Kiryu

Kiryu - A Story

Written by Kiryu

This is the story of Kiryu. A waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe. In his old age, Kiryu decided to write a story of all the adventures that happened in his life. He has lived through three Avatars, was once a Water Chief and helped guide four other Chiefs during their reigns. He has seen a lot in his life, from wars to uprisings; from a dying world to a growing world. He hopes that writing this story will bring light at the end of the tunnel and those who read this will take inspiration and wisdom to not repeat the mistakes of the past, so that we may all live in peace and prosperity.

Kiryu

I was born in the cold tundras of the Northern Water Tribe, by the name of Kiryu. Raised in a small tribe, living out in the ice lands, on the outskirts of the Great Northern Water Tribe Capital, Tunuviaq (as it was known back then). It was tough living out in such a harsh climate, yet that is not to say that I had a rough upbringing. Rather, my childhood was one filled with joy, playing with the other children in my Tribe and living a simple tribal life. Life was good. I admit that back then, I was always a bit more serious than the rest of the children my age, focusing on the politics and the ongoings of the tribe and its welfare, over having a fun and careless childhood. And so, much of my time as a young boy was filled with working; going out fishing with my father (may the spirits grant him peace), or hunting the wild animals that roamed the snowy fields, in order to provide for our tribesmen.
There was a tradition within the tribe that when you reached “manhood”, there were two trials once you became of age. One was ice-dodging with your father; and the other was travelling to the Great Northern Tribe to enlist in the military, in order to serve your nation. It is a tradition that has died out, but it was one that was necessary during the times we lived in. Therefore, at the age of 16, after successfully dodging the ice in the most chaotic way possible; I readied my stuff, bid farewell to my tribe and to my parents. I departed with the other tribesmen my age, and embarked on the long journey to the Great Northern Tribe.

