tonowari

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

SPECIES Na'vi STATUS Alive GENDER Male EYE COLOR Blue HEIGHT 9'7" (292cm)

Personality

As Olo'eyktan, Tonowari overseers the welfare of his clan and is respected by his clan for his ideals and ability to guide them through times of great challenge. Another one of Tonowari's responsibilities includes overseeing the repairing and building of village structures.[1] He is a brave and strong leader, willing to join the front lines of his clan during battle.[2] However, he also greatly values Ronal's input in decision-making and does not make a move without her wisdom. As father to Ao'nung and Tsireya, he is much stricter. When Ao'nung’s bullying risks Lo'ak's life, he demands his son to explain and apologise. He also reprimands his children and Lo'ak when the latter bonds with Payakan, but also explains the history of the Tulkun. While Ronal is more distrustful, Tonowari is shown to be more benevolent and willing to give people chances, a behavior he has apparently passed down to Tsireya. He takes in the Sully family not long after their arrival and plea for refuge, and instructs his clanmates to hide their location even amidst great chaos by the RDA. He also welcomed the Sully’s as part of the Metkayina clan after the final conflict with the RDA.

FAMILY

Ronal Tonowari is a loving partner and tries to prevent Ronal from participating in the battle while pregnant. He respects her opinion, but tries to convince her to be more open and flexible towards certain situations. Ronal has deep respect for her husband. Tsireya Tonowari seems to value his daughter and her abilities. He entrusts her with helping the Sully children learn about life in the reefs. However, he does not hesitate to reprimand her harshly and shows disappointment when Tsireya allows Lo'ak to bond with Payakan, as he has given her the responsibility of teaching the clan's customs. Tonowari is upset when he learns that Tsireya has been captured by the RDA and immediately rallies the clan for an offensive. Ao'nung The relationship with his son resembles that between Neytiri, Mo'at and Eytukan. Aonung goes his own way and reluctantly accepts the responsible tasks his father imposes on him, such as teaching the Sully children, which he sees as stealing his precious free time. However, Tonowari is strict, demanding and does not tolerate opposition, especially since he must prepare his son for the future transfer of the title of clan head to him.

Friends and allies

Jake Sully Tonowari and Jake met before their children were born, presumably before the battle for the Tree of Souls, in which Jake rallied the clans to war against the RDA. Tonowari respects Jake as Toruk Makto and a great warrior, and though he fears that war will come to his clan, he understands his desire to protect his family and is in favor of granting him refuge. During the assimilation, Tonowari personally teaches Jake the ways of the Metkayina. Despite friendly relations, Tonowari makes no secret of his fury at Lo'ak's insubordination and hopes that Jake will take appropriate disciplinary action against his son. Also, despite Jake's earlier warnings and his own decision to help him, Tonowari seems resentful that the Sky People finally found the Metkayina's home and threatened them with war.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

LIVES IN Awa'atlu, Pandora CLAN Metkayina clan MATE Ronal OCCUPATION Clan leader

AFFILIATIONS

TITLE(S) Olo'eyktan LOYALTY Na'vi Metkayina clan

appearance

Tonowari has the appearance of a Na'vi, a sentient humanoid race that inhabit the planet Pandora in the Avatar movies. The Na'vi are known for having blue skin, long ears, and a connection to the planet's natural resources and wildlife. In Avatar Way of the Water, Tonowari appears to have has green or turquoise skin, with facial tattoos , indicating his role as a leader and his deep connection to the sea and the spirits of the ocean. He also has a long, flowing hair, which is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge in the Na'vi culture.

Culture and Habitat

The Metkayina live along the coasts of Pandora's oceans, on islands or near the mainland. Their homes are marui pods built into the roots of mangrove-like trees that spread across the islands. These houses hang directly over the water, presumably for easy swimming access. Huge sea terraces, similar in appearance to travertine terraces, protect the villages from strong waves and offer the clan an easy place to fish. Some of the Metkayina peoples have existed for thousands of years. Structures are constantly renewed, but rarely replaced. The main village of Awa'atlu is protected by a 6 kilometer radius dike. It has small docks for canoes, a centralized ilu corral and common areas to gather, eat and tell stories and sing songs. The Metkayina Islands and the waters surrounding them are home to numerous unique specimens of fauna and flora, such as green dorado, pincer fish, and papa mantis tree. The Cove of the Ancestors is a sacred area for the Metkayina and is home to their main sacred site, the Spirit Tree. This clan takes advantage of its extensive and diverse habitat in many ways and maintains a close relationship with water. Tsireya's Tulkun The Metkayina maintain a close relationship with the tulkuns, sentient whale-like creatures of Pandora, and are able to communicate with them. The Metkayina consider them their brothers, as each member has a tulkun "spiritual brother/sister", and they share their religion. Just as clans such as the Omatikaya and Olangi ride dire-horses to navigate the landmasses of Pandora, the Metkayina use Ilu as their preferred companion to glide across Pandora's oceans. During combat, the Metkayina's most skilled hunters ride the skimwing; taming one is also a rite of passage to adulthood, similar to how some mainland Na'vi clans must tame an ikran when they come of age. They use Na'vi sign language to communicate with each other underwater, as well as with the tulkun.

Rites

One of their rituals for newborns is known as First Breath. It is a very symbolic birth ritual in which the entire clan participates. It takes place in shallow water, and the tsahìk help the mother give birth to a child who emerges directly from the womb into the water. It is a symbol of Metkayina's deep connection with water, which is her second home. The newborn then has to swim out of the water on its own, which is a symbolic transition from this element to air. The name of the ritual refers to the child's first breath after surfacing. Like the adolescents of the Omatikaya clan, young Metkayina must complete a series of coming-of-age rituals, known to the Metkayina as iknimaya, before they can be considered adults. One of these rites includes union with a tsurak, others are various tests with his spiritual brother or sister tulkun. Once a Metkayina has completed all of these rites, he is given a special garment, his first tattoo, and three beads for his singing rope.

biology

The Metkayina have apparently adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, presenting considerable differences from the continental Na'vi. Their eyes have enlarged considerably and are blue or green instead of yellow, their forearms and lower legs have expanded to include a fin-like structure known as a 'strake', and their tails have widened to form a shovel and lack a tuft of hair at the end. They also have a nictitating membrane, or "third eyelid." The upper part of the body is stronger, especially in males, which also have a slightly different thoracic structure than continental males. Curly hair seems to be the norm in the clan. Their skin also varies towards a more green or turquoise color than traditional blue, with fluid, wavy stripes. Like land sharks and other marine creatures, Metkayina have light areas on their bellies and faces.

Tattoos

The clan, like other reef clans, practices the art of tattooing. All tattoos are unique to the individual and are a chronicle of his or her life. The placement of each tattoo has symbolic meaning: the tattoos over the heart and chest symbolize the safe embrace of the central island. The tattoos on the arms represent the most exposed protective shield of the dam. Thus, a deep-sea hunter has densely tattooed arms and less on the chest. The tattoos are considered a gift from both Eywa and the clan and are created with special animal inks. The Olo'eyktan have the most intricate tattoos of the clan, covering much of their body. Members receive their first tattoo after completing all their rites of passage into adulthood.