The Eastern Air Temple
This article is about the Eastern Air Temple, one of the many homes to the Air Nomads
Introduction
The Eastern Air Temple is one of the four original air temples, located on a mountainous island southeast of the Earth Kingdom. It encompasses three mountains connected by two sprawling bridges and was formerly home to Guru Pathik. It is most well-known for its various meditation areas, off-site training dojo, and bison-friendly airspace. It is regarded as the most spiritual temple and is the home of many meditation circles and rooms. Despite being located on the eastern outskirts of the world, the air of the Eastern Air Temple is filled with warmth and welcoming to people from all walks of life.Description
The temple stretches across three adjacent mountains, each being named for an influential nomad of the past, connected by two arching bridges. The pagodas throughout Eastern are constructed out of a white, sandy-rock material, found within the mountains, and terracotta dyed teal, lined with gold trim from the hip-and-gable roofs. The central mountain, or Nilak mountain, features mostly residential towers, with a central elder tower, an open platform for ceremonies, and an expansive farm. It also contains the only official apiary in any of the Air Temples. The westernmost mountain, or Zhaake mountain, contains more underground residential areas, as well as bison stables, a quiet shrine featuring a statue of Yangchen, and a cozy hideout for Eastern Nomads to relax. The easternmost Sangye mountain has less residential areas than the other two, but contains one of the oldest running bakeries in the Air Nomads, a quaint establishment called "Nel and Sangye's Bakery." It also has a small office for the current Elder and Abbot, a ceremony hall, and more open spaces for meditation and training. Wild Sky Bison are native to the lands around the temple, and herds can be found by flying nearby.The Eastern Dojo
The first official dojo of the Air Nomads is located to the south of the Eastern Air Temple, past the two lakes on a clearing surrounded by deep forests and hills. While the training platform to the west of the main build has existed for a long time, the Nomads didn't begin construction on the physical dojo until 307 AG. Construction efforts were led by Guru Div, Elder Nelium, and Master Amal, and while there are still additions being made the primary buildings have been completed as of 314 AG. The dojo itself contains desks for each acting Master, as well as a record of previous tournament winners. In front of it is a large circular arena with a yin-yang symbol in the center, perfect for Air Nomads to spar and hone their airbending in an open area. To the southwest of the dojo are numerous platforms that extend onto the lake meant to train an Air Nomad's agility. As Eastern contains the most spiritual energy, it’s ideal for airbending training. Lots of Master tests go on here, and many Guardians use the area to practice. There are also a few sandy bison located next to the arena ready to transport any Nomad fatigued from training back to their home temple.History
While today it is open to all Nomads regardless of gender identity, prior to the 100 Year War the Eastern Air Temple was one of two temples that housed female Nomads exclusively. Guru Pathik became its sole resident after the Air Nomad Genocide, where he would eventually meet Aang during his journey to defeat the Fire Lord. It was meant to be the location of Aang's formal Avatar training, but he fled from his home at the Southern Air Temple before he could travel there. At the beginning of the 100-year war, the temple was met with heavy destruction at the hands of the Fire Nation and their use of Sozin’s Comet, as they believed that the current Avatar, Aang, was staying there. The temple would be reconstructed by the first Air Acolytes who stayed there. Even before the genocide, many non-Air Nomads would visit the temple, searching for enlightenment or good fortune.Culture
Due to the plethora of Sky Bison located around the Eastern Air Temple, its resident Nomads have incredibly close bonds with both their bison partners and the wild bison that graze there. Many Masters of airbending also come to the Eastern Dojo to hone their own bending abilities and offer training to aspiring Guardians. Despite its location, the Eastern Air Temple attracts visitors from across the world, including several Avatars in training. With a tight-knit community and welcoming air, the temple provides both Nomads and non-Nomads many opportunities to explore Air Nomad culture and traditions.Spirits
Eastern is regarded as the most spiritual temple, many hidden spirits live around the temple, pushing a lot of spiritual energy around. With enough focus and the right mindset, any Nomad can make contacts with the spirits living around and about. The Dragonfly Bunny Spirit, a chimerical creature that is generally shy to most humans, but is otherwise friendly. The temple is a great place to meditate because of how strong the connection is there, even after being neglected for a century, a cleansing of the meditation areas successfully restored it to what it once was.
Type
Monastery
THE EASTERN AIR TEMPLE
Nation: Air Nomads
Location: Mountain range southeast of the Earth Kingdom
