[X][Radio] Korra volunteers (at least one Action slot must be spent on this by the end of the month)
[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 2.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 1.5/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) [X][Event] Meet with the delegations from Omashu and Gaoling (expires at end of month)
Winning vote: [X][Assistance] Korra helps put up booths
[X][Radio] Korra volunteers (at least one Action slot must be spent on this by the end of the month)
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 1.5/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
[X][Event] Meet with the delegations from Omashu and Gaoling (expires at end of month)
[X][Event] New: Volunteer at the Experimental Station (expires at end of month)
Korra, Volunteering, and Delegations (Month 11, part 7)
Starting off this week, you decide that you'll follow up with Asami on your volunteering with the Experimental Station, rather than putting it off until later. When you get back home from after the School Festival, you give her a call and set up the session.
The next day, after an unproductive meditating session, you get on a boat and head over to Republic City. Unlike the last time you helped out the scientists at the Experimental Station, you do not head over to their main lab in the Dragon Flats. Instead, you head over to the Industrial Sector. You're surprised by the amount of greenery you can see as you walk around. You were aware that there's been a long effort to clean up the area, and it seems that the spirit-issued directive is still being taken seriously. You can clearly see where old factories used to be, now replaced with gardens and small forests. You wonder where all that industry went... must be to other wards or cities, you suppose.
After walking for a while, you find the place. It's a large warehouse on the outskirts of the ward, in the transition area between the Industrial Sector and the Greater Republic City area.
Asami, waiting outside, waves to you as you approach.
When you enter, you find that Amon is already there, clad in his typical mask and robes. He's accompanied by several scientists in suits, and a healer from the Blue Moon Group. There's an Anti-Spirit Radio on a stool nearby, and several others are sitting on the floor nearby. One of the scientists, an older man with green eyes, turns to you and smiles, drawing in the attention from the rest of the crowd.
"Ah, good, you're here," he says. "If you'll stand over here..."
He has you and one of the other scientists stand near Amon, while Asami stands by the radio and the rest of the group keeps their distance.
The scientist standing near the two of you, another man with green eyes, then explains what's about to happen. "As a reminder, these Anti-Spirit Radio are attempts by us to counter Blood-bending. The idea is that Amon will Blood-bend me while Korra Water-bends next to him. Success means that Amon will be unable to use Blood-bending while Korra remains unaffected. Are there any questions?"
The two of you shake your heads.
"Then, let's begin."
.
.
.
Unsurprisingly, the initial attempts to use the radios to block Blood-bending only are not effective. Either they do literally nothing, or they stop both of you from using your abilities. It's not until several hours later that one even gets close... and there it just slightly weakens Amon rather than stopping him entirely.
Still, it's a start, and the scientists end the day quite pleased with even this success.
The next day, you come by there after school, and it's more of the same, except the newer radio models are more effective. About half-way through the week, you all get something that can totally shut-off Blood-bending... for only a few minutes. This is deemed good enough that the scientists will now start producing more of them, so you're not needed at the moment.
"So, I know why I volunteered for this... but why are you helping out?" you ask Amon as you both leave for the day.
"This ability of ours... they're curses. Suppressing them is for the best," is his reply.
"What do you mean? Didn't you say it had medical applications or whatever?"
Amon nods. "This is true. However... our father taught it to us for us to use as weapons. That's what Blood-bending is in truth: malice itself weaponized. I will shed no tears when it's gone for good."
"But..."
He shakes his head. "That's the truth. Now then, if you'll excuse me..."
(Is there something you'd like to say to Amon?) [][Amon] Yes. (write-in)
[][Amon] No.
-[][Amon] And drop it entirely.
-[][Amon] You'll talk to him later.
.
.
.
Your attempts to re-connect with the Avatar State bear no fruit the next day either, so you decide to go on a walk in Republic City. Maybe that'll clear your head... In fact, you decide to go to Equalist Park. It's getting colder, but not so cold that being out and about in the park is unpleasant. You're not the only one who thinks so either – the park is still fairly crowded, filled with couples, families, groups, and individuals all enjoying a sunny afternoon.
One of those groups catches your eye – a group of men of varying ages, all with green eyes and wearing green robes. The reactions of the people around tell you that this isn't a common sight, though most of the glances are neutral. Hmmm...
You walk up to them. "Excuse me! My name's Korra. Who might you all be?"
Their attention turns to you in an instant from their game of Pai Sho. "Oh! Avatar Korra!" shouts one.
They all stand up and bow to you.
You scoff. "Come on! There's no need for that..."
"We insist," says one of them as they get back up. "It's only appropriate to give you this level of respect. Your prior incarnation was instrumental to Omashu's salvation, after all."
You nod. "So then, you're all from Omashu. Here to setup diplomatic relations?"
One of them nods. "Indeed. And we have been received quite warmly, despite all the reasons your fine countrymen would have to reject us."
"It helps that we're abandoning any claims to Honghai or Gaipan," adds another.
"Indeed. They have their independence, and we in turn want ours," adds a third.
Hmmm... actually, this is a great opportunity. Unlike your other classes, International Relations does not have a final exam. Instead, you have to write a paper. Something on Omashu and Gaoling would be excellent! You'd pass with flying colors after getting inside information like this!
"I'd actually like to hear more about your point of view..." you start, and then get into a long conversation with the men. Thankfully this was right after school, so you still have your backpack on you. You take copious amounts of notes.
The next day, you decide to actively search for the Gaoling delegation. You doubt they'll be wearing distinctive robes, so you ask around in the Downtown area and get directed to one of the hotels by the seashore. Since the embassy hasn't been built yet, it looks like they're staying there. This delegation is instead a mix of men and women, and they're not just satisfied with their own independence.
No, they want to crush Tu Zin and end its reign of terror for good!
And they're quite happy to tell all about what Tu Zin has done to them and to the rest of the southern half of the Earth Continent, a discussion that lasts well into the evening and ends with you getting plenty of material to work with.
(Additionally, both the Omashu and Gaoling delegations invite Korra to visit. Take them up on the offer? This would be during Month 12, after classes end and before Harmonic Convergence.) [][Visit] Visit Omashu only
[][Visit] Visit Gaoling only
[][Visit] Visit both
[][Visit] Visit neither
QM Note: The next two or three updates will likely revolve around the Spirit Sage of Fire.
"It is true that School Festivals in the Harmonic Republic have their ultimate origin in the Fire Nation. They were brought over by Fire Nation colonists to the western shores, and as such are commonplace in cities like Yu Dao or Hinode and unknown in cities like Hu Xin or Senlin. This represents one of the many cultural divides within our vast country... School Festivals were introduced to Republic City and the surrounding villages with the foundation of the United Republic of Nations by the ruling council. Despite their association with that hated council, they have been maintained after the Revolution due to their popularity among the people, particularly the students. They are, after all, filled with events and festivities run by and for them... We have no desire to impose what may be viewed as a cultural artefact of the Fire Nation on other people. However, we can only recommend keeping them around in this ward. All students – not just the descendants of the Fire Islanders – benefit from the School Festival."
- Excerpt from a speech defending the School Festivals presented to the Tiger Ward Council by Hako, a local schoolteacher in the Year 160 AG
There is no specific date that a School Festival must be held on. However, the vast majority of them are held around the same weekend later in the autumn season. In this way, they mark the near end of the autumn semester, and thus a warning that exams and final papers are coming up. But most students aren't thinking of such things during the festival.
No – they're either focused on their role in it, or just on enjoying themselves.
Take Avatar Korra, for example.
This year, much like the last year, she helped out in the setup and tear down of the festival by helping students with their booths. Typically, classes and student clubs would construct the booths and set them up themselves, but there's always cases where they could use some extra muscle – and Korra had that to spare. This was particularly true for the booths that were more involved than just being simple stands. The food stalls were the prime example of this, the most elaborate of which essentially being miniature restaurants.
And of course, each of those treated Korra to some of their food, which she accepted gratefully.
But the food stalls – while excellent and still a big draw – were not the main event for the School Festival of the Dragon Flats School for Young Ladies. The school was a part of the arts hub of the Dragon Flats, residing by the Dragon Flats College for the Arts and several art galleries and theatres. An extended series of booths was acting as a makeshift art gallery for the many would-be artists attending the school, whether seasoned near-professionals or newcomers to the craft. All throughout the day were poetry readings (mostly outside), dances (both inside and outside), and plays (mostly inside).
And the big event, which would come as day turned to night – a concert from the school's band, composed of some of the finest musicians in the school.
To be sure, musicians of all skill levels were welcome to perform during the day, and many did.
But there was an intensity and weight to the band's performances that wasn't present earlier in the day. The concert was held in the main auditorium, which was always packed full. As usual, it was a mix of solo and group performances, and the highlight this year was one Biyong Kuem, who specialized in the guzheng. She would end the night with another demonstration of the 21-strong model. Her performances of traditional music from the Earth Continent played in a slow and somber mood would draw the crowd to tears.
She would cry just the same afterwards, in the loving embrace of her friends.
QM Note: There was a minor error in a prior post – Korra was not a member of the Urban Gardening Club last year.
Winning vote: [x][Amon] Yes. (Katara told me about the time she met the original bloodbender. So you're probably right, malice was woven into the discipline from the start, hard not to have that given the conditions she was kept under. On the other hand people said the same thing about fire nation technology during and after the war, about bending in general during the worst days before the Equalists sorted things out, the spirits are a favored target of such sentiments these days.
Even if you're right, bloodbending is known to the world, it's never just going to go away, at this point the question isn't whether or not bloodbending will harm people in the future. The answer to that question is yes. The question is can we prepare people for it or derive some good in order to counter the damage that will be done. At the very least people like Asami and the researchers need to know all they can to devise more counters.)
[X][Visit] Visit both
Korra and Rampaging Spirits of Darkness! (Month 11, part 8)
Before you let Amon go the other day, you had something you wanted to say to him. You knew about the origins of Bloodbending – Katara had told you them long ago. On the other hand... there was no way you could have accepted Amon's line about blood-bending being just a curse. After all, couldn't the same thig be said about bending itself? It's not as if there's a shortage of terrible things bending could be used for.
Much to your annoyance, he agreed with you.
"Wrong!" you shouted, poking him in the chest angrily. "Bending isn't evil! No form of bending is evil, not even yours!"
He sighed, and shook his head. "Your optimism is laudable, but not warranted. There's no undoing what's already been done."
"Well, so what!? It's... urgh!!!"
That whole interaction was making you tense, so you stopped to take a deep breath before you continued on.
"Look. Maybe you're right. But again... so what? Bending isn't special. It's just another tool. Would you say that medicine is evil just because sometimes people die instead of getting cured?"
"What? No, of course not. But the difference is..."
"...the intention, right?" you interjected. "Look, if your father can figure out Blood-bending on his own, then so can other people... probably. And people might get hurt and even die from it! So shouldn't we try to get at least some good out of it, just like we do with all the other bending abilities?"
"..."
He didn't answer... but he didn't refute you either.
You declared it good enough as you both went your separate ways.
You hadn't seen him since... you were thinking about pestering him about teaching you Blood-bending, to be honest... but it's not like there was any hurry to get that done. You had other matters to focus on. Such as, for example, your latest visit to the Spirit World.
Today, you goal is to track down the Spirit Sage of Fire – the Phoenix-Dragon. You're not sure where exactly it resides in the Spirit World... but you have some ideas. The other sages have resided in places that match their element. The Water Sage – a swamp. The Air Sage – the sky. The Earth Sage – the mountains.
So, naturally, the Fire Sage should be in a volcano!
Your travelling group today is your mom, Asami, Biyong, Vanra, and Rika. Biyong is free to help out again, and Vanra managed to snag some free time to come by as well. As usual, they're going to be in the hot air balloon while you're in your wingsuit. When you suggest the idea to them, they're all in agreement. Biyong is even able to suggest a starting point – Mt. Hai-Ryo. It's part of a chain of volcanos not far from the mountains where you encountered the Spirit Sage of Earth.
As usual, you all hop in the portal, you sheltering the group from the storm, and swiftly make your way to the main continent. It doesn't take long to find the place you're looking for. There are two reasons for that. One – the spacing of the volcanos matches that of the Fire Islands. Two – the whole chain is layered in wispy darkness, with the cover thicker at the top of each volcano and billowing down into the surrounding lands
...that can't be good.
You all descend and land outside of the affected area, in a forest. You can hear sounds of fighting, and can see neutral spirits fleeing the area. The dark and light spirits must be at it again... but looks like the dark spirits have the advantage. With your excellent senses, you're able to keep everyone away from the fighting as you lead them towards the mountain. It was decided that in a dangerous situation like this, it was better to stick together for safety.
"Don't breathe in too deeply," you warn everyone as the dark mist gets thicker around the group. "Who knows what it might do..."
"I wish I'd brought gas masks..." complains Asami.
"Would they even work here?" asks Biyong.
"It'd be worth a shot... ugh..." Asami then coughs.
Your mom moves closer to you, leaving Rika to cover the rear. She whispers to you, "Should we go back and get more help?"
You shake your head. "We're just here to see the Sage and leave. As long as we can avoid any fights, we should be good."
She nods. Concern is still evident on her face, and she keeps a wary eye out for any threats.
After a while of walking, you all finally encounter a few fire spirits at the base of one of the volcanos. They're coiled and winged turquoise snakes, seemingly unaffected by the dark miasma surrounding them. One of them lazily turns an eye towards you, but does nothing to stop your advance.
You frown, and consider interrogating them... but you decide you'd rather not draw any attention to yourself, and so your group goes on.
It's not until you've made some progress climbing the mountain that any spirits come out and confront you. They take the form of gigantic spider-wasps, and swoop down from the sky on the attack! You promptly breathe out a massive stream of fire to clear them away...
"Ahhhh!?"
"W-what's going on!?"
...and the darkness instantly thickens, blocking your view!
"I don't think so!" you shout as you spin around, swirling the Air around you. The dark mist gets sucked in... but there's so much of it that you don't really make a dent. But that's fine since this was only stage one. For the next part, you stop suddenly and swing your arms outwards, making a wall of Air that blows it all away!
"Hmhm... not bad, Avatar Korra."
Your attention is drawn towards the Black Cat, who suddenly appears, accompanied by more humanoid dark spirits.
"You again!?"
You then glance around... and notice that you're alone.
"Yes, me. This time, we're not playing around. You will help us, whether you like it or not."
In the grasp of one of the spirits, you see that...
(Who is it? Choose one.) [][Companion] Asami (non-combatant)
[][Companion] Biyong (guardian-spirit)
[][Companion] Vanra (militia-woman)
[][Companion] no one (???)
...is in their grasp.
You'll have to worry about everyone else later. For now, you need to take this cat and its allies down!
(How does Korra approach the fight?) [][Battle] Focus on freeing the captive if there is one.
-[][Battle] And then retreat
-[][Battle] And then keep going
[][Battle] Just take out the cat and the rest will flee.
[][Battle] Without its allies, the cat will likely retreat.
[][Battle] (write-in)
(You may attempt to interrogate the cat. These are subject to individual dice rolls.) [][Questions] (write-in; limit 5)
Winning vote: [X][Companion] no one (???)
[X][Battle] Just take out the cat and the rest will flee.
Korra, the Black Cat, and a Visitor (Month 11, part 9)
That cat is the biggest problem – it's the reason you can't go into the Avatar State right now, after all. You decide that you better focus on defeating it first.
You stomp hard on the Earth. Pillars of rock just out where the dark spirits stand. The cat and a few of the dark spirits dodge but the rest get knocked away. Since you're alone here, there's no reason to hold back!
You spin and whip your arms out – and two spears of Water come forth, aiming squarely at the Black Cat.
"Hm!?"
It dodges, jumping up, and you swing back, your spears turning into whips and knocking the Black Cat into a tree.
"Gah!? Why you!"
You feel the dark spirit approach, claws at the ready, before you see it. You slip out of the way, sliding in the Air, avoiding a gash to your head. You then turn and shove your hand at it, blasting it away with a burst of Air. It goes flying into the distance.
Rustling draws in your attention. The Black Cat has recovered, and it's expanded into its two-tailed beast form. Four humanoid dark spirits are hanging by it, and you can see two more in the distance approaching. But those aren't your concern.
You glare directly at the Black Cat, and it returns with a hostile gaze of its own.
"Vaatu will be freed no matter what. You cannot stop us," it says.
"Maybe," you reply. "But I can shove him back in that tree where he belongs!"
The cat hisses at you. "Avatar Korra, you fool! Chaos is the natural way of things. This world is fluid – ever-shifting – constantly changing. Vaatu cannot be denied."
"I don't deny that! What I deny... is letting him and spirits like you rampage as you please trampling on everyone else's lives!"
"Oh? Yet you've done nothing about these human wars. Aren't you the Avatar?"
You groan. "The Avatar is a spiritual guide, not a warlord!" you roar. Not that you've done much spiritual guiding, but you don't need to mention that right now. "My role as the Avatar is defined not just by what Aang did, but by what's going on in the world around me. These wars are not the same as the Fire Nation's conquests – so why should they be treated the same? Especially when you consider that I need to deal with spirits like you and the Light Oni instead."
