Avatar
/a·vuh·taar/ noun
Like the change of the seasons, the avatar cycle begins anew with each reincarnation of the Avatar's spirit. Only the Avatar is able to master all four elements and is the human embodiment of light and peace. It is prophesied that they use this power to maintain peace and balance in the world, as the bridge between mankind and spirits.
This storybook follows the travels and spirit encounters of the young Avatar Aang, which are based loosely on ancient East Asian mythology. While mankind aims to villainize those that we do not understand, like spirits, these retellings bring to light the true intent of spirits as told in East Asian mythology. From the beginning of their coexistence, the relationship between humans and spirits has been plagued with animosity. The push and pull of these two forces of nature are like waves of the ocean, relentless and unyielding. It wasn't until the start of the Avatar cycle, creating a bridge between the material world and the spirit world, that a future of balance and harmony came into view. Not villains nor weapons, these spirits only wished for peace and autonomy.
In these lost tales of the Avatar, a young Aang rushes to master the four elements in order to end the hundred-year war left behind by his predecessor. In his travels, he encounters numerous spirits who tell him stories of his past lives, spirits such as Wan Shi Tong, Koh, and the First Lion Turtle to bestow the power of the elements on mankind. The spirits want nothing to do with a war waged among humans, and in the past hundred years have largely vacated the mortal world while mankind chokes itself out. However, with a new reincarnation and change in the cycle of the Avatar, will they come to Aang's aid in his struggle to maintain balance?
Zhangjiajie (2014), Image Source