Northern Water Tribe Arc - Chief Kesuk

Upon reaching the Great Northern Tribe, myself and my tribesmen were greeted with open arms. The grandeur of Tunuviaq (as they called it back then, and what is now known as Aqna Q’ela) was breathtaking. It’s funny, in my young age, I was only used to living in tents and igloos made with waterbending. This city was spectacular—the architecture—the ingenious use of water to create the infrastructure of the city was truly amazing. The Great Sea Wall was strong and powerful with its looming presence, guarding the great capital of the Northern waterbenders. It brought me chills with its astounding presence. I could have spent days in awe of the city. But we came for a reason; we had to train ourselves; our mind, body and spirit in service to our tribe and the spirits, the moon and the ocean—who have protected and guided us for eons and eons. My tribesmen and I, to which I cannot remember any of their names as it was many years ago.In my old age, I struggle to remember even the most recent of faces. I remember that they are no longer with us though, taken away at a young age in service to Water Chief Kesuk. They were my tribesmen, my brethren, my brotherhood; we were closer than the snow beneath our feet. --But alas, I diverge in remembrance of my old brothers in arms. But we were taken firstly to Water Chief Kesuk at the peak of Tunuviaq. Looking down was overwhelming, seeing the entire capital city— if you were there and saw it, it was literally breathtaking. Chief Kesuk was a great man, with a wonderful mind. He was powerful and strong, a leader worthy of the title Water Chief; a leader worthy of following. His political prowess made the rest of the world leaders pale in comparison. Some might argue that Earth King Fong was greater, for he ruled with a fair and iron foot, but I don’t think anyone could have matched the ingeniousness of Chief Kesuk.
We slowly entered into the Royal Palace, the room dark and mysterious, with the sound of water flowing all around it—it was almost peaceful. But there he was, sitting on his throne. As we approached him we all bowed in respect to the Chief. He welcomed us with a big smile on his face, as if we were friends he had not seen in years.
“Welcome my brothers! Welcome to Tunuviaq, the Great Capital of the Northern Water Tribe!”
He came down from his throne, and offered us food and drink after our long journey. We sat with him, talking about our journey, our life on the outskirts of the tribe and life in general. He was a very charismatic leader and he was someone I looked up to— from the moment I met him.
As we departed from the Royal Palace, we were given an escort to show us to our housing. We were given military houses outside of the inner-city, a working schedule to train, practice and go off on missions for our Chief and tribe. The day-to-day life was mundane and tiring, but it did not compare to the life we had on the outskirts of Tunuviaq. We lived a great life, having fun and training, working our way up through the ranks. Chief Kesuk was a hands-on leader, so he would make rounds around the tribe, checking up on all the citizens and soldiers.
Personally, my telling you all the adventures I had word for word would take decades, but this is where my real journey begins. It is where I made my way up in the Water Tribe government and military. I began making ties with the other nations, specifically the Earth Kingdom, as we were in alliance with them. I remember my old friend Yung; we both became captains of our respective nations at around the same time. He is someone I would truly call a friend—whenever I would visit the Earth Kingdom on official Water Tribe business, I would make it a point to catch up with him. We would trade stories of our leaders and our missions in foreign lands. He told me of a time when he was on a mission in Fire Nation and came “face to face with death” when he came upon a family of tiger-monkeys—quick and fast little creatures, but as deadly as a Komodo-dragon. I would laugh at half the stories he would tell me, for I rarely believed them—but they entertained me to no end when I would visit him!
My missions were many, international mostly, but domestic ones as well. With my success in the military, I was even recruited into the prestigious Wolf Warriors - a secret and elite group of warriors under the direct command of the Water Chief. There, I was with my trusted old friend Junhi, a great and loyal companion, and a more capable warrior. Our missions included assassinations and espionage. They were gruesome missions, but they were for the sake of the tribe and our safety, so I took this work very seriously—some have argued that sending the Wolf Warriors was Chief Kesuk’s way of continuing the ongoing tensions with the Water Tribe and the other nations, especially as his reign was riddled with conflict after conflict.The raids we had conducted in the Fire Nation, such as the Battle of New Spire, was one for the history books—luckily for us there was a massive amount of water surrounding the island!
My biggest regret as a wolf warrior, however, was never being able to assassinate the infamous Chan of the Fire Nation. He was a slippery fellow, but he was strong and powerful in his own right, and I have come to admire him as an individual in my old age.
There was one mission that I remember as clear as the night, as if it happened yesterday, for I truly feared for my life then. I had secretly entered the Fire Nation Capital, Caldera, under disguise (orders from Chief Kesuk), to assassinate both Chan and General Shozin of the Fire Nation. My mission was to be discreet but these two individuals were tougher than a lion turtle to beat. In hindsight it was not my best mission, for I had the weapons to do the job, but I failed the moment they realised I was there. To my surprise no one else came to their rescue—the capital city was usually filled with people. I planned to blend in with the crowds, but I did not account for no one to be there—it was as if they knew I was coming…
In the Capital City, the sky was reddish-orange, with Shozin sitting by the Royal Lake by the Palace. Chan was nowhere to be seen. But I was hiding in the nearby trees, masked and geared up—to this day, there should have been no way he could have seen me. But this is where it went downhill; the moment I made my move, slowly approaching Shozin—Chan comes from behind me shooting a strong blast of fire my way. I only had time to dodge it before Shozin looked me dead in the eye with a smirk on his face, saying “Prepare yourself…”, before bringing forth the power of fire in the shape of daggers, running towards me, shooting me with fire in a vicious burst of flames—I gushed whatever water I had left in my water pouches to defend against the blasts, but he was slowly gaining ground against me. The both of them had cornered me, but luckily it was going dark and I was already by the lake. I had to make a quick decision—fight or get out while I could—but the moment I lost the element of surprise, I lost the battle—so I dived into the lake. I summoned a massive wave with the power of the moon to throw them off balance for my escape—but it was like they could read my every move since they jetted up on the highest buildings in defence against the wave. The lake was the only large mass of water in the entire city, I was literally trapped if I could not stop them—and they could see that—but I had the power of the moon on my side, I had to do something. They did not miss any opportunities to take me down though, with a huge whip of fire lashing my way—I created an icewall, the biggest I could muster in those short seconds—only for it to easily melt away with the heat of the fire—I was burned. As I began falling from the shock of the hit—thud—directly into my chest, all I felt was the heat of the fireblast taking away my breath— I got pushed away from the two of them, blasted into the water. I attempted to summon water in any possible way—but I could barely move after the last fire blast. All I could see was the two of them rushing my way before I could no longer see underneath the darkness of the water. My memory is still hazy—I must have passed out at that point. But by the time I woke up, I realised I was back in the Northern Water Tribe. Junhi was by my bedside in the hospital, as I got up he smirked “finally...” —he then explained how Chief Kesuk realised there was an intelligence leak of my mission—and fearing my life, he sent in reinforcements—a small and elite group of warriors led by Junhi himself. I had never been more grateful in my life than that moment—we always had each other's backs. If Junhi had not come to back me up, I would not be alive to this day—but they were only able to save me and escape without any casualties—Shozin and Chan were still alive.
Although, those days were very adventurous during my prime—missions where I encountered life and death—but that was when I was in my early thirties, when my bones didn't ache. Those days were long past as I moved further up in the Water Tribe, focusing more on the government and day to day management of the Tribe than the militaristic aspects—mostly dealing with newer recruits and the diplomatic ties of the Water Tribe. Some historians and scholars claim that during the reign of Chief Kesuk, the Water Tribe was a military power, instigating wars against the other nations for the sake of power—and while that holds some truth, it does not highlight the fact that during that period of time, wars, asssassinations and tensions were high between all the nations. Not one nation had more than one ally and the international stage was a frightening one. The Fire Nation was no peacekeeper either, we were always at ends with them. Ah! The amount of battles I have had in the Fire Nation are more than I can count. Fire Lord Sai back then was even considered to be corrupt by his own nation—overthrown just a few years after his rise to power over allegations of so called “corruption” by high-officials in the Fire Nation. Rumour has it, at least in the Water Tribes, that the general populace just didn’t like him as Fire Lord, and so they began a coup to remove him from power under the guise of “corruption”. I remember the meeting we had that night in the Water Tribe, under the starry night sky, with the looming power of the moon on our faces— Chief Kesuk was bursting with joy— it meant an unstable Fire Nation and a chance for us to gain the upper hand against them. It was that night as well that Kesuk promoted me to Chancellor of the Water Tribe. I remember it fondly as it meant all my work had paid off—from the outskirts of the Water Tribe, to becoming the right hand man of my mentor, Chief Kesuk. It was a great honour and my first steps into the global politics of the world. I was to be regent when the Chief would go on regular trips to visit his allies in the Earth Kingdom—specifically his wife Queen Jin—and I was more than happy to hone my political powers in this sense for the foreseeable future.

