Post by dunecat3d on Jun 8, 2020 1:17:19 GMT -5
AtLA isn’t a universe where COMBAT is the relevancy. Benders have an EDGE in combat, but aside from the small/niche military role (pre AtLA anyways) most Benders focus on UTILITY and how they can use their gifts to better the world around them.
Before “The War”, there wasn’t much need for standing armies... aside from Peace Keeping forces (or secret organizations with ulterior motives).
Yeeeeah, it’s not explicitly said— but given the later revealed origins of Bending, I’m of the mind that it’s not REALLY a thing. I mean, it’s a plot device in an AtLA campaign I wrote (but that was due to the Avatar having been born into twins).
What we DO have are examples of Benders who adopt the STYLES of the other Bending Elements, but that’s just “creative” uses of the only element they CAN bend (for example, there’s a fun youtube video demonstrating how Zuko mastered all four elemental STYLES... but he still only BENDS fire). It’s a bit spoilery though if you’ve only seen the first season. But really demonstrates how the styles of martial arts can dramatically shift how one bends their element (which is something I tried to evidence with my waterbender bending in less typical Waterbending ways).
I think that the closest you’ll get to “hybrid” benders would be those super rare bending specialties that we’ve seen throughout the shows (Like Lavabending as a specialty of Earthbenders— a mix of Earth and Fire-ish, Lightning as Fire and Air, Laser as Fire and Air, Ice as Water and Air, etc).
At the end of the day though, these are rooted in a “core” element, not one of themselves and not evidence of bending both separately.
Bending used for solely combat is actually a little on the blasphemous side of things. Balance and Harmony are the touchstones of the setting. Antagonists AND protagonists alike who try to manipulate that Balance, in either direction, are why THE AVATAR exists. Not why other Benders exist. Late in The War (beyond where we’re starting) more Benders are standing up and taking action, but that’s BECAUSE The Avatar is missing / presumed dead. Such resistances are few, and ill trained/equipped because none of the other Nations were really prepared for a War of this unprecedented sort except The Fire Nation (because they started it, and prepared for it). This is why the Air Nomads were obliterated, despite having the wisest/most knowledgable bending gurus in the world. The Earth Kingdom was the stalwart hold out because they have the large Peace Keeping forces and immense population/territory... The Water Tribes divided and isolated also made for easier prey despite the advantages of their element... strategy, surprise, and people doing things that just previously AREN’T done on such a scale. A band of thieving/brigand benders? Sure. An army of trained COMBATANTS?! Previously unheard of.
USHIMA—Don’t worry about relevancy compared to other CAD’s. That leads to min-maxing/twinking to try and one up things. Make the character that can be WHO you want them to be. Weapon Masters of the era weren’t looking to one-up and defeat benders in combat. They chose their weapon, and dedicated themselves to the ART behind it. They could/would use that weapon in lieu of bending to champion their cause... MAYBE. Or to fight of brigands, or the odd angry spirit creature. But for them it WAS about the art and mastery of self— not winning a fight per say.
That said: I’m happy to roll up an Airbender if you’d prefer to work out your original concept.
The White/Red Lotus, The Chi Blockers, The Kyoshi Warriors... all VERY relevant, all largely composed of Non-Benders.
Plenty of Benders are chased off by vegetable throwing commoners, because they’re not combat gods just because they have that edge/utility.
In the last A:tLA game that I'm aware of on the site I played a Waterbender who specialized in applying Firebending to his technique, which is pretty much the extent of someone learning other bending styles. You can apply the philosophy, and possibly the technique to your own element, just like Dhark said.
That said.. how about a Yuyan Archer who's on the run from the Fire Nation? I think that could be a really fun concept in this time period.