Avatar Bamuon (contest entry)

For #avatarocevchallenge

I had so much fun with this!! Ok so first and foremost I’d like to say that I haven’t seen LOK and I haven’t read the comics! So I’m sorry if this goes against either of those

The basic concept: I really love the idea of an avatar that died before they mastered all of the elements. Plus I wanted to give a good reason as to why avatars are told when they’re 16!

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Avatar Bamuon (bow-mon)

Bamuon was a 17 year boy born in the Si Wong Desert. He was a natural sand bender and prodigy earth bender. He realized he was the avatar at the early age of 7 and was pushed harshly by his parents to leave the desert and master the elements early. He met Vesha a few days after his departure and, despite their normally hostile behavior, The scorpion-cat took a liking to him and followed him around. She is his best friend and spirit guide!

Bamuon was a naive kid at heart. It was very easy to manipulate him, as he tended to always assume people have a good moral com. He was pretty outgoing and easy to make friends with, and he above all else adored family. All he wanted was acceptance, being the avatar was a big hinderance to him. He never would’ve been kicked out if he were normal.

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Side characters time

Palmo (palm-o) was an 18 year old air bender. He was born at the western air temple and was never really all that good at air bending. He shaved his head to hopefully get a master’s tattoo but was rejected. His hair is now patchy as a result. He was tasked with taking Bamuon to the Northern air temple!

Uzome (o-zoo-mi) was a 19 year old firebender. She was born into a rather corrupt high ranking family. She also had extreme anger issues. Her family used her issues as a means of radical training. Her family tasked her with killing the avatar, so as the next one would be a firebender!

Iayi (I-yay) was a 14 year old water bender. She was Bamuon’s first friend when he arrived in the southern water tribe for training. She housed him in her home and they formed an adoptive sibling bond. She wanted to accompany him on his journeys and he couldn’t resist his little sister’s begging!

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Story time (forgive me I’ve never been a great writer) This would probably only be about one season worth of content! So there’s only one book.

Book 1; Family

Bamuon learned of his avatar status after water bending water into his parched mouth. Living in the desert had its downfalls. And thus, a seven year old kid was thrust into the world of responsibility.

His parents kept him only until he master the element of Earth. Although he was a prodigy, he would purposely throw off his training so that he could stay longer. To no avail- they threw him out at the age of 11 with his belongs and a quick “we love you but you’ve got greater things waiting for you!”

He was just about to die in the blazing desert when a small Scorpion-cat made itself known. He gravely thought about hunting it but instead it showed him to a small oasis. He named her Vesha and the two became inseparable. An 11 year old avatar and his young Scorpion-cat. The two saved each other.

He was picked up in the city of Ba Sing Se and given a ride to the Southern Water Tribe. “Water is the closest to sand bending! You should make a quick master!” They’d said to him. He didn’t want to master water, he wanted to go home.

They housed the 12 year old avatar with a nice family of three. He quickly grew attached, desperately wanting a family. After each water bending lesson he’d come to his new home and teach his new little sister the move he’d mastered. It was much like sand bending and again he began to master the element quickly.

At the ripe age of 15 he mastered water bending. Bamuon begged his family to let him stay. In turn his little sister begged him to let her come with him. How could he say no to her? She was the closest thing he had to a family besides Vesha. The three headed off to the Western air temple with a tearful goodbye to their parents.

Bamuon and Iayi took a year to arrive at the western air temple. A 16 year old avatar was quickly culture shocked by the air benders. They didn’t have family! It hurt his heart but he was here to master air, not become an air monk. He was told that masters better suited to teach him were in the Northern Air Temple. A scrappy kid around his age was tasked with showing him to the new temple.

Bamuon, Iayi, and Palmo decided to travel to some fire nation islands before they got to the temple, as it was on the way. They’d all become pretty close- Palmo and Vesha seemed to adore each other, something Iayi was jealous of. Palmo taught Bamuon basic air bending on the way. Upon arrival they met a fire nation girl.

The four of them plus Vesha celebrated Bamuon’s 17th birthday. They all camped out and the girl asked to their party. She seemed nice enough so they accepted! Bamuon always loved more people in his growing family. They headed out towards the Western air temple.

Uzome drugged Iayi and Palmo in their sleep. She attacked Bamuon in his sleep. He awoke and ran from her, not knowing how to unlock the avatar state. “I’m going to kill you, Bamuon!” She shouted at him as he ran “with the one element you can’t control!”

Before he could comprehend it, Bamuon was bombarded with flames. “The next avatar will be a firebender!”

A 17 year old avatar Bamuon died days later from his burns. The world was left devastated. He was just a kid. Uzome later died of a fatal sting from a scorpion-cat.

A new rule was declared. “Don’t tell the avatar of their duties until the age of 16. That way they have a fighting chance.”

(He comes a bit before Aang and Korra! Enough that this rule is now common place, with Korra and Aang being the first to break it! I imagine that Bamuon was very sympathetic to Aang and gave him wisdom on how to learn faster)

(I forgot to mention that while Palmo and Iayi were drugged they didn’t die! They lived to meet and train the next avatar)

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Proof speedpaints for the drawings!