The Divisions of the Great Tribes

My greatest success was becoming Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Chief Kesuk was getting old and was beginning to be unable to lead both tribes as effectively as he would have wished. I was essentially the Chief of the Water Tribe as Kesuk took many leaves of absences by this time. One other high-ranking official in the Water Tribe by the name of Seluk, realised this and decided to use it to his advantage. He began negotiations with Chief Kesuk in the separation of both the Northern and Southern Tribes—to become Chief of the South Pole and govern it as an independent nation. His reasoning was that the South was a derelict and uncarved block of ice of the Water Tribe. It was probably one of Kesuk’s greatest regrets, focusing mostly on the Northern Tribe during his lifetime. But Seluk was on his knees in the Royal Palace—myself next to Chief Kesuk—the room was dark and gloomy. I could see the distaste on Kesuk’s face, but he had no reason to say no, for Seluk made valid points. Seluk was very close in obtaining his wish and the chiefdom of the South Pole. But I could not allow this to happen despite believing that Seluk would make a fine Chief. I interrupted Chief Kesuk, in anger, voicing my opinion on the matter—Seluk was just as surprised as Kesuk was, for I had never spoken out of turn to the Chief. But this was a turning point in the history of the Water Tribe—how could he allow Seluk to lead the South Pole when I was his right hand man? In the moment I was filled with rage and shock—did it not make more sense to order me to lead the South as his right hand man? It would have meant that the tribes would stay close together in their relations—which would create a more stable and powerful nation as both tribes supported the other—sister tribes, both watched over by the same spirits; the moon and the ocean, Tui and La.
But Kesuk did not say a word. He did not even look me in the eyes at this point as I towered over him in protest. But I could see the thinking going through Chief Kesuk’s mind, weighing the potential benefits and cons of my protest before dismissing both Seluk and I from his chambers while he pondered on the subject. It was weeks before Kesuk later stated in a decree that he will grant the separation of the South from the North—thus making history, but will only allow the tribes to be split once he had found a “suitable leader”. He eventually gave in and granted me my request, and I became the Southern Water Chief, to the displeasure of Seluk. With that, I soon departed to the South and Seluk disappeared from the Water Tribe. I was probably in my forties at this point—focused on rebuilding the South to its former glory before its initial destruction by the Fire Nation in search of Avatar Aang. I worked tirelessly, hiring architects and constructors to develop the new Southern Water Tribe—worn down after many years of not being cared for—even after all the work that Pakku of the North and of the White Lotus put into it. I aimed to build up the unkept infrastructure of the South, establish a new military and various other projects in order to develop the South as a successful and stable nation. What I had built upon is what was known as Harbour City, the Capital of the Southern Water Tribe. It was one of my greatest achievements.

