Thapa was a firebender who became one of the earliest combustionbenders in recorded history, and was planned to be used by the shang merchants as a human weapon in order to break free of the authority of the four nations.[2]
History[]
Thapa was one of many chosen to develop an extremely dangerous firebending technique in order to be used by the shang merchants as a human weapon in the Unanimity project. The experimentation that led him to develop combustionbending was made possible due to the research of Zongdu Chaisee of Jonduri. Many others did not survive the ordeal and drowned in the process. Aside from Thapa, only two others survived: Yingsu and Xiaoyun.[3][4]
When Unanimity was dispatched from Jonduri to Bin-Er, the three combustionbenders boarded the Queen of Omashu, a ponderous five-masted junk. During the voyage, they guarded three large wooden boxes that were carrying rocks, which acted for a decoy to those that thought Unanimity would be an actual object. They were very tight-lipped to other crew members, such as Kavik. They ate twice as much as everyone else to preserve their energy and their strength, and slept in shifts. Once the ship arrived, Kavik saw that the crates were full of chopped seal blanks, and realized that the benders were in fact Unanimity itself.[2]
During the display of Unanimity's power that Zongdu Henshe had planned, Xiaoyun and Yingsu were posted in separate apartments deeper inside Bin-Er, while Thapa stayed by the zongdu's side, as his blasts were the most powerful of the three combustionbenders.[4] He stood near a window in the outskirts of city to keep the Earth King's forces at bay, and Henshe had to carry trays of buns and dumplings to Henshe so that he could quickly regain his physical energy after using his bending. When Thapa sensed movement, he fired a warning shot, with a seed of fire quickly erupting into an inferno. The movement stopped, and Thapa had the Earth Kingdom scout brigade penned into a tree line. He suggested blowing apart the ground on occasion to make earthbenders tunnel into the city if they were fearful of cave-ins.[4]
When Thapa took a break to eat, he discussed parts of how he came by his power to Henshe, speaking a little of his tormentous training. He then directed the conversation to payment, telling Henshe that the situation had changed since they last bargained. Thapa knew that Henshe was hanging on by his fingernails, and that everything had been one big demonstration of power. He then went on to say that this meant that it was him, Yingsu, and Xiaoyun who now controlled whether Bin-Er was open for business, rather than the shangs, and their value had taken a leap sky-ward. Thapa demanded a payment twenty times the original sum, causing Henshe to panic. Thapa knew his leverage was lost, telling him that Henshe no longer held any tiles in the game, as he had played them all. While Henshe agreed, he told Thapa that the threat was ambiguous to the people of the city, as no one had been killed. He encouraged Thapa to demonstrate his true power by drawing some blood, and Thapa began to aim for the homes of the Water Tribe Quarter. Thapa prepared for a huge explosion, taking thirty breaths, which would almost completely obliterate the district. He took several more breaths, with Henshe wondering what was going on, and Thapa explained he could not get enough air. He quickly fell unconscious, as Avatar Yangchen had been able to raid the area, removing the air from the room but returning it in enough time to keep Thapa alive. Akuudan seized Henshe, and the group went on to take down Yingsu, bringing an end to the Unanimity project.
As Yangchen could not expose the truth behind Unanimity to the Earth Kingdom, she had the three combustionbenders contained in plots of land along the mountains of the Northern Air Temple, and made monks renowned for their martial prowess watch over them. After meeting with Earth King Feishan in Ba Sing Se, she came to the hamlet where Thapa was being held. He was gardening as she found him, telling her that he had been given some mountain flower seeds that did well in winter, wondering if he would see them bloom, wondering how long he would remain where he was. Yangchen told him that it depended on if he was willing to answer her questions, but Thapa said he was not willing to share yet, saying that he had enjoy his little "vacation", as rich people paid a lot for the kind of setup that he had. Yangchen had come to realize that the combustionbenders were not mere pawns, but players in their own right in the game of politics. The Avatar told him to let her know if he changed his mind, telling him he may stay until summer. This horrified Abbot Sonam, who feared that the monks would be corrupted by the desire to hold dominion over another human being if he was confined to the temple for that long.[5]
Half a year later,[6] Thapa managed to convince his airbender guards that he wanted to send a letter to his elderly mother. The guards checked the letter and the address, but found nothing suspicious.[7][8] As Thapa was also the most cooperative and friendly prisoner,[5][9] they concluded that his request was sincere and sent the mail. In reality, Thapa's letter included secret codes; after entering the mail circulation, the letter was thus identified by Chaisee's network and sent to her. In the message, Thapa revealed the location as well as details of his imprisonment. However, he secretly had his own plans to increase his own uniqueness and value as an assassin by murdering his former comrades Xiaoyun and Yingsu.[9][8]
When the Northern Air Temple and its surroundings were raided by Chaisee's agents,[8] Thapa overwhelmed his own guards with the aid of Chaisee's agents and then immediately went off and attacked Xiaoyun's small jail with combustionbending before the latter knew what was going on. Xiaoyun was killed in the attack, though the explosion causing his demise warned Yingsu of Thapa's treason.[9] Thapa's attacks also caused rockslides in the region, one of them crashing down toward the small town located at the Northern Air Temple's foot, but Yangchen and her allies managed to save the townspeople.
