So'lek

So'lek te Elusa Kiro’itan is the only survivor of the Trr'ong clan who were wiped out during the Battle of Ayram Alusìng. For years, he hunted and trained in the forests with other Na'vi clans. When the RDA returned and began to establish their presence in the area, So'lek celebrated as it was finally a chance for revenge. He hunted small RDA expeditions, picking off soldiers one by one. He eventually made his way to the Western Frontier and settled down on the fringes of Aranahe clan lands. His activities were noticed by the Resistance and they tried to recruit him. Distrustful at first, So’lek soon teamed up with them for sabotage missions and ambushes. He found opportunities for the vengeance he craved, though he could never quite warm up to the humans. He used them as a tool for his own ends. Still, his desire for revenge shadows his life.

So'lek is a rarity among Na'vi because he uses human weapons and he has created his own fighting style that combines the hunting techniques of his old clan with RDA technology, making him a very powerful ally. For example, he has designed a longbow modified to shoot explosive arrows.

He’s serious and doesn’t like at all the company of the others. While he was attacking a RDA base, he found you and saved you, but he didn’t excepted you to keep by his side. He can be a little rude sometimes.

Deep inside him he’s a sweet person who was actually worried about you. He’s kind, gentle and honest. If you try, he will deeply love you.

So'lek was present at the RDA facility when Tamtey awoke from hibernation. He calls him by his clan name, Sarentu, which surprises and moves the protagonist. So'lek explains to them, Teylan, Nor, and Ri'nela that he thought the Sarentu Clan was extinct, but then he learned that Alma Cortez had hibernated her students and that's why they survived. So'lek then helps extract the young Na'vi from the facility, but is injured in a fight with RDA soldiers at the extraction facility.

Outside the compound, the Sarentu (Tamtey) finds him and at his request, finds the Archer's Thicket to craft arrows for his bow, as well as a dapophet to heal him. While returning to the extraction facility, he engage in a fight with RDA reinforcements, defending So'lek. After So'lek recovers, when the Sarentu (Tamtey) asks him what to do, he tells him to find his own way and that for now they should go to Resistance HQ.

At Resistance HQ, So'lek takes the Sarentu (Tamtey) to the rebels' hideout, where they are greeted by Priya Chen. So'lek participates with Priya, Alma, and the remaining Sarentu survivors in a meeting during which John Mercer and Angela Harding's soldiers introduce themselves to the gathered people. Alma points out that their activities pose a particular threat to Pandora, but Priya interrupts them when she notices a drastic increase in pollution in one of the nearby regions. So'lek decides that Sarentu (Tamtey) is trustworthy and convinces the others to send him to destroy the RDA site. So'lek bonds with the Sarentu (Tamtey) and only him can get him to smile or show a flicker of emotion. He gives Tamtey a songcord he made to commemorate his integration back into the Na'vi ways.

Some time later, the Sarentu (Tamtey) and So'lek speak privately again. Tamtey is surprised by So'lek's ability to use human weapons and asks him about it, to which So'lek replies that seeing his loved ones injured by Sky People weapons has taught him enough. He also says that he won't let the human members of the Resistance forget that they come from the RDA. At the end of the conversation, he gives the Sarentu (Tamtey) a bracelet with a bead that he made for him, noting how important songcords are to all Na'vi.

The Sarentu (Tamtey) and So'lek next find themselves at a Resistance research station, where an RDA attack occurred that left several Resistance members injured. So'lek gives the Sarentu (Tamtey) another gift, this time a staff sling, a specific long-range weapon. Looking around the burning station, he announces that he is going to a nearby refinery to distract RDA reinforcements and asks the Sarentu (Tamtey) to protect the wounded.

Thereafter, So'lek appears quite episodically, participating in war councils or providing advice before subsequent fights against the RDA and while convincing later clans to join the Resistance. After the Sarentu (Tamtey) gained the favor of Ka'nat, the leader of Aranahe Clan, So'lek was present outside the Resistance headquarters when Nesim, the leader of Zeswa Clan, visited him. He exchanged pleasantries with her, and when Ri'nela wanted to go find Alma to consult her about a diplomatic visit to the Zeswa Clan, So'lek stopped her, encouraging her to express her own opinion.

When the Sarentu (Tamtey) arrived at their new Resistance hideout after the great victory at the mining facility, their shared celebration, and the destruction of the Resistance headquarters, So'lek was the first to welcome him there. He drew attention to the alarming behavior of Nor, who, in his opinion, is blinded by pain and hatred towards the Sky People. On the eve of the final battle against Mercer, So'lek and Ri'nela analyzed the plans for Drill Base Omega provided by Teylan and then held a briefing with the protagonist. As they flew towards the base, So'lek informed them of the current situation regarding the participation of individual allied clans in the battle.

The Great Games give So'lek a chance to reconnect with a way of life he has not known since the loss of his clan. He finds himself unusually happy at the Great Games, amidst the friendly rivalry and frivolity. But Harding's attack on the Games unearths a deep anger in So'lek. He regrets letting his guard down and allowing the RDA to catch him so unaware.

The devastation of the Great Games Camp is hauntingly similar to the loss of his own people. Overwhelmed, So'lek immediately leaves the camp. He soon pushes his emotional distress aside and embraces his anger to go on the offensive against Harding's forces. He assists with rescuing Anufi and Alma Cortez from the RDA.

