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| By King Bumis Heir | Part of the Avatar: The Legacy of Rong Yan continuity. |
| Juji's fine. He comes back to life in the end when the doomsday device shifts the polarity of the Earth. Oops. Spoiler. Sorry.
Warning! This page contains spoilers for Avatar: The Legacy of Rong Yan.
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| "The stories my grandfather told me about the old legendary Earth King of Omashu were nothing but fables. The old arrogant bastard is nothing but a coward, he pulled out his troops in the middle of war because he was too afraid to fail!" |
| — Qiang Zhen yelled at Gao Zu as he exited Daj's palace in Chapter 20: The Campaign of Two Nations Part 2: A Divided Nation |
Gao Zu is one of the few oldest kings who ruled in Omashu in the history of the entire Oma Kingdom. The Earth Kingdom has always been a divided nation since the time of Avatar Giralal. Civil wars have happened but they have always kept the territories divided rather than united. King Gao Zu, the arrogant old coot that he is, never knows when to stop talking. He is a minor character in Avatar: The Legacy of Rong Yan.
History[]
Gao Zu, was born to the royal family of Omashu in 781 BG being a crowned prince to the throne. His grandfather Peng held the throne for many years of Gao Zu's life until he died when Gao Zu was eleven. After that Gao Zu's father Jiachu had ascended the throne in 770 BG. When Gao Zu had turn 38 years old his father retired from the throne and had given the title of king to his son Gao Zu.
In 743 BG, Gao Zu took the throne and the crown at 38 years old after his father had retired from being king for 27 years. Gao Zu when he was a boy was taller than the average child of his age growing to be four feet at the age of six and five feet at the age of nine. When Gao Zu became king he was roughly six foot five, he a muscular man because he liked the hobby of working out his body.
As a boy he didn't go to the public or private schools that Omashu provided he was taught by a royal tutor who taught him the history of the Oma Kingdom, mathematics, literature arts, and religion. As he grew older the history changed to politics. Gao Zu at the age of seventeen had to know all the problems that were going on in the western Earth Kingdom and basically summaries of the other world leaders and the basics to their governments.
As he studied the various world politics, economies and the like his favorite hobby was exercising, working out his body with earthbending he grew boldly. His grand-uncle had trained him in earthbending when Gao Zu was twenty he became a master of earthbending. With the skills and the body he had, Gao Zu had grown cocky, being the son of the current King of Omashu and the crowned prince of Omashu had made him grow into a braggart and later brought in his arrogance.
From the age of twenty through the age of 26, his cockiness brought trouble as far as to gangs targeting him for not paying them the money he owed and such. Although he would have been protected at all times there were times where he would sneak out of the palace. He always told himself that the life of royalty was never for him, he wanted a thrill-seeker's life full of fun.
It was later that his father had gotten to know Gao Zu's little fiasco and at one point had him arrested along with some friends who were petty criminals that Gao Zu would hang out with. Learning his lesson and spending half a year in prison did Gao Zu truly learn his destiny. Almost 27, he cleaned up his act and began to prepare himself to become King of Omashu, up to his father's high standards of a King.
Being the only child, his father and mother expected great things of Gao Zu and wanted him to be a smooth leader. But with his personality the first few years of his reign were a little rocky for the western Earth Kingdom. Behind the curtains his father the former king helping his son fix things both economically and politically so that the other world leaders would not see the King of Omashu as weak, that would've made him vulnerable to attacks from either of the other nations.
Thirty Year War[]
During the Thirty Year War, Gao Zu lent his aid to Ta Po, when the Qiangda Kingdom had become a target of the Southern Water Tribe, who had aid from the Northern Water Tribe as part of their ancient treaty. The war had begun on raids from the Water Tribes to coastal towns of the eastern Earth Kingdom. It is unknown the main reason why the Water Tribes had attacked the coast of the eastern Earth Kingdom, but that had sparked the war. Where the Earth Kingdom nations had retaliated in return.
It was fifteen years later into the war that Gao Zu had pulled out his large military from the battle of Gunglao Forest. Leaving the Ba Sing Se military alone, two hundred men died in the battle of Gunglao, if Gao Zu hadn't pulled his men out it would've been a decisive victory for the Earth Kingdom. It is also unknown as to why Gao Zu had pulled out from the war, but if you were to ask you would be ignored.
Avatar Ku Tei, had threatened Gao Zu for the completely coward decision he had made at Gunglao. The two fought in a battle in Gao Zu's arena but the duel ended in a stalemate, Gao Zu never told anyone why and to this day it is still unknown. Captain Senlin and a few others were later found in Chao recovering from their wounds in Gunglao. General Senlin and four others were the sole survivors of Gunglao while the rest of the forest was covered with rotting bodies from both sides.
Prince Hui[]
In 676 BG, a concubine bore Gao Zu his only heir a boy named Hui, Hui was born an earthbender. The boy showed talent and was considered a prodigy to be one of the greatest earthbenders of all time.
The only problem with his son Hui was the boy showed no progress in speaking, he wasn't born deaf. The boy just never grasped the concept of communicating verbally. He was a mute and so Gao Zu hired a tutor to teach his son to communicate with his hands. In what they considered a universal sign language used by all nations. The tutor remained as Hui's full-time interpreter as he was threatened by Gao Zu if he didn't stay. Hui is straightforward yet remains a mystery as he garners secrets that even Gao Zu doesn't know.
When Hui takes the throne in 650 BG, he becomes the first Earth King in Oma Kingdom history to be verbally disabled. His interpreter becomes his mouthpiece and rules with an iron fist.
