Sidao

Sidao
Biographical information
Nationality	Nanyan, Earth Kingdom
Ethnicity	Earth Kingdom
Died	Year 17 of the era of Yangchen
Personal information
Allies	Shang merchants
Political information
Profession	Earth Sage
Position	Minister of Special Territory Relations Advisor to Avatar Yangchen
Affiliation	Earth Sages Shang merchants
Chronological information
First appearance	"The Parade"
Last appearance	"Loose Ends"

Sidao was an Earth Sage who served as the Earth Kingdom Minister of Special Territory Relations, overseeing the relationship between the shang cities and the Earth Kingdom government. He was appointed as an advisor and companion to Avatar Yangchen during her official visit to the shang cities.

History

Sidao was from Nanyan, located near the Foggy Swamp in the southern Earth Kingdom. As an Earth Sage and the Minister of Special Territory Relations, he became an advisor to the Avatar just as she prepared for her first visit to the shang cities. He was paid by Zongdu Henshe and the shangs of Bin-Er to spy on Yangchen and report back to them. Sidao became an ever-growing presence in Yangchen's retinue, and acted like a tutor of etiquette, informing her that she was not supposed to fly on her bison, Nujian, nor was she to glide on her staff, but rather ride on the ground to project an aura of dignity. When she taught Nujian to perform a somewhat ridiculous-looking trot, Sidao no longer wanted to accompany her to conferences, preferring to ride in a carriage. Sidao disagreed with the cold of Bin-Er winter, due to having grown up in such a warm place. Yangchen started to enjoy messing with the cranky sage.

After Sidao learned that an intruder had broken into the Blue Manse, he suggested many alternate guesthouses where Yangchen could be relocated. She refused all of his suggestions, knowing that he had likely scouted ahead in advance, and would be better able to spy on her. Yangchen instead chose an ancient inn at semi-random before they were due for their first official meeting with the shangs of the city. As they rode through the streets to meet with the merchants, Sidao began to shiver in his carriage, and asked Yangchen if she could hurry. The Avatar responded that Nujian riding any faster would cause damage, but that Sidao was free to inform the shangs of the delay. Sidao frowned as he ordered the driver to speed up and get to the gathering hall on time. When Yangchen met up with him, Sidao formally presented the Avatar to the shangs, though the merchants responded measuredly, showing little respect to Yangchen's position. He expressed his support for the shang and zongdu system when the formalities led to a history lesson on the Platinum Affair. Sidao sharply turned to Yangchen after she started to offer criticism of the system, and told her there were no formalities in place for her suggestion after she petitioned for charitable reforms to be implemented in the city. When Shang Noehi stated that Yangchen had no power, Sidao said nothing to preserve the Avatar's dignity, caught between his money and his duty. Told that the Earth King only cared about revenues, Yangchen replied that he cared about treason, and Sidao was completely shocked as she revealed she had been observing the docks, and knew that the shangs had violated their charter by allowing many more ships to dock than the number permitted.

After the meeting was concluded, Sidao met with the shangs, and they began to tear into him for his idiocy, Teiin asking why they had paid him when he failed to stop the Avatar from catching on to them. Sidao blamed the shangs for failing to keep traffic within city limits, which angered the shangs more, as he had blamed his employers. As they swarmed on Sidao, Zongdu Henshe told the shangs to be calm, as he would implement the Unanimity project, allowing them to break free of the Earth King's influence and rewrite any charter or law that they liked. When Sidao complained he was as good as burned, Henshe told him that he still had a purpose, as he needed to deliver the message to Zongdu Chaisee of Jonduri about Unanimity being needed in Bin-Er, since she only accepted in-person couriers rather than messages by hawk.

Sidao arranged a grand welcome for Yangchen in Jonduri. However, when he informed the zongdu about Henshe needing the project, she had him killed, as he could have easily passed on the information to the Avatar and stayed true to her while accepting the money. Yangchen noticed his absence, and Kavik discovered his bloated body at the back of the hall where Jonduri's errand-runners operated out of. He and Jujinta took Sidao and Qiu's bodies out to sea, and Kavik was made to encase them in a block of sea ice so that the currents could take them away before any remains could be identified. When Yangchen learned of Sidao's death, she honored his memory by chanting in remembrance of the dead, performing a Nanyan mourning lament for him.

Physical description

Sidao wore his beard in a distinct Nanyan style.

Appearances

Chronicles of the Avatar

The Dawn of Yangchen

• 108. "The Parade"
• 109. "Theater"
• 110. "Keeping Score"
• 112. "Outside Options"
• 123. "Loose Ends"

Trivia

• Sidao's name is the same as Jia Sidao, a Chinese statesman of the Southern Song dynasty. This is echoed in Sidao's origin from the southern Earth Kingdom. Jia Sidao also followed a policy of placating Central Asian tribes, and has traditionally been held responsible for the Mongol subjugation of southern China in 1279, which led to the establishment of the Yuan dynasty. This is similar to Sidao's status as a special territories minister who is actually loyal to the shang merchants, who seek to break free from the Earth Kingdom.