Path towards Harmony [AU Legend of Korra Quest]

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X] Believe in Rika's training and switch to Fox's Wedding Dance.

Korra vs The Dragon Lady! Part 2 (Month 10, part 15)​

You rise, flames in your hands. She rises, flames in her hands.

You take another deep breath. Okay. You'll switch over to Fox's Wedding Dance. You're comfortable enough with it to use it in a battle now. Those soft and flowing movements... they'll allow you to take control of your opponent's flames and turn them against her, and better control the flow of the battle.

At least, that's the hope.

But first, you need to keep her from generating lightning that could break up your flow.

Thankfully, the Dragon Lady obliges by blasting out fireballs from her hands, and you counter with your own. The fireballs burst in the center of the arena like a display of fireworks, and the crowd cheers and applauds you both. You smirk. If they want a show, you can give them something even better than that!

You stop firing back with fireballs, and begin to weave between them.

No! More than that! You sweep out your arms and take control of several of the flaming balls, swing around, and send them back at the Dragon Lady! Unsurprisingly, she leaps up to dodge them, and you breathe out flames at her. She counters back with her own... but while you can sink into the ground, she can't push back against the air.

Unfortunately for you, she realizes what you're up to just before you can push her out of the ring's airspace. She drops her flame breath and ducks down. When you sweep your flame breath to follow her, she sweeps its leading edge around to cut through the middle, and you call off your attack.

For a moment, both of you are still while the crowd is roaring even louder.

You then get into a stance halfway between offense and defense, similar to what you'd use if you were Water-bending instead... and you're surprised that the Dragon Lady does the same thing.

"Fox's Wedding Dance, huh?"

You nod.

"Not my preference, but Rika loves it."

She chuckles.

"Show me what you can do, Avatar Korra!"

She kicks out circles of flames at you. Taking a deep breath, you spin and cancel out one with a kick of your own, and swings the others around you to make a ring of flames. You slowly walk towards the Dragon Lady while blasting out attacks from your stored fire, forcing her on the defensive. She ducks and evades them all by the time you've run out, but now you're in the center of the ring while she's still near the edge.

Doesn't mean you're in the clear though.

You feel something crackle in the air and barely side-step yet another burst of lightning. Disoriented, by the time you get up, the Dragon Lady is back in your face, dual wielding flame swords again. However...

"Huh!?"

...you're learned your lesson from last time. You rip out the flames from her hands and turn them into a lash that she's forced to dodge. You then leap in, abandoning form, and just going for straight punches and kicks. She trades blows with you for a bit, but once it's clear that you can hit harder then her, she backs up and blasts lightning directly in front of you, keeping you at bay.

Breathing heavily, you get back into a form from the Fox's Wedding Dance.

The Dragon Lady, however, gets into a more aggressive stance, and then starts shooting flames at you again. You swing around most of them, and take hold of the rest combining them into a larger and larger ball of flame... if everyone wants a show, you'll give them a show! Here's something they won't forget!

When the Dragon Lady sees what you're doing, she stops sending flames your way and instead charging up more lightning. Alright then. You send more flames into your great fireball yourself. Once it's bigger than two of you standing on end, you launch it at her...

...and the Dragon Lady responds with the biggest burst of lightning you've ever seen...

...and the word explodes in a burst of light and heat...

.

.

.

"Mmmmm..."

"Hey, she's waking up!"

"Lady Korra! Lady Korra!"

...Asami and Biyong... wait, but they're not allowed in the ring...

"Ughhh..."

You slowly open your eyes and look around. Looks like you were taken backstage to that lounge area. You're resting on the couch. Oh, and Vanra is here now too, along with Rika and the Dragon Lady. The Dragon Lady is, however, mask-less now, and she looks so much like a young Azula, down to her piercing golden eyes, that it's kind of uncanny. You also note that she's standing around while you're like this, and a sinking feeling emerges in your gut.

"Hey, don't look like that!" she says. "It was tie."

...

"...A tie? How?"

A faint blush emerges on her face. "Uhhhh... we may have gone a bit overboard with that last attack, hehehe... the explosion blew us both out of the ring. I woke up first, but it didn't matter."

Your mom and dad then walk in, along with the other members of the Four Flames.

"Dear! You're up!"

Your mom then runs up to you and gives you a big hug.

"Mom!"

"You did great, dear!"

"...Thanks..."

The group hangs out, waiting for you to finish recovering. As it turns out, despite you not actually beating her, the Dragon Lady – whose real name is Yoko – is still willing to train you in lightning generation anytime you wish, and tells you to seek her out later. She then teases Rika over the fact that you didn't actually beat her, and Rika swears that she'll get you up to a level where you can take down Yoko no problem. Frankly, if you weren't exhausted by that fight, you'd be down to get training right now... but that can come later.

Vanra and your dad also tell you about what happened with them and the Water Unionists. During the protest at the embassy of the Northern Water Tribe, several representatives from both the People's Council and Province's Council came by and denounced Unalaq's tendency towards absolutism and his takeover of the South. They demanded that he reverse course as soon as possible, and of course, the diplomats rejected them. When the representatives pushed, the diplomats did not bend, and in the end, a state of war was declared.

In this way, the Harmonic Republic was now a player in the struggle within the Water Tribe.

You want to help... but you're still dealing with Raava and Vaatu.

But then again, maybe those two spirits and the sages are connected with your uncle somehow.

Only one way to find out.

(Optional vote: In addition to News and Rumors, I'd like to write an extra sidestory from several PoVs. Choose one element.)
[] Air
[] Earth
[] Fire
[] Water

QM Note: Next week will be News and Rumors.

 

[Eternal_0bserver]

Double Knockout, huh? It was really cool.