War Council[]
Qiang Zhen requested to meet Gao Zu in Ba Sing Se to ask for an alliance between the two Earth Kings. They would unify again to fight the Water Tribes and win the war once and for all. Gao Zu declined going to Ba Sing Se and instead told the young Earth King to meet him in Huang He. Huang He was the capital of the Hammi Tribe in the Si Wong state, thus the Si Wong Sandbenders were neutral even if the Oma Kingdom controlled the state.
Before Gao Zu left he was going to leave Naoren De his adviser as regent lord but instead he took him along because last time Naoren was regent. Naoren implemented a holiday celebrated the Water Tribes where people would prank each other in the name of some goblin. Instead he called his mute son Hui to take regency until he returned. Gao Zu later found out when Hui confessed that Torngark's Day of Dupes was his idea and not Naoren, the old king forgave his son.
He arrived to speak with Gao Zu under the eye of Chief Daj and his daughter Princess Amira, an argument between the two kings led to Gao Zu assaulting Qiang Zhen. A boulder that could've injured the young Earth King was destroyed by his general Qingbao. The sixty-year ceasefire between the Qiangda and Oma Kingdom ended that day, sixty years ago, it was established by Gao Zu and Ta Po to allow Ku Tei to kill Senlin. Since then the ceasefire had not been broken.
Gao Zu ordered Daj to set up blockades near the coast of his state and in three years doubled the soldiers at each border state. He lockdown his country to Qiangda Kingdom citizens and soldiers, all enemies were killed on sight. This severed the trade between both Kingdoms as well which caused a loss in trade revenues of both countries, Dahongpao which constantly transported citizens across both kingdoms ceased operation with the enemy kingdom. Cha Lundu the governor of Wuyi set a blockade on her side of Chuan Bay to prevent enemy ships from entering the Oma Kingdom.
Long Live the King of Omashu[]
The Avatar arrives in Omashu alongside his friends and masters, Gao learns about the new master of the Avatar. He desired to test the young man and see how great of a maste he really is. He gave Jushi three tests, the first was to save a woman who was trapped in a cavern full of stalagmites and stalactites. The second test was his son trapped inside an iron cell with no way out and no key present. The third was a test of spirituality, a special technique only learned by those devoted to the God of the Earth Shanshen.
A prisoner was brought forward an Air Nomad, Jushi was ordered to find out the truth. Spiritual Tantrism was a skill picked up by Jushi, it furthered the truthseeing of many mystics who devoted their lives to Shanshen. Spiritual Tantrist can sense the emotions of a person by feeling their heart chakra, can feel or see their auras, and can even see through the eyes of an individual with enough concentration as long as they place their fingers on both the heart and third eye chakra.
Gao was notified when Hui, threw a tantrum outside in the courtyard. Gao quickly ended the tantrum after he redirected a tremor from the prince which sunk the prince into the ground. Gao then grounded Hui and stripped him of his inheritance until further notice until Aloi convinced Gao to let Hui off the hook.
After the Avatar and his friends left Gao was visited by Senlin, Hui fled to seek help from General Ming while his father stalled the Great Betrayer. Senlin challenged Gao to a Gen Da a traditional Oma Kingdom duel between earthbenders. Traditionally, the winner requested something from the loser. While the Qiangda Kingdom had a duel called a Lei Tai, completely different rules but similar conditions. Gen Das were placed under a specific law that prevented just about anyone from challenging anyone for any reason.
Gao and Senlin dueled it out Gao slightly injured Senlin before he lost the duel. After Senlin won he requested that Gao make him the Commander of the Oma Kingdom armies. To which Gao anointed him this title, after Senlin revealed that he was both Qiangdian and Oma Kingsmen, briefly after stating his mother was born in the Oma Kingdom. He sought to end the war and unify the Kingdoms once again.
Gao was later rescued by General Ming, a ton of royal guards and Hui, instead of Senlin being killed Gao commanded everyone to stand down and declared Senlin the commander before he fainted.
Abilities[]
Gao Zu was born an earthbender, he was taught by his father and mastered the art at the age of sixteen. Gao became a devotee of Shanshen eventually learning and mastering the art of Spiritual Tantrism which allowed him to sense emotions, see visions, sense auras, and help unblock chakras.
Politics/Economy[]
Thanks to the royal tutor within the palace, Gao Zu had learned a great amount of world politics and economy tricks and tips. Although it really didn't help him in the beginning since first few years of his reign everything was pretty difficult for him to maintain. His retired father was the actual king behind the curtains as Gao Zu ruled as a puppet until he was 41.
Relatives[]
- Peng of the Zu Dynasty (Grandfather; Deceased)
- Jiachu Zu (Father; Deceased)
- Hui of the Zu Dynasty (Son)
Appearances[]
Avatar: The Legacy of Rong Yan[]
Book Two: Water[]
Book Three: Earth[]
Trivia[]
- Gao Zu is the name of an emperor who ruled the Han empire from 304 BC - 310 BC in ancient China. Reading more into the history of the emperor, most of the things within Gao Zu's history in this fanon are actually directly based from the actual ruler himself.
- Hui is the successor of Gaozu of Han, although Hui wasn't historically a mute. I thought it'd be fun to make a disabled character to expand representation in my fanon.
- His reign name is Hanweizhe, which is fully 'Zǔguó de hànwèi zhě' which is 'defender of the motherland' in Chinese.
| Preceded by Peng of the Zu dynasty, eventually Jiachu of the Zu dynasty (27 years) |
King of Omashu 743 BG - 650 BG (93 Years) |
Succeeded by Hui of the Zu Dynasty |
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