You don't mention that you're probably going to end up involved in the Wate Tribe's Civil War anyway if it's true that your uncle has his own plans for Raava and Vaatu.
"Besides, don't you like war?" you add. "It's chaotic, after all."
The cat nods.
"Then what do you care?" you ask.
You cut the cat off before it can answer back. You're not really interested in what it has to say.
You are, however, interested in distracting it.
You step on the ground and lightly sink into it...
"Huh!? When did you...!?"
...and the Black Cat sinks like a rock in suddenly muddy ground that then hardens before it can escape. It struggles to break free, and finds that it cannot. Its companions try to dig it out... and with a burst of Fire breath, you get them to retreat instead. But as they run away...
"Wha-!? Get away from me!"
...they get blasted by a sudden burst of electricity and flew back into the clearing, crashing down on the Black Cat and burying him in their dark mass. Startled, you back away. That wasn't Rika's voice!
"Show yourself!" you shout into the trees.
"...Avatar Korra!? Of all the people... yeah, yeah, give me a minute..."
A familiar figure then appears.
"You! You're that girl from before, with the robed weirdoes!"
"We are not weird!" she exclaims while wearing a bright red robe and carrying an Electro-stick battery pack on her back. Yeah, sure. Your laughter at her remark incenses her and her face goes bright red. However, she has enough sense not to try and attack you again, so she forces herself to take a deep breath and calm down.
"A-anyway... what are you doing here?" she asks.
"I should be asking you that. I'm here to see the Phoenix-Dragon."
"Oh! Me too! I want his blessing."
Her golden eyes sparkle pleasantly, but you're skeptical. What could this girl possibly want as a blessing from a Spirit Sage? ...and why does she have a battery pack on her?
You shake your head. Questions for later.
"You didn't happen to see anyone else, did you?" you ask. "I came here with other people, but we got separated..."
She shakes her head. "I've been on my own so far."
"...really?"
"Well, I had help getting here, but I wanted to see the Sage on my own. My companions are at the base of the mountain."
She turns away from you.
"If that'll be all, Avatar Korra, I'll be going now."
Hmmm... this is suspicious. You want to follow her... but on the other hand, you should probably go find your friends. They should be fine if they've managed to stick together, but you can't sure be sure if they have. On the other hand, perhaps they've gone ahead of you? They weren't stuck dealing with these hostile spirits after all... and you were planning on heading to the peak of Mt. Hai-Ryo anyway.
What to do...?
[] Follow the girl to the peak of Mt. Hai-Ryo
[] Go search for your friends...
-[] ...and go up the mountain
-[] ...and go down the mountain
Winning vote: [X] Go search for your friends...
-[X] ...and go up the mountain
Korra, Haiko, and the Spirit Sage of Fire (Month 11, part 10)
"Hold on!" you yell to the girl before she can walk off.
"Hm?" She turns back and faces you. "Is something the matter?"
You walk up to her. "I'll be walking with you for a bit. I think my friends would have gone up the mountain."
She glares at you. "I'll be fine by myself..."
You glare back. "I'm not taking any arguments, Miss..."
She blinks, then looks like she's had a sudden realization. "Oh! Sorry, where are my manners... My name is Haiko."
"...Haiko. Well, we're heading the same way and so may as well walk together. I have some questions for you actually..."
"Oh?"
You start walking and she takes your side. As you both ascend the mountain, the dark mist starts to thicken, and you blow it away with gusts of Air. Whatever spirits normally reside in the mountain have all but vacated – only dark spirits remain. They keep themselves as a distance, not willing to confront the two of you.
So, you ask Haiko about herself.
"So, what kind of blessing are you going to ask the Phoenix-Dragon for?" you ask.
She glares at you. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Avatar Korra. What are you going to see him for?"
"Avatar stuff," you say, simply.
She raises an eyebrow at you. "Ah, yes, of course..."
"I'm not here for fun, you know. And I'm not here for you either."
"W-well, of course not!" she stammers out, suddenly looking away. What, did she actually think you had tailed her here? As if! "After all, there's no way you could have known I was here..."
...yep, she did.
You laugh at her again, and she stomps off ahead of you, face red from embarrassment, forcing you to catch up.
"Surprised you can move so fast with that battery pack on your back," you note.
"Huh? Oh this?" she asks, gesturing towards it. "I wear it all the time. It's where I store my excess lightning."
"Excess... oh! You have the new Lightning-bending! The one people got from the Artificial Spirit Portal."
She smirks at you, smugly. "That's right~! I can do something you can't! How do you feel about that, Avatar Korra!?"
"...you know, I bet I could learn how to do it," you reply back.
"What!? ...w-well, I'm not teaching you!"
"Are you sure...? I'd be in your debt..." you reply, teasingly.
"N-no way!"
She stomps off again, face red once more, this time probably from something else.
But before you start to follow her...
"...!?"
...you can feel something on the edge of your spiritual awareness.
Haiko turns back toward you. "Avatar Korra? Is something the matter?"
You can sense a guardian spirit nearby... no, multiple. Maybe one of them is Biyong's!
"I'm splitting off here! Good luck to you, Haiko!"
You then run off before she can say anything in response. Once again, you blow away the dark mist surrounding you as you dash your way through the spiritual wilderness. This time, you're greeted by the sight of two guardian spirits possessed by darkness confronting one that isn't. And by that uncorrupted spirit are Asami, Biyong, and Rika! While Asami still looks fine, the rest of them all look injured.
"Hey! Over here!" you shout, and grab everyone's attention.
"Korra!" shout Asami, Biyong, and Rika.
The two dark guardian spirits growl at you while Biyong's barks happily. They lunge towards you, and you backflip out of the way, slicing through the Air. You then spin, weave Water around them, and promptly Heal them, removing them of the dark taint. Pacified, they then retreat.
You approach the others and heal them as well. Asami explains that she's fine because Biyong protected her from an ambush, and you thank Biyong from the bottom of your heart for protecting Asami like that.
"W-well, there's no way I would have done anything else!" she insists. "I know how important you two are to each other, Lady Korra, so..."
"Still... thanks," you say with a smile.
Face bright red, Biyong them changes the topic and asks you where your mom and Vanra are.
"...you haven't seen them either?" you ask.
The three other girls shake their heads.
You frown. "Did they go down the mountain instead?"
"It is safer down there," Asami notes. "We encountered more and more spirits as we ascended..."
Rika nods. "Let's regroup down there?" she asks.
You're all in agreement and start heading down the mountain...
...which means you're far from the blast radius when the peak of Mt. Hai-Ryo explodes.
"...!?"
You all turn your eyes towards the peak. The Phoenix-Dragon has emerged from the mountaintop, coated in fire and darkness, scales and feathers a mix of red and purple. It roars towards the sky with a mighty and terrible screech, and a Spirit Portal opens above it. It flies through the portal and the portal closes behind it. You can also see a shape falling from the sky... a human shape...
...is that Haiko!?
You instantly blast off into the sky towards her.
"Korra!?"
Rika follows you, jets of Fire blasting from her feet, while Asami and Biyong ride on the guardian spirit, following behind you.
.
.
.
Thankfully, you manage to catch Haiko before she crashed on the ground. While grateful, she refuses to tell you about what happened with the Spirit Sage other than it rejecting her.
Nothing else to do, you all head down the mountain, where you find that your mom and Vanra are by the hot air balloon... and have also made acquaintance with Haiko's party. You all depart for the Artificial Spirit Portal before any other dark spirits get the idea to attack you.
In the following days, two big pieces of news reach your ears.
One – the Pheonix-Dragon was spotted heading towards the North Pole.
It'll be hard to reach it now if you still want that blessing.
[][Sage] You want that extra boost.
[][Sage] No, three blessings is fine.
Two – much of Phoenix City was burned down by vengeful OGP remnants, who were since captured.
Haiko's family were among those who lost their homes.
[][Haiko] Invite them to live in Spirit Portal Island with you.
[][Haiko] Don't. (They will be moved elsewhere in Phoenix City)
The time of Harmonic Convergence is getting closer and closer... but first, you need to deal with your exams. Once those are done, you'll be able to move freely. Until then, you should focus on what you can do here.
Oh, and also talk to Asami about whatever she found out about Raava and Vaatu. But that can come later.
(Korra does threesix of the following.) [][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] (write-in)
[][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 1.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) (may select multiple times)
[][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 1/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) (may select multiple times)
[][Event] Investigate the "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] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Continue working on Spirit Projection
[][Event] Find a Metal-bending teacher (counts as ½ an Action)
[][Event] Go search for Tarrlok! (specify if you will use Spirit Projection or go in person)
[][Event] It's been a while since you last worked out...
[][Event] New: Visit Haiko... and ask her to train you.
[][Event] New: Make travel plans... (counts as ½ an Action) (may write-in details)
-[][Event] Northern Water Tribe
-[][Event] Southern Water Tribe
-[][Event] Gaoling and Omashu
[X][Event] New: Study for exams / Write up term papers
[][Event] (write-in; subject to QM approval)
QM Note: Taking next week off... then we will have News and Rumors followed by the start of Month 12, and thus the final month of the quest.
Retreat, Advance, and Stalemate! – The Civil War in the Southern Earth Republic continues to rage on. In the western theater, the bulk of the fighting has been between the armies of Tu Zin and Gaoling. So far, while both sides have achieved victories, the overall war has stalled out with neither side making major advances. Even with reinforcements from the Harmonic Republic assisting the Southern Worker's Army and Tu Zin being able to pull back some of their armies fighting north of the desert, no real progress has been made on either side. It is less surprising, however, when one considers that both armies had other battles to fight. For Gaoling, the Water Tribe Navy made a landing in the Foggy Swamp and began occupying not only it, but also the surrounding territory. With the aid of the local plant-benders, Katara, and Toph, Unalaq's forces were repelled... but it took considerable effort and manpower. For Tu Zin, they had to deal with the Green Lotus. Despite the rapid gains made by them last month, Tu Zin's army was able to utterly rout them and send them on the retreat. Leaders, sympathizers, and fighters from the Green Lotus retreated across the Eastern Sea to Cape Bosha... where the armies from Tu Zin followed, invading and rapidly conquering territory nominally administered by the Northern Earth Republic. Tu Zin's rapid march up the eastern peninsula is currently ongoing, with the Green Lotus still in retreat and Ba Sing Se not yet mobilized. This would have been the biggest news in Republic City...
Warth of the Dying Phoenix! – ...if not for the final rampage of the Order of the Golden Phoenix having happened only a week or so ago. Many members of that order were under house arrest, and decided to take a cue from recent escapee Tarrlok and stage a break out themselves. While several were recaptured, some did manage to escape. It was those escapees who staged a major terror attack on Phoenix City. Dressing up in the garb of enemy soldiers, intense fires were lit in the middle of the night, burning down much of the city before they could be put out. It seems as though they were meant to be joined by their allies in exile, as well as the disgraced northern ex-lords, but those people were defeated and captured while on the way to Phoenix City. Several members of the Phoenix City Community Police were found to have aided the assailants, and so the whole force has been disbanded until further notice and calls for total police abolition have only grown more and more intense. But as for the OGP itself within the Harmonic Republic, they have been reduced to a fraction of their original power due to the bulk of their members either dying in battle for fleeing towards Tu Zin, and all of their support evaporating. Now all that remains is to decide what to do with those remaining.
Ice and Fire...!? – In other major news, there has been a surprising sight witnessed in the northern seas heading towards Agna Qel'a. A massive phoenix-dragon, cloaked in vibrant red and shocking purple, suddenly appeared in the air in the skies above the Northern Sea during a pitched naval battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Harmonic Republic. It proceeded to attack all the ships present, ending the battle as both sides were forced to retreat, and then flew towards the capital. Due to the strength of their Navy, the Harmonic Republic has not been able to get close enough to reach that city, and so it's not clear what the spirit could be doing or why it went there. When approached for comment, Avatar Korra stated once again that it was 'Avatar business' and that she'll take care of it. Tenzin, who had recently returned from the Spirit World, mentioned only that the harmony of the spirits was now out of balance, and that if this was not resolved by the Harmonic Converge, then the consequences would be dire. But he also said that he had every faith in Korra to resolve this issue, and that he and his Air Nomads would assist the Avatar as needed. Similarly, a representative from the Water Unionists also pledged total support for Avatar Korra when asked about the matter.
Turning Tides! – Despite the use of airships by the Harmonic Republic, the Northern Water Tribe has been able to maintain a position of strength and thus keep the Republic from making landfall. The same cannot be said in the Southern Sea where the 'Water Tribe' Navy had split back into its two components and the Northern units were forced to retreat, allowing for Southern autonomy to be restored. The significantly more experienced forces in the Southern Water Tribe Navy led themselves and the reinforcements from the Harmonic Republic and the newly established Southern Worker's Navy to victory. Hence, the full might of the Northern Navy is now freely able to defend its territory. Forces from the Harmonic Republic split between chasing down the Northern forces in retreat and moving to aid the Triple Island Alliance. Similarly, the Southern Water Tribe Navy is now able to provide much needed support for the liberationist movement on those islands. As for the Southern Water Tribe itself, it is now controlled by the United Front's provisional government, which is still setting up the form of that the new republic will take.
The Year of the Three Glacier Spirit Festivals!? – News from Agna Qel'a is, of course, sparing, and essentially no information has gotten out from the other cities and the smaller villages. One official announcement, direct from Unalaq, came as a total surprise though. Typically, the Glacier Spirit Festival, a celebration of Water Tribe culture and heritage, is held in the South. This year, however, Unalaq has declared that the North will be holding its own! This was followed by two announcements from the Water Unionists – one from Republic City and one from the South. Both of them have denounced Unalaq's attempts at despotic rule and reject his festival. Furthermore, both announced that festivals will be held in Republic City (marking the first ever one to be held there) and in the Southern Capital (which will be a smaller and more somber occasion due to the rebuilding). It was decided that two should be held due to the dangers of ocean travel at this time. Still, it is hoped that those festivals will bring some light to these dark times!
QM Note: Month 12 starts next week!
Winning vote: [X][Sage] You want that extra boost.
[X][Haiko] Invite them to live in Spirit Portal Island with you.
[X][Event] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action) [Bare success; Korra gets a workout]
[X][Event] Find a Metal-bending teacher (counts as ½ an Action) [Great success; Korra meets Kyo-wa, an ex-Equalist Earth/Metal-bender and gets Progress: 0.5/5]
[X][Event] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 2.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) (may select multiple times) [Failure; no progress gained]
[X][Event] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 1.5/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) (may select multiple times) [Good success; +1 Progress gained, now at 2.5/3 – MUST COMPLETE BEFORE HARMONIC CONVERGENCE]
[X][Event] New: Make travel plans... (counts as ½ an Action) (may write-in details) [Failure; see update]
-[X][Event] Northern Water Tribe
--[X]Gotta go find that spirit sage, it was heading to the north pole
[X][Event] Call someone at the Northern Water Tribe: Unalaq / Deska and Esna (must write-in details; counts as ½ an Action) [Great success; see update]
-[X]Unalaq
--[X]Uncle, the last spirit sage is your way, some electric lady pissed it off before I got to talk to them. I'm heading up there to try again so we can max out our odds on the whole idiot flatworm situation. Please try to ease off on the south pole enough that there's not another incident while I'm there. I have other problems to deal with that are a lot bigger than you and Dad's inability to agree on anything. Whether or not the water tribes reunify is largely irrelevant if those so called great spirits wipe out or enslave humanity.
[X][Event] Assist the Water Unionists [Great success; Korra helps plan the local Glacier Spirits Festival and several Water Unionists agree to accompany her]
[X][Event] Continue working on Spirit Projection[Good success; Korra can now hold it for ten minutes on land and three times that in water]
Korra and a Semester's End (Month 12, part 1)
As you woke up and greeted the day, you could see out your window that it was now snowing. Winter was fast on its way across the land – and with it the Harmonic Convergence. There's only so much time left to finish your preparations for Raava and Vaatu, so you'll have to be quick about things.
Thankfully, the school semester was now over, and you could move a bit more freely. You probably did average again, and you're fine with that. The best part of school for you is the time you get to spend with the other students and the teachers as you all learn from each other. And as long as all goes well, you'll be back again in a month to join them once more.
And you'll make sure that all does go well.
Starting with the Spirit Sage of Fire. Sure, you don't need its blessing, but there's no way that just leaving it in that state can be good for it. Haiko, now living temporarily on Spirit Portal Island with her dad, remains insistent on not explaining what happened when she met it. Her father said that you should be patient with her, but she's not exactly making it easy. She's also been avoiding you and the other islanders, unlike her father who is grateful for the hospitality.
[][Haiko] You should go and confront her. (may write-in details)
[][Haiko] Just leave her be. She'll come to you if she wants.
In the meantime, your efforts to find a way to the North Pole have been, to be blunt, a failure.
