Avatar:Ulo
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"You do not understand the outsiders as I do. They only seek knowledge to destroy."
Ulo was the last chief of the Lambak clan before the end of its independence. Ruling over his people as a de facto dictator, he strongly favored the clan's traditional xenophobic policies to maintain his people's complete isolation from the four nations. Despite this stance, Ulo's rule saw the increase of foreign intrusion culminating in the Lambak Island conflict, as the Western Kingdom Trading Company, Avatar Roku and his allies, as well as Prince Sozin's team landed on Lambak Island, disrupting the clan's existence. The chief's efforts to covertly kill the intruders failed, partially due to the defection of clan scout Malaya to Roku's side.
Having captured Roku, Ulo lured the Avatar into the spirit cave of "Yungib" in a last-ditch effort to maintain the Lambak clan's ways. The chief intended to ritually sacrifice the Avatar to gain his powers and thus be able to keep defending his people. Though a powerful waterbender, Ulo was eventually defeated and killed by Roku.
History
Early life and rule
Ulo was born into the Lambak clan, an independent community on a remote Fire Island. The clan had traditionally maintained a strict isolationism, with its lore claiming that the four nations had once tried to murder the entire clan. The islanders had reportedly survived thanks to the intervention of "Yungib", an alleged protector spirit who had enhanced the Lambak benders' abilities.[1][2][4] Ulo became a fanatical supporter of his community's isolationism, convinced that outsiders would always directly or indirect try to harm the clan.[1][5] As he grew older, Ulo had several daughters,[1] and honed his skill in waterbending, becoming a powerful warrior.[1][5]
At one point, Ulo was chosen as the new clan chief. In this position, he was privileged to enter the Sacred Cave of Yungib. Just as the chiefs before him, Ulo subsequently claimed that he communed with Yungib every autumnal equinox to receive the spirit's commands. In reality, Ulo was never able to communicate with Yungib despite his fervent worship of the spirit, ultimately using his position as self-proclaimed spirit mediator just to further enhance his control over the clan.[1][6] Under his rule, the position of chief effectively transformed into a dictatorship: He violently punished and quashed dissent to his policies, relied on informants to identify critics, and used propaganda to encourage xenophobic hatred as well as fear among his people. He also became the main teacher of clan lore, instilling his beliefs into the clan's children from a young age.[1] In his view, he had to keep the clan safe at all costs, even if he had to lie to his people.[6] As the chief, he was theoretically allowed to leave his island and thus claimed that he had first-hand knowledge of the rest of the world, using this privilege to further cement his xenophobic claims.[1]
He developed a good working relationship with the clan's airbending scout, Amihan, who used her abilities to covertly murder any foreign intruders on the island. The chief approved of Amihan's ruthlessness and unquestioning support of his regime.[7]
Ulo eventually noticed that Malaya, a young nonbender girl among the clan, was honing a diverse set of skills including those necessary to survive in the wilds.[1][8] Viewing her as a promising candidate to join the ranks of the scouts, he discussed her potential recruitment with Amihan. The airbender warned that Malaya was too much of a free-thinker to become a reliable scout, but Ulo still believed that the possible benefits outweighed the risks.[8] He thus declared after one autumnal equinox that Yungib had chosen Malaya as the next member of the scouts.[1]
Attempt to eliminate the foreign earthbenders
In 66 BG, Malaya noticed the arrival of a small group of six earthbending foreigners on their island. This group included four mercenaries and two researchers, Yuming and Qixia, who began to explore the area. After learning of this, Ulo ordered his scouts to observe the intruders and to keep him informed. Malaya's initial reports largely concluded that Yuming and Qixia were peaceful as well as curious explorers, whereas their four guards appeared bored, aimless, and disoriented. Ulo angrily rejected the implication that the foreigners could be harmless, warning the scout that outsiders were never truly well-intentioned.[1]
