long
Jun 4, 2009 11:32:09 GMT -6
Post by long on Jun 4, 2009 11:32:09 GMT -6
The philosophy of Firebending from when it was first created differs radically from that of the present-day Fire Nation. Originally representing warmth, energy and life, the Fire Nation's is fueled by rage and anger. Firebending in itself is not totally devoted to unleashing the power of fire on opponents. In actuality, the focus is placed upon balance. Firebending hinges on mental stability such as inner calm, discipline, emotional stability and physical stability such as a firm balanced form, breath control and general good health.
Now creating lightning involves a complete absence of emotion and peace of mind and requires separating the energies of yin and yang, and can only be done by an extremely experienced fire bender. A bender only guides, rather than controls, the lightning's direction.
But let's say that a bender trained for numerous years, on compressing and learning to bend that lightning, until it became light, itself. This is my idea of lightbending, it would stronger than blue firebending but weaker than lightning guiding because it is more control and less erratic, but the art can be much more effective, able to be held much longer and meld and bended with much more control.
But what do you guys think?
kaitokatashi
Jun 4, 2009 14:58:29 GMT -6
Post by kaitokatashi on Jun 4, 2009 14:58:29 GMT -6
<Kai note: I'm moving this to the Show Discussion board, as this has more to do with bending than the RP.>
As for the topic, I feel that it wouldn't necessarily work that way. Lighting is closer to fire than any other element because it's super-concentrated heat and energy. Although it would have made sense to have Waterbenders be able to control lightning (as electricity is a water element in feng shui), only three Firebenders we've seen (although it might make sense that Jeong Jeong would be able to as well, despite the fact that only members of the Royal Family seem to be able to do it) can create lightning and only two can redirect it.
I think that Lightbending, if at all feasible, would be its own separate element, as most seem to think it part of the classical elements; however, light is energy, so it's kinda hard to pin down exactly what type of bender would be able to bend light, if any.
hanabi
Jun 4, 2009 18:08:59 GMT -6
Post by hanabi on Jun 4, 2009 18:08:59 GMT -6
Light is energy yes, but light is more empirical then the other sub elements, what is light? Electromagnetic Radiation detectable by the Human Eye. Technically it would fall into the range of Firebending, but could it be bent? No. Even by a fully awoken avatar with his past lives all aiding? No.
There are several parts of light, it's nature as both particles and waves, and it's triple nature make it more complex then any single element, It has an aspect you can see but not feel, it has an aspect you can see and feel, it has an aspect that you can feel as well that are all separate as well as an aspect you cannot see or feel, much like with X-Ray Beams which are a lot like light but on a frequency out of the range of the eyes.
First it's more complex, there is no set flow to light, it moves away from it's generation point, dithers around corners flows into spaces is blocked by certain colors or lack here in of colors and can even be converted into heat or deadly radiation in the right settings. It's many aspects make it too complex for management.
Secondly light is the fastest particle form known, it's faster then sound, it exists, it dissipates, it does what it does and carries information so fast that one millisecond of light would have to have more aspects, more control and many different separate focused efforts that would require years to synchronize with a human mind. Light happens automatically as a result of other energies creating it.
I'll put it like this, if Avatar Roku could bend 'light' his mind would work so fast, so powerfully, that for just as simple of an effort he would be a Fire Bending master so great that he could instantly create any form of heat energy instantly without even having to bat an eyelash anywhere he wanted as large and powerful as he wanted without it wasting his energy. He would also have the ability and understanding to do the same equivalent thing with every single other elements and could create himself a planet and destroy it just as easily.
Why? Because to control light his mind would have to move faster then light, and that would be fast enough to think backwards in time meaning he could think thoughts to himself before he ever learned to control the elements and into times before his birth. He could manipulate the elements ten thousand years before he was born, create himself a body from the elements and then create his infant self to live his life and learn his skills. He would literally be all powerful.
long
Jun 4, 2009 18:44:31 GMT -6
Post by long on Jun 4, 2009 18:44:31 GMT -6
But I'm not talking about pure light being created and manipulated, in which case it's user would be al powerful, I'm talking about the ability to compress lightning, as it is as a unbendable, only guidable, force, into a more concentrated, more bendable form.
The only name that could be came up with is light, seeing as how compressed lightning is centralized, catalyzed energy, just like light. I'm talking bendable lightning and nothing else.
kaitokatashi
Jun 9, 2009 12:58:20 GMT -6
Post by kaitokatashi on Jun 9, 2009 12:58:20 GMT -6
I find it hard to grasp the concept of compressing lightning, but the analogy that keeps popping into my mind when I think about it is obstructing the outlet of a water conduit. When this is done, water pressure builds and builds until it overcomes the obstruction or destroys the conduit. Considering that Iroh learned to redirect lightning from studying Waterbenders, it seems highly likely to me that the same principle would apply to lightning. Oh, and a side note, you can only compress water so far before you can't compress it anymore.
Now, if one has watched A:tLA, one knows that to even redirect lightning is extremely dangerous, as lightning is a very volatile and deadly thing. To compress the lightning, a Firebender would need to hold the lightning within themselves or just outside their fingertips. In my understanding of Lightningbending, the lightning is more like a projectile that is ejected from the Firebender's body when the yin and yang energies come crashing together. I imagine that a Firebender then only has the ability to direct it, rather than actually bend it. If one looks at the way Azula or Ozai use lightning in battle, one can see what I mean.
Because of the fact that the lightning is more like a projectile than anything, I believe that the only time lightning can actually be "bent" is when its being redirected; otherwise, you'd see highly skilled Firebenders using lightning whips, or something like that.