Sure, you were able to make a call to your Uncle and explain the situation, since phone calls between the Harmonic Republic and the Northern Ice Sheet could still be routed through the neutral Fire Nation. He listened quite intently to your rant, though he pointedly rebuked your jabs at him near the end. As it turns out the Spirit Sage of Fire headed straight for the spirit forest at the North Pole, preventing anyone from getting close. Dark spirits have also become more aggressive, even to the point of attacking smaller villages, driving the inhabitants to migrate towards the capital. While he still wants his enemy gone from his shores, he is still fine with you visiting in your capacity as the Avatar to help him deal with this new menace.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing war, actually getting to the North from here is basically impossible. There are no longer any passenger ships heading north from Republic City, nor from anywhere else in the Harmonic Republic. You could go to the neutral Fire Nation and then head north from there, or you could try your luck in the Spirit World. After all, if the Sage could make a portal, maybe you could?
As the morning passed, you discussed the idea with your parents over a breakfast of fish and rice. Your mother, having been exposed herself to the dangers of the Spirit World, is unsurprisingly in favor of taking the boat instead. She'll accompany you regardless, however. As for your dad, he doesn't care either way, but is able to commit to joining you this time. He was asked to lead the committee running the Glacier Spirits Festival the day of, but managed to talk his way out of it by declaring that he was going to be assisting you until that weird spirit in the North is dealt with.
"For better or for worse, I know a thing or two about fighting dark spirits after all..." he said.
Right, that... well, this could be his way to make up for what happened back then, right? You suggested that to him, and he took it into consideration, his mood brightening up a bit.
After breakfast, you split off from your parents to head for the Dragon Flats ward. Now that school was over, Asami, Biyong, and Vanra also had plenty of time available, and agreed to help you deal with the Spirit Sage in whatever way they could. Asami also had an idea for dealing with Raava and Vaatu, and that's what the four of you were going to talk about today.
The four of you congregated in the Sato house's dining room, seated at a table covered with strange books and esoteric diagrams. Each one of them gives off a strange spiritual aura. While Vanra seems just as curious as you are, Biyong seems a bit perturbed, holding her guardian amulet close.
"What are these?" she asks Asami, white pointedly leaning away from the table.
"Books on spirits. Seems like there's quite a lot of people who are interested in binding and sealing spirits. Most of this is junk, but based on your reaction, looks like some of these might actually work."
Asami nods while Biyong grimaces.
"...what are you concerned about Raava and Vaatu?" asks Asami.
"No, not at all! I'm just getting bad vibes from some of these... must be because of my connection to the guardian spirit."
Asami nods again. "I see, well if you can help me pick them out..."
Some of them are giving you bad vibes as well, though not as intensely as they must be impacting Biyong. In the end, you all are left with only a few methods of improving or developing new seals for Raava and Vaatu that might actually work. Asami is quite willing to further investigate them as needed if you desire to make sure they'll work. On the other hand, you could just rely on the sealing power given to you by the Spirit Sages, since you know that it'll work until the next Harmonic Convergence.
In the end, you decide on...
[][Seal] ...using one of the improvements...
-[][Seal] Raava and Vaatu can now be sealed as separate pieces like jewel shards
-[][Seal] Raava and Vaatu can now be sealed in a person, much like the Avatar Spirit
-[][Seal] Raava and Vaatu can now be sealed permanently inside their current shells
[][Seal] ...relying on the Spirit Sages...
...and with that matter settled, you all spend the rest of the day hanging out.
By the end of the day, you've also decided how you're going to head to the North Pole.
[][Travel] By Boat (takes more time; can do things while in transit)
[][Travel] Spirit Portal (takes less time; may run into hostile spirits)
QM Note: And we're back! Some stuff could not be included here, so the full roll results are in the spoiler above.
Winning vote: [X][Haiko] Just leave her be. She'll come to you if she wants.
[X][Seal] ...using one of the improvements...
-[X][Seal] Raava and Vaatu can now be sealed in a person, much like the Avatar Spirit
[X][Travel] By Boat (takes more time; can do things while in transit)
Korra and Friends on a Ferry, Part 1 (Month 12, part 1.1)
You talked the matter over last night with your parents, and by the time you all went to sleep you were all packed and ready to go. Since it's not possible to reach the North directly from the Harmonic Republic anymore, you'll need to take a ferry towards the Fire Nation and then head north from there instead. It'll be about a day and a half to reach the Fire Nation Capital, and from there you can move overland and then take another boat from their northern coast to reach the Western Air Temple. That'll take about half a day. There's no regular service between the Western Air Temple and the Northern Ice Sheet, but you all should be able to figure something out from there. And then once you hit the Ice Sheet, the rest is straightforward, as is getting back.
In the morning, you all take a ferry over to Downtown. Unlike last time, you're all the first ones there. ...Well, you three and Haiko, who pointedly avoids your group and sulks nearby. As the morning picks up, a surprise guest arrives.
"Tenzin!"
"Good morning, Korra. And you as well, Senna, Tonraq," says the bearded and robed man, accompanied by four other Air Nomads, all of which also have the blue tattoos. Your groups bow to each other, and you all move somewhere else in the port so you can have some privacy. Between the four of them, they have a few suitcases, and Tenzin explains that they're willing to join you on your trip if you think you'll need their assistance. Tenzin had business at the Western Air Temple anyway, but he could delay it to accompany you to the North Pole.
After thinking it over for a moment, you make a snap decision.
[][Air Nomads] Of course!
[][Air Nomads] No, we're good.
Not long after that matter is settled, Asami, Biyong, Vanra, her father, and several other Water Unionists arrive. Rika shows up not too long later and your group gets on the boat. You're pretty sure Haiko also got on the boat, but you're not going to force the matter. You'll let her come to you if she wants.
Hopefully it's all smooth sailing from here...
(Korra is able to do four things while in transit – three while on the way to the Fire Nation Capital, and one while on the way to the Western Air Temple. What are they?)
Go talk to... (may write-in details)
Tenzin
Air Nomads
Vanra
Biyong
Asami She's busy studying...
Water Unionists
Other people on the boat (only valid for FN1, FN2, or FN3)
Haiko She's still avoiding you...
(write-in)
Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 2.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
New: Training Metal-bending! (Progress: 0.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) You still need Kyo-wa around for now.
Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 2.5/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2)
Call someone at the Northern Water Tribe: Unalaq / Deska and Esna (must write-in details)
Call someone at the Southern Water Tribe: Rivris / Sira / Kya (must write-in details)
Work out! (may specify with who)
Make travel plans... (where?)
Just relax.
(write-in)
[][FN1] ???
[][FN2] ???
[][FN3] ???
[][WAT] ???
QM Note: Korra and company left Republic City on the 11th. The Glacier Spirits Festival is on the 23rd and Harmonic Convergence is on the 30th. Character sheet was also updated.
Winning vote: [X][Air Nomads] Of course!
[X][FN1] Reconnecting with the Avatar State! (Progress: 2.5/3 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) [Bare success... action complete!]
[X][FN2] Go talk to Tenzin [Great success!]
-[x] maybe he has some insight on the spirit situation and, more importantly, on the Avatar state + Raava and Avatar relationship
[X][FN3] Training Lightning-bending! (Progress: 2.5/5 – bare success = ½; good or great = 1; crit = 2) [Bare success... gain +0.5 progress]
[x][WAT] Call someone at the Northern Water Tribe: Desna and Eska (hi, we're coming, gotta deal with spirit stuff, it's a drag, apparently the flatworm spirits are big babies about everything. Wanted to let you know so this doesn't turn into a huge thing. How are you two doing?) [Critical success!]
Korra and Friends on a Ferry, part 2 (Month 12, part 2)
On the way to the Fire Nation, you spent some time meditating to reconnect with the Avatar State... and much to your surprise, it hit you all at once after only a few minutes. A spiritual connection providing a greater depth and understanding of yourself. A spiritual connection providing a deeper connection into the lost realms of the past. A spiritual connection providing a path to mighty powers that you're sorely missed for the past month.
Your connection to the Avatar Spirit is now restored!
...granted, you're essentially back to where you started with it. Without some sort of intense emotional stress or without being in a place of heightened spiritual presence, you can only hold it for at most a few minutes at a time. But that should be enough for any situation you come across in the next month, and after that you won't have to deal with such powerful spirits anymore.
At least, you hope that's the case.
Unfortunately, you only made minimal progress with improving your lightning generation and redirection, but Rika encourages you to keep trying by pointing out all the progress you've made so far. Maybe next time you'll have a breakthrough? In any case, there will be time for training later.
What you might not have time to do later is talk to Tenzin, a man you haven't so much as seen in months, let alone talked to. He was having some tea by himself on the deck when you joined him and asked him why he was going to the Western Air Temple.
"I need to go to all of them," he said, "to discuss important matters with the heads of the Temples regarding the war in the south."
"Huh? What for?" you asked.
"There have been rogue Air-benders spotted siding with Tu Zin..."
You gasp. "Really!?"
He nods. "That's right. Between them and all the other splinter groups, the Air Nomads are more fractured now than ever before. So, we need to figure out how we're going to handle this moving forwards. This is too important to let it wait for our annual meeting, even if it is only four months away."
You nod. Right. You remember Yango suddenly leaving Air Temple Island one day, so she's probably one of those groups. Though you doubt she and any allies she made would side with Tu Zin.
"Is that why you went to the Spirit World?" you asked.
He nodded in response. "Even elders like me need spiritual guidance. We don't do ourselves any favors by forgetting that fact... and speaking of spirits, I suppose you're heading north to handle this... Spirit Sage of Fire, I believe."
"That's right! Do you know anything about those spirits?"
He shook his head. "Only the Spirit Sage of Air, who told me that you'd already talked to them. But while wandering the land, I've seen that it's been twisted and re-shaped in the images of Raava and Vaatu. The Spirit Sage of Fire is only the strongest of their targets. If this is allowed to continue, then I suspect that the whole of the Spirit World will be consumed by these clashing opposites. And I doubt those two would be content to leave our side alone."
You nod in agreement. "That's why I've got to stop them! That's what I've been talking to the Spirit Sages for, why I've been getting their blessings. Only Fire is left. I just don't understand why Fire would take a side here!"
As you talk, Tenzin takes a sip of his tea. He considers your words for a moment before speaking. "You remember that each element matches with certain mindsets better than others?"
You scoff. "Yeah, of course! It was one of the first things you taught me – how you need a relaxed and calm mind to Air-bend well. But what does that have to do with anything?"
He continues. "You were always better with Water, Fire, and Earth than you ever were with Air, true. But you've made a lot of progress there, and I'm proud of you. My point, though, is that the Spirit Sages are the same. The Golden Bird was utterly relaxed and free... and completely detached from everything. Then, perhaps the Phoenix-Dragon is a mass of blazing passion... one willing to burn down anything."
"Hmmm..."
You think it over.
"Vaatu is Chaos, he said. He wanted to spread Chaos, which is him. I didn't really get it then, but..."
You think about the damage done to Phoenix City, a Fire-bender enclave, by wrathful Fire-benders, uncaring of the damage they caused as long as their goal of spreading terror was met.
"The Spirit Sage of Fire would be a good tool for that."
Tenzin nods.
"...Did anything happen to the other Sages?" you ask.
"I never saw them," he said.
You frown. "Then, I'll have to keep an eye on them all... but first, we need to tame a wildfire."
.
.
.
On the way to the Western Air Temple, you decided to try and call Desna and Eska. You weren't expecting much of it – frankly, you were surprised that anyone even picked up, given that you were calling from a boat. And you certainly were not expecting Eska to demand that you put a stop to her father's plan. Granted, it was mostly because Desna had become insufferable, but you'll take it.
"Okay, but what is his plan?" you ask. "He's been avoiding me, so I haven't been able to piece it together."
"Ughhhhhh..." she sighs heavily over the line. "So, it's like this. You know about those light and dark spirits, right?"
"Yep."
"And about their bosses Raava and Vaatu, right?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna beat them up!"
"...Okay. Anyway, Father wants to use us as conduits to control them."
"...What!?"
You're pretty sure the entire boat heard that, and you don't care. What the hell is your uncle thinking!?
"I agree, it sounds stupid," replies Eska. "But Desna is all for it, and he's turned into a total jackass, so he won't listen to me. His vibes are, like, totally rancid. You'll get it when you see him."
You pretend you know what that means and agree with your cousin.
"Anyway, Father ordered me to capture you and bring you to him, but.... I kinda don't want to, sooooo... if you could capture me instead that'd be great. I'll be with a bunch of soldiers, so we won't be hard to spot. Where will you be coming from?"
"The Western Air Temple."
"Wonderful, see you soon," she says with the closest thing you've heard to enthusiasm from her in years.
A few minutes later, you have everyone gathered and have told them about your conversation with Eska. Unsurprisingly, everyone is outraged by this news. How could Unalaq use his own family like this?
But, much to your surprise, your father quiets down while the rest of the group only gets more and more incensed. He seems to be deep in thought. Your mom is sitting next to him, but he rebuffs her questioning. Seems like this could be important... but maybe it's personal?
[] Ask Tonraq what he might be thinking about.
[] Wait until later...
-[] ...and ask him in private.
-[] ...but not until after everything.
QM Note: It is now the 13th. Arriving to the Northern Ice Sheet will be next update and take place the next day. The Glacier Spirits Festival is on the 23rd and Harmonic Convergence is on the 30th. Character sheet was also updated.
Winning vote: [X] Ask Tonraq what he might be thinking about.
Korra, Tonraq, and Haiko (Month 12, part 3)
"Dad? You okay there?" you ask.
This draws in everyone else's attention towards him, and they quiet down as well. Now that everyone's attention is on him, he sighs and speaks up.
"No, it... this just reminded me of something," he says.
One of the Water Unionists speaks up. "Well, what?"
"Yeah, what's on your mind?"
He frowns and looks directly at you. "Have I ever told you how exactly we ended up on Spirit Portal Island?"
The Water Unionists glance at other and look like they've understood where your dad is going with this, but you're clueless. What does your home have to do with Desna and Eska?
"Uhhh... because I'm the Avatar? It was because of the Spirit Portal, right?" you ask.
He nods. "Yes, but before then we lived in the South."
You nod.
"Even though Unalaq is my brother."
You nod again.
...then it hits you. "Wait, why did we live in the South?" you ask.
He grimaces before answering. "That's because I was banished from the North."
You gasp. "What!?"
"Yep," says Vanrir. "Tonraq over there has been since before you were born."
"It happened like this," adds your dad. "I was tipped off about a barbarian attack on the capital, and took a group of warriors out to crush them beforehand. However, they retreated into a sacred forest, and the spirits would end up retaliating and attacking the capital. We were defeated in our attempts to stop them, but Unalaq was able to successfully calm them down and get them to return."
"And since this was your fault, you were banished?" you asked.
He nodded.
"Well, that's not fair at all!" you shout. "How could you possibly have known that they would attack!? And even if you had... banishing you? Just for that one mistake?"
"I understand that you're upset Korra, but my actions put the lives of thousands in danger. It was an entirely reasonable response," is your dad's reply... but that's not something you can really accept. If your granddad was still alive, why you'd give him a piece of your mind!
Your dad speaks up again, interrupting your fuming. "However, there's more to it. The one who warned me about the barbarians in the first place... was my younger brother, Unalaq. The one who would become next in line for the throne if I was banished."
"Furthermore, we never did find out who hired those mercenaries, since it turns out that they were only pretending to be barbarians," adds one of the Water Unionists.
...this only makes you angrier. "Are... are you implying that Unalaq set this whole thing up!?"
The Water Unionists variously agree with this, and you have to stomp off and go outside to cool your head. The nerve of that man! When you see him, you're going to teach him a lesson he'll never forget!
.
.
.
Not long afterwards, you were approached by your parents, who came by to comfort you. They had already made peace with Unalaq's decision to betray his brother long ago, and didn't want to trouble you with it. Well, you're not exactly troubled... more like you're planning on causing trouble for him.
But you have a mission that you need to accomplish too... ugh.
Well, you're in the right area, so maybe you can do both?
You don't worry about that this night, however. Instead, you're all treated to a feast in the Western Air Temple, courtesy of the Air Nomads and other residents. Tenzin and his entourage go off to talk with them about something, and the rest of you spend the night decompressing and complaining about Unalaq.
The next morning, you wake up bright and early, and are greeted with a surprise when you go to the shore for a swim.
"Hello, Avatar Korra."
It's Haiko. While her outfit is still bright red, she's wearing something that looks like it can stand up to the intense cold of a winter on the Northern Ice Sheet. She's also got her battery pack. Looks like she followed you all the way here and plans to keep going with you. ...wait, does that mean she heard your conversation on the boat?
"Hello," you reply back. "Looks like you're dressed for the cold."
"Well, yes," she says. "Naturally. I do have business there, just like you."
You raise an eyebrow at her.
She glares at you. "You know very well what I mean!" she yells, pointing at you. "It's that Spirit Sage! I want that blessing! I..."
She looks away from you, face turning red. "...I'm even willing to help you. We both want the same thing, after all."
She then glares at you again. "But don't get the wrong idea! This is just a one-time thing!"
"Okay," you reply before she can continue.
She blinks at you. "Huh?"
"You can join us. Now then, follow me..."
