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Character: Appa (also known as "Bizon Fire")
Series/Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Original or Alternate: Alternate

Age: At least three years old biologically, but in fact at least 100 years old
Gender: Male
Species: Flying Bison/Therianthrope
Sexuality: Unknown


Appearance: There are two different appearances to Appa - his bison form and the human form he's been granted due to being chosen as the Avatar's animal partner. Each have their different strengths and drawbacks.

His bison form is imposing to many, a giant furry white behemoth standing a good eight to nine feet tall (though on two feet, he's seen to be at least fifteen to sixteen feet tall). He has six legs, large, long curved horns, large brown eyes and a large, beaver-like tail. On his back is a brown patch of fur which starts as an arrow-shaped patch on his face and turns into a long line extending all the way down to the base of his tail, with spike-like extensions sticking out towards each of his legs and all the way down to his tail. Most of the time his "clothing" in this form consists of rope tied around his horns (mainly used to help steer him) and a giant saddle on his back which allows him to carry around half a dozen people in the air.

Appa in his human form is a bit different, standing at Aang's height with a mass of white hair much like the fur in his bison form, including the brown streak. However, his bushy tail becomes a pony tail, his fur becomes a shawl-like pelt that he might occasionally drap over his shoulders, and his arrow becomes a chi tattoo in the places where his bangs don't cover his face. In fact, like Aang does, in human form Appa has chi tattoos down his spine and on his arms and legs. He also retains his bison ears, which along with the horns he normally covers up with hats. Most often he wears a conical straw hat, passing his horns off as "decorative". Currently he is wearing a Fire Nation prison uniform along with his straw hat, along with a large pack that contains his fur pelt, a Fire Nation school uniform, and an extra pair of Fire Nation-esque clothing.


Personality: Appa is a kind, caring, loyal creature who cares for those who are close to him and is willing to stand and fight alongside them. He is most especially grateful to those who have aided him in the past, and he never forgets acts of kindness, as is evident by his trust in Zuko when most of the others in the Avatar's group refused to believe he was being sincere. In a way, he is a bit like a pet, mimicing his owner, though turning to and from a human has allowed him to feel and express more complex emotions that, as a flying bison, was not as easy to handle.

On the other hand, ever since the time he was captured by Sandbenders and handed over to a Fire Nation circus show, then captured by Long Feng some time later on, Appa is normally very wary of trusting others who are not friends with the Avatar or his friends, even if he does show initial kindness to others upon meeting them. Appa has even learned to be hateful and spiteful towards people, especially those who wrong others, having experienced the emotion and the abuse that spawned it firsthand, though he will not show it unless provoked.


Abilities/Strengths: As a flying bison, one of the "original" airbending masters, Appa has the ability to airbend in a way that allows him to manipulate the air currents to fly, to defend and to deflect enemies. He is also blessed with amazing strength, capable of overturning vehicles by fanning his tail and fighting on par with other large animals. He also has a sixth sense about things, whether people are frightened, or have ill intentions.

Because of his unique destiny as the Avatar's animal companion, Appa has the ability to turn back and forth between human and bison form. This power has become particularly useful during the infiltration of the Fire Nation, where his bison form is at times a liability. It also allows him to interact with people and gather information. Also as a human, unlike Aang, he doesn't need a glider to aid him in flight. He also retains a considerable degree of the strength from his bison form, though he tires out quicker the more often he uses it, and his sixth sense. He also has a small degree of knowledge of the defensive martial arts that Aang employs, though he prefers to use his own improvised moves if he needs to attack or defend.


Weaknesses: Even with his human form, Appa is still at the core an animal. with animal instincts and animal fears. In particular (though it might also involve fear in general of the Fire Nation) he is terrified of fire and firebending - even when it's Zuko and Aang, people he trusts. Also because of his affinity with air, he is claustrophobic, and is terrified of underground or enclosed spaces. In both cases, he will try and escape the situation, though when it is impossible, he will become scared to the point where he may be paralyzed, or hide once the danger has passed and refuse to come out - or, he may cling to Sokka and he will never let go.

His bison form can also be cumbersome, as he isn't able to talk or communicate to other humans. He also is unable to go into public places as a bison, nor can he fit through most doors. Another considerable weakness is that, as a human, Appa needs a specific item to turn back into a bison. If he were to lose it, or if someone were to steal it, he would be stuck as a human. Consequently, anyone who found or stole it could use it to blackmail or use Appa for their own means - a constant worry in itself.

One other weakness is that, as a human and as a bison, Appa tends to throw up a great deal, only to eat what he brings back up. While it doesn't mean he's sick (and most of the time, he isn't) it has been known to repulse people when he's a human, and so Appa does his best not to regurgitate - even though not doing so can make him genuinely sick.


Notable Possessions: Pack - A backpack with items Appa acquired or found during his time in the Fire Nation. Sokka retrieved it for him while they were escaping Boiling rock and it includes his Fire Nation school uniform

Fur Pelt - An item Appa obtains in human form. It is a miniature-sized version of a full flying bison pelt, which Appa might drape around his shoulders if he's cold, though he normally keeps it rolled up and hidden. It's also the item he uses to turn back into bison form by covering himself fully with the fur.


Disclaimer: This is a role-playing journal for econtra_rpg by papirini.
Avatar: The Last Airbender/Appa © Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino/Nickelodeon.
All content is fictional and for entertainment purposes only, not for profit.

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