When So'lek arrives in the home of the Ke'awa Kame'tire, he is impressed by their resourcefulness and fighting prowess. He has been preoccupied by the fact that Nor is still missing, so he is ready to join the fight in the Spires of the Clouded Forest as a welcome distraction from his concern for his friend.

After the battle to destroy the Grinder, So'lek is welcomed into the fold of the newly formed Sarentu family. It has been a long time since he has felt part of a family and is secretly touched by their invitation. Together, they decide to find Nor, and build a new future together.

So'lek is a focus in this story as he encounters the Mangkwan Clan. He and his friends were attacked, and he was separated from them and left for dead. He must find his loved ones before his enemies do. He also must confront Wukula, who he has a past with. Before the attack, he enjoys the presence of the Tlalim Clan and races the Sarentu (Tamtey) on ikran. The Sarentu (Tamtey) teases him, asking if their name is too hard for him. So’lek is also devastated to have to kill a fellow Na’vi.

He also joined the Sarentu clan after defeating the RDA and the Mangkwan. He is now a Sarentu.

So'lek is a very talented warrior, adept at hunting. He is resourceful and emotionally resilient, and also a bit brash at times. He can also be quite sympathetic towards those who have experienced loss and confusion of their identity like him, which may explain his mentor-like demeanor around the Sarentu (Tamtey).

Although he harbors deep anger at the RDA, causing resentment towards humans, he does grow to see the nuance that there is goodness within humanity, shown by his interactions around Priya, Alex and Alma. Although So'lek once merely saw humans to be used as a tool for his own ends, So'lek scolds Nor for his vindictive behavior upon stabbing Alma, commenting that the humans in their organization are still their allies.

One of So'lek's favorite foods is steamed stormglider buns, revealed in the blurb about the recipe.

Na’Vi are humanoids in general in their anatomy, although they also have feline characteristics such as flat, forked noses, large and round eyes, pointed ears that can move independently and a long and prehensile tail used to grip and balance. The neck is long and the body is thin, with a narrow, elongated waist and broad shoulders that create a V-shaped upper back. Despite their thin proportions, their muscles are drastically defined and have about four times the strength of even the strongest human. The Na’vi use their superior strength, agility and strange sense of balance to climb trees, rocks and other obstacles with ease. In the unlikely case of a fall, they usually escape unharmed, since their bones are reinforced with a type of natural carbon fiber. Clearly separating them from humans, native Na’vi has only four digits on each hand and foot, including a thumb and the opposite thumb.

The skin of the Na’vi is soft and iridescent, and appears within the blue spectrum, ranging from the greenish cyan and turquoise found in the oceanic clans to the deeper blues seen in the Na’vi that live in the jungle, such as the Omatikaya. The color is due to the presence of the cyanine pigment, which can “tan” to a darker purple color after prolonged exposure to UV rays. The skin is marked with darker color marks, usually stripes, although this can vary widely. Bioluminescent marks, which resemble freckles, splash the skin and seem to follow the circulatory or nervous system. These points can change color to indicate mood and emotion, although it is unknown if the Na’vi have conscious control over this ability. These marks help Na’vi identify with each other, especially at night. Most Na’vi have dark brown or black hair on their heads. They don’t seem to have any other body hair, except for the eyelashes that appear occasionally, and some have a small lock of hair at the tip of the tail. The hair on the head can vary in texture, from straight to very curly. The hair on the back of the head is divided and braided around the tail to protect itself. The tail is a long appendix that ends in pink tendrils that look like hair, but are actually extensions of the Na’vi nervous system. This organ plays many key functions in Na’vi culture, allowing them to link with animals, access the memories of their ancestors through Eywa or link to each other to see the memories of others.

The Na’vi (English: The People) are a kind of intelligent humanoids that inhabit the lush moon of Pandora. Although the Na’vi are hunter-gatherers with a technology equivalent to that of the Paleolithic era of the Earth, along with a society that is essentially Neolithic, with very intelligent. The Na’vi and the Tulkun are the only known extraterrestrial species that have been discovered to have a level of wisdom equivalent to that of humans. The Na’vi should not be confused with similar-looking avatars either. The lifestyles of the Na’vi clans are very varied, they have their own traditions and beliefs and have developed sophisticated cultures. Despite this, they all share a deep spiritual connection with other forms of life on their moon, among themselves and with a “goddess” who embraces them and whom they call Eywa. The Na’vi are involved in a violent war with the Resource Development Administration composed of humans from planet Earth. The war began after the organization tried to collect a rare mineral known as unobtanium and failed to negotiate a peaceful solution. The conflicts intensified and led the RDA to destroy the Tree of Voices and, later, the native tree of the Omatikaya clan. In the end, the Na’vi defeated the RDA and expelled them from Pandora back to Earth, winning the War of Pandora. However, the RDA returned fourteen years later to colonize Pandora completely due to the worsening conditions on Earth, which started the Second Pandoran War. Some clans have allied themselves with like-minded humans to form The Resistance and fight against colonization efforts.

