- This article is about the character in the TTRPG. For the abbot in The Reckoning of Roku, see Rabten.
Rabten was a philosophy professor at Republic City University. He was the leader of a new Equalist movement that took pain to distance itself from Amon's violent principles.[1]
History[]
Rabten grew up in Republic City's Green Meadows district, and earned a scholarship to Republic City University as a young man. He worked nearly every job on campus to support himself, and held a factory job on weekends to make ends meet. Through years of hard work, he eventually became a philosophy and ethics professor at the university. By the 170s AG, he had had a tenure longer than anyone could remember.
Rabten spent some years going over his lot in life, not out of pity, but as a mental exercise. He came to the conclusion that the Equalists' concerns were real. Rabten started attending covert Equalist revival meetings, where he met the newest leader of the movement: Yoshiro, the "Iron Dragon". Yoshiro spoke to Rabten in a way that appealed to a professor of philosophy, de-emphasizing violence and focusing on ethical concerns. Over time, Rabten came to believe that Yoshiro was the one to balance equality in Republic City once and for all.[2]
With the goal of equality in mind, Rabten started recruiting students to the Iron Dragon's cause, and started being happily vocal about his Equalist beliefs.[2] While the professor did preach peaceful protest, animosity bubbled beneath the surface. Revival demonstrations and rallies began to regularly clog Roku Plaza, and the professor was frequently arrested for disturbing the peace there. The professor's arrests led to a group of students becoming increasingly angered at the Republic City Police.[1] Despite Yoshiro eventually undertaking more direct and more dangerous actions, Rabten remained committed to his cause, providing a smokescreen of respectability for Yoshiro's violent activity.[2]
Rabten became involved in preparations for a debate night that would have Equalist students in attendance. The professor promised that the students did not have violent intentions, but Dean Shihan suspected otherwise. In truth, Yoshiro was planning to revive Amon's tactics and wanted to co-opt the emotions of angry students to do so, wanting to ensure that the next generation of Equalists get the correct, forceful education.[3]
Personality[]
Many students at Republic City University saw Rabten as being stodgy but fair. Rabten was intelligent and knew that he may have ended up having to take the fall for Yoshiro's actions, but given his old age, it was the price he was willing to pay to bring the Equalist movement back.[2]
Appearances[]
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game[]
Trivia[]
- Students often joked about which came first, Rabten or Yangchen's Festival.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Republic City, Version 1.0, 2023, p. 40.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Republic City, Version 1.0, 2023, p. 42.
- ↑ Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Republic City, Version 1.0, 2023, p. 43.