I understand why they simplified it or removed it but the original idea of the magic system and benders and nations and how linked everything was and how important balance actually was is quite interesting.
In a lost age…
Power is balanced among four great Nations: Water, Earth, Fire, Air. An order made up of men and women lead each nation. These masters possess the ability to manipulate their native element.
They call themselves Waterbenders, Earthbenders, Firebenders, and Airbenders. The most powerful bender in the world is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet incarnate. He alone masters all four elements and maintains world order.
Disaster Strikes… …when the current Avatar dies. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Fire Nation’s leader launches a global war. His goal – eliminate the Water, Earth, and Air Nations so that the Fire Nation may rule for eternity.
100 Years Later, the Avatar returns… With the Fire Nation on the brink of global domination, a young girl and her brother living on the South Pole make an amazing discovery: Enclosed within an iceberg for 100 years, a 12-year old Airbender has miraculously survived. Waking up hungry for food and adventure, the boy reveals himself as the Avatar. But will this irresponsible kid accept his destiny in time to save the world?
What is the Avatar?
The Avatar is the incarnation of the Spirit of the Planet in human form. There is only one Avatar, who reincarnates himself through the centuries. Each time the Avatar dies it is reborn into the next nation.
This successive cycle mirrors the order of the seasons: Water Tribes – winter Earth Kingdom – spring Fire Nation – summer Air Nomads – autumn The cycle provides a natural balance between the elements.
This way, no single nation can grow stronger than another. Upon the death of an Avatar, Bending masters from the successive nation conduct a search to find the child reincarnate. (The successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the one who died, such as being born within a week of the death.)
These Benders carefully train the new Avatar to prepare him for his high position. First, he becomes proficient with his native element. Then, when the Avatar reaches maturity, he travels the world and studies with Masters from the other three Bending disciplines.
Upon completion of his training, the Avatar possesses sole control of all four elements. And so, the nations work to nurture the Avatar, whose responsibility it is to keep Water, Earth, Fire, and Air in harmony with each other and the world.
WHO STARTS THE WAR?
When a young, fearsome Firebender named Fire Lord Sozin ascends to the Fire Nation throne, only one person possesses the strength to oppose his rule – Avatar Roku, a Fire Nation native.
Many times during his reign, Fire Lord Sozin attempts to expand his empire, but the elder Avatar Roku always prevents his tyranny. Fire Lord Sozin’s only chance to achieve supremacy comes on the heels of Avatar Roku’s death.
Before the succeeding Avatar reaches maturity and challenges his action, Sozin secretly builds a massive armada of ironclad ships strong enough to overpower any nation’s Benders and trains a fierce army of Firebenders, foot soldiers, and assassins. For twelve years, the Water, Earth, and Air Nations live oblivious of Sozin’s hidden army.
Consequently, when the Fire Nation begins its assault, they are defenseless. Fire Lord Sozin strategizes to kill off the Air Nomads before the next Avatar grows to maturity. Strengthened by a passing comet’s natural energy, the Fire Nation simultaneously attacks the Water, Earth, and Air Nations.
Within one summer, Sozin’s Army wipes out the peaceful Air Nomads. Vainly assuming that the Avatar’s body lies among the casualties, Sozin expands his invasion of the valiant Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom; his devastation disrupts the natural cycle, ruins the delicate balance of the elements, and makes the Avatar’s future reincarnation impossible. Sozin envisions a world where Fire exists as the dominant element and no nation or energy challenges the Fire Lord’s rule.
Though he wages war for decades, Sozin dies before he sees this vision realized. Despite his death, he succeeds by inspiring greed for world domination among his descendants who continue to carry his torch and strengthen the Fire Nation’s hold on the world.
OTHER PHENOMENA
While a Master’s skill level determines the range of his attacks, his elemental power never extends beyond his immediate area. Therefore, an Earthbender possesses the strength to create a tremor locally, but not an earthquake five miles away. However, a Benders powers may be influenced by the seasons and natural phenomena.
Because each nation corresponds to a season, a Bender is strongest in his native land and during its season. Therefore, Waterbenders are strongest in the north and south poles, during winter; Firebenders are strongest near the equator during summer, etc. Benders are born into each nation, according to the season.
Therefore, Earthbenders are born during spring while Airbenders are born during autumn, etc. However, the number of Benders born during a season represents only a small percentage of all the children born.
While benders are frequently born to parents who also posses this power, it’s not uncommon for parents without powers to birth a Bender. Because of the lengthening summers, the Fire Nation births more and more Benders, while the other nations birth fewer.
Therefore, the Fire Nation’s conquest means disaster for opposing Masters. Seasonal changes will become non-existent. With the world stuck in perpetual summer, Firebender numbers will grow and strengthen, while Water, Earth, and Airbender numbers will weaken and diminish until they are extinct. In addition to the seasons, natural phenomena also influence a Bender’s power.
For example, the sun and comets strengthen Firebenders; the moon cycle and rain boost a Waterbender’s power; Earthbenders tap into the potential energy of fault lines; and wind and storms are advantageous to Airbenders.
The only thing that can rid a Firebender of his power is a total eclipse, which is short-lived and infrequent. Seasonal and natural phenomena play an important role in Avatar’s storyline as it relates to Benders.
On a sunny day near the equator, the kids take lengthy detours to avoid Firebenders. However, during cloudy, rainy weather, they travel a more risky, but direct route, relying on Aang and Katara’s heightened Airbending and Waterbending powers for protection.