You lead her to the rest of the group, who are now all awake and getting ready to depart, and you both help them get the boats ready. There's no regular service, so the Air Nomads keep a few boats handy. Since they can't truly fly, and the wing-suits are new technology, they've had need of them on occasion. Along the way to the Northern Ice Sheet, you tell the group about your last encounter with Haiko and that she wants to help now. While she still refuses to go into detail, she at least confirms that she's here to help.
After a few hours, you all arrive at one of the many villages dotting the coast of the Northern Ice Sheet and leave your boats at the harbor.
"Did Eska tell you where we were supposed to meet her?" signs Vanra to you.
"No, but I told here where we were coming from. She should be able to find us," you sign back.
When the others ask out loud, you say about the same.
As a matter of fact, your entourage hasn't gone far outside the village before you notice a strong spiritual presence. Not long later, soldiers appear on the horizon, led by your cousin. By your estimates, there's about a hundred of them. Thankfully, once they get in close, Eska orders them to stand down and they follow her command. Looks like they're more loyal to either her or the country than her father.
"It's about time you got here," she says. "What's the plan, cousin?"
You nod. "The plan is to defeat Unalaq!"
"..."
"...what?"
"No, that's your goal," she replies, back to her usual annoyance. "How do you plan on doing that?"
"Uhhhh... I was hoping you could help me with that? Hehehe..."
She grumbles under her breath, but agrees to do so.
Your group now consists of the following people:
Korra (Avatar)
Tonraq and Senna (Water-bender)
Asami (non-bender; non-combatant)
Biyong (non-bender; guardian spirit)
Vanra (non-bender; militia woman)
10 Water Unionists (half bender and half non-bender)
Tenzin and 4 Air Nomads (Air-bender)
Rika (Fire-bender/Lighting-generation)
Haiko (New Lightning-bending)
Eska (Water-bender; light spirit)
100 Water Tribe soldiers (non-bender)
After discussing it with your group and with Eska, you all decide on the following:
[][Direction] You will all head to the North Pole, to deal with the Spirit Sage.
[][Direction] You will all head towards the capital, to deal with Unalaq.
[][Direction] You will split your forces. (who goes where?)
[][Speed] You will move rapidly, and get there in the middle of the night, tired.
[][Speed] You will move slowly, and thus have time to rest before arriving there.
QM Note: It is now the 14th. The Glacier Spirits Festival is on the 23rd and Harmonic Convergence is on the 30th. Desna is also at the North Pole.
Winning vote: [X][Direction] You will all head to the North Pole, to deal with the Spirit Sage.
[X][Speed] You will move rapidly, and get there in the middle of the night, tired.
Korra's Drive to the North Pole! (Month 12, part 4)
"Okay, so step one will be dealing with Desna and the Spirit Sage, and then we'll march towards the capital. Everyone good with that?"
You watch as the massive crowd around you either nods or verbally agrees.
"Alright, then let's pack up and get moving!"
With that declaration, the crowd sets in motion. Eska and her soldiers lead you all to their encampment, where they've stored all their gear and vehicles. Notably, they have a lot of snowmobiles and snow-trucks, so it won't be a problem for your group of 23 to join them.
"If we leave now and only stop to eat, we'll be able to reach the North Pole by nightfall," mentions your dad as you, him, and your mom hop on snowmobiles. The three of you will be in the front, along with Eska. "Are we going to go on the offensive as soon as we get there?" he asks of you.
"Yep!" you reply.
"Ughhhh... this better not mess up my beauty sleep," complains Eska.
"Eska, if you'd rather rest, we can handle things," offers your mom.
"Tch! And leave everything to Korra? No way!"
You glower at her. "What is that supposed to mean!?"
She rolls her eyes and doesn't answer, instead revving her snowmobile and driving off. You grumble under your breath about your annoying cousins, hop on your won snowmobile, and follow along. Your parents follow behind the two of you and behind them are eight trucks, each driven by one of Eska's soldiers. The cold winter wind wraps around your caravan as you travel across the frozen land. Winter is has come in full force with snow falling the whole way towards the north and intensifying as you get closer to the poles, slowing you all down. It's strange and almost like the Everstorm... but not quite.
Did the Spirit Sage of Fire do this?
You all would not get a direct answer. Instead, sometime after night had fallen, as you all had gotten very close to the North Pole, the storm would mysteriously stop. While it is a bit warmer here, it only warms up to the level of an average winter day in Republic City, so you all keep your layers on.
More importantly, you also start to sense spirits nearby. And if you can sense them, they can probably sense you. You even notice one of them – which resembles a hybrid of a bat and moth, but entirely purple and blue – casually fly above your caravan, before realizing what you are and then retreating.
Tonraq gives a signal and the caravan stops some distance away from the spirit forest. Everyone unloads and gets ready for a fight.
Tonraq clears his throat and addresses the crowd. "It will be too dangerous to fight as a mass in the forest. We may damage it and anger all the spirits that reside there. I propose that we draw out the dark spirits to fight elsewhere. That will allow my daughter and niece to go in and confront the Spirit Sage and my nephew."
"...when you put it that way, it just sounds like a family feud," you note. You get some chuckles from the crowd and nods of agreement.
Tonraq frowns, but also nods. "Yes, and it's time that we end it for good," he declares.
Eska points at one of her soldiers. "You're commander while I'm away. Work with Tonraq."
The man nods, and he and Tonraq begin to talk strategy.
As he does so, Haiko walks right up to you. "I'm going with you!" she announces.
"Okay."
"I won't take no for a... wait, you're okay with it?"
You nod, yawning. If she plans on making amends for her screw-up last time, you're not really inclined to stop her. Besides, maybe if you watch her fight, you can figure out how her bending works!
She scoffs at that notion, though. You'll have to show her what you can do!
At the same time, Vanra and Biyong come up and offers to help Eska. Although Eska can't understand sign language, Biyong can translate between them and make things work out in the heat of battle. Tenzin and Rika also come up and offer to help you, and you accept their offers as well. The seven of you then slip away while the big group starts making a ruckus and drawing in the attention of the dark spirits. You can hear sounds of battle start up as you all enter the forest... and notice that it's getting much warmer, almost like an autumnal heat wave.
"Ughhhh... so gross. This has got to be the Spirit Sage's doing, right?" asks Eska.
"Yeah," you say. You crack your knuckles in the still air. "We'll take care of it."
(Korra's combat party consists of herself, Haiko, Tenzin, and Rika. They will be fighting the Spirit Sage of Fire. How should Korra specifically approach the fight?) [] Go and fight its fire with your own!
[] Build defensive earthen barricades.
[] Dance in the air around the flames.
[] Water counters fire... extinguish it!
[] Perhaps it's time to try out lightning? (must combine with another option)
[] You have mastered the elements, so switch between them.
[] (may write-in a more detailed response)
QM Note: It is still the 14th. The Glacier Spirits Festival is on the 23rd and Harmonic Convergence is on the 30th.
Winning vote: [X] You have mastered the elements, so switch between them.
Korra and Allies vs the Spirit Sage of Fire! (Month 12, part 5)
As you all keep walking deeper and deeper into the spiritual forest, it only gets hotter and hotter, turning from an autumn heat into a full-on summer heat. The heat is exhausting, but you must go on. The Spirit Sage of Fire must be the cause of his odd weather, and you still need to get a blessing from it. After a while, you can see it in the distance – a massive scaled and feathered beast with four prominent flaming wings, still colored a mixture of red and purple. You can also sense another spiritual presence, similarly laced with darkness, in a different direction, and Eska, Vanra, and Biyong go that way.
You wish them luck in dealing with Desna, and they wish you luck in dealing with the Sage.
You, Haiko, Rika, and Tenzin continue on, through the forest, and reach the center. Near the lake, you can see the red orb that opens into the Spirit Portal still buried in the ground and glowing, unchanged. At the lake shore, the Spirit Sage of Fire is sleeping, smaller dark spirits attending to it and cleaning its wings and scales.
The four of you look at each other. Now what?
"...should we wake it up?" asks Rika.
Haiko grimaces. "That'll just enrage it. It'll turn into a fight."
You yawn and start walking forward, the others tailing behind you. "I could go for a fight, to be honest."
"Korra, are you sure about that?" asks Tenzin. "If all we need to do is remove the darkness, then we could... Korra!"
You ignore him, pull a wave out of the Water from the lake, and slam it into the Spirit Sage's face!
"AAAAAAARGHHHHHH!!!"
It's only afterwards that what Tenzin said clicks with you and you start swirling the Water around the Spirit in an attempt to Heal it. However, it recognizes what you're doing and slips away, taking to the air. It roars out loud, belching out red, blue, and purple flames.
"YOU!! DID YOU DO THAT!?!?!"
"Yeah! What of it!? Aren't you supposed to be a Spirit Sage? What are you doing siding with Raava and Vaatu!?"
"SIDING WITH... WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I WOULD NEVER!"
"Don't lie to me!" you shout back. "Vaatu has corrupted you into Darkness and Chaos!"
"HMPH! YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING! VAATU IS MERELY OUR TOOL!"
"So, he is working with Unalaq then," says Tenzin.
"Korra, you mentioned that you uncle had talked to the Spirit Sages too, right?" asked Rika.
"He had!?" exclaims a shocked Haiko.
"That's right," you confirm. "But I thought he never received any blessings..."
"He won't need the blessings if the spirits agree to work with him directly," notes Tenzin. "Especially since he did help reconnect spirits to this world at both of the poles. He'd be viewed as sincere."
Before you can discuss the matter any further, the Spirit Sage roars again and demands you all leave at once or you'll suffer its wrath. You instead reply by picking up and throwing another wave at the spirit! It counters with a writhing purple flame that evaporates the water at once... and the steam provides perfect cover for Rika and Haiko to blast the spirit with twin bolts of Lightning!
It screeched in pain and starts sinking towards the ground... only to right itself at the last moment and belch out more fire, blue this time, direct at all of you!
"Look out!" you shout grabbing Haiko and pulling her away, sliding on the Earth beneath you. You watch as Tenzin commands a gust of Air to blow the flames away from him and Rika, and Rika's attempts to put the Fire under her control all fail. You and Haiko barely get out of the way, with attempts to control the Fire also failing, forcing you to also blow it away with a gust of Air.
Haiko touches your shoulder before you try to control the Fire again. "Don't."
You glare at her. "Why not?"
She just shakes her head. "Trust me. Those aren't normal... look out!"
This time, she grabs you and shoves the two of you out of the way of another flaming breath attack, blasting herself with Lightning to let her move faster. You really do want to figure that little trick out... but that's for later. Right now, you need to focus! The air isn't terribly humid, but there's still Water that you can pull from it, and turn into whips to strike at or bind the Phoenix-Dragon. It tries to fly away, but Tenzin and Rika make a flying wall of flames that force it down towards the ground instead.
And since the ground is no longer thickly covered with ice, you can bend the Earth in it to your will.
But before you can do so, it blasts out a wave of heat this time and the force of it sends you all flying!
"Ugh!"
You crash land in the lake, as does Haiko... but while you're agile, her battery pack is weighing her down. Not only that, but she's panicking and flailing around in the water, making it hard to you to reach her.
But you do, and manage to drag her out of the water and back to safety.
However, she's starting at her partially-melted battery pack in horror. "The charge... it's gone!"
You look at her. "...so... what does that mean?"
She glares at you. "That was all my extra juice! How am I supposed to fight now!?"
"You can..."
But you're interrupted once more, by the sound of frenzied roaring and a rush of heat!
(Choose one.) [] Multiple blasts of purple fire are heading right for you! While you're able to drag yourself and Haiko to safety by briefly going into the Avatar State, your exhaustion catches up with you and you pass out.
[] Multiple blasts of purple fire are assaulting Rika and Tenzin! While they're able to avoid the absolute worst of it thanks to their combined prowess, the sheer power of it knocks both of them out.
[] It's a massive wave of flames! You and Haiko go back under water, and Tenzin and Rika take to the air instead... and unfortunately that gives the Spirit Sage a chance to escape into the Spirit World!
QM Note: Elsewhere, Eska, Vanra, and Biyong were able to handle their fight without too much issue, and the same is true of the rest of the group.
Winning vote: [X] Multiple blasts of purple fire are heading right for you! While you're able to drag yourself and Haiko to safety by briefly going into the Avatar State, your exhaustion catches up with you and you pass out.
Korra and the Aftermath of a Spiritual Battle (Month 12, part 6)
Hot winds scorch their way through the stagnant air as you and Haiko watch multiple large blasts of purple fire headed your way. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Tenzin trying to reflect the flames with the surrounding Air... but to no avail. He can only pull away and disperse the Fire at the rear.
You try to do the same, but in your tired state your command over the Air is weakened, and you can't even slow it down!
A screaming Haiko has already dropped her battery pack and dove back into the water... but it'll just evaporate from the heat, boiling her alive! And the heat is getting too intense... you'll be roasted!
No choice but to retreat!
All at once, you rush over to the water too and swim towards Haiko. Then, reaching deep inside yourself, you try to force the Avatar State out.
And you succeed! A rush of energy flows through you! A shocked Haiko watches as the Water and Air start swirling around you. You then dip down and grab her and start gliding away, across the lake, counting on it to absorb the heat and keep you both safe.
Come on... come on!
A few seconds later, you feel all the energy flowing through you start running out.
"K-Korra!?" shouts Haiko over the rushing heat. "You okay!?"
But you can't respond. You need to focus!
It must have only been a minute or maybe even two, but you cross the lake to a colder part of the forest... and promptly fall out of the Air, crash-landing into the ground.
Only moments later, the lake behind you explodes and a rush of heat absorbs the surrounding world.
.
.
.
"Mmmmm... ugh..."
Sore. Your whole body is sore... although the bed is comfortable...
...wait, a bed?
You open one eye and look around. This is definitely a bedroom in someone's house. With some ache, you manage to sit up. Looking down at yourself, you have no obvious injuries... your Mom must have healed you. But where is everyone? There's some chatter from outside...
...but when you try to get out of bed, you slip and fall on the floor instead.
"Ah!?"
Seconds later, a bunch of people barge into the room. You see your parents, Asami, Biyong, Vanra, and Haiko. There are many others, like Tenzin and Rika, crowded behind them. None of them look terribly injured, thankfully. You immediately notice that Haiko has a mark on her right hand – a blessing from the Spirit Sage of Fire. In a total 180 from her usual demeanor, she's the first one to your side and helps you up and back onto the bed.
"You alright, Korra?"
You groan. "Yeah, I'll be okay."
"You should get some more rest, dear," says your mom.
"Yeah, you'll need your strength for what's to come," adds your dad.
"What? What happened while I was out?"
Biyong gestures to herself and Vanra. "With the two of us by Eska's side, we were able to defeat Desna. He's been subdued and is being watched over by some of the soldiers."
Vanra starts signing and Biyong translates for the crowd. "Once we heard the explosions from your fight, we went over to help. But by the time we got there, you were already out cold. We were able to subdue the Spirit Sage and Haiko managed to convince it to bless her."
Haiko scoffs. "Convince nothing! I electrocuted it until it did what I demanded!"
You give her a confused look. "But wasn't your battery pack destroyed?"
"Yeah, I'm totally useless now. Probably won't be able to even turn on a lightbulb for a bit. But you know, we new Lightning-benders can use our body's electricity as well, not just stored charge. And after seeing you like that... well, I went all out."
She then yawns. "Since you're fine, I'm going back to sleep. Bye-bye~."
Haiko slips her way out of the room, slipping between the crowd.
"That said," starts Tenzin, who has now made his way to the front, "that Spirit Sage remains possessed with dark energy. It still needs to be purified. But next time, we'll be better prepared to handle things."
"But as far as the blessings go, I can work with Haiko having the fourth one," says Asami. "We're all good there. I'll just need to head back to Republic City to complete a few things before Harmonic Convergence."
"We may find that difficult," adds your dad. "While we were able to deal with the bulk of the dark spirits, a few escaped towards the capital. My brother will know that we were here soon. Of course, if we want to confront him now anyway, that's not a big deal, but now he has time to prepare."
You nod. Right, your uncle. You're getting the sense that you'll have to fight him eventually, the question is just if you'd rather do it now or later. After thinking it over and discussing it with the group, you all come to a decision.
[][Unalaq] You'll confront Unalaq while you're still here.
[][Unalaq] You can deal with him later. Leave for now.
(Korra must rest today, and can talk with up to two people. Who would you like to chat with? You may write-in talking points.) [][Chat] Desna and Eska (takes up 2 slots)
[][Chat] Haiko
[][Chat] Your mom and dad (takes up 2 slots)
[][Chat] Tenzin
[][Chat] Asami
[][Chat] Biyong
[][Chat] Vanra
[][Chat] Rika
[][Chat] (write-in)
QM Note: It is now the 15th. You will rest for the day, and then leave in the morning. The Glacier Spirits Festival is on the 23rd and Harmonic Convergence is on the 30th.
Winning vote: [X][Unalaq] You'll confront Unalaq while you're still here.
