Earth

[cyclicalitymods]

Earth is the element of substance.
The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.

	Quick Overview: The largest and most populated nation out of the four nations. During the Hundred Year War, the Earth Kingdom was the only real formidable enemy left to the Fire Nation as the Air Nomads were wiped out and many Water Tribesmen died due to raids. It played the most active role in taking on the Fire Nation, which was made possible by the sheer number of citizens it had. The Earth Kingdom's infrastructure relies heavily on bending, such as the monorail powered by earthbenders in Ba Sing Se. There are many, many villages and provinces scattered around the Earth Kingdom. Some places, like Omashu, have its own king, but all other kings answer to the Earth King located in Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom. During the war, parts of the Earth Kingdom were colonized by the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation saw this as a good way to spread its imperialism; the Earth Kingdom saw this as encroachment upon its land. However, those who lived in the colonized places of the Earth Kingdom learned to live together in peace and harmony. To outsiders, it may seem like the Fire Nation citizens are "above" the Earth Kingdom citizens in these colonies, but by the end of the war they see themselves as equals. These colonies were the start of multi-bender families, in which there are two types of bending within the immediate family. Earth King Kuei wanted the Fire Nation to return the land of the colonies to the Earth Kingdom, as well as to remove its trespassing Fire Nation citizens. The families in the colonies, however, didn't want to leave. After nearly igniting yet another war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, Avatar Aang, Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko agreed to build a grand home for these people. The people of the colonies were able to stay if they wanted to, and United Republic of Nations, its capital being Republic City, was built on ground that was formerly Earth Kingdom as a place for benders of all elements and walks of life to come together. Traits: Earthbenders are typically strong, sturdy, stubborn individuals. They approach things head on instead of trying to find alternate solutions. They can be difficult and it can be impossible to change their mind once it's made up. And, of course, a little dirt definitely doesn't bother them one bit. Many people of Earth Kingdom heritage are rather muscular, but those with more money typically live a more pampered life and aren't as muscular. Earthbenders are typically born in Spring. During this time, their bending is slightly stronger than usual. Style: Traditional earthbending relies on a good, rooted stance. The earthbender should feel like not even the strongest boulder could move him or her out of the way! More modern styles of bending utilize quicker movements, exchanging the size and strength of a boulder with the speed of a quicker, smaller rock. Earthbending is generally a defensive art, but it can easily be used offensively as well. Ruler: The Earth Kingdom is a monarchical society. During the Hundred Year War, the ruler was Earth King Kuei. His daughter, Earth Queen Hou-Ting, eventually succeeded him until her untimely demise. There is currently no Earth King or Earth Queen. Bending: Benders with Earth Kingdom heritage are capable of bending earth and its related substances, an art learned from badgermoles. Earth can be shaped into just about anything, from buildings to statues. Some earthbenders live in a different environment such as the desert, and these earthbenders have adapted their earthbending to bend sand instead. Those who are in tune with the earth may be able to develop a seismic sense, in which you can see a "picture" of the world around you through vibrations. This means you might be able to see structures in a room out of sight, or learn there is a Secret Tunnel™ behind that wall. There are three subsets of earthbending. They are metal bending, truth seeing and lava bending. Who: Anyone who has Earth Kingdom heritage is capable of bending earth, although not all Earth Kingdom descendants are earthbenders.
	Quick Overview: In order to bend metal, one must be able to see the impurities within it. That means that to date, there are no earthbenders capable of bending platinum, for it's too pure a form of earth to bend. A great deal of metalbenders are a part of the United Republic police force, using their metalbending abilities to their advantage by using cables to swing around or to lasso criminals. Who: Only earthbenders can bend metal. In order for your character to have the ability to bend metal, you must submit a total of 100 comments from your character to the request post. Alternatively, you can request a waiver at the request post.
	Quick Overview: Truth seeing is a type of seismic bending. Using their keen sense of vibrations, a truth seer is able to sense the vibrations of a person to tell whether or not they are lying. Faster heart rates, quivering and the like all attribute to helping a truth seer figure out if a person is lying or not. However, truth seeing is not infallible, just as polygraph tests are not. If someone believes they're telling the truth or doesn't feel remorse, a truth seer may not be able to pick up on it. Who: This is a special subset. Truth seers will know who they are. In short, characters with the "capability" to one day learn truth seeing will be told such. However, the number of truth seers will not be anywhere near as high as other specialized benders.
	Quick Overview: Lava bending is an advanced subset of earthbending. With enough pressure or friction, an earth bender can soften the ground and heat it enough to create lava, similar to how a waterbender changes the phase of his or her water. Some lava benders will specialize in creating lava and others in cooling it off, but it is possible to be capable of both. Directing molten lava is a lot like waterbending; go with the flow and take a less solid stance than regular earthbending. Either way, it's easiest for a lava bender to take the lava on head on, just like regular earthbending. You do not need to have Fire Nation heritage in order to lava bend; it is purely an earthbending related ability. Who: This is a special subset. Lava benders will know who they are. In short, characters with the "capability" to one day learn lava bending will be told such. However, the number of lava benders will not be anywhere near as high as other specialized benders.