious significance

Protection amulets

Common clothing consists of loose robes which vary in quality based on social standing. Typically dyed green from cactus dye, clothing is unisex but higher classes typically wear more distinguished clothing. Ore-based jewelry and hair coverings common for both genders

art/religion/relation to spirits

Notes on artistic practice:

Si wong art is rarely representative of human forms and is often utilitarian
Most common pieces of art include pottery, tapestry-like textile work, and jewelry

Notes on music/dance:

Music also large part of culture- used both for entertainment and ritual purpose, as well as professional music played for those in power
Music is common in all walks of life, whether village music played in the streets or at home, or professional music performed for upper class.
Village music is closer to traditional regional music, while professional music is closer to music from the rest of the earthen continent
Ritual, religious music is standard throughout social castes and does not vary much
Most common music in all circles includes lutes, cymbals, and vocalization. Dance is common in ritual and village music, but rare in professional music contexts
After being colonized by the mountain empire, culture was affected by an influx of visual art and crafting inspired by that of the mountain empire culture

Notes on ceremonial or special occasion attire:

Jewelry crafted from ore (practice introduced by mountain empire) is very common
Head coverings have little religious significance and are mostly practical/cultural

Notes on general spiritual beliefs:

While most everyday life is distanced from the spiritual, it is most present in artistic practice
Artisans (which are typically women) imbue their craft with the properties of the spiritual
Talismans (amulets, jewelry, weavings, embroidery, mehndi) are very common and thought to ward off evil spirits, a practice still prevalent from the lion turtle days
Intent when creating objects- especially sacred objects used in ritual- is extremely important, believed that negative intent when making art leads evil spirits into the home
most feared spirits= spirits of fire/the sun/heat, most respected spirits= spirits of water/rains/rivers

Notes on spiritual leadership:

While religion plays a fundamental role in the community, religious and government authorities are separate
Religious leaders are typically male and follow a patriarchal rule of succession
Worship is typically led by the leader of the family in private quarters, though a government appointed spiritual leader exists and leads the royal family in religious ritual

Notes on architecture:

The city is divided into seven quadrants based on the seven moving platforms the city is built on. Most are of uniform size, save for the imperial platform which is larger to house the royal palace and temple
Architecture is very complex uhhh islamic architecture is just pretty ok

Notes on storytelling:

Oral storytelling common in lower classes, nobility prefer written literature
Have their own script and language, large bodies of text written onto scrolls
Only upper classes are literate

Notes on art and gender:

Worship/spiritual practice separated by gender but varies little in actual practice
Men typically more involved in religious practice

history

Notes on history:

Original inhabitants of the earth lion turtle Wan found
Organized into moving city shortly after harmonic convergence
Were colonized by the Mountain empire within the last ~16 years