#I wish they leaned more into the Himalayan aspect of the Air Nomads in Korra

[atlaculture]

Cultural Fashion: Tsemo

Tsemo is a character from the Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Core Book. She is a post-Harmonic Convergence airbender. Her outfit is inspired by the traditional women’s clothing of Bhutan.

Traditional Bhutanese skirts are called kira (དཀྱི་ར) and are characterized by their elaborate designs of diamond shapes and horizontal lines, which Tsemo’s skirt shares. However, the silhouette of Tsemo’s skirt is A-line rather than rectangular. This modification was likely for ease of movement and to add to her overall airbender aesthetic.

Traditional Bhutanese tops are made up of two layers. The first layer is a blouse called a wonju (འོན་འཇུ་), while the second layer is a short jacket called a toego (སྟོད་གོ་). The sleeves of the wonju are folded over the sleeves of the toego to create prominent cuffs. You can also see the collar of the wonju peeking out of the toego as well. Tsemo’s top has both these details, with her blouse being dark brown and her jacket being saffron. Finally, the anklets she wears resemble traditional Bhutanese bangles called dhopchuu (གདོབ་ཅུ).

Overall, Tsemo’s character design might be one of my favorites in the whole franchise. It’s eye-catching yet practical, and the cultural inspiration is spot-on. Bhutan is a mountainous Himalayan nation that practices Tibetan Buddhism, so it’s the perfect source to draw from for an Air Nomad character.  Bhutanese architecture is also the basis for the Western Air Temple.

I also have to admit that--- for all the issues I have with the Avatar TTRPG--- the art is fantastic. The style is like the perfect halfway point between the rounded ATLA look and the angular Korra look.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

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