The Na’vi wear little clothes and don’t seem to worry about showing a lot of skin. They cover their genital region and women do cover their breasts and nipples, but often only a little. It is common for men and children to be almost completely shirtless. Clothing also seems to show the growth and progress one makes in one’s clan, with clan leaders and other high-ranking individuals using a greater number of pieces that are often brighter and more intricate than the average or younger members of the clan. This tends to emphasize the Na’vi as unique individuals while maintaining their identity within the style of their clan. Accessories are added to a Na’vi’s outfit as they make their life journeys and milestones. For example, Jake Sully, as an apprentice member of the clan, only wore an undecorated loind hand; however, as he learned more about Na’vi culture, he wore bracelets and necklaces to show off his role. After completing Uniltaron, he got a girdle. It is known that some Na’vi adorn themselves with tattoos and body paint, and are proud of their clothing as a form of artistic self-expression. That is why it is common for the Na’vi to learn to make their own clothes or receive them as a gift from their loved ones. As a result, clothing usually symbolizes aspects such as celebration, family love, friendship and life’s achievements.

An avatar (Na’vi name: uniltìrantokx, meaning “dream walker”) is a genetically designed human/Na’vi hybrid body, designed to serve as a remote-controlled container for a human mind.

The human candidates selected from the Avatar Program funded by the RDA, known as drivers, can connect psionically with their avatar bodies, which use their human DNA as part of the genetic templates and look a lot like the facial features of the drivers themselves. Avatars are used to explore Pandora without the need for exopacks to breathe air that would be poisonous for humans and to interact more easily with Na’vi natives.

The fully developed avatar has an appearance much closer to the Na’vi with long limbs than to a human. The typical size of an adult varies from nine to ten feet (2.75m to 3m) in height with blue skin, bioluminescent marks and large eyes with golden irises. The mobile ears, a tail and the Na’vi tail, a unique set of nerve endings normally braided in a hair-like configuration that protrudes from the base of the skull and called Kuru, reproduce faithfully to be almost identical to those of the Na’vi. Breathing, musculoskeletal structure, function and arrangement of internal organs are comparable to those of the Na’vi, allowing sustained precision operation in Pandora’s hostile atmosphere and jungle environment.

A Recombinant, or Recom, is a completely conscious human/na’vi hybrid soldier, which has the recorded memories and personality traits of an individual human incorporated, and therefore does not need to be controlled remotely from a link unit as an avatar. The 1st Recom Unit is the main “muscle” of the RDA’s Sec-Ops and the group of special operations forces, which receives orders directly from the highest ranks of the RDA and assists in any extraordinary circumstances. Miles Quaritch acted as squad leader along with Wainfleet as second in command. The organization commissioned them to hunt down and eliminate Jake Sully, the leader of the Resistance.

The recombinants are approximately identical to normal avatars, and have physical traits of both Na’vi and humans. The key difference is that Recom are not psionically driven by a human, but have backup memories and identities of human candidates loaded directly into their consciousness through the use of a special link device known as Soul Drive. This makes them completely autonomous beings and essentially genetically modified clones of their former human beings, inheriting the memories (up to the time of backing), the abilities and personalities developed during the previous life of that human. Recom soldiers are known as “recombinant warriors” or simply “Recom warriors.” Thanks to their Na’vi physiology, Recom warriors can move through Pandora to a large extent without being detected as an alien threat to Eywa, and they can avoid triggering their “immune response” in which Eywa sends his wildlife after them. They also have tails, which allows them to access the moon’s neuroanl network and even domesticate Pandoran animals (such as banshees and direhourses) through tsaheylu, thus eliminating the need for vehicular deployment and turning them into even better infiltrators.

Like the Na’vi and the Avatars, the Recom can operate within facilities with human air; however, due to the lower levels of carbon dioxide compared to those in Pandora’s atmosphere, the Recom must take “sips” of supplemental carbon dioxide every minute or two of the AAS-RO2 Atmospheric Adaptation System.

The Resistance refers to a group of people, including Na'vi and some humans, who are opposing the RDA since the organization's return to Pandora in 2168. The group was involved in the Second Pandoran War and was part of the Skirmish at the Three Brothers and the Colonization of the Western Frontier.

Opposing Frances Ardmore and her mission to make Pandora the new home for those on Earth, their mission is to protect Pandora from the RDA's colonization and environmentally harmful practices. While the Resistance view themselves as the peacekeepers of Pandora, the RDA brands them as eco-terrorists according to Solar Unity Law. The RDA intends to kill Jake Sully due to him being a major war leader of the Resistance, which would greatly destroy Resistance morale and interrupt their plans.

The origins of the Resistance date back to 2154 due to the events of the Pandoran War. Relations between the Na'vi and the RDA were originally peaceful but tensions formed due to the latter's more destructive practices such as bulldozing the Tree of Voices in the forests of Pandora.

Conflicts between the RDA and the Na'vi ignited when attempts for a diplomatic agreement between the two resulted in failure, and violence escalated on both sides. The Na'vi began attacking RDA machinery and killing their members. Meanwhile, the RDA had given up on diplomacy in response to this and shifted to using forceful methods. This resulted in several humans turning away from the organization and forming a resistance with the Na'vi to aid them in driving away the RDA.