[X] Fire

 

[karmaoa]

[X] Earth

 

[w34v3r]

[X] Water

Someone needs to vote for air next so we can have the reverse avatar cycle.

 

[Taijutsu_]

Someone needs to vote for air next so we can have the reverse avatar cycle.

Click to shrink...

Luckily for you, I've been very curious as to the state of the air acolytes since the end of the last quest and was already going to vote for them.

[x] Air

 

[w34v3r]

Now we just need to figure out where metal and electric go... Also learn to bend them.

 

[Solarstream]

News and Rumors (Month 10 Sidestory)​

A Light in the Darkness! – Near the end of the month, Avatar Korra restored the Southern Lights and the Spirit Forest at the South Pole, as well as dispelled the Everstorm that was preventing people from accessing the interior of the Southern Ice Sheet. When asked, Korra was unusually unwilling to share details of what exactly she did, stating that it was 'Avatar business'. Rivris and Unalaq similarly did not share details, but were quite grateful for what the Avatar had done.

Strife at the South Pole! – On the other hand, the continued trend of absolutism on Unalaq's part has finally led to a reprisal on the part of the citizens of the Southern Water Tribe. Members of the Water Unionists and the Anti-Spirit Leagues, as well as members of other groups and various unaffiliated individuals, led a demonstration in the southern capital that turned into a riot and then a revolt, aided by many southern soldiers and northern defectors. The capital is now in control of an oppositional United Front, while the ocean remains in control of the Water Tribe Navy. That said, the declaration of war by the Harmonic Republic on the Water Tribe means that naval support in on the way, though it remains to be seen how the relatively untested Harmonic Navy handles warfare against a skilled opponent.

A New Factor!? – As if the Southern Earth Republic's civil war could not get more complicated, a new faction has emerged. Defectors from the Red Lotus have joined up with peasant leaders to form a so-called "Green Lotus" and have made successful pushes against the armed forces of Tu Zin in the east where they're based. However, they are cut off from all support from the western rebels by Tu Zin itself, and the Northern Earth Republic army that would otherwise be willing to aid them is busy fighting elsewhere.

Terror from Tu Zin! – As for Tu Zin, the government has made three decisive plays. First, Shozaro, one of Azula's sons and the former Chief Executive of the Southern Earth Republic, has stepped down and has been replaced with a native Earth-bender, though Shorazo apparently remains a prominent figure. Second, they have signed a peace treaty with the autonomous Si Wong provinces, and have pulled out all their troops from the vast desert... though the borders remain fortified. Third, they have directed their armies to march on Gaoling to the west and the "Green Lotus" to the east, while having the army remnants north of the desert continue to hold down their northern enemies and having the navy continue to support the pro-SER puppet government. It's clear from this that while they're willing to give up on some ambitions, the desire for domination has not been vanquished.

The Strong Spirits of Omashu! – Omashu, meanwhile, has dealt with no military threats. Instead, a faction of the Red Lotus, led by Zaheer himself, snuck in and attempted to assassinate not just the King, but many of his supporters. In a stunning turn of events, the attempt to cripple the monarchist movement by and large failed due to aid from friendly spirits. Indeed, according to reports, Zaheer was outright defeated by the combined efforts of "New King Bumi", as he's sometimes called, and a mountain spirit. However, Zaheer's body was not found, so it isn't clear if the terrorist was slain or not. His companions were either all captured or killed, even if they did manage to take out their target. Many who would otherwise oppose the new king are now at least willing to consider siding with him, including many workers' associations within Omashu.

Burned-down Phoenix...!? – A major scandal has broken out in Phoenix City due to the investigative efforts of Azula, many ex-Equalists, and local journalists and detectives. The extent of the Order of the Golden Phoenix conspiracy reached further than anyone could have expected at first, and multiple members of the Phoenix City Council and Phoenix City Community Police were implicated by the new information. The delegates on the council were immediately recalled and new elections were held for their replacements. In the meantime, several members of the OGP managed to escape the wave of arrests and fled to the countryside, where Azula and several ex-Equalists are now working with the locals to track them down. But it seems that the Order is now on its way out... at least, it's hoped that this is the case!

Light and Dark Clashes! – Despite the orders from Avatar Korra, light and dark spirits continue to bring their fighting into Republic City. This time, the damage was done in Tiger Ward. The Avatar herself was not available to render aid, having gone to the Spirit World instead. While it is not clear what the goal of her trip was, it is clear that her father and two of her friends rendered aid in her stead, and the combined efforts of them and the locals was enough to drive the hostile spirits back out of the ward. That said, the continued attacks have led to the worrying formation of small "Anti-Spirit Leagues" within Republic City, though they remain limited in impact and influence.

Flight from the Flames! – According to Flames of Liberty, an anarchist newspaper formerly based in the Fire Nation that has since relocated to Yu Dao, there has been a mass exodus of various socialists from the Fire Nation to the west coast of the Harmonic Republic. The reason? An uncovered plot to kill Fire Lord Izumi! While there is no evidence linking any particular organization to the plot, it's been clear by the actions of the police and reports from the popular press who is being blamed. That said, some nominally socialist organizations are now aligning themselves in favor of the purge, and the movement has been split apart. It seems likely, based on denunciations of the purges issued by Gaoling and the "Green Lotus", that the Fire Nation will only aid Omashu in the civil war, if it aids anyone at all.