The Beginning of the South’s Independence

The South Pole, before I had departed to it, was derelict, empty—just a snowy tundra. It had been years before anyone touched it. Chief Kesuk only focused on the North and in the process the South was left an empty shell of its former glory. I took it upon myself to build this nation from the ground up. The South thrived under my leadership. I take great pride in what I was able to accomplish during my time as Chief. It was not easy, but the South became a nation in its own right and I am proud to call it my second home—the South was and still is my baby—and no one can take that away from me. My initial aims were to create political ties with the other nations—this is mostly because the South was a baby-nation, it would have been easily bullied during this period. I wanted to create strong alliances, friendly relationships rather than antagonising ones. The North was already one of the most hated nations on the world stage, but I did not want that for the South, for if I did, it would not exist today.
I had deliberated many days and nights in the South, thinking of the best way to develop this nation. It already had people living there, but they were a small community. I had gathered them together and discussed what we could do as a Tribe together, in order to flourish. A young man, who could not be more than twelve years of age voiced his opinion “Sir, Kiryu…. We don’t have enough supplies to build the South up, it’s empty and with nothing for us to build from.. what can we do..?” I smiled at this young man, for although he was young, he had the right attitude. I explained that creating the first alliance with the Fire Nation was something that had not historically been done before with a Water Tribe, and that it would be beneficial as the Fire Nation had the resources we required.. It was also a move that guaranteed the South as a world power. Looking around the room, no one was in opposition and they all agreed with me. I could see it on their faces that they had accepted me as their Chief at this point, and I was glad that they had accepted me.
When it came to fruition, it became a historical alliance—The Alliance of Fire and Water.The Fire Nation was strong and powerful, full of pride and loyal to their allies. I would not have wanted any other nation by my side. What is more shocking, however, is that at this time, the Fire Lord was Chan, the very man whom I had hunted down years before as a young Wolf Warrior under the command of Kesuk. Fire Lord Chan was initially against the alliance, for there was a chasm of resentment between the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation. But I had not given up , I had sent several telegrams to the Fire Lord, explaining the benefits of aiding the South in its development and as a strong ally. He was a fair man and after a few months realised that the South was taking a different route from that of the North and decided it was a worthy venture. Chan and I developed a strong friendship with our nations allied after that, and that carried on for years after the inauguration of Fire Lord Azula. She was a strong-willed woman with fire burning in her eyes. She was not someone to be messed with; and that is what made her a great ally. But this was only the first step in protecting and developing the South—I further created an alliance with Earth King Yung, my old and powerful friend. His reign was plagued with many internal issues, but he had the Earth Kingdom’s best interests at heart, and I don’t want history to see him as a false leader; for he was great in his own right.
I remember when I had written a message to the world leaders regarding the South as an established nation, just a few years after taking leadership. But it could not have been accomplished without the help of the people from the South and their love for their Tribe.
“The Southern Water Tribe has had a very eventful history and saw times of both prosperity and decline. And many years back, when the Tribe was still under the power of the North, we faced a devastating age of decline. Our Tribe was ignored and left for the snow – our people were forced to immigrate to the North just to survive. However, that age did not last as long as it could have. Among the Northerners, there was one man who questioned the authority of Chief Kesuk, and strongly voiced his opinion on the independence of the Southern Tribe and the negligence on the North’s side. And after careful consideration, the South gained its independence and has since been working towards a better, more prosperous nation…
Now, after years of hard work and careful planning from the citizens of the Tribe, the South has thrived into a great nation that is respected throughout all four realms of the world. The Tribe now boasts of its beautiful capital, Harbor City - which is located on the southern shores of the South Pole – and has developed a unique culture that differs from the North or that of the Foggy Swamp; their military is strong and proud, as is their skill in commerce, and mastery over water. The nation is friendly and joyous, like a big family, and it is that which has turned this Tribe from nothing, into something, and has attracted many across the world; especially into a part of the world where rarely anyone dares to step foot in.” - Chief Kiryu of the Southern Water Tribe
With the success of the South as a nation, however, with more and more waterbenders migrating to assist in the development of this small nation, tensions began to rise between the North and South. The reasons for it are valid, as waterbenders saw hope and potential in the South, as the North was slowly dying and losing its hold on the world stage. An alliance between the North and South was therefore something that Chief Kesuk and I had devised in order to prevent any potential conflicts that would arise from the growing mistrust and hatred from each sister tribe—The United Tribal Alliance. It was the least I could do for my old friend, Chief Kesuk.
He had come to visit me in my palace and explained his grievances. If he had come demanding the terms of the alliance, I would have shown him the door—for even though I owed him plenty, I had a nation on my shoulders, and my focus was for it to grow to its potential and not be held down by a nation slowly falling on its knees by an aging Chief. But, he had come with an open mind and we spoke of the old days, the days we drank the nights away under the moon.We talked about the love of the Water Tribes we both shared, and the success we could both share with a strong alliance between the Tribes to ensure that both nations thrive together, arm in arm.
The South developed into a proud nation, with a great community to back it up. We had become a commercial hub, with traders and merchants coming from all corners of the world. This led to a lack of need for an official military, and so the Southern Militia was established, alongside the guilds and Council of the South—all of which adding to the success of the South as a nation in its own right—and I am proud of that. But, that is not to say I was the perfect Chief, one of the main reasons I kept the peace was that I did not believe the South would win in any conflict—nor did I look out for enemies as Chief Kesuk had done. The South had developed itself as a separate entity from that of the North, and the world leaders recognised that. I learned from Kesuk’s past mistakes and created a nation that was loved by all the other nations. To this day, no leader from that time would say that the South was a nation they hated.
A quote from Iroh of the Fire Nation highlights the South specifically the best “"The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

The Cracked Ice in the North

During this time, there was a long absence of Chief Kesuk due to unknown reasons, many of us in the South assumed it was due to some health issues that we did not know of. The South and North were far apart, and as chief, I would have been unable to travel far to see my old friend and mentor. The South needed me more than ever as I quickly expanded throughout the South Pole—ordering new towns to be built, as well as forts.

