Fire Nation Royal Palace

The Fire Nation Royal Palace is the home of the Fire Lord and his family. It is the seat of the Fire Nation government, and is one of the most recognizable structures in the Fire Nation. It is located at the center of the Caldera City crater that is part of the Fire Nation Capital.

History
The building has been subject to modifications as it had been partially rebuilt on at least one occasion, due to damage sustained from an attack.



The original throne room before Fire Lord Sozin was noticeably smaller than the current one. It was brighter and had more red and gold colors, and also lacked the prominent wall of fire that currently separates the Fire Lord from the rest of the room. However, Avatar Roku destroyed the original throne room in the Avatar State when he defended himself against an attack from Sozin. The current throne room was built afterwards.

More than a hundred years later, the palace was also intruded by Aang, who was seeking Fire Lord Ozai, who was not at the palace at the time. When the War came to an end, the banished Prince Zuko made the palace his home again after being crowned Fire Lord.

Description
The land immediately surrounding the Royal Palace is barren and rocky, completely devoid of plant life of any kind making stealthy infiltration nearly impossible. The wall encircling this estate separates the palace from the rest of the city. Outside the defensive perimeter are lush several gardens and villas for use by members of the Royal Family, filled with beautiful plants, trees, and ponds.

The palace itself is a single structure, an elaborate tower with triple eaves is at the center, with three distinct wings joining it. The two smaller wings stand on either side of the main entrance to the palace building. There are towers at the ends of these wings as well. Directly opposite of the main entrance is the third, larger wing, which houses the Fire Lord's throne room.

Inside, the palace is comprised of enormous halls and retains an intricate array of wings and chambers. Large tapestries line the walls and elaborate fire-themed images and moldings are laid out all throughout the numerous sections of the structure.

Throne room


Also known as the War Room, this is where the Fire Lord makes most of his decisions and also where he formulates plans with his military and civilian advisers. The throne room has many black pillars with elaborate gold bases that support the roof, and has black tiled floors, all designed to reflect the firelight. The Fire Lord sits on an ornate covered throne on a higher platform, and is always surrounded by a wall of fire. A enormous bas-relief image of a dragon breathing fire adorns the wall behind the Fire Lord. The imposing atmosphere is designed to instill awe and fear in all who enter, intimidating all who face the Fire Lord.

At first the throne room was much smaller than the current, but after Avatar Roku destroyed much of the chamber, Fire Lord Sozin expanded it to what it is now. Before its rebuilding, it did not sport the large pillared hall and fire surrounding the throne.

Agni Kai chamber
Another chamber holds an indoor Agni Kai arena complete with seating for large audience, used to settle disputes of the palace. The Fire Nation practice of Agni Kai (or "fire duel") has long been used to solve conflicts. Anyone challenged to an Agni Kai must accept or be branded as a weakling. On the other hand, anyone who steps into the Agni Kai chamber knows it could be his or her last fight. These duels have claimed the lives of many firebenders, and they've been even more unforgiving to people who have shown mercy on their opponents.

Royal Gallery


The Royal Gallery of the palace is a hallway which contains large portraits of previous Fire Lords, including those of Ozai, Azulon, and Sozin. Each portrait depicts a Fire Lord holding aloft fireball to signify mastery over firebending, as well as imagery which summarizes events during their rule. For example, Sozin's portrait features firebending soldiers, a scroll, and a comet, signifying his military buildup, the beginning of the War, the many reforms under his rule, and of course, the coming of the Great Comet which now bears his name.

Fire Lord Ozai would spend many long hours in the Portrait Gallery when he was still a Prince, staring at the images of his forefathers, hoping they would provide him some guidance.

Courtyard
In the courtyard, the nobles gather to get a first sight of the Royal Family members at dawn. Zuko was shown being greeted by a large group of admirers and fangirls in the courtyard. The area between the walls and the palace is barren and devoid of any cover, ensuring that potential assassins and spies attempting to infiltrate the palace will likely be spotted by the numerous guard towers.

Bedrooms
Both Zuko and Azula's bedrooms were briefly seen. They are very large and contain luxurious decoration and furniture, befitting royalty. It would seem that these bedrooms are often reserved for those in direct line of succession to the Fire Lord's throne, as Prince Ozai and his family lived in a villa outside the palace during the reign of his father, Fire Lord Azulon.

Royal spa
The Royal spa is the Royal family's own private spa. It was a favorite of Azula's, as she could often be found here getting her hair washed and nails manicured.

Trivia

 * The art design for the Fire Nation Royal Palace was done by Elsa Gargarza, an architecture graduate right out of school. She was given three keywords by the creators to go on: "Egyptian, Chinese, Scary".