[X][Chat] Desna and Eska (takes up 2 slots)
Korra, Eska, and Desna (Month 12, part 7)
It doesn't take long for you all to decide that you'll need to confront Unalaq. There's no way you can let him keep his throne. Between trying to take over the Southern Ice Sheet and use Raava and Vaatu for his own ends, he can't be trusted with that level of power... or any, in your opinion. What's less clear is what should happen after he's removed from his position or how you all would even do that.
After some deliberation, a sketch of a plan is made. Desna and Eska will bring the bulk of the group (the soldiers / the Water Unionists / Korra and her family and friends) towards the capital, marching Korra's group as if they had been captured sneaking around the North Pole... which was somewhat accurate. If this worked, then they would be brought in and able to confront Unalaq when he inevitably came to visit them. If it didn't work, they'd have to force their way through and hope for the best. Meanwhile, Tenzin would go another way with his Air Nomads, Rika, and Haiko, and enter the city normally as guests. They won't be part of any battle with Unalaq, but would be able to aid in the event that the rest of the group needed to retreat. But to do this, they would need to approach the capital from another direction, and so would leave separately. Rika and Haiko were given gifts of Water Tribe appropriate clothing for them to wear as disguises.
With the plan set, you bid the seven of them farewell and lay down to rest for a while.
.
.
.
You're woken up a few hours later by the sounds of your rumbling stomach. Feeling less sore than before, you decide to hop out of bed and see if there's any food. Once you step out of the bedroom, you walk down a hallway towards the living room, where you find several of the soldiers sitting around and chatting. They greet you as you approach. When you ask about food, they just tell you to eat some seal jerky to tide yourself over until dinner.
...eh, it'll do. You eat a chunk, dress up for the cold, and head outside the wood-and-whale-bone house.
You could already sense the presence of who you assumed to be Desna and Eska while you were inside. But now that you're outside, you can see them. Typically, the two of them dress almost identically, and Eska was kept to her usual dark blue attire. Desna, on the other hand, now has prominent purple and black patches on his robes. You know that you glow while in the Avatar State, and Desna seems to be sparkling in a way that's almost like that. When he glances in your direction, you notice that one of his grey-blue eyes is now purple.
He glares at you. "Ah, it's you."
His words are dripping with venom. If you actually cared about his opinion, it might have stung... but you don't, so you ignore that and walk over to the two of them. As you get closer to Desna, the dark aura around him feels more intense, and you think you're starting to understand what Eska meant before about a rancid vibe. It definitely feels hostile, and you didn't have better things to do, you'd consider taking him down a peg or two.
But Eska's exasperated glances towards you keep you focused.
"Yeah, me," you say as you get close.
The two of them were talking to a group of soldiers, who promptly dismiss themselves, not wanting to be anywhere near this.
"Mind explaining yourself?" you ask of him.
"Hmph! There's nothing I need to explain to you of all people."
"Wha- What is that supposed to-!?"
Eska coughs loudly before you can even get going. "Cousin, did you want something?" she asks in her usual true neutral tone.
"Yeah, I want to know what your problem is!" you shout while pointing a finger at Desna.
He flips his hair. "I don't have any problems. My father has just shown me the truth, that's all."
"The truth about what?" you ask.
From Eska's exasperated sigh, you immediately can tell that asking this was a mistake.
Desna chuckles. "The truth about the world and the spirits, my foolish cousin. The truth about you and the Avatar Spirit. Making the Avatar Spirit, sealing away Raava and Vaatu, sending away the light and dark spirits... all these things prevented the natural balance of the world from asserting itself. And we must be the ones to set things right, since you will not."
You stare at him as if he's an idiot... which he is. "Yeah, because when they break out, they're gonna go on a rampage! You bet I'm not letting that happen!"
"Sure, but not if we harness their power instead," he replies.
"..."
A thought then occurs to you.
"...are you still mad about last time?" you ask.
He tries very hard not to react, but you notice his left eye subtly twitch. "No idea what you could be talking about, cousin. This is about setting things right and doing what's best for our people."
Somehow, you manage to keep a straight face. "Yeah, okay."
There's no way he actually believes that. Vaatu is darkness and chaos. He wouldn't care about right and wrong, or about society. If he's so in touch with those forces, then he wouldn't care about them either. This is definitely personal... but calling him out on it anymore will definitely lead to a fight, so you'll do that later.
On the other hand, there is something else you should mention.
"You know, once we deal with Unalaq, he's not going to be able to do that."
"Right..."
Desna then pointedly looks away at you.
"...but you could."
Eska glares at him, but he avoids her gaze. "Absolutely not."
She looks at you. "Korra, you're going to entertain this, are you?"
...
Well, you probably shouldn't... but you are going to need two people to seal Raava and Vaatu into, and you won't have long to find them before Harmonic Convergence.
[] Agree with Eska. You can find someone else.
[] Agree with Desna. The two of them will do.
-[] Apply conditions: (write-in)
[] You'll want to talk to Asami before deciding anything.
QM Note: The next day will be the 16th and the march towards Agna Q'ela.
Winning vote: [X] Up until Desna got all wierd you two were my first picks. You're level headed, usually, familiar with wielding power in various forms, know to be careful with spirits, and I was banking on your bond to survive whatever influence the flatworms would have tried to dump on you. Great spirits or not those two are just petulant children destroying everything around them rather than accepting how much they need each other. If they're going to act like humans anyway I may as well jam them in some and keep them there, it'd certainly be more sustainable than the current set up.
-[X] ok if you're not both agreed on this 100% then we won't do it. I'm sure there are other volunteers we can find.
--[X] We gotta clean up whatever the fuck is wrong with Desna's aura or whatever that is before anything else. That cannot be healthy.
Korra's Trial (Month 12, part 8)
You all wake up bright and early on the morning of the 16th, and prepare to head down to Agna Q'ela. You, your parents, your friends, and the accompanying Water Unionists are all packed into one truck, driven by one of Eska's soldiers, while she and Desna accompany you all on snowmobiles and the other soldiers pile into the other trucks. By their estimate, the trip down to the capital will take them several hours, and they should get there by the early afternoon.
While in the truck, your group mostly keeps the conversation light. There's not much to say at this point... at least, not to each other. There's plenty to say to your uncle, however.
However, there is one thing you'd like to discuss, related to your cousins.
"Hey, Asami?"
"Hm?" She turns her light green eyes towards you. "What's up, Korra?"
"Remember how we decided on sealing Raava and Vaatu in people?"
She nods. "Do you think it's a bad idea now?"
You shake your head. "But... I don't think we should leave them with Desna and Eska. Eska doesn't want to do it, and Desna... well..."
"I've noticed," she notes dryly, getting a chuckle out of you.
"Who else can we find to do this?" you ask. "We don't have a lot of time..."
Asami smirks at you. "I think you already have two good candidates. In fact, they've been by your side the whole time~."
You blink at her. "Huh? What do you mean?"
She chuckles at you again, and then gestures towards Biyong and Vanra, who are chatting with some of the Water Unionists.
"...oh! You think they'd go for it?"
"For you? Absolutely. But let's talk to them about this after we deal with your uncle."
"Okay!"
Right afterwards, you get called into a discussion about the Spirit Sage of Fire, and the chatter on that and other, lighter, things, occupies you all the way until you reach the capital. After an indeterminate time in transit, the truck suddenly stops, and not too long later two soldiers you don't recognize open the back hatch and peer inside at all of you. They blink in surprise.
"Huh. That's them alright."
"We'll let them through then."
They then shut the door, and the truck sets back into motion not long later. This time, the journey is much shorter, being maybe only a few more minutes. When the back hatch is opened this time, several soldiers are there and order you all out at spearpoint. You're all marched into a prison, crammed into individual cells. You can't sense Desna or Eska anymore, so you guess they must have headed to the Royal Palace. Out of the corner of your eye, however, you notice one of the Air Nomads perched atop a nearby building, out of sight of the soldiers.
Several hours pass with not much happening. You're all fed, of course, and a functionary came by to do a headcount and get names from all of you, ignoring all of your questions. You briefly grumble about breaking out, but while some in the group agree with you, most want to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
And so, you wait.
.
.
.
You wake up in a dismal cold cell on the morning of the 17th, still awaiting word of what's to become of you. Breakfast is served: small portions of stew and jerky. But it'll do for now.
After what must be a few more hours, more soldiers come by. The cells are opened and you're all marched out again. You're all taken outside briefly, under the bright and shining sun, before taken to a court building. You're ushered into a small room, soldiers posted by the doors. You are made to take a seat by yourself at a small table, while the rest of the group sits in rows behind you. No one is seated at the table next to you, nor at the table in the very front of the room.
A few minutes later, a man in a blue judge's robe with white hair and beard walks into the room, and takes his seat at the front table. He unfurls several papers in front of him, gives them a cursory glance, and then looks directly at you.
"You must be Avatar Korra."
"That's right," you reply. "Who are you?"
"I am Judge Hotah. I'll be presiding your case today. Now, I have the testimony of your cousins here, and of King Unalaq here, and I can clearly see that his brother is here, despite clear orders not to return."
"Yeah, but-!"
He cuts you off. "Furthermore, it seems that the lot of you trespassed on sacred ground. Now, King Unalaq has made it clear to me that Korra was permitted to enter the Spirit Forest, but none of the rest of you were granted access. Unless the Avatar can disprove this?"
"Well, no, but-!"
He cuts you off again. "Thank you for the clarification. So then, illegal entry, trespassing, attacking the spirits, harassing the prince and princess... hmph. Incredible. There is only one appropriate sentence here – I will uphold all the previously existing banishments and also banish the rest of you, excepting the Avatar. Due to her position, a fine will be levied instead. I am aware that your home country does not deal in money, so further instructions will be mailed to you later."
He picks up the gavel on his table and bangs it.
"What!?" you shout, getting up from your seat. "That's not fair!"
But he ignores you, pointedly ignoring your gaze, and walks out the room. When you try to go after him, a bunch of soldiers get in your way. You glare at them, and they flinch, but don't move out of the way.
"M-miss Korra, please just go along with it..." says one of them. You remember that he was one of Eska's, and it turns out that so are the others. The rest of the soldiers are escorting the others out of the room, but at a slow pace so they can intervene in case you decide to go after the judge.
Breathing deeply, you force yourself to calm down, and allow yourself to be escorted out.
Using a roundabout way, such that you won't be noticed by the public, you're taken to the main port of city. When you get there, you notice that Haiko and Rika are waiting for you, standing by a captured Harmonic Navy boat. The soldiers tell you to take it, regroup with the rest of your home country's Navy, and then head home. It's only after they depart that you realize that they must also be Water Unionists.
With them here, and your connections with Desna and Eska restored... you still have a chance to take down your uncle. But that will have to come later.
For now, it's time to go home.
QM Note: No vote this time. I'll be taking next week off, so see you in two weeks!
Korra and the Glacier Spirits Festival (Month 12, part 9)
Today is the day of the Glacier Spirits Festival. You, Avatar Korra, who helped plan it, wake up bright and early that day. Despite the cold and snow the past few days, the sun is shining bright and cheery this morning. While you don't have any responsibilities the day of – at least, not any important ones – you want to spend the whole day there. A smile on your face, you fling yourself out of bed, get dressed, and head outside for your morning exercise routine.
Not long after you step outside...
"Morning Korra!"
"Morning Haiko!"
...you run into Haiko, who's doing the same thing. Ever since your battle with the Spirit Sage of Fire, she's ben much friendlier – not just to you, but to everyone, including the other residents of Spirit Portal Island. While she still hasn't told you what happened the first time she met that spirit, she's cooperative enough that you haven't felt the need to press her on it. Asami has had the two of you assist her with her ritual to seal Raava and Vaatu inside Vanra and Biyong, a fate that the two of them were happy to accept. In the meantime, you've been training, and part of that has been exercising and sparing with Haiko. Next time, you're definitely going to take down the Phoenix-Dragon!
Since today's a festival day, you won't be sparing though – just a run and swim.
"Ummm... so this Festival... is it fine if I take part?" asks Haiko while you're both on the run.
"Yeah, of course! It's run by us and for us, but that doesn't mean you're not welcome to join in," you reply. "I know you used to be with the Order of the Golden Phoenix, but you're not anymore, right?"
"That's right."
"So, it's fine!"
You think it over for a moment, and an idea comes to you.
"In fact..."
"Hm?"
"You'll see when we get back to my place."
You're refreshed by your dip in the cold winter waters, while Haiko complains bitterly about it. When the both of you get back, your parents and Haiko's dad are eating a light breakfast together. Looks like your parents got the same idea as you, as he's dressed in the typical blue robes of a Water Tribe member. You get Haiko to change into something appropriate as well, though she insists on keeping her new battery pack on her person. She worked with a few members of the Experimental Station to create a miniaturized one, and it's about the size of a large purse now. Much easier to carry around and have it blend in.
"H-how does it look?" Haiko asks everyone once she re-emerges in a light blue dress. Unlike you, she wears makeup as well, having black highlights around her eyes and red lipstick. She looks like she's going to a fancy party rather than a street festival, but she likes it and it does look good to you too. Her dad smiles at her and says that she looks wonderful, as do your parents.
"Told you it'd be fine!" you add, "Now, come help me get more of these. We'll need outfits for Asami and Biyong too."
"Hey, don't tell me what to doooooo!?" she shouts as you ignore her and drag her back out of sight, much to her dad's amusement.
Once you've all finished eating, you get on a ferry and head towards the Dragon Flats ward. While the Festival itself will be in the city center, spread all across Downtown, Midtown, and Uptown, you agreed to meet your friends in their home ward and then head over to the festival together. Your parents get off in Downtown and take Haiko's dad with them, leaving the two of you to continue on your journey.
"...is it really fine for us to be relaxing like this?" asks Haiko while looking towards the shore.
"...yes?" you reply back. "Why would it not be? Taking breaks is an important part of training!"
Haiko pouts at you. "I-I know that! But... we're talking about the fate of the world here, Korra..."
You nod. "Right. Well, I trust Asami, so I'm not too worried about it."
You flex your right arm. "Besides, it's not like we've been doing nothing. You've gotten a lot better at fighting. And I've been working on Lightning-bending, Metal-bending, Spirit Projection, and my own combat ability too..."
You smirk at her. "Then again, it might make you feel better if you taught me some of your abilities, just in case~!"
She sticks her tongue out at you. "Dream on, Korra!"
You start laughing and she joins you. The mood lightened, you both make your way to Asami's place, where you find Biyong and Vanra eagerly awaiting your arrival. Once Asami and Biyong change out of their outfits into more festive attire, the five of you start walking towards Uptown.
Once Uptown is in sight, you can see how the ward has been transformed. Lights had been strung up everywhere, to be lit up that night. Rows of brightly-colored balloons were also laid across the city streets, and ice sculptures were scattered around the place. The main festivities would be located in Equalist Park, but there were a few small game and food booths here and there, taking over the city streets.
It was still early, so the streets weren't crowded yet, but there were still plenty of individuals, couples, and families out and about. One of those families as one you immediately recognized.
"Hey Rika!"
"Korra! How's it going?"
Rika was with her brother Zumaq and her cousins Yoko, Lee, Naijo, and Zemo – otherwise known as the Four Flames. They were unmasked, of course. That said, all of them wore attire that mixed blue and red together, rater than being solidly one or the other. As the six of them approached your group, Haiko – who had been on the opposite side of you as Asami – hid behind you, her face bright red.
"Huh? You okay, Haiko?" asked Biyong.
"Y-yeah..." She glances towards the Four Flames, and then ducks behind you again.
"You know, Haiko, this is a perfect chance to hang out with them," you whisper to her, getting another idea.
"N-n-n-no, it's fine, I..."
You then speak up, as Rika's group have arrived. "Hey, would you all mind showing Haiko around?"
Rika, who immediately picks up on what you have in mind, agrees at once and drags Haiko away. Haiko's expression is a mix of gratitude and wrath that you appreciate seeing. It's much better than the vague sadness she had before. After they depart, the four of you keep going for a bit longer before deciding to split up once you all reach Equalist Park. You go with Asami while Biyong and Vanra go off together. The Park is absolutely filled with people and the central pathways have been entirely transformed into a giant carnival. And – despite your uncle's comments on how the party-like atmosphere would drive spirits away – there are plenty of neutral spirits out and about, sometimes playing with people, sometimes enjoying the day on their own.
However, the pleasant mood wouldn't last forever.
By mid-afternoon, you and Asami have made your way to the southern shore of Downtown, and were just taking a moment to relax by the bay. Not long after you both took a seat at one of the many public benches though, the ocean water started roiling and swaying unnaturally. You sensed at once that something was wrong and told everyone to get away from the water. Asami rushed over to a nearby phonebooth while you headed to the water's edge.
As soon as you got there, you were frozen in place.
"T-this power...! It has to be..."
"Yes, Korra, it's me."
Tarrlok, the missing man, emerged from the ocean and walked over towards you.
"And you're coming with me. King Unalaq wants to see you."
"W-what!?"
He glances at you. "Is it that surprising? He's the one who sent me here in the first place. Now then, let's... ugh!?"