Eventually, Malaya reported that the intruders had begun to gradually move inland, making encounters with Lambak people more likely. Ulo then ordered the scout to force the outsiders to turn around, though warned her that they had to be killed if they discovered the clan's existence.[1] In truth, this order was a test of the chief; Ulo intended to have the earthbenders killed either way, but he wanted to see whether Malaya would realize on her own that murder was the only "way to keep the clan safe". To ensure that Malaya did not step out of line, he tasked Amihan to watch over her.[1][7]
When Malaya later returned, Ulo was in the process of restoring one of the charcoal paintings at the entrance of Yungib's Sacred Cave. After completing his work, the chief turned to the scout and ascertained from her nervous stance that she had not fulfilled her mission. He then retold the alleged story of the Ibalon clan's destruction at the hands of outsiders in the distant past, using it as an allegory that well-meaning would lead to their demise. Malaya countered that the foreigners did not deserve death, causing Ulo to get so furious that he engulfed her in ice, using the air's moisture in a display of his bending skills. After the scout endured this torture for a few moments, the chief released her and offered a mild apology. He claimed that he understood her reluctance to kill, but argued that empathy should not stop them from doing anything which could protect their clan. The two were then interrupted by a trio of other waterbenders who had arrived to start their shift in the Sacred Cave, creating the island's protective fog. After greeting the new arrivals, Ulo ordered Malaya to reunite with Amihan and murder the intruders.[5]
Crisis management
Contrary to Ulo's orders, Malaya instead went rogue and interrupted an attempt by Amihan to kill the earthbenders.[9] Furthermore, the island's peace was further interrupted by the arrival of Avatar Roku who stumbled into the cave system, unexpectedly surprising the waterbenders who summoned the protective fog. In the resulting clash, the waterbenders were wounded and Roku incapacitated, resulting in the fog disappearing.[10] Realizing that something was wrong, the chief and other clan members rushed into the caves and were able to save their lives.[11] While his fellow Lambak waterbenders recovered, Ulo took Roku into custody in his hut and treated him with local medicine, as he was able to discern the boy's aura and thus identify him as the Avatar.[2][11] To avoid a panic, Ulo told most of the other clan members that he had merely ordered the waterbenders to pause the fog creation so they could rest before the upcoming autumnal equinox. Claiming that his people should enjoy the extra sunlight, they were calmed and resumed their daily activities.[12]
When Roku first awakened, the chief introduced himself before using some sedative-laced tea to put him back into a healing sleep.[11] While the Avatar rested, Ulo ordered Amihan to capture the foreign earthbenders, keeping then alive to use them as a bait for Malaya as well as Roku's potential companions.[13][8] Ulo later kindly explained his ability to perceive auras to the young Avatar. He also introduced Roku to his clan's ways, though did not mention their xenophobic militancy. Having gained a bit of trust, the chief subsequently learned from Roku that he had come on the orders of Fire Nation prince Sozin as well as the foreign earthbenders' membership in the resource-greedy Western Kingdom Trading Company.[2] Ulo was troubled by the implications of Roku's tale, as it meant that the four nations were increasingly focusing on the Lambak clan's homelands.[4][14]
Over two days, the chief continued to nurse the Avatar back to health, and gave him a tour of the clan village. In the process, Ulo told Roku about the effects of the Sacred Cave on bending, including the limitations. In the following night, the Fire National sneaked out of the chief's hut to visit the cave. Before long, Ulo followed and found him at the Sacred Cave's entrance, where he pretended to be unbothered and kindly explained the meaning of the local paintings to the young Avatar. Though Roku remained distrustful, Ulo gradually began to convince him of his genuine desire to protect the Lambak clan as well as the valuable uniqueness of its mixed community.[4] Unbeknownst to the chief, Roku was later covertly contacted by his friend Gyatso and warned about Ulo's ulterior motives.[15][16]
Final autumnal equinox and death
When the day of the autumnal equinox arrived, Ulo invited Roku to venture into the most holy area of the Sacred Cave. The chief explained this offer by claiming that the Avatar might be able to contact Yungib, even as they completed the traditional ceremony.[6][17] In reality, Ulo concluded that he could offer Roku as a sacrifice to Yungib. He hoped the spirit might grant him the Avatar's powers so he could keep defending the Lambak clan.[14] To prepare for this act, Ulo attempted to slip Roku sedative tea, but the distrustful Fire National only feigned drinking it.[17]