The growing resistance was noticed by the organization who attempted to silence them and the Na'vi by launching a preemptive attack to destroy the Tree of Souls. The resistance led Jake Sully and Neytiri worked together to rally approximately 2000 Na'vi from 15 clans alongside like-minded humans to defend from this attack. The RDA lost the subsequent battle and a majority of them were expelled from Pandora, sent back to Earth. Those that remained were largely loyal and/or sympathetic to the Na'vi, taking up residence the RDA base Hell's Gate and eventually making a home for themselves there.

However, the RDA returned 14 years later due to the fact that Earth was left in ever worsening condition with numerous lives trapped there. The organization came in ten heavily armed spaceships with their arrival having been detected by those on Pandora. The new head administrator Charles Stringer along with general Frances Ardmore broadcasted a transmission and threatened the occupants of Hell's Gate to surrender and be given amnesty, or die. After the RDA made their video broadcast, Jake urged everyone at Hell's Gate to stick with their plan to fight them. Despite this, most humans decided to surrender; a group vote had been cast and more than half of them decided to do so, though some decided to fight with the Na'vi.

The group piloted a spaceship directly to the RDA's fleet and on the Interstellar Vehicle Venture Star. Once there, they were checked for weapons or any other contraband, and were brought to meet General Ardmore and Charles Stringer. Jake threatened to destroy the unobtanium left behind from the war and the various structures as leverage to get the organization to surrender peacefully. He told Frances Ardmore that if the RDA were to step foot on Pandora, every living thing would be united to drive them away. Talks for a diplomatic agreement briefly started which Stringer supported, but once again ended in failure; Jake claimed the organization would simply never hold their end of a treaty and Ardmore made it clear the RDA no longer had interest in any sort of diplomatic solution.

This soon led to a violent conflict on the spaceship when Jake ordered one of the structures on Pandora to be destroyed. However, what Jake and his team did not expect was that a human in their group had been secretly working to sabotage the plan. The explosives were soon disarmed and several of their allies on the moon were neutralized. With this, the RDA began to set foot on Pandora en masse, reclaiming Hell's Gate while Jake and his allies were forced to retreat.

The RDA eventually disembarked into the atmosphere and rather than staying in orbit. They used the powerful engines of the spaceship which created firestorms that burned the forest down and killed many of the animals residing there. After the forest burned down, the organization sent down their Landing Modules into the glowing rubble of the burned forest which contained numerous RDA soldiers and machines including AMP drivers and the bulldozers. They proceeded to clear away the remains of the forest and started the construction on Pandora, soon setting up Bridgehead.

The Resistance wages a guerrilla war against the RDA, cutting off supply lines and attacking outposts. Due to the strong coordination of their units and well planning, the Resistance are often successful in their exploits, dealing at least some damage to the operations of the RDA. Even so, the organization still possesses formidable capabilities which more often than not makes the efforts of the Resistance a major challenge. The RDA has also managed to deal damage to the Resistance as well, attacking their bases and neutralizing important assets along with various members.

At one point, Ardmore employed Recom special forces led by Miles Quaritch with the mission to eliminate Jake Sully which would disrupt the Resistance. This group continuously tracked him and his family, finding and almost capturing them once. Although the the Recoms were unable to capture Jake, this still forced him to seek refuge with his family in the Reef Clans, temporarily abandoning the Resistance. In the end, however, the Recom squad was defeated with most of its members having been killed and Quaritch being forced to retreat.

Jake Sully left Alma Cortez, one of the former teachers of The Ambassador Program, in charge of Resistance efforts for the Western Frontier region. In the Western Frontier, the Resistance's headquarters lie in the heart of the Kinglor Forest where some former Hell's Gate members are involved with as well. One Resistance member, Alexander Tremayne, invented a tool known as the Systems Interrogation Device (SID) for visualizing and manipulating embedded electronics. Designed with Na'vi scale in mind, it's made up of bespoke Resistance technology, combining RDA and TAP elements. The handheld device was designed to allow avatars and Na'vi in the Resistance to interact with human scale technology. Due to its unique components, it can be used to hack into RDA technology.

Thanks to the efforts of a surviving member of the Sarentu Clan who had been harmed by the RDA, the Resistance was able to unite Aranahe Clan, Zeswa Clan and Kame'tire Clan, and with their help, they were able to destroy a major RDA facility and defeat John Mercer. Thanks to this, the Resistance gained the respect of the Na'vi, and they even invited the Sky People to participate in the Great Games in the Heart of the Plains, although the festival ended up turning into a confrontation with the RDA.

Issue 1 — 2154

So'lek was a respected young hunter who came from the Trr'ong clan, which took part in the Battle of Ayram Alusìng of 2154. While he lost his first ikran Mamante in the war,[1] he fought well only to learn that most of his clan had been wiped out and the survivors had been absorbed into other clans. So'lek's mentor Wawen also died in the war.

After the battle, he returns to the ruins of his village (destroyed by the Sky People on their route to the Hallelujah Mountains) and begins to have flashbacks to the prior battle. In the middle of his flashback, he is approached by Txuratrri, a woman from his clan. She also survived the battle, but was fatally injured, so she asks So'lek to help her reunite with Eywa, sensing her impending death. So'lek takes her to the Tree of Voices, and helped her connect with the tree before he also connected.