He falls over, clutching his ears, and your body is back under your control again! At once, you blast Tarrlok with Water, and while he deflects a few of your attacks, the last one gets him and sends him flying back into the ocean. You then back away, turning back towards the street only briefly, where you see that Asami and several members of the Experimental Station have turned up with an Anti-Spirit Radio, and that several Water Unionists are on standby to defend them. Looks like their project to only block Blood-bending has succeeded.
Tarrlok pulls himself out of the water, glances up at the radio, and then glares at you. "Hmph! These cheap tricks are nothing. One way or another, I'm taking you to the North."
He gets into a fighting stance, claws shining brightly beneath the mid-day sun, and so do you. You won't let that happen!
(How do you want to approach the battle?) [] Just like last time, no bending.
[] Let's have a Water-bending duel.
[] Burn him out with your Fire.
[] Use all the elements at your disposal.
QM Note: Were back! Only one week until Harmonic Convergence.
Winning vote: [X] Use all the elements at your disposal.
Korra vs Tarrlok! Round 2 (Month 12, part 10)
You're the Avatar, so naturally you'll use every element at your disposal. Starting with Air, you kick out gusts in wide arcs, and Tarrlok hops above them. When you start punching the Air at him, he calls Water out from the sky and uses it to push him around, deftly avoiding your attacks.
"Is that all the Avatar can do?" the masked man asks in a mocking tone.
"I should be asking if that's all Tarrlok can do?" you ask back. "You won't defeat me by running away!"
You punctuate your statement by taking a deep breath and exhaling a large ball of Fire, one large enough to evaporate all of Tarrlok's water and send him falling from the sky. You then stomp on the ground and motion for the sandy Earth to rise and ensnare him instead...
"You!!"
...only for him to call Water from the bay to shunt him aside, sending him flying at you!
"How dare you!?"
He flips around, righting himself, and frantically swings his glistening claws at you. You have to slip through the Air to dodge all his furious attacks.
"Using Fire against me, you traitor!?"
At a critical moment when he overextends himself, you blow him away with a gust of Air that you then ignite with a burst of Fire. This time, he can't stop himself from crashing on the ground, and you bid the Earth to capture him.
"Traitor? I'm the Avatar! I'm supposed to use all the elements!" you retort back, cautiously walking up to him. "I'm sorry that you were killed by Fire-benders, but that has nothing to do with me."
You stand about a body's distance away from Tarrlok as he's immobilized by a prison of hardened sand, and start swirling water around him. He recognizes what you're doing immediately and starts to panic.
"W-what are you-!?"
"I'd tell you to tell my uncle that I'm not going with him, but I'm not letting you leave and kill anyone else. But don't worry – we'll stop the Order of the Golden Phoenix for good. We'll get justice for you."
You touch the swirling water, infusing it with your own energy, and then gently drape it over Tarrlok.
He and the spirit possessing him promptly scream in pain.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
It's so surprising that you drop your concentration...
"NO!"
...giving the spirit possessing Tarrlok time to manifest fully, using his body to break out of the sandy prison. Tarrlok's normally all-black outfit changes into a violent swirl of black and red, and he becomes coated with a purple aura. His mask vanishes, and you can see that his face is covered with burns, he no longer has any hair, and that the empty sockets of his eyes are now glowing purple. A cape billows out from behind him as he floats in the air, six tendrils coming out of his back.
"MY VENGENCE BELONGS TO ME! I WON'T LET YOU STOP ME! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"
The tentacles extend and reach out to grab you, and you slip around in the Air to dodge them. When you slice them with Air or Water, burn them with Fire, or stomp them into the Earth, they simply regenerate and continue their attack. However, it seems like the squid spirit is in full control, so he can't Water-bend anymore, not even to defend himself from your own attacks. The spirit, using Tarrlok's body, swims around in the air to evade your attacks.
"AVATAR KORRA... IF YOU KEEP GETTING IN MY WAY, I'LL KILL YOU TOO!"
"Oh? Don't you have your orders?" you ask, dodging a tentacle and then other, over and over.
"UNALAQ WILL UNDERSTAND. AFTER ALL, I'M JUST GETTING RID OF YOU EARLY!"
Your eyes widen. So, that was your uncle's plan!? Use you for his own ends and then dispose of you... is that what he has in store for your cousins too!?
You clench a fist as rage pours through your spirit. The Air swirls around you as you go into the Avatar State! The Air is joined in turn by Water (from the bay), Earth (from the sand), and Fire (from your breath). The squid spirit, seeing this, pauses its attack for a moment, fear clear on its face.
"I don't think so," you state with tranquility and fury in equal measure. "I'll stop you and my uncle."
At once, you condense Water from all around Tarrlok's body, coating him with it.
"N-NO!! STOP!!"
Breathing deeply and rhythmically, you move and the Water moves with you. You extend the Water swirling around you to reach the Water beathing Tarrlok's body. Once they do, your spiritual presence pours in and surrounds him. The bright glow completely smothers him, and the spirit's screams fade away as you gently push it out and Heal Tarrlok's body. When you're done, it's like Tarrlok was never horrifically burned... but he's still dead. Looks like his spirit was long gone – only faint traces remained, traces the squid used for its benefit.
Speaking of the squid, it spits out a cloud of inky darkness at you!
"What!? Hey! Get back here!"
You blow the smoke away just in time to see a guardian spirit appear and crush the squid with its bulk. Biyong's guardian spirit as a matter of fact. You turn towards the city to see that she's arrived in the company of Vanra, who has her knives at the ready just in case. Asami and the other members of the Experimental Station are now cheering, and the remaining Water Unionists seem quite pleased.
Another guest has turned up as well – Tarrlok's brother, Amon. He gestures towards Tarrlok's body and you nod at him. You gently let it rest on the shore and then release the Avatar State.
Maybe this time, he'll be buried and stay buried.
.
.
.
In the end, Amon decides to have Tarrlok buried in the waters of the North Pole this time. However, that won't be possible until the war is concluded, so the two of you have him coated in a thick layer of ice for now.
As for the squid spirit, you have to threaten it some more, but it does agree to stop attacking people. Vanra, however, doesn't trust it, and volunteers to keep an eye on it just in case. With her father's approval, the squid spirit is permitted to stay in the city at their home.
The rest of the Glacier Spirits Festival is thankfully peaceful, and you're able to get back to enjoying a full day's date with Asami. And when the night comes, you all get back together for a giant feast and party!
You can only hope your cousins are able to enjoy themselves too.
As for your uncle... you'll be dealing with him soon enough!
(The next update will be the beginning of the end, with a series of updates focused on the Harmonic Convergence. Beforehand, Korra will be working on her Lightning-bending to completion, training with Haiko, and aiding Asami, Biyong, and Vanra in preparing the human seals for Raava and Vaatu. If there's anything else you'd like to do, select it below. Choose 1.) [] Use your contacts to reach out to Desna and Eska (may write-in details; requires Great Success to pass)
[] Go talk to... (must write-in details; counts as ½ an Action)
-[] ...Amon
-[] ...Lin Beifong
-[] ...past Avatars
-[] ...Air Monks
-[] ...Totola
-[] ...Dragon-Eel Spirit
-[] (write-in)
[] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)
[] (write-in)
[] Take no additional actions. (Gain narrative benefits to training and preparation.)
Winning vote: [X] Visit the bending schools in Tiger Ward (counts as ½ an Action)
[X] Go talk to... (must write-in details; counts as ½ an Action)
-[X] ...past Avatars, specifically about what, EXACTLY, happened to create the Avatar Spirit. Everyone's been real clammed up about that and it's time to hear it from the horse's mouth.
--[X] Learn what they know about Raava and Vaatu, and the spirit world in general.
Korra and the First Avatar (Month 12, part 11)
On the day after the Glacier Spirits Festival, while working on the seals with Asami, Biyong, and Vanra at Asami's house a question comes to your mind.
"Hey, Asami?"
She turns to look at you while Biyong and Vanra continue to meditate, sitting in the middle of an esoteric spiritual diagram. "Yeah?"
"Do those books say anything about the Avatar Spirit?"
Asami stares at you for a moment before glancing over at her piles of books, a frown now set onto her face.
"I don't think so..."
"Eh, don't worry about it. I was just curious."
"But Korra, that's..."
"...important? I know," you say, cutting her off. "But don't forget, I have the source right here," you add, pointing to your head.
"...You say that, but have you ever tried to talk to the first Avatar?" she asks.
"..."
"..."
"...look, that's not important," you say as she smirks at you. "I can totally do it! I'm just... gonna go to the Artificial Spirit Portal and do it there. You all good here?"
Asami grumbles at you and you grumble under your breath. "Of course. See you later~!"
You depart at once and a series of ferries takes you back to Spirit Portal Island. From there, it's only a short walk to get to where you want to be. The forest surrounding the portal is quite lively and warmer than its surroundings, so you see plenty of people out on walks. But none of them are going deeper into the forest towards the portal, where you're headed. The Dragon-eel Spirit, floating in the sky, briefly glances down and acknowledges your presence before turning his attention back to the other humans.
The clearing at the center of the forest, where the portal-infused banyan grove tree resides, is just as charged with spiritual energy as ever. You feel more in touch with yourself and rooted into your body and soul. Taking a deep breath, you sit in front of the tree and start to meditate.
Only moments later, you feel another soul inside yours manifest in front of you.
The voice of Avatar Wan is old and weary. "It's been a long time since anyone wanted to talk to me."
You open your eyes and see the soul of a man who looks as old as he sounds. He's wearing a suit of old and cracked armor, and he has long flowing hair and beard.
"Ten thousand years, maybe?" you ask.
His eyes widen. "No, less than that, but... it is really that time again? I was hoping that maybe it would never come back..." He sighs. "Looks like I was wrong, again."
You raise an eyebrow. "Again? ...wait, no, I came to ask you something specific."
He nods. "Go ahead."
"What exactly is the Avatar Spirit?"
He nods again. "The Avatar Spirit is a vessel of power. It is what allows us to manipulate all four of the elements. ...though, I sense you can bend more than that, somehow?"
"I'm still working on them, but yeah. Lightning and metal are new abilities, created by people rather than coming from nature."
"Hm... but nature and people are linked, aren't they?" he asks.
"...I guess?" you reply.
"My point is that only from our connections with nature can we grow as people. In any case... the Avatar Spirit. It was crafted by the four Spirit Sages just before the last Harmonic Convergence. At that time, Raava and Vaatu are rampaging across the world, and I tasked myself with trying to stop them for good. Though, perhaps I should step back and explain who I am and how I came to encounter them."
"Sure, go ahead," you say, and so he does.
He grew up in a city on the back of a lion-turtle. After taking a moment to explain what a lion-turtle is, he tells you about his childhood in poverty and how he planned to solve it. See, back then, the Spirit and Human Worlds were one, the ability to bend was granted by the lion-turtles to humans whenever they needed to visit the Spirit Wilds. Wan lived on the back of Fire granting lion-turtle, and so decided to steal the flames and use that power to steal food from the rich and give them to himself and his poor friends.
And it worked!
However, he was eventually caught and exiled, forced to live in the Spirit Wilds.
As a consequence of this, he both made friends with the spirits and happened to learn that other elemental affinities existed. But nothing much would have come of this if not for that fateful day when he happened to run into Raava. She and her host of light spirits were stomping through a forest, forcefully converting the neutral spirits to their side, crushing any who resisted. Wan had seen spirits fighting each other before, but nothing like this!
A few bird-like spirits were nearby and trying to escape. With the power of his flames, he aided them in escaping, thus making him an enemy of Raava.
Not long later, he would run into Vaatu doing the same thing, and this time aided earthly lizard-like spirits in escaping, thus making him an enemy of Vaatu.
However, the earthly spirits introduced him to the Spirit Sage of the Earth, who told him about the ancestral conflict between the two Great Spirits, and how it would spiral out of control once the Harmonic Convergence came. It was at this moment that he decided that he would try to stop them. He believed that just getting rid of Raava and Vaatu would bring peace.
And it did!
Though, only for a while.
But, back to the Avatar Spirit. After consulting with the Spirit Sages of Fire, Water, and Air as well (the Spirit Sage of Air being one of the bird-like spirits Wan aided earlier), it was decided that only by fusing Wan with a spirit could he have any hope of defeating both of them. And so, the Avatar Spirit was created by their combined effort and fused with his own soul. This gave him all the inherent elemental abilities, mostly in the form of raw power. With this power, he was able to critically weaken Raava and Vaatu to the point where the Spirit Sages could seal them away.
Of course, with Raava and Vaatu gone, the humans descended from the lion-turtles, no longer afraid to live in the world.
And here is where the conflict between humans and spirits really began...
"While that's interesting, I'm not here to ask about that," you say before Wan can keep going.
He frowns at you. "Are you certain? This conflict is why the Avatar Spirit persists. With Raava and Vaatu gone, balance has to be maintained by the Avatar directly."
You are quite skeptical of that – after all, couldn't the Sages do it – but decide not to confront him directly. Instead, you decide to ask why Raava and Vaatu were sealed inside of objects instead of people.
At that, Wan's frown deepens. "Ah... it was mostly because I was alone. There were no humans by my side. But, I would be concerned about Raava and Vaatu overpowering their hosts and taking over from the inside. And that's assuming it even works and they don't just instantly escape. They're not called Great Spirits for nothing... Korra? You okay there?"
"Uhhhh... yeah, everything's fine," you say, eyes wide, trying to calm yourself down. "Just, uh... so, why didn't that happen with the Avatar Spirit?"
"...was I not clear? The Avatar Spirit was made to be connected to a human soul. Raava and Vaatu are not."
He then gives you a skeptical look. "Korra, are you trying to seal them inside people?"
"...maybe?"
He sighs.
"W-well, what else am I supposed to do? Just shove them back in their prisons?"
"You certainly could... though if this plan of yours works, it would have a better outcome. It's good that you have friends willing to do this for you. Maybe if I did, you wouldn't have even been in this position... but there's nothing to be done about that now. If you haven't already, take your friends to the Spirit World and have them absorb its atmosphere until that day comes. That should help them out."
"Thanks!" you shout as you run off, Wan's spirit dissolving back into yours.
.
.
.
When you arrive back at Asami's place, Biyong and Vanra are deep in their meditation and Asami keeps you from disturbing them. You explain what you learned from Wan to her, and she agrees at once that you all should head to the Spirit World. Not only because of what he said, but because you still need to purify the Spirit Sage of Fire, and the only way to reach him now is through there. She'll inform Biyong and Vanra, and asks you to rally everyone else so you all can leave in the morning.
You first head to Uptown, where you find Rika doing a Fire Dance by the shore. She agrees to aid your cause, and will drag her brother along as well. You then head to Tiger Ward to see if you can grab anyone from the bending schools as backup, As it turns out, you'll able to get one guy from each of the Unionist run schools – Lon-Hu of Earth, Aoza of Fire, and Zenruk of Water. All of them are students on break as well, so they can take the time off.
You then head back to Spirit Portal Island, where you rally Haiko and your parents. Haiko agrees to pass along a message to Tenzin, letting him know of your sudden move. You also try to get the Dragon-eel Spirit to help you, but it insists on staying behind on guarding the portal.
And speaking of spirits... tomorrow will be the 25th, so that's plenty of time to locate and defeat the Spirit Sage of Fire. You and Haiko decide to...
[][Fire] ...go after it as soon as you can. (Fight is on the 25th; choose 0 Events below)
[][Fire] ...train a bit more before the fight. (Fight is on the 27th; choose 1 Event below)
[][Fire] ...wait until the last moment. (Fight is on the 29th; choose 2 Events below)
[][Event] Try to pass on a message to Desna and Eska. (what?)
[][Event] Go talk to one of the other Spirit Sages. (which?) (about what?)
[][Event] Chat with someone (about what?; counts as ½ an Action)
-[] ...your parents
-[] ...Asami
-[] ...Biyong and Vanra
-[] ...Tenzin
-[] ...Haiko
-[] ...Rika and Zumaq
-[] ...Lon-Hu, Aoza, and Zenruk
-[] ...(write-in a different combination)
[][Event] Wander around in the Spirit World.
QM Note: This is last call for events – after this, its right to the final series of battles.
Winning vote: [X][Fire] ...train a bit more before the fight. (Fight is on the 27th; choose 1 Event below)
[X][Event] Go talk to one of the other Spirit Sages. (Air Spirit Sage) (Ways to improve Biyong and Vanra's chances)
Korra and the Spirit World II (Month 12, part 12)
On the day of the 25th, your large group heads down to the Artificial Spirit Portal and enters the Spirit World once more. The environment around the portal on the Spirit World side hasn't changed at all – the storm still rages. With a bit of effort, you clear open a pathway through the skies and the rest of the group hops in two large hot air balloons while you glide beside them in your wing-suit.
You take to the front and lead the way, as you know exactly where you're going – a place you've avoided so far.
The dead center of the continent – a familiar wasteland. One with a dead tree containing a black orb and a stone pillar containing a white orb. You've seen it a couple times from the air and now the time has come to set foot there once more.
At least, it would be if not for one small problem... the whole area is covered in a layer of wispy darkness. You think to yourself that this must be the work of the Spirit Sage of Fire as you have the group land in a nearby forest instead. Maybe the extra darkness would strengthen Vaatu?