By repeatedly bombarding them with attacks, Thapa trapped Yingsu and her guards behind a outcrop. Yangchen arrived to the scene, but was unwilling to assist Yingsu in killing Thapa due to her beliefs as an Air Nomad. Thapa shot twice, his first attack nearly killing Mingyur and the second seemingly killing Yingsu, causing him to finally retreat.
After Chaisee's agents had extracted Thapa, they brought him to the luxury inn of late zongdu Dooshim. She ordered a great meal to be prepared for the combustionbender, and then demanded that all guards and staff leave. Once they were alone, Thapa began to ravenously eat, being finally able to eat meat again. When Chaisee mildly expressed her anger at the death of the other combustionbenders, Thapa responded by trying to blackmail the zongdu. He demanded thirty times as much money as previously agreed, arguing that he had become Chaisee's only option due to the demise of the other combustionbenders, and reminded her that he could offer any world leader his services for a fortune. Contrary to his expectations, Chaisee was merely disgusted at Thapa's bravado and blunt attitude, and calmly rejected the combustionbender's demand, declaring that she did not "do business with people lacking in character".
Angered, Thapa threw the table with the food aside and openly threatened his former employer. In response, Chaisee used the code phrase of his brainwashing, turning him into a submissive slave. After checking the combustionbender's eyes and concluding that he was not faking his mental state, the zongdu decided to test the brainwashing's control. She ordered Thapa to use a knife to stab himself without hitting an artery, and the man complied.[8]
In Taku, Chaisee planned to have Thapa attack the convocation hall if he heard the great gong of Taku sound three times at an incorrect hour. He was hidden, isolated in a basement under the floorboards of the hall.
By the time Yangchen had entered the basement, Thapa was in the final stages of readying his blast, surrounded by filth and half-gnawed rations. He looked at her, but otherwise barely reacted to her presence, focusing only on his mission as the result of his brainwashing. She tried to convince him to back down by telling him that he had a choice, but Thapa fired off his blast regardless.[10]
As she had done during her last confrontation with Thapa, Yangchen used her now mastered airbending technique to snuff the combustionbender's blast. Thapa lost his earlier blankness and glared at Yangchen, seemingly only now realizing his current situation, and the Avatar smiled at him, aware that she gained the most from a tie with the combustionbender. Thapa then snarled and fired off a quick blast, forgoing the buildup for it; though taken by surprise, Yangchen managed to suppress the blast once again.
The use of the quick version of his technique left Thapa bleeding from his nose and ears, and Yangchen realized he was unable to perform it without killing himself. She shouted at him to stop, but Thapa nevertheless attempted to blast her once again, only to end up jerking to the side while clutching his neck as sparks started going off in the air around him. Knowing that the combustionbender was doomed, Yangchen earthbent a deep pit beneath him to drop him down into the ground, before he exploded with enough force to knock off her feet.[11]
Physical description[]
Thapa was a tall and powerfully built man. He had golden eyes that were often only found in the Fire Nation, and was distinguished from Xiaoyun by his distinctive long ears.[2]
Appearances[]
Chronicles of the Avatar[]
The Dawn of Yangchen[]
- 127. "Closing the Deal"
- 133. "Last Chances"
- 135. "The Display"
- 139. "Honored Guests"
The Legacy of Yangchen[]
- 201. "Depths"
- 202. "Adoration"
- 212. "The Duel"
- 214. "Bad Company"
- 232. "Blinking First"
- 234. "The Burial"
References[]
- ↑ The Avatar Legends Timeline. Avatar Studios. Retrieved on December 4, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Three, "Last Chances". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Seven, "Closing the Deal". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Five, "The Display". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Nine, "Honored Guests". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Two, "Adoration". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter One, "Depths". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Fourteen, "Bad Company". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twelve, "The Duel". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirty-Two, "Blinking First". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirty-Four, "The Burial". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.