Autonomy Denied! – Attempts by the Foggy Swamp tribe and the Triple Island Alliance to regain their autonomy have been stymied recently. The border dispute between Omashu and Goaling over who had control over the area was resolved by Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and Toph Beifong with both territories retracting their claims... only for the Water Tribe Navy to move in, claiming dominion over all Water Tribes, sparking new tensions. Similarly, the liberationist movement of the Triple Island Alliance, now headed by Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, was running into issues taking down the puppet government now that the Water Tribe Navy had pulled support. Efforts by former Fire Lord Zuko to negotiate a peace had also been forcefully rejected. Recently, a militant splinter group of the Air Nomads, headed by a young woman named Yango, had arrived to the scene to join the fighting. The Air Nomads in general were split between the many conflicts, rendering aid to those in need, while Tenzin was allegedly in the Spirit World, seeking wisdom and guidance...

QM Note: Main update will not be next week, but the week after. Extra side-stories will drop during the week over the next two weeks.

 

[w34v3r]

This is why we need more avatars.

 

[Solarstream]

plan for the next few updates:

probably tomorrow = ~Air and Earth~

hopefully next tuesday = ~Fire and Water~

saturday after next = Month 11, part 1 (which I can hopefully keep to 10 parts... we'll see)

 

[Solarstream]

~Air and Earth~ (Month 10 -> Month 11 Sidestory)​

Air Temple Island

The autumn air was light and chill beneath cloudy skies. The sea breeze flowed across the island, spinning paper fans and sounding wind-chimes. One of the many monks paused from sweeping the leaves from the courtyard to look up and watch a cloud drift by.

He considered it briefly, before returning to his light work. It may rain later. But he was certainly not the only one who would notice, so the rain catchers would be out soon. Even without true Air-bending, he had observed the sky enough to recognize the signs of changing weather.

He used to wonder why he had not been chosen back on that day to gain Air-bending powers.

Now, he no longer worried about it. Tenzin had seen fit to take the bulk of the new Air-benders away to recreate the old lifestyle. That wasn't for him. The mild lifestyle of maintaining the old grounds was better suited for him. Thankfully, the strife in Republic City and Phoenix City had yet to affect any of them. Some had chosen to assist – and good for them, he thought – but he was not among them.

Just as well. What was he supposed to do against conspiracies and evil spirits? Better to leave that to more energetic people like the Avatar and those ex-Equalists!

He chuckled lightly to himself, heard the sound of a ready teapot, and returned to the Temple, beckoned by several other monks.

Triple Island Alliance

"You ought to be thanking me for coming here to help you!"

"Thank you!? We didn't ask for your help!"

"Well, you sure could use it!"

"Why, you...!?"

Someone coughed loudly, and the person cut themselves off.

The person who was about to yell was in typical Air Nomad robes, as were several others surrounding them, muttering to each other. The other person in the argument was wearing a casual mostly-green outfit, and so were many of their companions. Notably, while most of the 30 or so Air Nomads had Air-bender tattoos, only one member of the six-person-strong green-clad group did.

The person who coughed was an old man from the Water-Tribe, clad in a warrior's outfit from the South, who was sitting at a round-table alongside the two arguers.

"Sokka, I understand that we need all the help we can get," said the Air Nomad woman. "However, I must insist that someone like Yango who rejects basic Air Nomad principles is not someone that we can work with personally." Several of the other Air Nomads murmured their agreement.

"I understand that you don't like me, but that has nothing to do with what we're here to accomplish. We're all in agreement that Tu Zin's puppet government needs to go. You can help in your way and we'll help in ours," retorted Yango. Her group all agreed with her quite boldly and loudly. "We won't cause you any problems."

"You're the problem here..." muttered the Air Nomad. Yango frowned and narrowed her eyes.

Sokka glanced between the two and spoke up. "I don't expect you all to suddenly become best friends. However, we need to be able to work together so that we can win this war. That said, Yango and her squad will be on the frontlines while you Air Nomads will continue to provide support from the back."

The Air Nomad nodded. "That sounds fine by me."

Yango nodded as well. "Great! Glad to help, Sokka!"

"Good to have you. That'll be all, everyone."

The Air Nomads then proceeded to file out of the room, several of them giving Yango's group annoyed looks. But Yango either didn't see them or didn't care, as she immediately went over to her group and started chatting with them. Sokka noticed that of the six, Yango and three others were originally from the Earth Continent, one was a Fire Islander, and the last was of the Water Tribe. He briefly wondered how they met, before putting the matter off and calling her back over before she could walk off.

"Here's something else you should know. We have reports of a company of Tu Zin's Air-benders heading over to support their allies. They'll likely be here in a few days."

Yango and the others were shocked.

"Huh!? How could an Air-bender possibly support Tu Zin!?" asked one of her group.

"Right..." said Yango. "We split because we didn't want to follow Tenzin anymore, but we still do Air Nomad things. That's something else entirely!"

"Some of the other splinter groups became common bandits. We think it's one of those groups." Sokka sighed. "I'm astounded they can even use their abilities given that... but then, Zaheer exists. Regardless, can I count on you to take them down?" asked Sokka. "They could become a real problem."

Yango's group saluted Sokka, and agreed to the mission.

"You can count on us!" she declared.

Zaofu

The first thing that anyone who visits Zaofu comments on is its design.

The city itself is totally planned by Suyin Beifong and her City Council, and the one thing that's never changed over the years is the massive metal flower petals surrounding the city. They were meant to be used as a line of defense, forming an impenetrable shield in case of bandit attacks, but they're now simply a massive art installation, the largest in the world, with carvings that grow more and more intricate as Suyin continues to fiddle with them.

Kuvira, riding in on an ostrich-horse, can't help but smile at it. It's her home alright. No matter how much time she spends in Republic City, she always looks forward to returning. She greets the guards as she enters, leaves her trusty steed in a nearby stable, and boards one of the many train lines to get where she needs to go.

True, she could have simply sent Suyin and the others a letter... but it had been a while since she'd last seen them. And now that she was going to fight in a volunteer brigade alongside the forces from Gaoling, she had no idea when she would see them next. Could be months, could be years... could be never.