"Hmmm... I don't like this," says Asami. Biyong seems to be shying away from the darkness, while Vanra is able to walk in and out without it affecting her. "Can you get rid of it, Korra?"
"Yeah, of course! Let me-"
"Hold it!" interjects Haiko.
You both turn to her.
"If you get rid of this darkness, the Phoenix-Dragon might notice and attack. We wanted to train a bit more beforehand, remember?"
"Ah, right."
Asami nods. "Well, as long as we keep away from it for now, we should be fine. But it'll have to go before the day of Harmonic Convergence."
You crack your knuckles. "You can leave that to me. As for training, want to get started now, Haiko?"
She grabs her battery pack and puts it on. "Of course!"
You spend the rest of the day of the 25th split between training and resting. Part of the training is sparring with your friends and allies, and part of it is dealing with the occasional hostile dark spirit that comes around to attack. They almost always go after Biyong. Makes sense since she's adopting the light while Vanra adopts the dark. It really does seem like a scheme to put Vaatu on top, and you sometimes wonder where all the light spirits are.
But you'd just have to fight them too, so maybe it's better that they don't show.
On the morning of the 26th, you decide that it might be a good idea to talk to one of the Spirit Sages about what you all are doing. Since you want to go on a glide, you decide to try and find the Golden Bird. This time, you can find it pretty quickly, as it's flying around in its massive form, languidly flowing through the air. You call to get its attention and it idly turns one eye your way.
"Is something the matter, Avatar Korra? I believe it's not the proper time yet..."
"It isn't, I just had a question for you. You see..." You then go ahead and explain what you, Asami, Biyong, and Vanra are planning. It doesn't react to the news that you're now planning to seal Raava and Vaatu in people at all. When you ask for advice on how to improve your chances of success, it suggests only that they as the Spirit Sages could bless your friends as well.
"Of course, the Mountain Spirit and the Phoenix-Dragon may not be willing to do that," it notes. "At least, not without having them go through some trial."
"...Yeah, I'm not sure that's a good idea. The Mountain Spirit might be fine, but the Phoenix-Dragon... well, maybe things will be okay after I purify it."
That finally gets a reaction out of the Golden Bird, one of confusion. "...purify?"
"Yeah, it's possessed by Darkness."
"...ah. You will want to purify my companion before Harmonic Convergence."
"That was the plan! We need to get rid of the taint it's spreading around Raava and Vaatu anyway."
The Golden Bird then looks down and finally notices the darkness spreading across the land. "...perhaps I should also blow this away..."
"We're doing that tomorrow to draw the Phoenix-Dragon out," you say.
"Come find me before then, and I will assist you," is the Golden Bird's reply before it turns away and flies off in the direction of the look-alike Kolau Mountains. Looks like it's taking its duties a bit seriously now!
You head back down and alert everyone, making last preparations for battle the rest of the day.
On the morning of the 27th, you wake up bright and early and call down the Golden Bird. Haiko, Rika, and a reluctant Zumaq join you for the fight while the others hang back to guard Biyong and Vanra. Haiko was able to send a message to Tenzin letting him know that you'll be going after the Phoenix-Dragon today, but you won't know if he got it until he shows up.
Until then, it'll be up to you all.
The Golden Bird yawns as it floats above the trees. "Are you prepared, Korra?"
You crack your knuckles. "Naturally."
You and the Golden Bird then begin to blow the inky-black smoke away.
(VERSUS THE SPIRIT SAGE OF FIRE (DARKNESS-POSSESSED))
(How do you approach the fight? May combine votes.) [] You will take the lead in the fight. You'll show it what you can really do!
[] You will hang back and look for opportunities to purify it. That's the key.
[] You will try to fish information out of the Phoenix-Dragon. (but what?)
[] (optional write-in for more details)
Winning vote: [X] You will hang back and look for opportunities to purify it. That's the key.
Korra and Allies vs the Spirit Sage of Fire! ...Again! (Month 12, part 13)
As you and the Golden Bird the inky smoke away, the landscape clears. The Tree of Time and the Pillar of Power are no longer obscured by darkness, and the orbs of Raava and Vaatu start glowing brightly inside them. The two of them are shining much more brightly now than they were when you last visited, and the spiritual presence around them has only intensified. It won't be long until they can escape under their own power... but you won't be letting that happen.
But speaking of spirits escaping... right on cue, your attention is drawn to the sky as a Spirit Portal is forced open and the Phoenix-Dragon emerges. (Also, a much smaller, humanoid figure slips in behind it.) Much like before, it's coated in a layer of dark smoke and many of its scales and feathers are now black and purple. In fact, almost its whole body has changed colors.
Vaatu comments on it immediately. "WHO OR WHAT IS THAT!?" he shouts.
Raava laughs out loud, layered with savage glee. "LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A REPLACEMENT, VAATU! HA!" she declares.
"I DO NOT!"
"DO TOO!"
"I DO NOT!"
"DO TOO!"
Thankfully for you all, the Phoenix-Dragon roars and interrupts their bickering. "SILENCE! AVATAR KORRA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?"
You point dramatically at the spirit. "I'm going to purify you! I don't care what deal you made with my uncle; we're stopping you and him here!"
The Spirit Sage of Fire roars at you again. "FOOLISH WOMAN! THE ULTIMATE VICTOR SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE BATTLE BETWEEN YOU AND UNALAQ, NOT BY DEFEATING ME. YOU HAVE YOUR BLESSINGS, SO LEAVE ME BE OR SUFFER MY WRATH AGAIN!"
With another roar, it then starts leaking out inky black smoke from its body, only this time the smoke is surging with heat. When you and the Golden Bird blow that smoke away, the Phoenix-Dragon properly lunges forward for an attack. Claws bared, it's aiming directly at you!
But the blow doesn't land! Just before you'd need to defend yourself, Haiko and Rika strike out with twin bolts of lightning. The Spirit Sage of Fire shrieks in pain, and flops to the ground. Zumaq then follows up by encasing it in a prison of ice.
"That good enough, Korra?" he asks.
"Yep! Let me just... ah!?"
Before you can try to Heal the spirit, the icy prison starts to smoke... and then explodes! You and Zumaq re-direct icy shards back at the spirit, which it melts with a blast of purple flames. However, it also gets pelted with icy shards propelled by heavy winds from behind, and its attention is drawn towards...
"Tenzin!"
...a certain Air Nomad, who promptly whips up a great wheel of Air and hops inside it, kept safe as the attacking flames are harmlessly blown away. He then drives the wheel over towards you all, evading a steady stream of purple flames. Haiko and Rika take advantage of the distraction to blast the Phoenix-Dragon with more lightning, and it rampages, blowing out blasts of Fire every which way.
...which presents a problem, because it's also blasting away all the humidity from the air!
You growl under your breath as you try to pull out Water from the air and only get little trickles. Even when Zumaq comes to your side and helps you out, there's not much the two of you can do alone.
However, you're not alone, are you?
After a few minutes of struggling, you both notice that the air is damper and more water can be pulled out of it. And the ground feels softer, more like a marsh.
You immediately realize that this must be the work of the other Spirit Sages when the Phoenix-Dragon is suddenly clocked in the face with a giant stone war-hammer and crashes into the ground.
"AAAGH!?!?"
Heavy laughter rings out. "Come now! I barely touched you!"
Haiko, Rika, and Tenzin make way for the Mountain Spirit to approach and pick up its hammer. It then swings again, but the Phoenix-Dragon barely dodges and counter-attacks with its flame breath. The other three keep their distance from the giant beings and play a supporting role, and Zumaq heads over to help them out since there's more Water to work with.
Meanwhile, you turn and see that the Tree-Tortoise is slowly lumbering over towards you.
"Greetings, Avatar Korra. Apologies for the delay... and for the rough treatment my fellow Spirit Sage has shown you. How may I assist you?"
"I need more water so I can purify the Pheonix-Dragon," you state. "If I could blast it with a massive attack, it'd be too disoriented to escape!"
The Tree-Tortoise nods, and then starts shaking. The air around you and ground beneath you quickly start to dampen. You actually have to back away a bit so you can breathe normally. Then, you start pulling the Water out for your own use. Rather than dousing the Spirit Sage of Fire and then pushing your energy into the water, you'll infuse the water with your energy first and then attack with it. To make this easier, you go into the Avatar State.
The Phoenix-Dragon notices that at once, and moves to attack with flame breath... only for Haiko to electrocute it and force it to clamp its mouth shut. It recovers, but then Tenzin blasts it with a burst of Air directly into the path of the Mountain Spirit's heavy blow.
Good. As long as they can keep it occupied... you can do this.
As you pour more and more of your energy into the bigger and bigger mass of Water, it starts to glow a bright and shining white. Once you deem it good enough, you shout at the ones fighting to make an opening for you.
In response, you hear the sound of the Pheonix-Dragon screaming while heading your way, and you slam the mass of Water onto it!
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Unlike Tarrlok, it's not able to escape. The bright glow intensifies before dissipating, and you're left with a Pheonix-Dragon that's back to its usual red and gold coloration... and is also out cold. You dissipate the water and let it flop onto the ground.
"Well done, Avatar Korra," says the Spirit Sage of Water.
"Will it be fine if we leave it like this?" you ask.
"Worry not. My companion is quite... resilient. He will recover in short order. I am more concerned with those two."
It then gestures towards Raava and Vaatu.
You nod. "Well, we have a plan for them. Let me tell you about it..."
.
.
.
With the battle over, your whole group reconvened, and the Spirit Sages shrunk themselves into more compact forms. Sure enough, the Phoenix-Dragon woke back up in a few minutes. Rather than go back on the attack, it graciously agreed to help out your side since you defeated it in battle. It admitted no fault nor spoke of why it sided with Unalaq in the first place, however.
When you explained the plan to seal Raava and Vaatu inside Biyong and Vanra, the Phoenix-Dragon approved of it immediately and confirmed that it would work, which was enough to tip the Tree-Tortoise and the Mountain Spirit into also going along with it. That said, the Spirit Sage of Water was much more hesitant about the whole matter and the Spirit Sage of Earth was annoyed that there wouldn't be time to properly give Biyong and Vanra a trial.
Raava and Vaatu, of course, overheard and started bitterly complaining about the news. When you asked them if this meant they would now reconsider fighting each other and you all, they then ranted about how controlling the world was their divine right and some other stuff you didn't care about. Eventually, you had to cloak them in solid ice to get them to shut up again.
"They will, of course, try to break free," noted the Tree-Tortoise.
"Of course. But this is what the spiritual immersion is for. It makes it harder for them to do that and makes the consequences not as bad if they do," replied the Phoenix-Dragon.
"We'll stick around too. If it comes down to a fight, I'll be glad to help out," added the Mountain Spirit.
"..." The Golden Bird says nothing, lazing about atop Tenzin's head instead.
Speaking of Tenzin, he stuck around to give Biyong and Vanra spiritual guidance. He also warned everyone that before he slipped into the Spirit World, a dark spirit noticed his movements and then flew off. So, Unalaq will know that something is wrong soon.
You get back to your training, preparing for the day you'll face him – the day of Harmonic Convergence.
QM Note: No vote this time. I'll also be taking next week off.
Korra and Harmonic Convergence I (Month 12, part 14)
The 28th and the 29th pass by mush faster than you'd like.
Each day was filled with activity. In the morning, you rose and went for a run, accosted by the voices of Raava and Vaatu (mostly Vaatu) demanding you let them loose upon the world. They've been getting easier and easier to ignore. By the time your run is over, the others have started to wake up, ad your parents have started preparing breakfast for everyone. You all eat together, with one exception. Haiko and Tenzin missed breakfast on the 29th, as she'd tasked herself with running a message to the Southern Water Tribe the day before about your group's activities, just in case something goes wrong. You opened the Southern Portal for her to go through, and Tenzin had elected to travel with her as backup. They would return on the night of the 29th, and noted that the local light spirits seemed to eyeing them warily.
Do they know what's going on here? Hopefully, it wouldn't matter, as you shut the Southern Portal back up.
In any case, you split the rest of those days between training with someone (either your parents, Haiko, or Rika), meditation, and aiding Biyong and Vanra with their own meditation efforts. At this point, all they really needed from you was your help in getting Raava and Vaatu to remain quiet so that they could focus. You would've just encased them in ice again, but it was interfering with the spiritual immersion, so you whipped up loud winds instead. At least, you did around Vaatu, who bellowed as loudly as he possibly could to break Vanra's focus. Raava instead spoke to Biyong in soft whispers, trying to convince her that they could work together, so the soft crackle of a lit fire was enough to drown her out. The Spirit Sages then guided the two girls in efforts to create connections with the two spirits, opposed as light and dark, order and chaos. Occasionally, they shined with markings similar to yours. Those moments were when the two spirits finally became silent, and you calmed the winds and flames and let silence reign. The two of them were able to cloak themselves in their elements by their own will, and their spiritual presences grew stronger and stronger...
By the night before Harmonic Convergence, you were convinced that everything would work out.
There was only one last little loose end to tie up... and the man himself would appear that morning. The barriers between the human world and spirit world were strong, yes, but they could be broken by someone with the appropriate knowledge and spiritual ability... on days when they were weak, like today. The Northern Portal opened itself up, and from it emerged Unalaq, Desna, Eska, and a large group of soldiers. He looked at the Tree of Time and the Pillar of Power, both of which were starting to surge with spiritual strength, then at Biyong and Vanra, both wrapped up in that same vital force, and then directly at you.
"You. What do you think you're doing?" he asks, venom dripping from every word.
"I ought to be saying that to you!" you shout, getting ready for a fight. "If you came here to turn Raava and Vaatu into your weapons, then you're got another thing coming!"
"I am here to restore balance," he says. "Raava and Vaatu should never have been sealed away in the first place, and I have come here to see them set free. My children are here to assist me in this ritual."
You notice both Desna and Eska roll their eyes at those words, but Unalaq either didn't notice or doesn't care. Unalaq makes a gesture, and his soldiers start to move forward.
"Now, if you don't mind... the planets will be in alignment soon. Time is of the essence," he says. "We must hurry."
"On that matter, we're in agreement," says your mom, taking stance by your side.
Your dad joins you on your opposite side. "Yeah. We're gonna take you down here, brother."
Unalaq shakes his head. "Hmph. You realize the penalty for defying me like this is death?"
"Ha! You have no power over us!" you declare.
"We'll see about that. Men! Attack!"
As soon as he utters those words, several things happen at once.
First, some men do in fact do as he says, and move forwards with spear in hand or Water at the ready.
Second, some men pull out their own weapons and Water Unionist armbands, and attack those acting under Unalaq's orders.
Third, Eska and Desna, rather than getting involved in the ensuing melee, turn around and exit the Spirit World.
A shocked Unalaq can only watch in dismay as his forces are dismantled and he's left alone. "What!? How can this be happening!?" He turns his attention to Tonraq and Tenzin. "You two! This must be your fault! You got them to conspire against me!"
But they shake their heads.
"We had nothing to do with this," admits Tonraq.
"Indeed. I'd call this self-inflicted," adds Tenzin.
"That can't be!" shouts Unalaq, who then tries to get his men back in order. But they're too focused on dealing with the Water Unionists to be of any help to him, and they too are forced to retreat back to the other side, the Water Unionists following them back. Unalaq is now truly alone, and he's trembling with rage. He turns to face you all, Water rippling around him, eyes wide and face red in fury.
You step forwards, Water swirling around you as well, a smirk on your face. Finally! A chance to take him down a peg! You've been waiting for this for a long time.
So naturally, he doesn't comply. Instead, he sharpens his Water into ice and attacks the Tree of Time and the Pillar of Power!
"!?"
The two explode in bursts of light and darkness, and from them emerge Raava and Vaatu!
You turn to Unalaq, and watch as he's now running away. "Uncle! Why did you-!?"
But he's gone before he can give you an answer.
The two Great Spirits loom over all of you, rippling with power. You might expect them to immediately start a fight with each other or with you all. And one of them does! Vaatu, with his massive tendrils, starts going on a rampage. The Spirit Sages have been hanging back this whole time, but his actions draw them into battle. Raava on the other hand...
"AHHH!?"
"Biyong!?"
...grabs Biyong, opens up the Southern Portal, and retreats!
Gah! What are you going to do now!?
(Choose one for Korra to do. The others will handle the rest as best they can.) [] Stay here and fight Vaatu. The Spirit Sages and Vanra could use the help!
[] Go through the portal and track down Raava. Biyong's alone and needs help!
[] What was your uncle thinking!? Go and track him down at once!
QM Note: Might touch this up later, but the vote options are good to go.
Winning vote: [X] Go through the portal and track down Raava. Biyong's alone and needs help!
Korra and Harmonic Convergence II (Month 12, part 15)
You rush ahead at once, jumping into the Southern Spirit Portal. The choice is clear. Biyong's in danger! And not just that, she's totally alone! You'll trust that the others can handle things back in the Spirit World. Then you'll all have to deal with your uncle after you've cleaned up his mess...