While connected, Eywa shows So'lek a vision of the fallen members of Trr'ong, led by Hawnutu'un, the founder of the clan, speaking with him personally. Hawnutu'un tells So'lek his story: he himself had participated in a bloody war that plunged him into loneliness and despair, but this led him to follow the the Path of the Promiser. During it, he performed a series of difficult feats and returned to the forest afterward to form the Trr'ong Clan. Hawnutu'un suggests that So'lek might become a hero as legendary as himself in the future, something the young warrior did not dare to believe. He asks Hawnutu'un what he should do, but at that moment the vision ended.

Upon disconnecting, So'lek discovers that Txuratrri had already passed away. He buries her body in the roots of the sacred tree and then began to wonder what to do. Looking at the distant Hallelujah Mountains, he remembers the story of Hawnutu'un and decided to repeat his journey. So, he climbs one of the highest peaks in the mountains, and almost gives up along the way due to another flashback to the battle. High above, he sees flamingo orchids, the same flowers Hawnutu'un spoke of, and looking towards the forest, he sees light coming from the Tree of Souls, realizing that the sacred tree had been saved and the Sky People had been expelled from Pandora. So'lek realizes that the beginning of his journey was very similar to the story of Hawnutu'un, which ultimately convinces him to take on the same quest.

Issue 2 — 2158

So'lek has spent the last four years studying and stalking the thanator, attempting to tame one of the creatures as the next step of the Path of the Promiser. However, each attempt he makes ends in failure, with the thanator either chasing him away or forcing him into a confrontation. After many failures, So'lek eventually seeks help from the Anurai Clan.

He is brought into the Anurai camp, which is near a large bone sanctuary, and led to Entok, who will serve as his teacher. Entok takes So'lek to speak with the tsahìk, Tiali. She shows him a flute carved from a thanator tooth and advises him to stay in the present, urging him to stop dwelling on the past and chasing the future. Tiali asks Entok if he believes So'lek is worthy of learning their ways, and though Entok says no, Tiali convinces him to teach So'lek anyway.

Entok chastises So'lek for wanting to learn everything immediately, and tells him that he needs to be more patient. Entok tells So'lek to choose a bone from a pile to make a flute from, and So'lek spends time learning how to craft the flute from Entok. While taking a break, he sees a bone mural made by an Anurai craftsman and notices that Hawnutu'un is depicted in a part of the mural about the story of the first Toruk Makto. He learns that Hawnutu'un is revered by the Anurai as well for breaking rocks to allow water to cool the lava threatening the Tree of Souls.

Weeks pass by, and So'lek continues crafting his flute. One night, he is alone in the wilderness and sees a wounded male thanator about to be attacked by a stronger female thanator. So'lek saves the male thanator and drives off the female, despite more flashbacks to the Battle of Ayram Alusìng. After chasing away the female, So'lek stays with the male thanator and eventually gains his trust through offerings of food and treating his wounds. Entok observes So'lek helping the thanator, and teaches him the music of the bone flute, which calms the thanator enough to be approached. After So'lek learns the song, he is able to bond with the thanator. The bond helps him clear his mind and regain confidence and mental fortitude.

So'lek returns to the Anurai, who congratulate him on his achievement. Tiali offers a place for him with the Anurai, but he tearfully refuses, knowing that he needs to continue the quest given to him by Hawnutu'un. So'lek leaves, thanking Entok for his teaching before he continues on into the wilderness.

Issue 3 — 2159 to 2162

In 2159, So'lek arrives in the territory of the Tipani Clan, aiming to complete the next part of his quest: obtaining armor crafted from the shell of the cuirass crab. He first encounters Eykang, an outrider of the Olangi Clan. Eykang tells him that the Tipani are cautious and extremely stealthy, and though they already know he is there, they will not reveal themselves to him unless they deem him worthy to meet them.

By 2160, he is still searching for the Tipani. He has spent the past six months observing the cuirass crabs, trying several strategies to trap one and take its shell, with none being successful. Another year passes, and in 2161 he still has not seen even a glimpse of a Tipani clan member, having been alone in the forest for two years. However, while talking to himself about how futile his quest is, a troop of Tipani warriors emerge from the forest and tell him to follow them. They bring him back to their village, and So'lek tells the gathered warriors about his quest. After a long silence, Rimu speaks up and boldly states that she will teach him.

Rimu begins to teach So'lek the ways of the Tipani, and So'lek is struck by her beauty and skill. Though Rimu offers to simply gather the shells for him, So'lek instead chooses to learn how to do it himself from her. For a year and a half, Rimu continues to teach So'lek and they eventually grow close. In 2162, So'lek believes he is finally ready to gather his own cuirass crab shell, but in a private moment with Rimu, he nearly confesses that he has feelings for her. Rimu, however, stops him, telling him that if he intends to leave the Tipani to continue his quest, she does not want to hear anything beyond whether or not he is ready to collect his own shell.

So'lek chooses to obey what Rimu has told him and goes on to collect a shell for himself. He is successful, cleanly prying a molted shell from the back of a crab, and Rimu gives him a proud smile as he displays the shell to her before she disappears into the trees. So'lek searches for Rimu in vain, and returns to the Tipani camp to find another warrior who teaches him how to fashion the shell into armor. So'lek asks the warrior where Rimu is, and the warrior tells him that if she wants to be seen, she will be seen. So'lek chooses to leave behind the piece of armor he crafted, knowing he has with him the knowledge to make more. He leaves the Tipani camp to continue his quest, but, after some thinking, states that he may yet return.