But she won't let that last one come true.

When she arrived at the Beifong estate, it was just as modernist and shiny as she remembered. Unsurprisingly, most of the family was out and about since they had work to do, and normally she would have just come back later that night. But there was one person there to greet her... not someone she had been expecting or was looking forward to see.

"...Opal?"

"...Hey, Kuvira."

Kuvira had decided to simply wear her warrior's outfit, and had gotten comments and support from the people she met along the way. So, she might have expected Opal to be wearing her Air Nomad robes, as the girl had been granted latent Air-bending when that odd portal was opened and join them a few years later when her abilities finally manifested. Instead, she was wearing a typical Zaofu civilian outfit, full of greens and grays, adored by all-metal jewelry. She also didn't have Air-bender tattoos.

"Did you quit the Air Nomads?" Kuvira asked, keeping her distance. "I thought they didn't let you."

Opal shook her head. "They don't make people stay. The other monks were disappointed, of course, but they understood and let me go."

Kuvira nodded. "Ah yes... that suits them, I suppose. Well, if no one else is here, then I'll..."

"W-wait, Kuvira, hold on!"

"...Hm?"

Opal fidgeted a bit before continuing. "I... I want to go with you to Gaoling!"

Kuvira frowned. "Really? You think I want to be anywhere near you?"

Opal flinched. "Err... well... with all that's been happening in the world... I didn't think it would happen, but my thoughts turned to you. I figured you'd go off and join the fighting. So..."

Kuvira raised an eyebrow. "So...?"

Opal sighed deeply, and the breeze picked up around her. "...IwantedtoapologizeforallthethingsIsaidtoyoubackthenandhelpyouout."

"...sorry, didn't quite catch that."

Kuvira smirked as Opal pouted and blurted out her apology. In truth, she had things she should apologize for too... and did so, even agreeing to take Opal along, much to the other woman's pleasure. Well, she'd need approval first, but getting that would be easy.

Surprisingly, she found the idea of having Opal around not as intolerable as she would have even a few years ago. Looks like spending so much time in Republic City with Lin and Toph (before Toph ran off to who-knows-where) was good for her after all.

Opal then invited Kuvira in, and the two women recounted the years they'd spent apart that now would allow them to actually become close.

Eastern Earth Continent

The autumn air was light and chill beneath cloudy skies. The sun was starting to set, but the green-robed man worried not. His destination – one of the many small towns in the area – awaited him just ahead.

He was not travelling on the known roads, as those were patrolled by accursed Tu Zin's soldiers. No, he wandered far from those ways, keeping all out of their sight. Just as well – if they caught him, he would certainly be killed. Unfortunately, this area lacked dense tree cover or mountains to hide in, so he simply had to move as swiftly as he could.

He stepped lightly upon the earth, trusting it to take care of him as he wished to take care of it.

He had been rewarded so far with an easy trip, and came around to the side of the village without getting noticed by hostile men. Instead, the village guard waved him in. After all, he had been expected. They have him directions to the village chief's meeting-house, and upon entering he found it to be full of activity and chatter – which ceased when he entered the room as they all turned to greet him warmly.

And he also noticed one thing immediately – a small poster, left out on a table.

It was titled simply: "An Invitation to Form Local Councils".

He, as a member of the Green Lotus, knew at once that he was in the right place, and happily told them all they needed to know about the new movement for liberation.

 

[w34v3r]

Korra: Aang should have let the the fire nation win. Then this would be Azula's problem, not mine.

Azula: Tough luck brat, I dodged that spear years ago.

Edit: Proposal we go hard into the spiritual-avatar research, the current avatar may not be the canon worm-human-archive triune, but maybe we could still make Avatars out of them. That way we'd have someone to delegate shit to.

 

[Solarstream]

Korra: Aang should have let the the fire nation win. Then this would be Azula's problem, not mine.

Azula: Tough luck brat, I dodged that spear years ago.

Click to shrink...

lol. fun fact: i am considering doing an azula-focused quest at some point... eventually. who knows when lol.

 

[Solarstream]

~Fire and Water~ (Month 10 -> Month 11 Sidestory)​

Yu Dao

The sea breeze blows lightly into Yu Dao as the days grow colder and winter approaches. Since the completion of the revolution many years ago, the city had finally known peace and had become a prosperous city where those of Earth and those of Fire could now truly be equal. And recently, more of those who were dedicated to social equality had turned up – socialist refugees from the Fire Nation.

Lee, a local man who himself had roots stretching back to Fire Island peasants, could understand quite well why they chose to come here. Staying in the Fire Islands was risky, and Phoenix City was now in turmoil. Some of the most militant among them had gone down to Gaoling or to the Triple Island Alliance to aid in those rebellions, but the bulk were not of that stripe and so remained here.

It seemed to Lee that, despite their best efforts, their attempts at a peaceful revolution had ended in failure, and they ought to go back and fight these purges... and then the government and the bosses.

Yet when he asked one of the newcomers – a woman named Ino, who was a journalist – about that, she entirely rejected his premise, as did several others. As far as they were concerned, this was a temporary inconvenience. Through their agitation, the commoners of the Fire Islands were able to exert themselves more and more, pushing back against elite rule. What did it matter then, if they specifically were not present? The movement would continue on without them.

And besides, it's not as if the islands were entirely out of reach. Their words could still go through.

They could still keep the flames of liberty lit, no matter how far from home they were.

Northern Territories of the Harmonic Republic

"It's getting dark out. We should set up camp soon."

Someone sighed. "Must we? How far can be possibly be from our destination?"

"Probably another day's walk or so..."

