ハ Air

Air
Air, one of the four elemental arts, is the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate currents of air. Various citizens among the Archers of Tochi No Eien No Ha are gifted with this element.

Air is the element of freedom. The Archers consider themselves a free nation, and as such often live their lives disregarding social constraints

The key to the element of air is flexibility. Air is notable for being almost purely defensive, as well as the most dynamic of the four arts. Air elementalists can overwhelm many opponents at once with large and powerful attacks that could prove fatal; however, due to the skill with their bows, such attacks are rarely used.

Origin
When Vaasaar was defeated, the Eastern Lands were granted the Stone of Air. Accepting the stone itself and becoming the guardians were the Liang clan, a notable family of hunters, specialising in the art of the bow. From then on, the land was affected by the stone and slowly transformed into an eternal state of Fall. The land was renamed Tochi No Eien No Ha, The Land of Eternal Leaves. The citizens of the land found themselves with the power to manipulate the air itself and embraced their new gifts, with new generations receiving the gift based on natural selection.

Air Elemental Abilities
Air ball: An air elementalist can create a compressed ball of air by moving their hands together in a circular motion. This technique has many applications such as levitating small objects or tripping opponents.

Air blast: A more offensive move involving a direct pulse or jet of strong wind from the hands, feet, or mouth. The force of the attack is generated more from the elementalist's own power, rather than assisted by momentum. The blast can reach further distances with greater accuracy and is used to inflict greater damage.

Air bomb: A technique which creates a powerful, outward-moving air current in all directions around the bender. Usually performed after landing on the ground from above, this air form has great concussive force, and the capacity to completely blow away anything within its radius.

Air bullets: A technique causing two or more marbles to spin in a circle between an air elementalist's hands. It could be used to shoot small objects, like marbles, at very high speeds, similar to bullets, but it can also be used to impress rather than to attack.

Air funnel: Similar to an air vortex but on a smaller scale, this technique can be used as a cannon by creating a small air funnel through which small rock projectiles could be loaded and fired out of the opposite end.

Air manipulation: By using circular, evasive movements, air elementalists build up massive momentum; this build up of energy is released as massive power. It also allows for wind-based counter-attacks that knock opponents off-balance, mimicking the sudden directional shifts of air currents. Attacks vary from simple gusts of wind to miniature tornadoes and cyclones, maintaining the circular theme. Even a simple movement can create an air gust, and air elementalists increase the power of their moves by performing larger sweeps and spins, using the momentum of their movement to simulate larger gusts. This is also demonstrated with their use of weapons to increase or create precision within the air currents.

Air punch/kick: Another more offensive move than is typical of air discipline, air punches or air kicks are small, compressed formations of air that can be fired off the fists or feet of an air elementalist. This is similar to many fire abilities and the air blast, in the sense that it involves the firing of compressed or solidified air at an enemy in a disjunct fashion i.e. the elementalist does not create a single great stream of air.

Air shield: The most common defensive tactic, though less powerful than the air barrier, it involves circling enemies, suddenly changing direction when attacked and evading by physical movement. However, an air elementalist can still deflect as needed by throwing up gusts of air close to their bodies as a shield. This is rarely to stop attacks directly and more often pushes the attack aside and away, conserving energy and allowing them to turn the movement into an attack at the same moment. Since air can affect almost all physical objects, it can also be used to enforce the momentum of thrown objects or manipulate other objects (though requiring a higher degree of precision).

Air suction: A technique used to bring people or things toward the air elementalist.

Air swipe: The air swipe is both a defensive and offensive technique in which an air elementalist conjures a crescent-shaped structure of compressed air capable of deflecting colossal projectiles, such as catapulted rocks, and sending them off course.

Air wheel: This is a modified version of the air ball. Air is rapidly spun around the air elementalist and carries the person as inside a wheel. It is able to cut through solid objects.

Breath of wind: Very similar to the standard air jet, but created from the mouth and lungs. It requires extremely good breath control to employ effectively. Size and focus is more easily controlled, from narrow jets that can strike targets as small as insects, to large gale force gusts capable of cooling magma into solidified rock.

Enhanced agility: Air movements can also be used as a levitation aid. Air elementalists jump high and far by riding on strong gusts of wind and can slow or deflect falls by creating cushions of air. The constant movement required by this art makes air elementalists naturally flexible and agile. Even without utilising air they can easily move around an opponent by ducking, jumping, and side stepping, appearing to flow around their opponents without expending any energy at all, letting the opponent tire themselves out and thus creating exploitable openings. This conservation of energy combined with high stamina gives them an advantage in prolonged combat if they so wish to engage.

Enhanced speed: Air elementalists enhance their movement in battle; they can run swiftly by decreasing air resistance around them and even sprint across or run up vertical surfaces by generating a wind current behind themselves to propel them forward. Using this, they can run many times faster than an average human and maintain this for very long periods, allowingthem to travel long distances without gliding or jumping. When used by a skilled air elementalist, this technique can enable the one using it to travel at a speed almost too swift for the naked eye to be able to see properly. A master air elementalist can use this technique to briefly run across water.

Multiple target attacks: An airbender can send large, wide-spanning waves of air toward multiple enemies with one long, sweeping motion from a weapon or from the bender's limbs.