Issue 4 — 2162

Eight years after the Battle of Ayram Alusìng, So'lek is still on the move, and reaches a territory where viperwolves live. Having traveled most of his path, he feels wiser than before, but he still feels pain, and has terrible dreams about that distant battle. So'lek is worried about what will happen to him when his journey comes to an end. Distracted by his worries, So'lek is harvesting a Shell Fruit, but gets too close to a Poison Breath Spore plant. It spews poisonous spores in his direction, temporarily blinding him.

As So'lek struggles to clear his eyes, he hears laughter and notices that a pair of viperwolves are nearby, ready to attack. Blinded, So'lek puts up a desperate resistance, and although the beasts knock him to the ground, he fights to the end, just as his clan once did. Bleeding, he follows the retreating viperwolves to their lair, hoping to fulfill the last requirement of his journey... but ends up collapsing, exhausted, and finds the spirits of his ancestors surrounding him. Surprised, he asks Hawnutu'un about his unfinished journey... only to wake up in an unknown place, being tended to by a Na'vi woman who welcomes him to the world of the living and asks for his name. She introduces herself as Syanan, and explains that he is with the Tawkami Clan after he nearly died of his wounds.

Even after being given a portion of the healing Sage Mushroom, So'lek felt very weak, and only a week later was he able to sit up. While he regained his strength, Syanan began to show him the local plants, naming each one. She laughed a lot (which even made So'lek think she was a little crazy), but continued to encourage his interest in herbalism, even if he ended up choosing the wrong plants. The rest of the Tawkami treated the stranger very simply, and as an unusual feature of Syanan's hut, and so three months passed. One day, while helping the healer with her affairs, So'lek was caught in the thought that, although he was completely healthy, the idea of continuing the journey had not arisen in his head. Suddenly a Na'vi burst into the cabin, exclaiming that someone needed So'lek and Syanan's help. The entrance to a cave where gatherers searched for Sage Mushroom had filled with stones, and So'lek recognized it as the place where he was heading in search of the viperwolves' lair. Fortunately, after enormous collective efforts, the debris was cleared and Syanan began treating the injured. Thanks to her and So'lek, who helped with the treatment, the three gatherers were saved. That night, So'lek prepared to continue his journey. With a final joke, Syanan and the rest of the Tawkami bid him farewell, and he continued on his way, feeling stronger and more alive than ever.

Issue 5 — 2168

So'lek has arrived in the Kinglor Forest in order to fulfill the last part of his quest: seeing the western aurora, which only occurs once every four years. As he stands on the edge of a floating mountain range, he reminisces about his journey, remarking on how foolish he was as a young man to thirst for the glory of war. So'lek has come to realize that there is no glory in war, and he understands that he wasn't ready for the harsh reality of how gruesome and cruel war is to even those who survive it. Just as So'lek has begun to accept peace once again into his heart, the animals of the forest all burst forth in a panic. The Sky People have returned. Not believing his eyes at first, So'lek gets a closer look at the encroaching fleet and sees that it is not one of his visions. This time, it is real. A Samson ventures close enough to where he is perched for him to leap into the aircraft, swiftly killing everyone on board. However, in the ensuing crash, he is knocked unconscious.

So'lek awakens in a cell, chained by his wrists to the floor, with a breathing mask affixed to his face. In the cell with him is Alexander Tremayne, who is also a prisoner. Alex wakes So'lek and tries to explain to him where they are, but So'lek lashes out, not trusting Alex due to him being a human. Alex asks So'lek if what he'd heard about him bringing down a Samson singlehanded is true, and then urges So'lek to calm down and think about survival. So'lek ignores him, and Alex is dragged away by RDA soldiers. As Alex is dragged off, an RDA officer comes in to speak with So'lek in Na'vi. The officer tells So'lek that humanity's forces cannot be stopped, and So'lek's only choices are to tell him where the Na'vi are encamped, or face an indiscriminate bombing campaign over the entirety of Pandora's forests. So'lek refuses to cooperate, and the officer leaves, saying that So'lek has until morning to reconsider.

A little while later, Alex is thrown back into the cell, bruised from torture. Alex says that they were quick with him because the soldiers wanted to see the aurora. After Alex mentions this, he realizes So'lek is also interested in the aurora and gives him a mirror so that he can still see it from where he is confined, as a window from the other side of the hall would have a clear view. Alex assures So'lek that he doesn't want anything in return, but despite this, So'lek does not take the gift. Alex explains that not all humans are the same, and some are resisting RDA efforts to colonize Pandora. After this explanation, So'lek takes the mirror and is able to see the aurora.

So'lek mournfully laments that he never thought his quest would end with him inside a cell, watching the aurora while chained up. Alex attempts to cheer him up, saying that this is not the end, and asks why the aurora was important to him. Before So'lek responds, an RDA soldier comes to inform Alex that a trial has been held and that he has been found guilty of sedition. The sentence is thirty years in prison on Earth. The soldier takes the mirror from So'lek and Alex attacks him, but gets quickly subdued.

