#songcords

i always thought it odd that padawan braids would only be for jedi that have hair, which stands out when looking at the removal of the braid when padawans are expelled; it's one thing for jewelry to be ripped off, an entire lock of hair is completely different, and what do you do for those with piercings, tattoos, or body mods to display their rank as padawan?

the same thing for undercover or stealth missions. wouldn't it be better to have something that can easily be removed and hid? with the amount of people in the galaxy that don't like jedi, it doesn't make sense to have something so obvious to draw attention to padawans

the solution? cords of beads similar to the songcords from avatar but short-term, used only throughout your time as a padawan, and maybe without the song aspect unless it is a lineage thing and can be kept either on their person like a bracelet or necklace or attached to their belts

for anyone that isn't familiar with the concept, the people in avatar have a cord that represents their life's major events or achievements, beginning in birth and is extended and added to as the person grows

they can use beads or other items to represent a certain event and the same thing can be done for padawans. here's some concept art of the cords:

when a jedi and initiate are officially recognized as master and padawan, the first thing they would gift the padawan is the plain cord with one bead to represent them becoming a padawan, whether that is an item representative of either of their species or home planets or maybe a bead with the symbol of the jedi order

they could use wooden beads, feathers, scales, rocks, crystals, pieces of metal, coral, shells, buttons, fabric, amber, glass beads, dried or pressed plants, and so many other things from different planets they visit for missions, added on as the padawan learns and grows, sometimes being gifted by the master or added together by the master and padawan

they could also have some other material shaped into beads in specific colors to represent courses of study and major skills learned at the temple, for example purple for pilots, red for healers, white for archivists or lore keepers, black for shadows, blue for guardians, green for consulars, orange for sentinels, yellow for temple guards, on and on in whatever color you can think of, and maybe different shapes of beads represent different things

Tuk was the one who realized that Spider didn't have a songcord

He had been around for a while at this point, having become a constant around the time Kiri learned to walk. She doesn't understand why her Mama hates him and says to stay away - Lo'ak and Kiri like him a lot and they have more fun chasing him then Neteyam! Neteyam is too fast and Spider is her size.

He's nice and lets her climb him and carries her even though her big siblings say she's getting too big - which, if Spider can carry her she is most certainly not too big - and plays her games while the others go to their training or apprenticeships

Sometimes he even brings her feathers and pretty things for her hair!

So yeah, when she gets to have her ceremony and holds her songcord for the first time, she's beyond concerned to find out that Spider doesn't have one

While they’re little, the cords hang in their hut until they're old enough to decide what to do with them. As it is, Lo'ak wants to braid his in his hair and Neteyam wants to put it on his bow like his mother. But there's a gap, one thats probably accidental, and she knows Spider should have his there

So she makes it her mission to be the best little sister ever and make one for him

After-all, if no one else is gonna do it then she, a craft master, is most certainly qualified

Grandmother makes most of the cords in the early stages so she inconspicuously asks for the twine to start it and how to make a bead. She asks why she needs it and Tuk tells her it's for her mother. Grandmother looks hopeful at that and gives it to her easily so Tuk knows she agrees with her. It's not till years later that she'll realize that Grandmother thought her mother had a realization...or another pregnancy. But she likes to think the first.

But...making beads is harder than she thought

She uses bone she found near the cooking fires - which, gross, Spider better like it - but whittling it is hard with only sharp pieces of the bone and rocks she found

The bead she makes is jagged and not very round and she almost cut herself a dozen times cause it's sharper than it looks but finally she has something that resembles the first beads on her cord. The knots are easier and she adds it to the start with pride. She adds a little of his blue paint cause it's his and that way it starts with him and her. Right as it should.

But even her cord has more than one bead.

Making this one was hard but Spider is her big brother and she can do it - besides, the look on her siblings faces when she presents his gift will be worth it.

So she starts wandering the outskirts of high camp with the cord on her belt. While she searches, she hums the first chords she can add. A happy little tune with a dramatic flourish; perfect so he remembers her when he sings it.

However, finding anything of use near the camp is proving futile. Nothing she finds is strong enough for a bead and the feathers are muddy and gross.

With her fathers determination, she sneaks past the bushes lining camp and into the forest

She makes it approximately 5 feet before Neteyam scoops her up.

Left was my first attempt. It's a little more messy and ✨️glam✨️.

The right one is my second try and it just looks cleaner.

(I know they're both very colourful😭 I couldn't resist)

The first will belong to Ryn'tarok.

Although he has already experienced many things as a guardian of Eywa's sanctuaries, his songcord is quite short compared to some other Na'vi warriors. He lives in a cooler region of Pandora and is also noticeable because of his unusual size.

Part of his song is made of something that could be compared to fur. (The sections between the large beads are made of "cuddly wool.")

The second belongs to Sol'Nu.

A young warrior of the desert region with a mark on his chest that resembles the sun.

I don't have many story elements for him yet, as he is still a new character.

This songcord belongs to Ryn'tarok's sister, Ayla.

(Although they aren't actually siblings. Fate-wise, yes.)

The black and silver beads serve as a small symbol of her duty to protect Eywa's sanctuaries.

Ayla also harbors a certain hatred for Kina'va, as she is detrimental to Ryn'tarok in her actions and only distracts him from his responsibilities.

This song belongs to Jo'Ona, who is a traveler and hasn't yet collected many memories she wants to preserve.

Plus, an update on all my song records 😅🙈

This clan evolved long ago from a few Anurai members.

The Taron'pay specialize in crafting beautiful red pearls from Palulukan blood and resin.

I specifically used more eye-catching wool to create the song chord.

Iisak'ki is a fairly young Na'vi and gentle by nature.