Master Level Techniques
Air blades: A more offensive move than its typical of air elemental principle, this involves a focus; slicing air current that can cut through stone or timber with relative ease. This is frequently conjured with a weapon rather than the body, using the narrow profile of the object to create a more focused and precise air movement. This move could prove fatal if used on an individual.

Air grapple:Air is used to pull an object or a person to the elementalist's direction.

Air spout: Similar to the waterspout, master air elementalists are able to rotate and control the direction of an air spout enough to levitate themselves off the ground and remain in the air for as long as they wish to or can maintain it.

Air vortex: A spinning funnel of air of various sizes. This can be used to trap and disorient opponents or as a potent defence, since it will deflect and repel any objects and can even throw them back at an opponent.

Air wake: By running in a circle and instantly building massive momentum, a master air elementalist can shoot a blast of highly compressed air shaped like the user's body at a target. This move seems to have extremely high concussive force.

Flight: A master air elementalist can achieve this feat by generating and controlling air currents to form a 'cloud' like board under their feet and surfing through the air, thereby emulating flight.

Mini-tornado: This is a smaller scaled version of the air vortex which air elementalist masters can use as a means of both combat and transport. By encircling themselves in a spiraling air current, masters can travel at high speeds and even ascend near-vertical drops.

Legendary Level Techniques
Air sphere: The user flies at high-speeds while inside the air sphere, which also acts as a barrier to protect the elementalist during impacts, strong enough to withstand a high velocity impact with rock.

Augmented air moves: All of the previously discussed air elemental moves are generally augmented making them far more powerful than even a bending master.

Strong wind: It is possible for a Legendary air elementalist to unleash extremely powerful winds.

Tornadoes/hurricanes: In addition to very large and powerful air movements, a Legendary level air elementalist can create massive tornadoes and hurricanes at will.

Special Techniques
Air scooter: The air scooter is a spherical "ball" of air that can be ridden balancing on it like a top. It is used usually to provide quick bursts of speed as well as to overcome vertical surfaces, although it can be used as a method of travel or even for leisure. The air scooter was also shown to be capable of levitating in the air for short periods, about five to ten seconds in a stationary position. Master Air elementalists can stand atop an air scooter while maintaining full balance.

Cloud manipulation: Because they are made with air and water, a skilled air elementalist can manipulate clouds easily to create various shapes, for example to provide a message to nearby villagers, but only with an assisting water elementalist.

Gliding: Although all air elementalists can levitate or extend jumps via air forms, most if not all air elementalists possess a glider for mid range flight. These hand-crafted portable wood and canvas structures can collapse into a staff for storage and as an aid when bending. In glider form, it is used in conjunction with bending to fly as long as the bender has the strength to maintain the air currents. With stronger winds, multiple people can be carried for short distances. As a normal staff, it can be used as a weapon in battle, to aid in air forms, and even as a levitation aid when spun above the head like a helicopter propeller.

Training Tools
In the process of mastering air, several instruments are used to help mastering this element.

The airball court doubles as a field for playing airball, as well as training several skills involved with air forms. Balance and dexterity are especially trained by this game. Accuracy is also trained, because the ball is mostly controlled by air as well.

Spinning gates are designed so that one has to trust on one's evasive air manoeuvres to successfully make one's way through the spinning gates. Those wishing to master the spinning gates have to be like a leaf, flowing with the wind instead of forcing one's way through.

Weapons
The speciality of most citizens of Tochi No Eien No Ha is the bow. Many members of the land are famed in the use of the weapon, with stories circulating of how the Leaf Elite can shoot the wings off a fly at over one hundred yards without causing it death. Air elementalists commonly use staffs to augment their powers in battle. This is usually done by enhancing the air movements created by sweeps or thrusts of the staff. With the staff's narrow profile, the currents created can be more accurately controlled and even shaped into cutting blades. Metal fans have also been seen to be used in combination with forms. Bladed weaponry also produces interesting results.

Weakness
Cultural inexperience: Though deemed the most dynamic of the elemental arts, many air elementalists are not masterly trained, instead relying on their skill with the bow to fell their enemies and therefore can be left open in regards to other elementalists. Nevertheless, when applied correctly, air forms can be as lethal as any other art. Air moves such as the air blade and air blast could prove particularly fatal against living creatures seeing as they can cut through stone/timber and break entire rock-columns in half respectively.

Lack of wind: If air elementalists are in an area where there is little or no wind, e.g. a desert, then they are quite severely hampered, as they have nothing to manipulate.

Spirituality and Air
An air elementalist is declared a master once he or she has fully mastered the thirty-six tiers of air forms and/or when he or she creates a new air technique. Air elementalists who have mastered the element are usually marked as such by black or blue tattoos striping along the head and limbs, terminating in an arrow on the forehead, backs of the hands, and the tops of the feet, although these can differ, and a master can choose to not have tattoos at all.

Air elementalists are trained in all things they pursue rigorously, especially martial pursuits such as the bow. While many are not masterly disciplined in their element, relying on their martial skill overall, those who are are often noted to be immensely powerful.

The inhabitants of Tochi No Eien No Ha are often hunters, and as such, are closely associated with forest areas and animals in particular.