However, news travels fast, and we had gained some insight on an uprising with the Northern Tribe. Chief Kesuk was shamelessly stripped of his power due to his inability to stop what was going on. The same man who I stopped gaining power within the South, had a foothold within the Northern Water Tribe after establishing himself in the United Republic of Nations. He returned to the North and built himself up again within the tribe—slowly gaining his own personal influence to the point that he was able to remove Kesuk as Chief—thus becoming a Chief in his own right. Just as quickly as he gained power, he also forsook it—during his reign he gained an alliance with the Fire Nation under Fire Lord Chan, but also destroyed the strong and lasting alliance that the North historically had with the Earth Kingdom. But this spoke of his leading capabilities—one should not burn their bridges of those who have been by their sides for years—for it was a move of the foolish.

With a joint effort between myself, Fire Lord Chan, Earth King Yung and President Saji, we petitioned for Chief Seluk to step down from the throne in good faith. An excerpt from the document states:

“On behalf of the Southern Water Tribe, Chief Kiryu, United Republic of Nations, President Saji, Earth King, Yung, and I, Fire Lord Chan, peacefully request that you relinquish your power over the Northern Water Tribe. It is understood that your intentions as a leader are in the best interest of your Tribe. Though your performance as Northern Water Tribe Chief has been nothing short of noble, your actions as leader have proven fruitless, as is evident in the deserted cities of the northern glacier.”

Our intention was to ease the conflict within the North—there were many discussions surrounding this uprising by all world leaders at the time. I myself had sent several telegrams to my ally, Fire Lord Chan, in gaining his advice on this matter—and we were of the same opinion. Chief Kesuk was someone with experience, but in his absence he was unable to lead his nation effectively, which gave rise to unrest among the masses in the tribe. Seluk was a brave man who only wanted what was best for the Northern Tribe. His methods, however, were unsavoury and was disliked by the international community. But it created havoc among the nations as the stability of the Northern Tribe was hanging on thin ice at this point,—with both sides fighting for what they thought was right. Among us world leaders, we believed that the throne was rightfully Kesuk’s and therefore we petitioned for Seluk to step down in the process.

However, after much deliberation, we were successful—to some extent. Chief Seluk did not give in to the demands of Chief Kesuk or the other World Leaders, rather, he held an election for the next Water Chief, to which Reishi—a young and rising warrior, whom I did not have the pleasure of meeting— emerged as the victor. It was a tight win, and reading the news all the way from the South Pole was one of the most difficult moments of my life—away from the action and being unable to help my mentor. But Reishi was a crafty fellow, and I remember Kesuk telegramming me his plans to take the throne back.

This is a piece of the document written by Kesuk after only a few days of the Northern Elections:

“Last night, Seluk announced to the nation that Reishi emerged victorious in the elections for the 6th Chief of the North. The newly crowned chief gave a brief speech at his coronation, but he made history when he became the second man in the Water Tribes to return the crown to a former chief. After seven months of revolt and waiting, I have at last returned to my rightful place on the throne as head of the Northern Tribe. Though this is already in effect, I promote Reishi to the position of Chancellor, Kaito to the position of Grand Admiral, Junhi to the position of Advisor to the Crown, and Izabel to Governor of Nanilaaq. Additionally, by order of the Crown, Seluk is henceforth banished from these lands for treason, corruption, and crimes against the state, never to return. Should he set foot on our shores, he will be killed on sight”.

