The Earth Kingdom Lore🔗
The Earth Kingdom is the largest nation out of all four nations. It is known to be very defensive in its approach to international conflict and war strategy. The Earth Kingdom is well known for its broad territorial region, which covers the majority of the Eastern hemisphere. As a result of its vast landmass, the Earth Kingdom has a substantial amount of ethnic and cultural diversity. This is represented through its architecture, cuisine, traditions and societal systems.
Within the Earth Kingdom’s territory there’s an amassment of small villages, mid-sized towns and immense cities; all of which are considered provinces. There is still a large difference in how affluent some of the provinces in the Earth Kingdom are compared to others, with some having an abundance of resources and wealth while others have very scarce amounts. These provinces are individually led by Mayors and Governors, which are overseen by the Grand Secretariat and the Earth Monarchs. The most prosperous city in the Earth Kingdom is Ba Sing Se, as it is the capital city and home to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace.
Culture🔗
The Earth Kingdom being the largest out of the four nations resulted in many different cultures being created. No single culture could take over the whole kingdom, just because of the sheer size of the continent. Many trends swept through the Earth Kingdom, some being royal culture, common culture, and desert culture.
Royal Earth Kingdom🔗
In the Earth Kingdom the royal family created trends for the richer people of the kingdom to follow. The richer people of the Earth Kingdom reside in estates and large houses, and they may even have a known family name that is spread around the world. This way the richer people in the Earth Kingdom create their own culture of business and luxury, most of them being able to invest in their own companies and creations. Some even tend to get high into the government to feel closer to the monarchs of the kingdom.
Commoners🔗
The common people of the Earth Kingdom generally live in the middle and lower rings of Ba Sing Se or just in other cities and villages. Most of these people work in a difficult labour job, working hard for their money. These people are more open and show more hospitality than their fellow citizens. The commoners may not always make a great change in the kingdom, but they hold it together in ways that the government cannot. Being this majority party creates lifestyles that can be different than the richer people of the kingdom.
Desert🔗
The desert people in the Earth Kingdom are so diversely different from the other peoples in the kingdom that they've obtained their own name and culture. With most living in areas around the desert, like Misty Palms Oasis, they wear clothing that reaches all the way up their head and around their body. This protects them from sand and the heat of the desert. Some earthbenders in the desert have formed a subgroup to earthbending, called sandbending. Sandbending is very common within the desert and is often taught there instead of the traditional ways of earthbending. Sandbending is rarely taught outside the desert, making sandbending of that degree rarer in the richer parts of the Earth Kingdom. It is common for upper class Earth Kingdom citizens to have prejudices against sandbenders, especially those in tribes, as they have a reputation of being thieves and bandits.
Government🔗
Earth Kingdom is an Absolute Monarchy, and is run by a King or Queen. These monarchs reside in the great city of Ba Sing Se, where they oversee the lands of the Earth Kingdom. There is also another head of government, under the monarch: The Grand Secretariat. The Grand Secretariat is the head of culture in the kingdom and is in charge of government affairs, predominantly those that are external to Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom also has a Chancellor that aids him in dealing with internal government affairs and leading the military alongside a council of five generals.
The land of the Earth Kingdom is split into city states and provinces. For instance, Kyoshi Island is a city state of the Earth Kingdom. It has its own separate government, but still falls under the Earth Kingdom. Most city states and provinces are led by Governors of that given area. It is possible for the provinces of the Earth Kingdom to create their own army or militia, such as the Kyoshi Warriors of Kyoshi Island.
Government System: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: Earth King and Queen
Head of Government: Grand Secretariat
Territorial Divisions: Various villages, provinces & regions
Heads of Territorial Divisions: Governors & Mayors
Capital: Ba Sing Se
Present🔗
During the Earth and Fire war Earth Queen Kyo faced a lot of pressure, and once a treaty was met she decided to step down. After Earth Queen Kyo stepped down from the throne she looked to the spirits to announce the new monarch of the Kingdom. She decided to coronate the current Grand Secretariat, Habien Hanri, whose coronation took place at Fong's Fortress. He was crowned as the 55th Earth monarch of the Kingdom, and he currently leads the Earth Kingdom to try and bring prosperity to the nation.
History🔗
Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation War🔗
In 123 AG, after the end of the Rebel War, the four nations gained stability and were pushed into a short temporary era of peace. In honor of the Avatar's mastery over all four elements, the Royal Earth Kingdom family decided to host a ball in her honor. The Earth Kingdom Ball would be known as the beginning of the war, for Earth Princess Hana went missing during the Ball. Rumors grew like wildfires in the room, and some pointed to the Fire Lord's Advisor, Xaon, as the culprit. The Earth Queen demanded immediate custody. Immediately after the Ball, the Earth Kingdom lead a search and rescue mission for the Princess. A mysterious sandbender lead the expedition to Haggyo Island where they found the Princess sitting in the Viper Clan's old base. The guard protecting the base said that the Fire Lord and Advisor Xaon ordered him to watch her. This pushed tensions between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.
Fire Nation Ship Raid🔗
In attempt to deal damage to the Fire Nation, the Earth Queen ordered a raid on a Fire Nation Admiral's ship. This raid was lead by Grand Secretariat Ako, and it was a coalition of Earth Kingdom Military members and Water Tribe citizens who wanted to side with the Earth Kingdom in the War. In this raid the coalition stole a lot of Fire Nation cargo, including weapons, supplies, and food. This event escalated the distrust between the two nations even further, and started involving the Water Tribe to side with the Fire Nation.
Ember Island Attack🔗
In a war meeting consisting of high-ranking officials of the Earth Kingdom, the Queen and her advisors decided to invade Ember Island. This invasion was to show that the Earth Kingdom was not scared of going all out, and that they were not to be messed with again. So, the Earth Kingdom invaded Ember Island. The Earth Kingdom Military was eventually driven out by the Fire Lord and his army, and the invaders returned back to their kingdom with many losses.
Jehung Attack🔗
In response to the Ember Island attack, the Fire Nation decided to try and invade the Earth Kingdom city Jehung. This was the second battle of the ongoing war, though this time a third party, Avatar Sialuk, intervened. The Avatar stepped between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, and stopped the battle before it could escalate even more. In response, the Earth Queen order Grand Secretariat Ako to attack her, but she refused. This refusal of an order from the Queen lead to her immediate termination, and Ako was banished from the Kingdom. After the battle, the Queen put her new Grand Secretariat Habien Hanri into work, who was previously serving as a General in the Earth Kingdom Military. They are now trying to rebuild the Earth Kingdom.