The Northern Air Temple
This article is about the Northern Air Temple, one of the many homes to the Air Nomads
Introduction
The Northern Air Temple is one of the four original temples. Located on the mountainous shore of the Earth Kingdom, a few miles east of New Yu Qian. After being left in desolation because of the 100-year war and Air Nomad genocide, the temple would be found and settled in by a population of Earth Kingdom refugees. Soon, it would become a spot for many technological innovations. Later, it would be the training ground for new airbenders to learn the art, following Harmonic Convergence.Description
The temple was designed to fit seamlessly with the surrounding environment and utilize the natural ventilation of the wind. Currently, Northern is constructed entirely out of main sandstone, with dark prismarine roofs and gold outlining. The temple has not always looked like this- it’s been through 2 main renovations, the first reconstruction happened following the 100-year war after the buildings were damaged due to firebender attacks, The second deconstruction began after Ghazan, a lavabending member of the original Red Lotus destroyed the temple’s foundation, causing many buildings to fail. In its latest renovations, a bridge has been built to the mountain next to the main part of the temple, with an addition of 3 new towers and a space for meditation. Northern is a packed temple, with close-together towers and very little ground space, it provides the feeling of a true monastery- filled with many nooks-and-crannies, greeneries, and carpets for sitting down.History
The Northern Air Temple was built after the lion turtles abandoned humanity, leaving them to form their own colonies on land. Its elegant design combined with the surrounding natural environment made it a popular training ground for airbenders. After the Air Nomads living in Northern were exterminated by the Fire Nation military, the Temple was discovered by a group of refugees. It was then turned into a refugee center by the mechanists in 89 AG. Many of the structures were modified to accommodate the new residents, thus industrialization took place, meaning that Northern was the first-ever air temple to use and develop new technology. Avatar Aang was able to restore the air temples after the Hundred Year War. To do so, he and the Air Acolytes called on earthbenders, the holes created by explosions during War Minister Qin's attack had erected new towers. The Acolytes eventually came to live in the temple. The refugees that had previously resided there moved away, taking their technology with them. After Harmonic Convergence, Tenzin brought the airbenders to the Northern Air Temple to learn and eventually master their newfound abilities. Tenzin hoped that in doing this, the Air Nomads could be restored and the Earth Kingdom could heal. The Temple of the Air Nomad was under attack from the Red Lotus. It sustained some damage due to P'Li's continuous combustionbending bombardments, then the inner courtyard was destroyed by Ghazan's lavabending. After Korra’s era, the temple would be restored again.Laghima's Peak
The temple was the home of a legendary poet and guru named Laghima, in 3,829 BG. It is believed that he discovered the secret to living a truly peaceful life. His enlightenment through detachment allowed Laghima to obtain flight- living his final years untethered to the earth.Caves
In 309 AG, Elder Samten surveyed members of the temple for potential room locations. She then observed a large amount of free space underneath the main towers, and would soon begin constructing the new cave rooms. Now, residents of the temple can live in the residential space or explore the cozy library and commons area.
Northern Air Temple
Nation: Air Nomads Location: Mountain range near the Shore of the Northern Earth Kingdom
Government
Government: Council of Elders Current Elder: Northern Elder Samten
