The Western Air Temple
This article is about the Western Air Temple, one of the many homes to the Air Nomads
Introduction
The Western Air Temple is located north of the Fire Nation in a small mountain range. It's most notable feature is that it was built upside-down, a unique and beautiful architectural feat never seen before in history. The temple is also known for raising Avatar Yangchen, and was the location that Aang and his team were at when they faced Combustion Man.
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Description
Western's distinguishable trait is that it was built underneath a cliffside, with various towers scattered around that look like they're upside-down. Occasionally, there are suspended wood bridges between the towers, but the primary form of movement between them is by glider or airblast. Because of these features, the temple is one of the hardest for non-airbenders to reach. The more non-bender friendly way to get around the towers is via the "Ant Farm", a series of tunnels dug into the cliff the temple hangs from.
Each named after a different notable Air nomad, the towers themselves are built with clean, white quartz with jade-and-turquoise roofs that point downward. They serve as living quarters for the westerners, and those with the rank of Master/Watcher+ get their own personal towers to reside in. The actual floors of the temple are right side up, with ladders and staircases connecting each floor, growing wider as they go up. One of these towers holds a library, a classroom, a museum, and the Keep, with dozens of books and artifacts on display.
Because the temple only housed female Air Nomads before the 100 Year War, the Western Elders have decided to honor the tradition by building only statues for only female and nonbinary Air Nomads at the temple. Built into the cliffside, there are clusters of three statues on each side of the temple. On the left, the statues honor those with the ranks of Master/Watcher+, and as of 314 AG there exists statues for Watcher Astra, Abbess Amanthi, and Grandmaster Yua. On the right, there are statues of the current elders, those being Elder Astra, Elder Jinji, and Elder Samten. When their time in their position ends, the Nomads' statues will be moved to the Hall of Statues.
The All-Day Echo Chamber
The main compound of the temple begins with a thick stone platform with a fountain in the center and large, movable doors meant to protect against attackers. Past that, built into the cliffside is a long, wide hallway lined with small statues and covered in an array of vines and leaves.
On the far right side, one can find the All-Day Echo Chamber. This is a massive circular cave with a natural stone pillar jutting from the middle. Water surrounding the pillar is filled with shining glowfish and bright green seagrass. This is an extremely spiritual place where many Nomads go for self-reflection.
On the far right side, one can find the All-Day Echo Chamber. This is a massive circular cave with a natural stone pillar jutting from the middle. Water surrounding the pillar is filled with shining glowfish and bright green seagrass. This is an extremely spiritual place where many Nomads go for self-reflection.
The Giant Pai Sho Board
On the opposite side of the hallway is the Giant Pai Sho Board. In total, the board is approximately the size of a medium-sized arena. The board is playable as well, and Nomads often take part in games of Giant Pai Sho in their leisure time. An elevated viewing platform is built with spruce wood around the perimeter of the room. The ceiling displays a dazzling glass yin yang design holding water from above.
The Hall of Statues
In the middle of the main hallway, behind the large spruce wood wall, is the Hall of Statues. The foyer-like entrance is lined with massive wood pillars that can be found sporadically throughout the Hall. The Hall drops suddenly toward a large pool of water, where four enormous stone statues stand. There are winding, tunnel-like pathways on either side of the Hall that one can take for a better view of the statues. Waterfalls can be found going through and coming out from spots on the paths. The arched ceiling built of dark prismarine adds a grandiose touch to the already impressive room.
History
Before the Hundred Year War, the Western Air Temple exclusively housed female Air Nomads, just as the Eastern temple did. All of this was destroyed during the Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang also revisited the temple during his journey to end the war, with Combustion Man on his tail. Their fight resulted in parts of the temple being blown up, but after the war ended, Aang and the Air Acolytes were able to restore it to its former glory. Nearly 200 years later, Western Elder Reznik let the temple go to waste once more. As the leader of the Red Lotus, he had little to no regard for the wellbeing of the temple. Under his leadership, the temple began to slowly crumble. After his leave in 304 AG, Western Elder Jinji, his successor, took it upon herself to restore the once-great temple. Alongside Master Hes, she began a full restoration and beautification of the Western Air Temple, turning it into the beautiful and complete temple it is today.
The Western Air Temple
Nation: Air Nomads
Location: Mountain range north of the Fire Nation
Government
Government: Council of Elders
Current Elder: Regent Elder Ezra
