The Battle of the Dao

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

The Battle of the Dao took place in 796 PR at the temple fortress of Tani-Wa and his wife Atman. The battle was the culmination of several long standing tensions coming to a head, some accidentally while others nefariously planned to erupt.

Background

When Tromen attacked The Gathering Shadow, he found himself soon left for dead and adrift at sea, where he encountered a temple belonging to Tani-Wa, a greedy Marid. But this curse turned into a blessing as he discovered that his father had a working relationship Tani-Wa. Tromen worked along side Tani-Wa for a year, scheming and serving while earning his respect.

Tromen's associate in The Best Around, a vanara named Atman, was also stranded at Tani-Wa's temple for a year. Unlike Tromen, who relished the opportunity to earn his respect, Atman stayed with Tani-Wa solely to learn his powers and enhance her own water-bending monk abilities.

Meanwhile, Tani-Wa had another powerful business relationship with Edgar La Croix, the ruler of the LaCroix Kingdom, who also dealt with shady matters such as heists and cover-ups.

The Battle

The Meeting of the Minds

When Azazel, leader of the Gathering Shadow, allied himself with Rose (both had been victims of The Friends of Kragnux and their crusading ways), he discovered the ally of the LaCroix, and upon finding out that Tani-Wa was a genie of sorts, he was determined to meet the marid. Having recently inherited the Kingdom, Rose and her guard Davidos also decided it would be appropriate to inform Tani-Wa of the change in leadership, and build a professional relationship. Thus the LaCroix and their assassin guild allies departed for Tani-Wa.

The same day the group departed, Tromen had finally convinced Tani-Wa to invite his father to the Temple, hoping to confront or even kill the Dao who had made him a bastard. Tani-Wa agreed, and a meeting was set over water, where Tani-Wa could lend the most assistance to Tromen as he executed his vengence.

Upon arriving that day, Tani-Wa was surprised to have visitors, and even more surprised to meet Azazel, having heard of Tromen's disasterous history with the guild. Keeping a straight face though, he decided it would be best to lay low and help Tromen execute two acts of vengence that day.

Before the Dao arrived, the LaCroix and Gathering Shadow were invited to meet Tani-Wa's wife, Atman. Those who knew Atman the year before were shocked to find a cold-hearted ice queen in a temple of her own creation. She was at best cordial with the visitors, and joined them to the meeting with the Dao.

As the factions gathered over a rickety bridge, Tromen and Azazel made first contact. Furious at Tromen's surivival, Azazel instructed the guildsmen to discretely kill Tromen at a moment's notice.

Father Dao's Arrival

Things happened very quickly after Tromen's father appeared. Leaping into assault mode, Tani-Wa and his slaad army worked to restrain the Dao. But it was just as the violence started that Azazel and his guild launched their attack on Tromen.

Finding his ally now in immediate danger, Tani-Wa and his Slaad turned their sights on The Gathering Shadow, leaving the LaCroix queen in a precarious postion. Should she turn on her family's long time ally, or turn on her personal assassins. Keeping an arm's distance, they watched as Atman joined the frey, using incredible water bending powers to take control of the battlefield and drown members of the Shadow.

With Tromen and Azazel locked in death combat, Tani-Wa took it upon himself to end the Dao's life, knowing that this spoiled meeting would not look good if word got back to other Djinn. However, Tani-Wa was caught blindsided when his own wife Atman stole the amulet that gave him control over the slaad. As Atman tried to turn her new army on her former husband, however, she accidentally sent them after the LaCroix prince Eldrin.

Watching her love die, Rose could not stand the political turmoil, nor the responsibilities of ruling the kingdom, and decided that death would be the only alternative. Despite Davidos' attempts to stop her, the dhampir staked herself at the body of her lover. Just as soon as it had started, Atman had killed Tani-Wa

Aftermath

With her husband slain, Atman returned to a life of hermitage in her ice temple.

After the slaughter, Canis finally snapped and realized that a life of assassination and battle was not for him, leaving his armor and weapons at the corpse of his former ally Xanenth, he headed home.

With his assassin guild disbanded, Azazel fled the scene, now a lone wolf in a world at war.

Combatants

Tani-Wa's Forces

• Tani-Wa
• Atman
• Tromen

The Gathering Shadow

• Azazel
• Canis
• Xanenth

The LaCroix Kingdom

• Rose LaCroix
• Eldrin
• Davidos