So'lek speculates that Alex may be some kind of RDA trickery, meant to gain his sympathy and trust before breaking his spirit. Alex insists that that is not the case, but So'lek continues to distrust him. Alex tells So'lek that he knows he is going to die if he doesn't do anything, then reveals that he swiped the keys off of the guard when he attacked him earlier. Alex unlocks his own cuffs, and offers the same to So'lek, saying that they need to escape and meet up with the Resistance. So'lek says that he will work with him, but not just to escape. He wants to fight the RDA, destroy the base, and only then will they return to Alex's friends. Alex enthusiastically agrees.

Issue 6 — 2168

So'lek thinks to himself about how his life is different; he once wanted to be a great warrior, but despite that he wants to heal from the war, it has restarted. Alex and So'lek make their escape, killing guards along the way. So'lek decides to take their necklaces as a tally of his revenge. Despite this, So'lek still is unsure if he wants to become a warrior, wondering if the clans he visited would agree with it. So'lek notices Alex killing humans, earning So'lek's trust. So'lek finds his weapons, and Alex suggests finding fuel to destroy the RDA's base. Outside, the two find a fuel container. So'lek runs in front of it, causing soldiers to explode it.

Alex tells So'lek about a nearby Resistance camp; the two can flee there and await orders from Jake Sully. Alex is impressed by So'lek who quickly kills two more soldiers and finds paint to guide the way to the camp. There, So'lek meets Alma Cortez who calls her group to So'lek. Alex praises So'lek's abilities. So'lek notices the Resistance members shaking their weapons, revealing they are not trained. Alex points out they are scientists, and asks for So'lek to teach the members. So'lek has an outburst at Alex, saying he does not care about the Sky People's needs. Alex apologizes, but reassures the group will fight to protect Pandora and Eywa. One Resistance members mentions the RDA is searching the area; So'lek orders the others to wait and goes to kill them. So'lek finds the patrol and kills all five of them.

So'lek returns to Alex and Alma, bringing them the RDA's weapons. Alma is impressed, saying So'lek can have whatever they have. So'lek decides to train them with the lessons of the Na'vi. So'lek remarks to himself he is not a warrior and does not wish to be remembered as one, mentioning he is now a teacher.

The Sarentu clan was a nomadic clan of Na'vi founded by Entu, the first Toruk Makto.

The clan was nearly entirely wiped out by John Mercer and his mercenaries. This incident was then covered up, leaving Resources Development Administration unaware of what happened and making the Na'vi believe the clan had mysteriously disappeared.

Meanwhile, a handful of children from the clan were taken after this event to be used in The Ambassador Program which was created by Mercer. Following the Pandoran War and RDA's expulsion, these Na'vi were placed into cryostasis to save them after Mercer ordered their execution.

They were then awoken about 15 years later in the midst of the second war where they joined the Resistance in their efforts against the RDA and their colonization of the Western Frontier spearheaded by Mercer. In the end, the Mercer's operations were thwarted and the Sarentu clan was reborn in the Na'vi he had initially taken.

The Sarentu Clan was a highly respected clan, famous for its outstanding storytellers, singers and stories. They were known for being diplomats who could resolve conflicts and bring peace, both within and between clans. They were excellent rhetoricians who could move the hearts of the Na'vi also from other clans, whom they visited frequently. Reluctant to fight, even against the RDA, they were also known for their peaceful attitude towards life. Comprised of storytellers, the clan would travel around Pandora to spread the tales of various Na'vi. They lived among other clans as if they were one of them, and would give them advice from an outsider's perspective. Frequent travel made them skilled ikran riders. One of the main elements of the clan's culture was The People's Cry, which allowed the few survivors to retain their identity and gave them the strength and faith to continue their legacy. The Tarsyu plant is also an important element, it allows only members of the Sarentu to connect with Eywa.

Once a year, the Sarentu left the clan they lived with to attend the Sarentu moot; this annual gathering let the Sarentu exchange stories and even petition the elders to let them stay in their current clan or go somewhere new. The known location where the council was held was the Circle of Songs in the Clouded Forest. The Sarentu's unique bond with the Tarsyu plant determined their place of appearance, the Tarsyu grow where the clan stayed or wandered, and can learn about the historical places where they camped, called the Sarentu lands.

Additionally, there are Sarentu totems throughout the Western Frontier, large structures crafted by the Na'vi that carry symbols, meant to convey messages to future generations. They also built Memory Paintings at scenic overlooks throughout the Western Frontier.

The Sarentu Mark is called Zeyrel Sarentuä in Na'vi, literally 'special [or distinct] image of the Sarentu,' or Zeyrel for short.

It is located on the left cheek under the eye and is drawn on by the tsahik's fingers and thumb in a special ceremony at each Sarentu moot. It is the same shape for all Sarentu, inspired by the glowing arc formed by the torch of Entu, the first Sarentu and Toruk Makto, swung at the start of each story he told.

The Zeyrel is given to children during a special ceremony at each annual Sarentu moot. The Zeyrel ceremony celebrates the child's first year of life and the application of the Mark. Any child who has reached their first year since the last moot is presented to the tsahik at the next moot. The Sarentu tsahik gathers fallen tarsyu petals as they are shed throughout the year, and mixes them with other pigments to create a paste.

When applied, this paste binds to the proteins in the skin. The skin painlessly reacts to the mixture as it binds to it, creating new fibrous tissue. This results in a permanent, raised Mark on the surface of the skin.

