Avatar:Sun Warriors' ancient city

 

<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Sun Warriors' ancient city</default></title> <group> <header>Physical information</header> <label>Location</label> </group> <group> <header>Government</header> <label>Position</label> <label>Capital</label> <label>Form of government</label> <label>Head of state</label> <label>Religious authority</label> <label>Currency</label> <label>Ruler</label> <label>Owner</label> <label>Leader</label> <label>Administrator</label> <label>First appearance</label> <label>Last appearance</label> </group> <group> <header>Location on map</header> </group> <header>Image gallery (0)</header> </infobox> The Sun Warriors' ancient city is a large historic settlement located on an island north of the Fire Nation mainland. It was once thought to be uninhabited, but Aang and Zuko discovered that the Sun Warrior civilization still existed within the city. Much of this stone metropolis is now covered in vines and sits unused, as the tribe is much smaller than it was in the past. Some of the architecture of the ancient city is mirrored in modern-day Fire Nation architecture, most notably the Fire Sages' temples.

The city is heavily laden with booby traps. The sunstone, an important relic in Sun Warrior culture, is hidden in a room that supposedly only opens during the solstice. Once the chamber is opened, it can be accessed by two people performing the Dancing Dragon, an ancient firebending form that involves placing their feet in a synchronized fashion on specifically located push-tiles. If the sunstone is removed from its pedestal, a booby trap is activated that fills the room with a powerful glue.

Locations

Sun-Blessed Peak

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The lair of Ran and Shaw comprises two mountains that face one another.

The Sun-Blessed Peak is believed to be the location where humans first received the Eternal Flame from the dragons, and thus the origin of the art of firebending. At the Sun-Blessed Peak, two caves situated atop large rocks overlooking the ocean just beyond the Sun Warriors' city form the lair of Ran and Shaw, the firebending masters. A large elevated man-made platform stands between the two caves, with a long bridge extending from it to connect the platform to each cave. It is here that those who seek enlightenment in the art of firebending offer the masters a piece of the Eternal Flame and subsequently receive judgment from them. The dragons circle the suppliant, and to prove their worth, each must execute the Dancing Dragon form in synchronization with their corresponding dragon. Aang deduced this when he and Zuko met the masters and performed the Dancing Dragon together to receive enlightenment.

Sunstone chamber

The sunstone chamber also contains statues of the forms of the Dancing Dragon.

The sunstone chamber is a protected room that can only be accessed when the celestial calendar directly outside the chamber refracts light onto the door's gemstone at just the right angle. As the only known days the door would open were during a solstice, Zuko had no choice but to "speed up time" by using his broadswords to manipulate the light. Inside the chamber are twenty statues that show the steps of the Dancing Dragon form. When two visitors mimic the moves simultaneously, they trigger foot-pads that eventually raise a pedestal holding the sacred sunstone. To prevent burglars from stealing the relic, a slime geyser releases a powerful glue-like substance upon the removal of the stone from its pedestal.

Dragon mural

The mural about the origin of firebending depicts Ran and Shaw.

Located midway up the city's primary ziggurat is a mural of two dragons sharing their knowledge of firebending with a Sun Warrior. Aang and Zuko initially interpreted the painting as a sign that the dragons were particularly violent upon contact with humans. The mural exhibits multiple fractures and signs of erosion from the centuries it has remained in a state of disrepair. Zuko and Aang later discovered the mural's true meaning when they were deemed worthy and granted the chance to learn the original ways of firebending.

Eternal Flame

Main article: Eternal Flame

The Eternal Flame is the first flame ever given to man by the dragons. It rests in a protective chamber atop an ancient pyramid. Those who wish to learn from the masters must bring a piece of the Eternal Flame to their lair. The flame must be kept at a constant temperature, as a small flame will go out, whereas a large flame will spiral out of control.

Celestial calendar

The celestial calendar controls entry to the sunstone chamber.

Located in the center of the courtyard at the Sun Warriors' city is a large red gem that refracts slivers of light onto a calendar on the ground. This gem is part of a celestial locking system that protects a sacred room that can only be opened on specific days, such as the summer solstice. The celestial calendar bears a striking resemblance to the Fire Temple sanctuary once located on Crescent Island.

Connection

The Sun Warriors' ancient city is based on the architecture of ancient Mesopotamia, taking special influence from the civilization's ziggurats, or "tiered pyramids". The designers also looked at Mayan ruins for inspiration.

See also

• Architecture in the World of Avatar
• Sun Warriors