The same person who complained groaned out loud, only to be shushed by the six people surrounding them. They – members of the Order of the Golden Phoenix – had fled from Phoenix City under the cover of darkness a few days ago. It had become clear to the seven of them that their names would be among those unveiled during public investigation and that they'd lose what little they'd manage to keep during the revolution.

You might think that this retreat would signify that they had given up. That they had conceded the point to the socialists – that the old relations would not be returned.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Many years ago, they had been political allies with the now disgraced northern lords... or rather ex-lords, given that all the survivors of their rebellion held no land. But they and their children had not given up on a restoration of their old glory, so if their forces could just link up...! Something could be done to help out both of their causes.

It had to be the case, otherwise they were wandering in the wilderness for nothing.

At least the abundant trees, grown back over the decades, would provide cover for them as they hid.

That was the plan, anyway. Until they heard a commotion nearby – Ostrich-horses on the march!

All at once, they regathered their belongings and fled into the night, followed swiftly by local peasants and their ex-Equalist allies.

Outside the Capital of the Southern Water Tribe

As the night fell, Sira steeled herself for what was to come. She and her students had been preparing for this moment for the past month, and Korra's visit – and subsequent revealing that the students still had a lot of room to grow as benders – had only accelerated their efforts. And now, the time had come for action!

She pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked down from her vantage point at a Northern Water Tribe outpost. They had been constructed by the northern soldiers well before the capital was lost, and had proved indispensable since then. It was coated with a layer of ice on the outside, allowing the benders in the army to use it for defense. Meanwhile, the inside was mostly imported materials like metal and wood – and thus not usable to captive parties...

...such as, for example, Kya, who had recently been confirmed by an inside man to be held at this particular location. It was lightly-guarded, with only ten or so men on duty, despite the political importance of the woman held inside. Perhaps they figured that with the capital lost, no one would bother trying to rescue this one person and so resources were better spent trying to re-take the city.

Well, they would be proven quite wrong!

She, clad in a wolf warrior's outfit, at once commanded the ice to melt and form a water whip, and to knock out several of the guards. Only one fell for the surprise attack, but that was enough. They were panicked, and so reacted poorly when her students followed up and went on the attack, drawing the soldiers into a battle.

She then walked into the now undefended building, and greeted a surprised Kya.

"Sira? What are you doing here?" she asked as Sira untied her from tight ropes, having brought a bit of ice in with here.

"Kya... why wouldn't I be here? You're my friend, remember? Now come on, let's get you home! We're all waiting for you."

"But..."

"No buts! I know you went along with this peacefully so that things wouldn't get worse... well, they got worse anyway. No point in you staying here."

Kya sighed. "I suppose you're right..."

Sira chuckled. "Of course, I am! Now come on, my students need back up!"

"Your students...!?"

"Hurry up, Kya!"

"...heh. Still the same old Sira."

Kya followed Sira out of the outpost, just in time to turn the tide in the student's favor and let them escape.

Republic City

The Water Unionists had many meeting places in Republic City, as befitting their growth from the small core that persisted at the Mo Ce Coast to an organization that encompassed the majority of the Water Tribe members of the city and even had reach in the North and the South. As the night fell in Republic City one evening, one of the Unionists' working groups was having a meeting that none of them had honestly wanted to have.

See, there was a bit of problem caused by recent goings-on.

This was not referring to the major one, of course. The Water Tribe Civil War caused by Unalaq's overreach was something that this small group could not possibly hope to solve and was not attempting to solve. But the problem that Unalaq posed didn't stop other minor problems from also existing.

Such as, for example, the problem that this group wanted to solve: the place where Glacier Spirits Festival would be held this year... if it was held at all.

Normally, it would be held in the Southern capital, as a part of Unalaq's attempts to rebuild spiritual traditions there. However, that turned out to just be part of an effort for him to simply take power. The fact that the festival itself was now mostly just a bit of family-friendly fun was irrelevant; there would still be some bitterness around the event, even if the war concluded in the next month. It was more likely that the capital itself would still be a warzone by the time of the solstice, and so holding it there would not be appropriate.

So then... have it in Republic City or not have it at all?

After hours of debate there was no consensus, but the time to make preparations was looming closer and closer... they would need to make a firm decision, and soon.

But which one?

 

[w34v3r]

Yeah, Unalaq is being a dick, I wish we had time to intervene more there.

 

[Solarstream]

Korra and International Relations (Month 11, part 1)​

You, Korra, yawn as you walked down the halls of the Dragon Flats School for Young Ladies one autumn day. Despite all the chaos in the wider world, Republic City was more peaceful than it had ever been. The Order of the Golden Phoenix – a group of former Agni Kai Triad members who wanted to restore their control over Phoenix City – had been routed in a major blow to their operations. The light and dark spirits – which had been rampaging across Republic City for months – were now keeping to their agreement and staying out of the city. The mood across the city was also generally supportive of the Harmonic Republic's involvement in the Water Tribe Civil War and the Southern Earth Republic Civil War, and the opposition remained calm in their firm pacifism.

Things were calm to the point of being boring, especially since this year's season of Agni Kai duels was over. Not that this was a bad thing though... it meant you had more time to focus on dealing with Raava and Vaatu and contacting the rest of the Spirit Sages.

But for now, school.

You entered the classroom for International Relations to find that the chairs were arranged in a circle. Looks like you all will be having another group discussion...

A few minutes later, the whole class of roughly fourteen students had arrived and the teacher – an old woman who was one of the first attendees of public schools in Republic City – introduced the topic for today's discussion. Unsurprisingly, it was how the Harmonic Republic should deal with the civil strife going on elsewhere in the world.

Most of the class groaned.

"This again? It's all over the news!" complained one student.

"Yeah, do we really need to talk about it here?" asked another. "My parents argue constantly about it..."