Children of the clan were marked at birth with a small family mark on their cheek, representing the symbol of their clan, making it impossible to hide who they were and drawing attention from Na'vi seeking a sympathetic ear wherever they went.

In the year 2138, the Sarentu were attacked by a group of Sec-Ops mercenaries during their annual moot at the Circle of Songs. The attack was led by John Mercer alongside Angela Harding and Alma Cortez in order to gather a group of children to be used in The Ambassador Program. Before this, the Kame'tire Clan had been targeted for the program but one of its members known as Mokasa secretly managed to dissuade Mercer by revealing the location of the Sarentu moot to him.

Unfortunately, neither Mokasa nor Alma were aware that Mercer's machinations would lead to the decimation of the Sarentu Clan. Ultimately, the clan was executed and a handful of children were abducted for TAP.

At the same time, another member of the Sarentu managed to survive the massacre and went into hiding and self-imposed exile following this tragedy.

To cover up this misdeed, reports to the RDA were falsified and barrels of corrosive acid were used to hide the remains of the clan, though this ended up creating a toxic mist called the yavä' in the Clouded Forest.

One Kame'tire and friend of the Sarentu: Anufi, came to believe she was to blame for their disappearance by giving them faulty potions which supposedly killed them. This lie was also exacerbated by Mokasa who feared connecting to Eywa since it could reveal the truth and his role in the event. From this, the Kame'tire Clan was cast into shame for many years.

The children abducted for TAP were placed in a residential school and lied to by Mercer, claiming their clan abandoned them. During their time there, they were pressured lose their Na'vi identities, customs, and belongings. They were further subjected to various forms of abuse at the hands of Mercer and Harding.

After the RDA were expelled from Pandora, John Mercer ordered TAP be shut down and all of the Sarentu children killed. Alma saved them, however, and placed them all in cryostasis.

Fifteen years later, Alma and the Resistance learned that the children were still alive in cryosleep and returned to the TAP facility to awaken them. Following this, the children began to reconnect with their lost culture by connecting with the Tarsyu and uncovering abandoned Sarentu totems and memory paintings.

Eventually, the Na'vi clans of the Western Frontier, aided by The Resistance, successfully defeat John Mercer and end the colonization of the continent. Though the future of the clan remains uncertain, Ri'nela is preparing to become the new tsahìk.

When the RDA was operating in the Spires Region, the player travels there to help a breakaway Kamitire stop them, which is successful. However, they're injured during the battle, and in the process, rescued by a Na'vi named Rasi, who is revealed to be a Sarentu that managed to escape the massacre of the clan in 2138. Unfortunately, she is living in self-imposed exile due to her guilt of abandonment and refuses to rejoin the clan.

Wukula was a Na'vi of the Mangkwan Clan and the leader of the assault against the Western Frontier. Near the yurt of Varang in the Ash Village stands a totem of Na’vi skulls in her honor. All of those were defeated by Wukula.

He, along with Major Tyler Bukowski, leads the Mangkwan-RDA coalition in besieging the Kinglor Forest. He appears to have a grudge against So'lek because So’lek almost killed him once, leaving a long scar in Wukula’s chest.

So'lek and Wukula have a knife fight in which the latter is killed.

For as long as Varang has held sway over the Mangkwan, Wukula has carried out her commands as one of her most proficient warriors. Wukula is a dangerous foe - a true believer. A fanatic devoted both to Varang and his own belief in the Mangkwan clan’s unique destiny on Pandora.

Wukula has more a fatalistic understanding of the Mangkwan clan’s place in the world than most of his kind. In his eyes, the Mangkwan are the evidence that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger - every struggle and torment the Mangkwan endure, as individuals and as a clan, move them once step further towards their ultimate destiny: to fulfill their own will over serving Eywa.

Years ago, during his travels across Pandora, So’lek encountered Wukula with a raiding party of Mangkwan Na’vi. The two of them came to blows. Wukula was a ferocious opponent, but So’lek was as able to wound him sufficiently so that he could make his escape - scarring him across his chest. Doing so, however, caused So’lek to lose his Trr’ong knife, and Wukula kept be knife as a trophy - a knife that he still wears. Wukula welcomed the scar he bore from the encounter. It served as a reminder of his purpose - to defeat those Na’vi whom he saw as Eywa’s champions, and who stand in opposition to the Mangkwan. Na’vi like So’lek.

When Coronel Miles Quaritch ordered Bukowski to eliminate the Western Frontier Resistance with a warband of Mangkwan, Wukula’s interest was picked by the mention of So’lek. He beseeched Varang to let him lead the warband, and vowed to not only set the Kinglor Forest ablaze, but to bring So’lek’s head back to Varang.

However, things are never that simple with the Mangkwan clan. While the team is it’s him are proficient and dutiful to Varang, there is an undercurrent competitiveness and rivalry among the team that Wukula rises above. His focus is only on So’lek.

For Wukula, the news of So’lek is a sign. Eyes has once placed this Na’vi in this path to stop him - but this time, Wukula is stronger and smarter. The death of So’lek will be the next step on the path walked by him and his clan. From there will come the destruction of the Kinglor Forest and the subjugation of the Western Frontier, displaying the Mangkwan clan’s power and asserting their dominance over Pandora.