The Reuniting of the Great Tribes

After the events within the Northern Tribe, as well as rising difficulties in the South itself, I began realising that two divided Water Tribes gave way to a fruitless and weakened Water Tribe as a whole, in both the South and North. As I have stated before, although the South was a strong and stable nation, it did not have the military power to defend itself in the case of conflict. The North was struggling to keep citizens happy and many migrated to the South in the process, creating bitter resentment between the two sister tribes and instability in the process, as the balance between North and South was wavering. But despite all of that,I believed I did all I could as Chief, and that I was no longer capable of moving the South forward. I brought it from the ground up and developed it as a strong nation with international ties across the various nations. By this time, I was in my eighties—I was old and would have been unable to continue. Chief Kesuk had passed away shortly before, living a long and successful life as Chief. My only wish at this point was to step off the world stage and live in peace, hidden somewhere in the South Pole—in a mountain with my trusted steeds.
I had discussed my plans with Lady Azula of the Fire Nation, for she was someone I trusted fully—she was the second wife of Chief Kesuk and was powerful in her own right as Fire Lord. We concluded that the Water Tribes divided caused more harm than if they were united as one strong nation. After all, one body of water is stronger than the same divided in two; so we planned to unite the tribes under one banner, the Water Tribe—once again. And with Chief Kesuk’s passing, Fire Lord Azula was made head of the Northern Water Tribe until she found a worthy successor to the throne.
We decided that on the date when the “night was longer than the day” that we would unite the Tribes. As I stepped down, I established an election between my right hand man, Sokka, and another tribesman, Aquutaq of the South. To my surprise, Aquutaq took the lead and was declared probationary Southern Chief—this meant that I reserved the executive powers as Chief, but Aquutaq ran the tribe, a month ahead of the Winter Solstice. The same was done by Fire Lord Azula in choosing my old trusty friend—Junhi—to lead the North as probationary Northern Chief. The agreement, and signed by the both of them, myself, and Fire Lord Azula, was that whoever led their tribe better by the Winter Solstice was to become the new Chief of the united Water Tribes.
An excerpt of the document detailing the agreement for Junhi is seen below:
“Junhi will be put on probation to see if he is fit to lead the nation. In one month the probation will end, and at the end of that one month the two tribes will merge and become one, with either Junhi leading or whoever is leading the Southern Water Tribe.” -Fire Lord Azula
There was much discussion on whether merging the tribes was a worthy venture to continue or not, but I have to say that divided, we are weak, and together we are stronger—and I still stand by that today. The decision of myself and Fire Lord Azula was one of constant deliberation before concluding that it would be for the better of the Tribes
A month went by, and with that, the Water Tribe Chief was decided to be Junhi of the Northern Water Tribe. He displayed a strong will to lead his nation to newer and greater heights and I would not have had it any other way. Junhi was an old friend, and I knew his abilities well. He was old like myself, so his reign would not have lasted long, but he was willing to do whatever it took to create a new and stronger Water Tribe.
Shortly after his inauguration as Chief, I disappeared; hidden away in the South Pole, and sometimes venturing around the world for nearly two decades...

Chief Nakari and the Rebels

Chief Nakari was someone who I always admired as a great waterbender. He was an admiral during my time in the Northern Water Tribe. This man was a great strategist with a brilliant mind when it came to the military. But upon return from my long break from the world, I returned to the Northern Water Tribe, to bid my congratulations to Chief Nakari. He was surprised that I was still alive—as I had disappeared without saying a word. Rumours spread of my death—potentially assassinated—so it was a shock to see me return to the Water Tribe. As I walked into his chamber with my walking stick tapping the hard snowy surface of the room, he stood up in disbelief “K-k-iryu-u..!”. I smiled at him and with open arms gave him a hug, “Nakari, I am glad to see you well, it has been forever, my young friend...” He offered me his hand and led me to his throne to sit. We discussed what the Water Tribe had been through while I was gone. He explained there were a few chiefs before him, while I was living out in the mountains in the South Pole. I cannot remember what had happened to my old friend Junhi, but Chief Nakari said that he had passed away a few years later before the next Chief was decided. I briefly recall that Chief Nakari mentioned that he succeeded Chief Tornak, someone who I was never close to in the Water Tribe. He was much younger than myself, and I am sure he was a great chief during his reign.
However, what surprised me the most with Chief Nakari while we were discussing the Tribes, was that I was offered chancellorship as his right hand man. I could not believe that I was still known in the Tribe any longer as I had disappeared for almost 20 years, meditating and living a simple life. With some small restructuring of the government, I was given the title “Elder” of the Water Tribe. At this point in my life I was getting old, and “elder” described me perfectly. But as the advisor once again to the Water Chief, I aimed to do my job diligently, giving Nakari advice whenever he needed it, but I kept my distance with the daily ongoings of the Water Tribe.
Within a couple years of being by Nakari’s side, tensions began to rise in the Water Tribe, with an upsurge of newer and younger upstarts joining the military and the government. Chief Nakari was having a difficult time dealing with them to the point that they threatened rebellion, citing in declaration against him:
“In light of several unsuccessful attempts to request Chief Nakari's peaceful descent from power and a new Nation Leader, the Water Tribe is hereby declaring civil war against Nakari and those who stand for him, turning over a leaf for the tribe and bringing about future positive changes.” - Maniluuq of the Water Tribe
I remember the talks clearly with the rebels on one side feeding me information and Chief Nakari on the other side trying to defend his position. I agreed with some aspects of the rebellions, but I also felt sympathy for Chief Nakari on the other. I attended talks from both sides, listening to the rebels as well as Chief Nakari.
I don't blame Chief Nakari for his decisions, he was a great leader. However these younger tribesmen were beyond our times. Nakari and I rose up in the same Water Tribe under Chief Kesuk, and we wanted it to be as Kesuk did it - for his policies worked. But with newer and younger minds, the older ones are slowly pushed away from relevance.
Regardless, the rebellion worked to some degree as Chief Nakari stepped down from the throne. However, he played the rebels in the most ingenious way—not giving in to their demands of a chief of their choosing, but chose Avatar Ullaq as his successor. This was a power-move by Chief Nakari as he established that the rebels would not have any control over himself or the next chief. Ullaq accepted Nakari’s request and raised to the throne of the Water Tribes; albeit without a caveat of losing Raava’s light spirit in the process— for a world leader should not hold so much power—in order to keep the balance of the nations in check.