"Now, now, girls, while it may be uncomfortable to discuss, it is important for us to do so," countered the teacher. "You are all planning, in your own ways, to improve the relations between countries, are you not?"

All of you nod. She had addressed the question to everyone but was looking mostly at you when she had asked it. As the Avatar, maintaining balance in the world – whatever that means – is primarily your responsibility... or so the White Lotus and others say. But even so, that doesn't mean that there's no role for ordinary people like the girls in this class, almost all of whom are your juniors.

"Then, we must be able to determine what improving those relations means... which means discussion."

A few students grumbled, but everyone was more willing to go along with it now.

The teacher then laid out the two ongoing scenarios... not that she needed to, since everyone knew what was happening, but to properly set-up the discussion.

Not long after the Harmonic Republic was formed after the collapse of the United Republic of Nations, the Earth Kingdom had collapsed and split into many smaller states. The Northern half was dominated by Ba Sing Se, and the Southern half was dominated by Tu Zin. However, while the new republican and populist government in Ba Sing Se was willing to distribute power outside its walls, Tu Zin was not. This state of affairs between Tu Zin and the rest of the Southern Earth Republic had contributed to major centers like Omashu and Gaoling attempting to secede in the past few months after sensing that Tu Zin had overstretched its military capacity and thus could not stop them from doing so. Omashu was attempting to re-form a kingdom while Gaoling was attempting to become a socialist republic.

Meanwhile, Unalaq, your uncle who now styles himself the King of the Water Tribes, had slowly been exerting more and more control over the Southern Water Tribe over the past decade. Recently, he had even made the move to replace the Southern Chief with a puppet of his own choosing while also sending in the Navy to prevent any resistance to this move. Predictably, this did not work and now the Southern Capital is in the hands of a mixed group of rebels, with word that the Southern Chief had been rescued and returned to her home.

"So, then, the question posed is as follows: what should the Harmonic Republic do about this state of affairs?" asks the teacher.

"Well, hasn't that already been decided?" asks one student. "We're already intervening in both conflicts. Plenty of volunteers heading south to help Gaoling, and the Navy is getting ready to fight up North."

"That's true. But... should we be? And if so, how?"

The class went silent for a bit after that, thinking the matter over.

You speak up first, naturally.

(What does Korra think of this?)
[][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is good.
-[][Intervention] (may write-in details)
[][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is bad.
-[][Intervention] (may write-in details)
[][Intervention] (write-in a more complex answer)

From there, everyone else is willing to speak.

To your surprise – though maybe it shouldn't have been – it turns out that most of the class is in favor of the interventions. The volunteer nature of the country's military and the specific causes that are being aided come up often. Only two students have major opposition, and for different reasons. One is hardline pacifist, and the other insists that we shouldn't bother helping in conflicts if it's not clear that the side we're helping could win on their own.

Someone also asks what you think of this as the Avatar, and after taking a moment to think it over, you answer like so:

(What does Korra think of her role?)
[][Avatar] The Avatar should be active in conflicts like this.
-[][Avatar] Particularly, they should be a leader in making change.
-[][Avatar] That said, they should only act when there's a clear need.
[][Avatar] The Avatar should be passive in conflicts like this.
-[][Avatar] That said, if the time comes, they should move decisively.
-[][Avatar] In fact, they should be distant and removed from things.
[][Avatar] The Avatar should be flexible, and judge based on context

And the discussion from that answer takes up the rest of class.

.

.

.

When the school day ends, you go and talk to Biyong just before she goes off to practice. She and many other student musicians are preparing for the school festival in two weeks... which presents a problem. After all, she insists on leading you to where the Golden Bird resides in the Spirit World.

She smiles at you warmly though when you bring that issue up. "Worry not, Lady Korra, I am more than able to both assist you and be ready for the School Festival!"

"Well, if you're sure... see you this weekend?"

"Yes! Farewell for now!"

She then darts away, a skip in her step, and you leave plotting out what you'll be doing until then with your free time.

(Korra does three of the following.)
[][Event] Research...
-[][Event] Raava and Vaatu (two rolls; highest goes through)
-[][Event] Mountain Spirit
-[][Event] Phoenix-Dragon
[][Event] Go talk to... (may write-in details; counts as ½ an Action)
-[][Event] ...Amon
-[][Event] ...Tarrlok
-[][Event] ...Lin Beifong
-[][Event] ...past Avatars
-[][Event] ...Air Monks
-[][Event] ...Totola
[][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 0/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[][Event] Investigate he "Anti-Spirit Leagues" with the ex-Equalists
[][Event] Assist the Water Unionists
[][Event] Call someone at the Northern Water Tribe: Unalaq / Deska and Esna (must write-in details; counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Call someone at the Southern Water Tribe: Rivris / Sira (must write-in details; counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Hang out with your friends! (specify who)
[][Event] Actually attend the Urban Gardening Club for once (counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Continue working on Spirit Projection
[][Event] (write-in; subject to QM approval)


QM Note: And we're back!

 

[w34v3r]

This is a hard talk to have isn't it? On the one hand we do want to keep an eye on this sort of thing, but how much can we speak for future avatars who may well disagree with us for valid reasons? Much less the fact that we have bigger priorities.

 

[Solarstream]

This is a hard talk to have isn't it? On the one hand we do want to keep an eye on this sort of thing, but how much can we speak for future avatars who may well disagree with us for valid reasons? Much less the fact that we have bigger priorities.

Click to shrink...

you're not being asked to speak on behalf of all avatars, just korra herself

 

[Eternal_0bserver]

[X][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is good.
[X][Avatar] The Avatar should be active in conflicts like this.
-[X][Avatar] That said, they should only act when there's a clear need.

[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 0/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Investigate he "Anti-Spirit Leagues" with the ex-Equalists

 

[w34v3r]

Keep in mind we're actively avoiding extra work right now.

