- This article is about the university professor. For the dragon, see Ran and Shaw.
Professor Shaw was the head of the zoology department at Ba Sing Se University during the era of Avatar Kyoshi.[1] As an avid explorer and scientist, he was well-traveled and highly educated in his field. In particular, his expeditions to acquire certain species garnered him considerable appeal among some of the elite.[2]
History[]
During the era of Kyoshi, Shaw undertook a number of expeditions in his pedagogical capacity to collect various fauna for study and display.[1][2] Among the creatures he found were a mated pair of shirshus,[3] a rare animal known for its impeccable sense of smell and paralyzing venom.[4][2]
Aware of Shaw's procurement of the shirshus on his most recent expedition and hoping to use them to secretly track the Avatar, Earth Sage Jianzhu persuaded Hei-Ran, relying on her professional credentials and political clout, to send him a letter in 296 BG requesting to borrow the critters for display in the Fire Nation as part of a goodwill tour between their two nations.[1] Seemingly convinced by the charade, Shaw journeyed to the Avatar mansion with a crew of university students and two caged shirshus in tow, where he eagerly handed over the specimens.[2]
Shaw ultimately lost one of the shirshus he lent to Hei-Ran when the handlers Jianzhu tasked with using it to find the Avatar lost control, causing the beast to escape and subsequently perish at the hands of daofei trophy hunters in Hujiang.[5]
Legacy[]
The zoology department at Ba Sing Se University maintained a highly regarded reputation and diverse offerings long after Shaw's active participation ended, resisting the tainting that befell other academic subjects during the Hundred Year War.[6][7] Shaw's successors in the zoology department were even tasked by Earth King Kuei at one point to scour the earth with a battalion of soldiers in search of a mate for his unique pet bear, Bosco,[8] and regularly embarked on other zoological expeditions, just as Shaw had once done,[1] to collect new rare animals for the king.[9]
Physical description[]
Shaw was a portly older gentlemen who wore fine robes and a helmet made of cork when traveling on official business. He took pride in gearing himself for adventure, though Jianzhu noted he did so in the habit of academics who knew nothing about how dirty and bloody such an endeavor could become.[2]
Personality[]
Shaw exuded an undiminished enthusiasm for his living discoveries, even in the face of savage behavior, as seen in his reaction to a caged shirshu lashing two of his students nearest to it. Rather than express concern for his students' wellbeing as they screamed and collapsed, he merely gave them a brief look before directing a big grin and thumbs-up at a spectating Jianzhu, who interpreted Shaw's actions as him indicating that the shirshus were in good health and not a cause for concern as to the paralyzed students.[2] On the other hand, Shaw was known to respond poorly if anything happened to his animals, Jianzhu predicting he would need an adequate cover story and convincing amount of hush money to quell Shaw's sadness and anger upon learning one of his shirshus was lost while under the supervision of someone whom he had entrusted with the creatures.[5]
Despite Shaw's commitment to his animals, he was no stranger to taking bribes or other forms of curried favor, as was customary in the Earth Kingdom at the time, accepting Hei-Ran's gift of a vellum painting of the northern lights worth more than his annual salary as a douceur to let her borrow two of his shirshus.[1][2]
Appearances[]
Chronicles of the Avatar[]
The Rise of Kyoshi[]
- 117. "Obligations"
References[]
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