Shipwreck



The shipwreck is a massive Fire Nation naval vessel capsized and uprooted by the Waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe, marking one of the first of a series of attacks known as the Southern Water Tribe raids.

History
The Southern Water Tribe, once a more complex and elaborate civilization than it currently is, was struck by a series of devastating raids in 40 ASC. Fire Nation warships appeared on the shores of the South Pole, intent on capturing the Waterbenders that inhabited the Southern Tribe, including Hama. The Fire Nation armies continued to execute raids, each resulting in the capture of more Waterbenders and the further diminishing of the tribe.



Hama and the other Waterbenders valiantly battled the Fire Nation, despite their waning populus. During one of the very first raids on the Southern Water Tribe, they managed completely capsize a Fire Nation ship and suspend it through the use of Waterbending. Eventually, however, their noble efforts were not able to outmatch Fire Nation forces and all remaining Waterbenders were soon captured and imprisoned.

The shipwreck became a relic to the citizens of the Southern Tribe, symbolizing the damaging raids long after they ceased prior to the very last raid carried out by the Southern Raiders. According to Katara, it is a haunting and evocative vestige and a reminder of the tragic occurrences. Residents are strictly forbidden to venture onto the shipwreck either out of fear of setting off tripwires or because of the horrible memories it brings.

Katara and Aang unexpectedly travel their way to the site of the ruined shipwreck while Penguin Sledding. Despite Katara's warnings that the ship could booby-trapped, Aang persuades her to follow him onto the wreckage. Their wandering eventually leads Aang to unconsciously set off a booby trap, accidentally firing a flare. Their actions consequently caught the attention of Prince Zuko who used the signal to pinpoint the Avatar's hiding place as the Southern Water Tribe.

It is unknown what has become of the shipwreck since the end of the War and the reconstruction of the Southern Water Tribe, although it is highly likely that it has remained intact.

Layout
The shipwreck appears to be an average-sized naval vessel commonly employed by the Fire Nation and, like all other warships, advanced metallurgy is used. The ship bears a releasable bow at the front characteristically similar in structure to real world Icebreaker ships. The compartments below the deck of the shipwreck served as storage areas for a variety of different weapons. Various traps and tripwires are secretly situated throughout the ship, making it quite notorious and perilous to venture onto. Activating tripwires mysteriously fuels the ship and puts seemingly stationery engines into gear. In Aang and Katara's case, setting off a tripwire resulted in the release of a flare.

Trivia

 * A Fire Nation ship was seen being suspended by Waterbenders of the Northern Water Tribe in the episode, "The Siege of the North, Part 1", in a similar fashion to how the shipwreck was suspended.
 * Katara claims that the ship has haunted her tribe since her grandmother, Kanna, was a little girl. However, in "The Puppetmaster", Hama's flashback reveals that Kanna was a young adult at the time of the Fire Nation's first raids.