[x][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is good.
-[x][Intervention] (Nations acting more like people and less like wasp-ant nests is a good thing, the almost sociopathic behavior of many nations in history is dangerous. So helping people who ask for help is almost always a good thing. Speaking personally however it is complicated, Unalaq is my Uncle, and a person I respect, who helped me. I don't want to fight him, or see him hurt, both for personal reasons, and because his expertise may be critical to ongoing issues. At the same time my Dad is on the other side of this fight, and I love him, and to be brutally honest I don't think Uncle would make a good king. His expertise is spirits, less so humans.)
[x][Avatar] The Avatar doesn't actually have a defined legal role in ... anywhere. Technically speaking I, or any avatar, could just randomly decide to go farm cow-pigs in the middle of nowhere for the rest of our lives and we'd be well within our rights to do so, or race Satomobiles, or bum around on a beach somewhere. Some of us have. The avatar, and the people around them, decide what the Avatar is responsible for. Ultimately the Avatar has a choice, and they have to keep making that choice, every day, for their entire life, every life, and it's never going to be enough for everyone because the Avatar is only ever one person at a time. I'm trying to finish school, learn more bending, and deal with this light/dark spirit nonsense. I don't know if I should be spending more time elsewhere, but today that's my choice.

[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[x][Event] Research...
-[x][Event] Mountain Spirit
[x][Event] Actually attend the Urban Gardening Club for once (counts as ½ an Action)
[x][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)

 

[Solarstream]

vote will close around Jan 21, 2022 at 6:30 PM or so

 

[Solarstream]

Adhoc vote count started by R2Walker on Jan 21, 2022 at 6:25 PM, finished with 5 posts and 2 votes.

• ---

  2 people have voted

  [X][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is good.

  • Eternal_0bserver
  • w34v3r

  2 people have voted

  [X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)

  • Eternal_0bserver
  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  [X][Avatar] The Avatar should be active in conflicts like this.

  • Eternal_0bserver

  1 people have voted

  -[X][Avatar] That said, they should only act when there's a clear need.

  • Eternal_0bserver

  1 people have voted

  [X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 0/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)

  • Eternal_0bserver

  1 people have voted

  [X][Event] Investigate he "Anti-Spirit Leagues" with the ex-Equalists

  • Eternal_0bserver

  1 people have voted

  -[x][Intervention] (Nations acting more like people and less like wasp-ant nests is a good thing, the almost sociopathic behavior of many nations in history is dangerous. So helping people who ask for help is almost always a good thing. Speaking personally however it is complicated, Unalaq is my Uncle, and a person I respect, who helped me. I don't want to fight him, or see him hurt, both for personal reasons, and because his expertise may be critical to ongoing issues. At the same time my Dad is on the other side of this fight, and I love him, and to be brutally honest I don't think Uncle would make a good king. His expertise is spirits, less so humans.)

  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  [x][Avatar] The Avatar doesn't actually have a defined legal role in ... anywhere. Technically speaking I, or any avatar, could just randomly decide to go farm cow-pigs in the middle of nowhere for the rest of our lives and we'd be well within our rights to do so, or race Satomobiles, or bum around on a beach somewhere. Some of us have. The avatar, and the people around them, decide what the Avatar is responsible for. Ultimately the Avatar has a choice, and they have to keep making that choice, every day, for their entire life, every life, and it's never going to be enough for everyone because the Avatar is only ever one person at a time. I'm trying to finish school, learn more bending, and deal with this light/dark spirit nonsense. I don't know if I should be spending more time elsewhere, but today that's my choice.

  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  [x][Event] Research...

  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  -[x][Event] Mountain Spirit

  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  [x][Event] Actually attend the Urban Gardening Club for once (counts as ½ an Action)

  • w34v3r

  1 people have voted

  [x][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)

  • w34v3r

vote closed

bonus vote from nyanarchy:

[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 0/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Actually attend the Urban Gardening Club for once (counts as ½ an Action)
[X][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)

Click to shrink...

note that i combined the write-in with the other votes since they're broadly compatible

Solarstream threw 1 100-faced dice. Reason: it's electric~! Total: 44

Solarstream threw 1 100-faced dice. Reason: ~soul connection~ Total: 57

 

[Solarstream]

Spoiler: Winning vote

Winning vote:
[X][Intervention] The Harmonic Republic's involvement is good.
-[X][Intervention] (Nations acting more like people and less like wasp-ant nests is a good thing, the almost sociopathic behavior of many nations in history is dangerous. So helping people who ask for help is almost always a good thing. Speaking personally however it is complicated, Unalaq is my Uncle, and a person I respect, who helped me. I don't want to fight him, or see him hurt, both for personal reasons, and because his expertise may be critical to ongoing issues. At the same time my Dad is on the other side of this fight, and I love him, and to be brutally honest I don't think Uncle would make a good king. His expertise is spirits, less so humans.)
[X][Avatar] The Avatar should be active in conflicts like this.
-[X][Avatar] That said, they should only act when there's a clear need.
-[X][Avatar] The Avatar doesn't actually have a defined legal role in ... anywhere. Technically speaking I, or any avatar, could just randomly decide to go farm cow-pigs in the middle of nowhere for the rest of our lives and we'd be well within our rights to do so, or race Satomobiles, or bum around on a beach somewhere. Some of us have. The avatar, and the people around them, decide what the Avatar is responsible for. Ultimately the Avatar has a choice, and they have to keep making that choice, every day, for their entire life, every life, and it's never going to be enough for everyone because the Avatar is only ever one person at a time. I'm trying to finish school, learn more bending, and deal with this light/dark spirit nonsense. I don't know if I should be spending more time elsewhere, but today that's my choice.
[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 0/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 0/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Actually attend the Urban Gardening Club for once (counts as ½ an Action)
[X][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)

Korra, Gardening, and Training (Month 11, part 2)​

After thinking about it for a moment, you turn around and head back inside the school building. You last visited the Urban Gardening Club over a week ago, which was a long time for a club that meets every day. After exiting from the back entrance, you see that several club members are out and about in what's left of the garden. The flowers have (mostly) retreated and the leaves have (mostly) fallen, but there are still some plants that need active maintenance.

