| By Cangse Sanren | Part of the Phoenix Rising, Dying Embers continuity. |
Piandao was a submissive Fire Nation bladesmith, swordmaster, and calligrapher of Air Nomad ancestry. A former member of the Fire Nation Army, he was also a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus and participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se. Piandao was considered the greatest swordmaster and maker in Fire Nation history and taught both Zuko and Sokka in the art of swordsmanship. After the war, Piandao married Jeong Jeong and gave birth to two children, a daughter, Emmaline, and a son, Zion.
History[]
Early life[]
Piandao was born to two firebenders, both of whom were considered prodigies in their art. Ashamed that their only son was not a bender, his parents left him on the doorsteps of an orphanage. Growing up, Piandao was a nervous and agitated child, but he showed interest in the arts and enjoyed painting and calligraphy, which helped him relax and focus his mind.
At the age of ten, Piandao attended a Fire Nation boys' camp where his natural talent with the sword was recognized. He furthered his studies in the army, where he developed a vicious and fearsome sword fighting style and discovered his ability to airbend. Piandao fought many battles for the Fire Nation and won them all. However, after several years of fighting, Piandao lost his taste for war and sought to become a more enlightened person. He felt increasingly conflicted about the Fire Nation's role in the Hundred Year War, and so he deserted the army and traveled the world for many years, studying under a variety of benders, warriors, and artisans.
After some time, he returned to the Fire Nation and settled in the town of Shu Jing. The Fire Nation Army came to arrest him for deserting the military. In a legendary battle, Piandao defeated all one hundred soldiers. The Fire Nation Army never bothered him again. From far and wide people came seeking his tutelage in the art of sword fighting, though Piandao became known for turning potential students down as he had met several students claiming to be the best in their village and thus deserving of his instruction. However, at some point, he agreed to train the young Prince Zuko and Princess Azula to wield dual broadswords.
Meeting Team Avatar[]
After Sokka concluded that he did not openly contribute to the group, he sought out Piandao and traveled to the swordmaster's castle. During the interview, Sokka humbly admitted his own unworthiness to the master, much to Piandao's surprise. Having grown accustomed to potential students bragging about their own worth, Piandao found Sokka's humility not only refreshing but exactly what he was looking for. He decided to properly train Sokka. He was set about to do tasks such as landscape painting, rock gardening, and calligraphy, as well as practicing against one of the master's underlings. Piandao believed him to be worthy enough to choose a steel to make his sword. Sokka made a sword out of a meteorite.
When Piandao gave Sokka the sword, Sokka initially refused the blade and confessed the truth about actually being from the Southern Water Tribe. The master attacked him, and they engaged in a duel. As the duel between Sokka and his master transitioned outside, Sokka used the techniques he had learned to get the upper hand, something the master pointed out several times.
However, the swordmaster finally gained the upper hand but sheathed his sword before delivering the final blow. He subsequently revealed that he had known Sokka was from the Water Tribe all along just from his name, and also noted that Ozai was the Avatar. Nonetheless, he claimed that the art of the sword did not belong to any one nation, and gave Sokka his sword back. When the group left, they were given a bag with a Pai Sho piece, the white lotus tile.
Liberation of Ba Sing Se[]
Several months later, when the group went to find Iroh, they ran into Piandao. They found him near the destroyed Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, along with Master Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and King Bumi. It turned out that they were all members of the Order of the White Lotus, and were summoned there by a Grand Lotus, Iroh. The masters took the group to their camp, and Piandao showed Iroh's tent to Zuko and Azula. Piandao took part in the fight to reclaim Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth Kingdom, along with the rest of the Order.
Later Life[]
After the end of the Hundred Year War, Piandao married Jeong Jeong and traveled to the Southern Air Temple, where they helped restore it to it's former glory. A few months later, Piandao found out that he was pregnant with the couple's first child. Soon, Piandao gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who they named Emmaline. Two years after Emmy's birth, Piandao gave birth to a son.
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| v - e - d
List of Avatar: Phoenix Rising Characters |
|---|
| Main Characters |
| Ozai Northuldra - Zuko Caldera - Azula Pathuk - Katara Pathuk - Sokka Pathuk - Aang Soren - Toph Beifong - Yue Elizabeth - Marissa Aquarius - Ursa Caldera |
| Main Secondary Characters |
| Kya Pathuk - Hakoda Pathuk - Iroh Caldera - Bato Northuldra - Kalika Evergreen - Kuruk - Aisling Soren - Roku Hira'a - Kanna Pathuk - Maya Northuldra - Zhao - Suki Korra |
| Minor Characters |
| Melody Hira'a - Arnook - Coral Elena - Pakku - Sozin Caldera - Lisanna Caldera - Azulon Caldera - Ilah Caldera - Aurelia Panuk - Jeong Jeong - Piandao| |