The Duty of Chief Ullaq

With Ullaq as Chief, came a new era in Water Tribe history. This man had been the Avatar before Raava’s light spirit had to leave his body; he was noble and strong. He symbolised the bridge between the spirits and the mortal world— and he was a respected figure in all corners of the world. The world rejoiced in his inauguration as Chief, hoping that he would bring balance to the Water Tribes as he did to the rest of the world.
Although, while the world saw Ullaq as a ray of hope for the Water Tribe, it did nothing to ease the tensions between the Chiefdom and the Rebels—for their agenda was to appoint one of their own to lead the Water Tribe.The rebels themselves did not miss the opportunity of expressing their distaste of Ullaq as Chief, but they were not going to rebel just yet—they were going to give him a chance. But Ullaq had a strong hold on politics, for he was well versed in the political affairs surrounding the great nations. His policies were fair and straight to the point, and he held no discrimination against the rebels, rather he was merciful towards them. Something, I would have not had the patience to do. But, the rebels had no choice but to concede eventually, hiding any dissent under the deep snow of the snowy tundras.

Just days after becoming Chief, I would see Ullaq pacing in the palace room for hours—muttering to himself in a low tone— “that’s not it….that’s not it…that’s not it…”. I could see the concern on his face as he deliberated how he could solve the Water Tribes current problems. It was not only the rebels that were concerning him—the Water Tribe needed to make changes, and fast ones, in order to stabilise itself again. He understood that although the rebels were wrong in how they forced Nakari to renounce the throne, they were not wrong in what the Water Tribe needed. I forced myself to not get involved as it would allow Ullaq to prove himself as Chief, not only to himself, but to the rest of the tribe—gaining their respect or at least their obedience was paramount to his success.
Regardless, Ullaq was a wise and gifted leader—he quickly came up with a solution to the Tribes problems. He granted the three Water Tribes (South, Swamp and North) their own respective leaders under the direct command of himself. This allowed the three tribes to prosper under their respective “elders” while he oversaw all the work that needed to be completed. I was given control of the South Pole as Southern Elder, the Northern Elder was given to Noey of the Water Tribe, and the Swamp was given to Maniluuq of the Water Tribe.
As Elder of the South I was to train up the next potential elder—it was a role I took hesitantly as I was too old to lead anymore, but for the sake of the tribe and for Ullaq, I took it with honour.
Although, while in the South, observing for any potential young leaders, there was one person in the South who caught my eye— she was a clever young waterbender; resourceful as she was strong-minded—the true characteristics of a waterbender, for water is the element of change—it can be fluid and gracious, just as it can be harsh and powerful. She went by the name of Yimuru, and was someone who showed great potential in the South, something I could see from the moment I met her. I quickly made her my advisor in order to measure her as a leading figure—I would watch from afar, walking stick in hand— *tick… tick… tick* —observing and calculating—I was truly impressed with her. Days went by, months went by; I barely spoke to her except to give her new and challenging tasks—she was excellent—she began on designing new infrastructure in the South and helping the people get settled within Harbour City. It was something that I would have been unable to do myself in my old age.
*tick... tick... tick...* I was slowly circling the South—I was making my way back to the Royal Southern Palace, at that moment deciding that Yimuru was what the South needed. I slowly walked towards my office, laying the cow-seal parchment on the table—quickly grabbing my pen—I began writing to Chief Ullaq: “My friend, Chief Ullaq I write to you, in hopes for you to consider the potential candidate in regard to the Southern Elder that we had discussed while I was in Aqna Q’ela last. She goes by the name of Yimuru Roatok, a young lady capable of more than I at this moment in time. I have observed her for several weeks now, granting her tasks and distinguishing her potential skills for the role; and I believe that given the opportunity she would enable the South to flourish once more.”
I rolled the parchment up and sealed it with the Royal Emblem of the South—handing it to the messenger I had called for prior before sending him off, “It is of the utmost importance that you deliver this safely to Chief Ullaq of the Water Tribe…. May the Moon and Ocean guide you on your journey to the North”. As I gestured to him to depart.
Within weeks my role as a leading figure in the South was over and Yimuru was granted permission by Chief Ullaq to assume the position of Southern Elder with his blessings—he trusted what I had seen in her and had faith in her potential. He also requested me to return to the North as an Elder in the Water Tribe, to stay an advisor if you like, to the Chief himself— in order to continue guiding the Water Tribe as best I could, for I had experienced the old chiefs of the past and learned from their mistakes.
Though Ullaq’s reign as Chief was significant to the Water Tribe, it was short-lived. He only took charge to stabilise the government and prevent a total collapse of the Water Tribe. His reign only lasted a couple of years, but in that time he developed a stronger, more united Water Tribe than I have ever seen.. I dare-say that his policies and restructuring of the government were even more successful than Chief Kesuk. With his system, the Water Tribe flourished once again, with all the tribes thriving under Ullaq’s rule. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the tribes living harmoniously as one body of water, with a strong leader to front it.
As Chief Ullaq was planning his departure—a couple years after I had returned to the North—being satisfied with his success in re-establishing the Water Tribe as a proud and strong nation—it was also his time to go. Therefore, we began discussing his potential successor—my only wish to Ullaq when deciding was that they continued the vision he wanted for the Water Tribe. We sat down in the throne room under the starry night sky, listening to the water flow around the palace. We prayed to the spirits in hope of some guidance, for we both loved our nation. Our worst hopes were that his successor would undo the many progressive changes he had made for the sake of the Tribe. We considered the various elders of the Swamp, North and South—hoping one of them would be able to follow in his footsteps—and push the Water Tribe to even greater heights. We did not decide anything that night, but a few days later Chief Ullaq received a letter from Yimuru detailing what she has been doing in the South and her aims for it in the future—it was this moment he told me that she would be his successor—and I agreed wholeheartedly.
Chieftess Yimuru was shortly handed the reins of Chiefdom. Inaugurated in the Northern Water Tribe Royal Palace, during the last days of winter. There were celebrations all throughout the night that day, with food and drink going around for everyone, singing old Water Tribes songs in honour of the spirits and waterbending dances—it was a night worth remembering. And it was a fitting end to Chief Ullaq’s reign and a perfect welcoming to Chieftess Yimuru Roatok of the Water Tribe…