Besides, it's also a nice and quiet spot to be, which is why you find five girls and Totola having tea and idly chatting. They're sitting out on a blanket, and all look quite cozy in their fuzzy coats. One of the girls notices you, drawing the attention of the rest of them in your direction.

"Well, look who it is!" she says. "The Avatar has deemed us worthy of her presence~!"

"Oh, come on, Shero! It's not like that!"

"Oh?" she asks, smirking at you as you walk over to them. "Then what is it like?"

"Well, I figured, since I am part of the club and all..."

Shero and the rest of the girls chuckle at that while Totola rolls her eyes and tells them to settle down.

"Now, now, Korra is right. She's a gardener the same as you, and she was doing quite well for herself..."

"Ha!" you interject.

"...before she started skipping so often."

You deflate and Shero smirks at you.

"That said... she is the Avatar and thus has her responsibilities. As lovely as the school garden is, that duty is her priority."

You smirk at Shero while she pouts at the two of you.

"Now girls, if you don't mind, I would like to talk to Korra one on one."

She gets up with grace and motions to you, and the two of you go for a stroll in the gardens. There's some evergreens and a few flowering plants remaining, and she leads you in that direction. You briefly notice that the rest of the girls are following the two of you instead taking tea, but you ignore them as Totola doesn't seem to be paying them any mind.

"...sorry for skipping so much," you say."

She waves your concern off. "I meant what I said. You're the Avatar and you need to handle your business. Though I must admit, I am curious as to what your business is..."

You then explain the deal with Raava, Vaatu, and the Spirit Sages to her, as well as the issues with your uncle. Her expression varies from confusion to panic to anger to concern and all sorts of others as you go on and she asks you questions about it.

"...I see."

"Yeah, so it's not like I've been gone because I want to be. I like this club! And so does Vanra."

"Oh, my dear, that was never in question... at least not for me."

She then ponders something. "I was going to ask if you perhaps wanted to help us track down the remnants of the Order of the Golden Phoenix, but it looks like your hands are full at the moment."

"Yeah... I really want to help! But there's a lot going on. Maybe if they're still causing problems by the time I'm done..."

"...I'd certainly hope we adults could settle things by then! Oh, but you're an adult now too I suppose. Oh, how the time flies by... in any case, we have a few members still in the city, not just me. Is there anything we can help you with?"

Hmmm... you think the matter over for a moment and decide that...

(This action gets the +5 Urban Gardening bonus)
[][Equalists] "You could help me do some research." (write-in for what)
[][Equalists] "Can you go and talk to this person for me?" (write-in who)
[][Equalists] "I think I could use some more training..." (write-in what kind)
[][Equalists] "Actually, you should keep doing what you're doing."

"Certainly! And do let me know if you need anything," is Totola's reply.

You smile brightly at her. "Thanks! I wish I could help out more here though."

She smiles back. "Well, the spring will come and with it the flowers. There will be plenty to do~! Now then, shall we return?"

"Yep!"

"Uhm... hold on!"

Naturally, Shero and the others had been listening in, and now come out from their (terrible) hiding places behind several trees.

Shero continues. "I, uh... look, Korra, I'm sorry about teasing you before."

You raise an eyebrow at her, while Totola tries not to look too amused. "Oh? And what might have caused your sudden change of heart?" you ask with a smirk.

Her face goes bright red. "W-well, the girls and I... might have been listening in on your conversation, hehehe~. But that's not important! I didn't know about what you were going through... so... yeah."

You briefly consider lording it over her a bit more, but decide to accept the apology instead.

You all then go back and have a lovely tea party.

.

.

.

That said, you still don't go to the club that often. The rest of the week is filled with training... or rather, meditating. Yoko and Rika insist that you start your lightning generation training with meditation, since lightning requires calm and control to generate. As such, you make no visible progress there, much to your annoyance.

That said, you also felt negative energy leaving you, and thus did more of it to try and reclaim the Avatar State. Seemed to be going pretty well so far.

However, since you spent no time actually bending anything with the two of them, you decided to also visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward. The schools are each run by one of the Elemental Unions – Earth for Earth, Fire for Fire, and Water for Water. A group called the Triple Alliance aids the three of them in keeping the schools running. You were expecting there to be more people, but it turns out that many regulars have volunteered to join the military, notably including the Fire Ferrets, a pro-bending team that used to come by regularly.

Oh well. You still get a good workout.

You also get asked if you'd like to help train some of the new kids.

[][Training] You'd love to... but not right now.
[][Training] You're not interested in that, sorry.

The teachers are disappointed but understand that you have important things to do.

...and on that note, the weekend has come, it's time to go and track down the Golden Bird!

(Korra and Biyong will definitely go. Who joins them?)
[][Trackers] (write-in)

 

[w34v3r]

Are we still missing a spirit sage?

 

[Solarstream]

Are we still missing a spirit sage?

Click to shrink...

the investigation for the Mountain Spirit failed, and the investigation for the Phoenix-Dragon hasn't happened yet

 

[w34v3r]

Ok I'm blanking on who to bring with. Asami obviously, but do we bring Senna along or not? And should we invite some fire power in the form of one of the flames or Rika? Or just say 'fuck it, I wanna BIG GUN' and bring Azula?