You're now back in the human world, at the South Pole. You exit the cavern where the portal is hidden and take a look around. The restored Southern Spirit Forest is still and quiet, soft winds dancing between the branches of evergreen trees. The Southern Lights are dancing in the sky above you. The landscape is calm... which isn't good. Where are Raava and Biyong? It's not already too late, is it?
You shake your head. No way! There's got to be something you can do here!
"Korra?"
You hear voices from behind you, coming from the cave. Turning to face them, you see that Asami, Haiko, and Rika have joined you. It's warm inside the forest, so the fact that none of them are dressed for the harsh cold of the poles isn't yet an issue.
"Did you see her?" asks Asami.
"Not yet," you reply. "But she can't be far..."
"What if we split up?" asks Haiko.
Asami shakes her head. "Korra and I need to be there with her to finish the ritual."
"Besides, we don't know what tricks she has up her sleeves..." notes Rika.
"...Isn't she supposed to be the Spirit of Order or something like that?" asks Haiko. "Would she really do such a thing?"
You start walking, trying to find a trail of either spiritual presence of physical tracks, and the others follow you. "Before, she was trying to talk Biyong into working with her," you say. "I think she might have decided that words aren't enough. The light spirits here once told me that when Raava controls the world, she also controls the people and the spirits in it. She commands them to act as she wills."
It doesn't take long before you can start to sense the spirit in question. "Maybe she can directly control people," you suggest.
Haiko and Rika gasp. Asami, however, agrees with you. Unfortunately, though, none of her books directly discussed any powers that the two Great Spirits might possess. So, the only way to know if you're right is to track down Biyong. The temperature starts dropping around you all as you get closer and closer to the edge of the forest...
"Hello, Avatar Korra and friends."
...and run into her.
"Biyong?" you ask.
But her normally green eyes are instead shining bright white, white streaks are running down in her long black hair, the gold streaks on her green and gold robes have now been replaced with white and grey, she's glowing with the markings of the Great Spirits, and Raava's voice is coming from her mouth.
You glare at her. "What did you do to Biyong!?" you yell.
Raava-Biyong laughs, softly yet cold as ice. "Nothing. She's still in here," she says pointing to her head. "Don't worry. I'll let her out once I'm done with my work. And I do have to say, Avatar Korra, you have prepared quite a suitable vessel for me. I'm almost willing to forgive you for betraying me."
She taps a foot on the ground, glaring directly at you. "Almost."
You're unfazed. "Raava, let her go. Now," you demand.
She laughs again, louder. "I'm sorry, but wasn't this your idea? You should be happy that I'm now in favor of it. Or have you decided to let me go after all?"
In the distance, you can tell that other spiritual presences are drawing near. Those must be other light spirits. You get into a fighting stance, and Haiko and Rika follow your lead.
Raava-Biyong raises an eyebrow at you. "Oh? Are you really going to strike down your friend?"
"Strike down nothing! I'm going to reach her through you! And if fighting you is the only way to do that, then I will!" you shout back over a wind whipping up around you.
She nods. "I see. Well, unfortunately for you, I won't be fighting you. There are some things I cannot force this body to do, and it seems that fighting you is one of them." Indeed, despite Biyong having been trained in combat, Raava-Biyong has yet to get into a fighting stance of her own. Instead, you all caught her just standing around, like she was waiting for something.
Or rather someone, a someone approaching rapidly in the distance.
The Light Oni!
Your eyes are drawn towards the distance for just a moment...
"Farewell."
...which gives Raava-Biyong time to turn and start running!
"Ah!? Not so fast!"
You bid the Ice on the ground to slide up and grab her feet, but she leaps over it instead!
"Nice try," she says.
Touching Biyong's guardian amulet, she touches it, pours some of her power into it, and summons the guardian spirit. The big lion-dog shaped spirit gave her a confused sniff before growling at her. Raava-Biyong frowns, and then stares at it intensely, eyes shimmering and swirling. In moments, white streaks appear on the guardian spirit's body, and it lets her ride it. With her mount, it's much easier for her to dodge your attempts to ensnare them with Ice and Air.
It's also much easier for her to run away, which she does as the Light Oni draws near.
"Korra! Go after her!" says Haiko.
"You too, Asami! We can handle things here," adds Rika.
Both of them are charged up and ready for a fight.
You glance at Asami. Both of you nod at each other. You make an Air Wheel, and the two of you hop inside it, and chase down Biyong's Guardian Spirit!
(How should Korra and Asami deal with Raava-Biyong? May write-in details if desired.) [] You should take advantage of the fact that she can't fight you and turn this into a fight.
-[] Try to get in close and make this a one-on-one battle.
-[] Keep your distance and try to constrain her movements.
[] That said, there's no need to turn this into a fight. Biyong's the one who will get hurt.
-[] Try to Heal her and weaken Raava's control. Maybe that'll let Biyong take over?
-[] Talk to her. Maybe if you shout hard enough, Biyong will be able to hear you?
Winning vote: [X] That said, there's no need to turn this into a fight. Biyong's the one who will get hurt.
-[X] Talk to her. Maybe if you shout hard enough, Biyong will be able to hear you?
Korra and Harmonic Convergence III (Month 12, part 16)
"Biyong!" you shout into the wind.
"Biyong!" shouts Asami, riding the wind with you.
But you get no response. Raava's completely shut her out and is now ignoring you. Raava-Biyong glances back to see if you're still following her. Confirming it, she commands her (not hers!) guardian spirit to run even fast across the frozen land! This direction... she's heading for the capital of the Southern Water Tribe. Must be in search of more humans to control...
...well, you won't let that happen!
From your Air Wheel, you whip the Air and frozen Water around to try and pin her down. You don't want to turn this into a fight. Not unless Biyong truly is lost inside her body – she's the one who will get hurt if the two of you get into a fight, after all.
"Korra!" shouts Asami over the wind, holding onto you tightly. "I have an idea!"
"What!?" you shout back.
"Try to grab the guardian spirit! Freeze it directly!"
"But what about Biyong!?"
"Raava's possession should make her body a bit more resilient. She'll be fine! The real issue here is the cold..."
And she punctuates that with a shiver of her own. You're unfazed by it, keeping yourself warm with your own chi, but neither Asami nor Biyong know how to do that.
Right. You need to end this fast!
"Asami! Hold on tight!"
"Oka- wha!?"
She's interrupted by you releasing the Air Wheel and blasting it all at the guardian spirit! Naturally, it will just dodge it, since it can sense your attacks...
...which is why you also slip into the Avatar State!
As it does just that, you bid the frozen Water to dip down and then swallow up the spirit, swallowing up its legs!
"What the-!?"
Raava-Biyong promptly flies out of the seat, crashing onto the cold ground, tumbling over and over until she stops. But, sure enough, she gets up just fine from something that could have crippled an ordinary person. You promptly stomp on the ground and create an ice wall to stop Raava-Biyong from simply running away on foot before releasing the Avatar State.
She then glares at you. "Avatar Korra! Let me go!" she shouts at you.
"No way! Surrender and give Biyong back!" you shout back.
"Absolutely not! With Vaatu's impending defeat at the hand of the Spirit Sages, I will be able to rule this world uncontested! That's what should have happened 10,000 years ago! You should be blaming Avatar Wan for getting in the way and forcing me to do this!"
"What are you... no one made you do any of this! It was your choice!" you reply back.
"That's right," adds Asami. "Both you and Vaatu could have chosen to work with spirits and humans. Instead, you chose to impose your will on them. Just like you're doing with Biyong, right now! Biyong! Can you hear me!? If you can, then-!"
Asami is interrupted by a sudden rush of white tendrils grabbing her and hoisting her into the air!
"Gah!"
"Asami!?" you bark, surprised.
"Tch! I may not be able to hurt you, Avatar Korra, but no such courtesy exists for your friend!"
...yet, as Raava-Biyong says that, you can see that her hands are trembling. Is that Biyong?
"Now then... let me go, and I'll let Asami go, unharmed. Deal?" she offers.
Raava smirks with Biyong's face like she has this all under control. And under other circumstances, perhaps she would. But you have other ideas.
"...I think there's someone else you should be offering that deal to, isn't there?" you say back.
"Huh? What do you-"
She interrupted by her left hand suddenly curling itself into a fight and punching her in the face.
"-uuuuuugh!?"
The tendrils promptly vanish, and you catch Asami in a gentle breeze.
Taking advantage of Raava-Biyong's momentary daze, you seal her up in a block of ice, heading only her head exposed.
"Gah! Unhand me!" she barks at you.
"Does Biyong want me to unhand you?" you ask, walking over with Asami.
"No!" comes Biyong's voice from her mouth.
"W-why you-!? Stop!" Raava's voice.
"You stop! This is my body, and I won't let you do as you please!" Biyong again.
You can see that the white lights and highlights are flickering on and off. Raava continues to shout, but it's to no avail. The lights struggle to stay lit. Biyong's retreated back into her mind to finish the fight there.
Meanwhile, you Heal and then free the guardian spirit, who greets both you and Asami warmly. With it liberated, the lights stay off longer and longer before the turn back on... ah, but you can wait for this in a warmer place. The guardian spirit lets the two of you ride it, and you whip up another Air Wheel to transport the frozen Biyong back to the Spirit World. On the way, you recover Haiko and Rika, both exhausted yet triumphant over the Light Oni and the host of light spirits.
By the time you re-enter the portal and shut it, Biyong's fallen asleep. Raava's lights are off.
Back in the Spirit World, Vaatu has been defeated. Vanra is swimming in an on-again off-again inky black aura, surrounded by the Spirit Sages and Tenzin. She must be going through what Biyong did. Zumaq, who stuck behind, notices your group and bids you over. He and the trio from Tiger Ward attend to your tired companions.
But you can't help but notice two major absences.
"Where are my parents!?" you demand to know.
"They followed Unalaq through the Northern Portal," says Zumaq. "Haven't seen them since."
"What!? I'm going after them!"
You turn to Asami. "Sorry, can you stay and make sure that Biyong and Vanra will be okay?"
"Of course," she says. She then kisses you and wishes you good luck.
At once, you go through the Northern Spirit Portal and find yourself back in the Northern Spirit Forest. When you arrive, no one is nearby. But you can sense Desna and Eska in the distance, so you follow their trail. They're still inside the spiritual forest, and once you get close to them you hang back and use Spirit Projection to figure out what's going on. The scene you see is one of the two of them being berated by Unalaq while your parents are being held captive by a few of Unalaq's remaining loyal soldiers. Both your parents and Unalaq look like they've been in a fight. There are also a few Water unionists nearby, wandering around. When you start the fight, they'll definitely hear it and join in on your side.
You fly back to your body and prepare to fight your uncle. When you enter the scene...
[] ...you'll challenge him, one on one, as the Avatar.
[] ...you'll free your parents, and all fight together.
Winning vote: [X] ...you'll free your parents, and all fight together.
Korra and Harmonic Convergence IV (Month 12, part 17)
...you'll free your parents, and the three of you will take down your uncle together!
With that decided, you decide to barge into the scene! That'll give you the element of surprise and let you get your parents out of Unalaq's hands quickly. Following the trail of Desna and Eska, you rush in, using the Air around you to speed you up, and then take a leap into the air...
"...!?"
"What the-!?"
"Is that...!?"
...and then crash land in front of Unalaq and his group of soldiers!
Not giving them any time, you blast away the soldiers guarding your parents with blasts of Air fired from your fists. Your mom promptly takes this opportunity to start Healing herself and your dad. As for the soldiers, by the time they've recovered, the surrounding Water Unionists have barged in and take the opportunity to start fighting them.
All said, you've created a rather nice mess~!
You smirk at your uncle, who has his full attention on you now, face red with fury.
"Avatar Korra! What is the meaning of this!?" he yells at you.
"I should be asking you that!" you say, getting into a fighting stance. You can't help but notice that, once again, Desna and Eska are backing off, leaving their father to his own devices. Good. "Why did you sic Raava and Vaatu on us!? And why did you capture my parents!?"
"Hmph!" He's calmed down a bit, but still is regarding you with contempt. He hasn't even bothered getting into a fighting stance of his own! "I told you. The time had come for Raava and Vaatu to be freed, and so I freed them. As for your parents, they chased us down and accosted me, the nerve of them!"
"That's not how I would put it," says your dad from behind Unalaq, now healed and ready to go. "After all, didn't you trespass on sacred ground and defile it? Naturally, someone had to make sure you were held accountable." He gets into a fighting stance. "And who better to do that than me, brother?"
"You're no brother of mine!" spits out Unalaq at your dad, words filled with venom.
"Of course not," says your mom. "You made sure of that!" she adds, accusing him, getting into her own fighting stance at your dad's side.
Unalaq laughs. "Ha! I suppose you have some proof? Or are you just desperate to push your husband's failures onto me?"
Unsurprisingly, she doesn't respond to his provocation. But what she does do is. She smirks at your uncle, much like you would. "You'll see," is all that she says in response.
Unalaq gives her a suspicious glance, but she reveals nothing. "Hmph. This is pointless. There is nothing you can... do!?"
He looks down, and notices that his feet have sunken a bit into the ground. He twists his head around to look at you, and you stick your tongue out at him. "Forgot about me~?" you say in a sing-song voice.
"You! Let me go!" he demands.
"Hmmmmm... okay!"
You then stomp down hard, and release him from the Earth... leading to him flying out of the ground. Stunned, he's not able to repel the jets of Water from your parents, which blast him into some nearby trees. After landing on the ground, he slowly starts to recover. Your parents take this opportunity to come to your side. The three of you approach him slowly and cautiously (more than you would like, to be honest, but it was your mom's idea), moving as one unit as he gets up.
"You... stop this defiance at once! I am your king!" demands Unalaq of the three of you.
"No," is all you say back in response, and then you and your parents launch Water blasts at him!
He then finally responds to your combined attack with bending of his own. As it turns out, he kept several water skins on his person, and pulled the Water out of them to make a shield and deflect your attack. He then solidified his shield into ice and fired shards from it! Your parents deflected and dodged them, while you simply melted them with your Fire-breath. But why is he doing this? He must know that this won't be enough to...
It then comes to you. In the distance, you can sense spirits approaching. Must be dark ones, since this is the North. So, his plan is to use them as a distraction and escape?
Well, you're not letting that happen!
You stop your Fire-breath and instead create a rapidly swirling sphere of Air, putting it in the way of the ice shards. Not just that – it redirects them at your uncle! Your parents, realizing what's going on, add their own attacks, creating an icy barrage!
"Tch!"
Your uncle, promptly gives up and hides behind a tree for cover, dispelling his shield. But he swipes the ice out of the air to refill his water skins. But now that he's hiding, you stop your swirling winds and ask your parents to keep up the attack. You, meanwhile, prepare something of your own...
Your parents move in and Unalaq comes out from his cover. He's prepared water tendrils and strikes out with them at your parents, who whip around and dodge them. Your dad focuses more on attacking Unalaq and your mom focuses more on defending the two of them. They make a good pair. You trust them to hold fast while you focus...
Calm yourself...
Take deep breaths...
Devide your chi, positive and negative...
Circle it and circle yourself, moving in sync...
Despite the battle, you find it easier than ever to focus. Maybe it's because of all the work you did on Spirit Projection... it doesn't take much time at all for you to ready your lighting. You hold fast to your crackling chi as it surges through your body, waiting... waiting... waiting...
...NOW!
"...!?"
There was a brief moment where Unalaq was open, having just attacked your parents with his tendrils. He was wide open! In that moment, you run the lightning through your legs to speed yourself up, and hold as much there in reserve as you can. You then leap at Unalaq, crashing your feet into his chest, and let the lightning surge through him!
"AAAAAAAAGH!?!?!"
The water around his arms dissipates as he gets sent flying through the trees, crash landing in the distance. Your roll through your Lightning-infused kick and land on your feet, unfazed and full of energy still. Your parents join you and the three of you search for Unalaq, finding him out cold on the ground. Congratulating yourselves for a job well done, you grab Unalaq by the leg and drag him over to Desna and Eska. The two of them are accompanied by the Water Unionists, who have taken care of all the soldiers.
Desna looks down at his dad. "...wow. Told him how you really felt, didn't you?"
Eska gives her dad a curious look. "You didn't, like, kill him, did you?"
"..."
You take a quick moment to check his pulse. Nope, still alive!
The twins breathe out a sigh of relief.
"You can take him from here, right?" you ask.
The twins glance at each other, and then at the Water Unionists. Cue one of them speaking up, asking if you could instead take him to somewhere like Republic City or the Southern Capital. After all, there will never be a better time to remove this man from power than literally right now, while he's unable to stop them. Desna, Eska, and the Water Unionists will be able to handle things in the North if you do.
Well, when they point it that way, it does make sense... and you're looking forward to seeing your uncle's face when he wakes up and realizes what happened.
So, you agree, and the three of you start heading back to the Spirit Portal, dragging him behind you.
(Unalaq is defeated! Where to take him?) [][Unalaq] Republic City
[][Unalaq] Southern Capital
(Both of these will happen. Which happens first?) [][Priority] Dumping Unalaq somewhere takes priority.
[][Priority] Checking in on Biyong and Vanra takes priority.
QM Note: Note that it's much faster to get to Republic City than to get to the Southern Capital.