A Nod To Chieftess Yimuru

My final years in the Water Tribe were travelling between the North and South under the rule of Chieftess Yimuru. After Chief Ullaq stepped down from the throne, I also stepped back, only providing advice when I thought was necessary—for my time was over and I believed it was time for the new generation to carve their own future in the ice of the Water Tribe. Her rule is different from Chief Ullaq’s, but she is a capable leader in her own right. She has developed the Water Tribe as a cultural hub under the Cultural Ministry—re-establishing our connections to the spirits—repairing our roots that have long been lost deep under the snowy tundra. This is even more important, as during my life I have seen the Water Tribe slowly fall in its spirituality—perhaps that is why we have had so many crises in the last hundred years. But it is something that I believe Yimuru will be known for—bringing back the spirit lights to the north and south—the spirits dancing in the skies. It is a shame that we had tethered our connections to the spirits—and it's about time we bring our old traditions back, for they were there for a reason.
However, from what I have seen of Chieftess Yimuru, she only plans to do more during her reign and I hope that she can handle it, for leading the Water Tribe to greatness is no easy feat. My only regret is that I will not be able to help her as much as I have for the other Chiefs during my lifetime—I can no longer actively participate in the politics of the Water Tribe, and therefore, my relevance is no longer needed. But I wish her all the success leading the Tribes and I believe the history books will view her as a powerful and strong Chief—worthy of succeeding Chief Ullaq...

Afterword

(text handwritten in a dark ink on tiger-shark parchment—found within Kiryu’s study)

At the young age of 107, looking back on the Water Tribe as a whole—it has gone through a lot of history. With the divisions of Tribes and the reuniting of them. It is a strange thing—time—that is. I remember when the Water Tribe was the most feared nation with its political and militaristic prowess. But, that is not to say that the Tribe is weak now, may the spirits forbid that! But I must say that the Water Tribe is a strong community that nothing can break—and that will allow us to reach even greater heights like no other nation before us. I wish I could do more, but alas, I am too old now to deal with the politics of the Water Tribe.I am too old to deal with the modern solutions of new leaders who cannot fathom the potential of the Water Tribe and what it can do. I have detached myself as a personal advisor to the Chief, for I am beyond my time, ready for the spirits to take my life. It is time that I let the Water Tribes handle their own affairs and hope that the moon and ocean guide them as I would have in my younger days.
My only hope is that the Water Tribes stick together, for they have the greatest community in any nation that I have encountered. The Tribe is timeless in this, for no one can break our bond of brotherhood. We are stronger than the Great Sea Wall of the Northern Glaciers, and we have the potential to become even greater…
My last advice to you, Chieftess Yimuru and to the Elders, Vesrok, Ziso and Maniluuq—keep doing what you are doing, for you have established yourselves as world leaders and I am proud to call you my brethren. But with these final breaths of mine, I offer you these wise words: Do not be afraid of change—for water itself is the element of change. Like the moon and ocean, our ancestors have adapted to the world around us and within ourselves. The moon is our strength and the ocean is our life. If we keep these in balance and learn from our past and mistakes, nothing can hold the Water Tribe back, and I truly believe that…