After completing the initial parts of the ceremony with the rest of the clan, Ulo and Roku ventured into the Sacred Cave. Once they were close to the ritual site, Ulo revealed how he had never actually met Yungib and that the ritual was actually only necessary to siphon the spirit's powers. The chief further posited that they might be able to transfer the spirit energy into Roku whose special status as the Avatar could allow him to permanently keep an enhanced bending. In return for this gift of great power, he asked for the Avatar's protection of the Lambak clan in the future. Though Roku correctly recognized this as a lie, he ostensibly agreed to Ulo's proposal.[6]
The two sat in the Lotus position at the hill in the Sacred Cave's sanctum, and began mediating.[6][18] When Ulo felt the energy of Yungib entering the cave, he launched an immediate attack on Roku with an ice spear, but the Avatar evaded thanks to having sensed a shift in the chief's aura.[19][14] Screaming at the younger man with a rage that he had concealed for days, Ulo accused him of ruining the ritual and revealed his true intentions. Even though Roku tried to reason with him, the Lambak leader refused to back down and continued their duel.[14][20] After a hard battle, the chief was hit by a powerful airbending blast of Roku and knocked unconscious.[20] When the waterbender reawakened, he discovered that the Avatar had reentered mediation and promptly launched a storm of icicles at his distracted opponent, only for the attack to be fended off by a newly arrived firebender: Prince Sozin. However, the firebender was knocked out by his own enhanced bending. Ulo renewed his attacks, aiming to hit either Sozin or the reawakened Avatar.[3] Seeking to protect his friend at all costs, Roku finally ran out of patience and released the full power of his firebending, killing the chief and shattering the entire cave.[3][21]
After the crisis' eventual conclusion, Ulo's corpse was recovered by the Lambak clan and ceremonially burned alongside other clan members who had been killed in the recent conflict. The chiefdom passed to Baku.[22]
Legacy
Even though Ulo's plan to maintain the isolationism and independence of the Lambak clan failed, he had exerted some influence on Roku's worldview.[4][15] This contributed to the Avatar's later demand for the clan's continued autonomy within the Fire Nation. This demand was partially met by Sozin.[23][24]
Appearance
By the end of his life, Ulo was an elderly man with dark brown skin,[3] long white-gray hair as well as a beard.[1][2][21] Despite his age, however, his icy blue eyes were still sharp and his body strong with noticeable muscles.[1]
Personality
Ulo was a dominant as well as fanatical man who firmly believed that his people could only survive through brutally enforced isolationism. In his elder years, he often appeared mild-mannered, wise,[1] and even kind, but this could mask an unrelenting hatred and fury directed toward non-Lambak people.[1][5] Regarding Lambak Island as a sanctuary for his people and their ancient ways, Ulo viewed the four nations as perpetually exploitative and aggressive. For him, outsiders would always try to enforce "colonization, subjugation, and forcible segregation" upon communities like the Lambak clan,[2] even if they might be well-intentioned. Thus, foreigners could never be trusted and had to be fought off under any circumstances.[1][5]
He regarded it as perfectly fine to lie to his clan about his powers and knowledge as long as it kept them "safe" under his firm leadership.[6] If people questioned him, he did not hesitate to violently punish dissidents including by torturing them.[1][5] Ulo seemed to regard people with other viewpoints as naive; thus, he treated, taught, and disciplined them like children, even if they were warriors like Malaya or the Avatar like Roku.[1][5][2] This tendency often led him to underestimate others.[5][6]
Abilities
Ulo was a skilled and precise waterbender and warrior.[1][5] At Yungib's Sacred Cave, he repeatedly displayed considerable bending power, such as when he was able to gather moisture from the air and flash-freeze Malaya within seconds or when he battled Avatar Roku.[5][14][20] However, it is unclear to what extent these feats were enhanced by the cave's spirit powers.[2][4]
Ulo was able to see the aura of people, a very rare skill by the 1st century BG.[2] The chief was also a decent artist[5] and a talented orator, the latter skill being crucial to his leadership style.[1][5] Malaya assessed that Ulo excelled at a "beautiful, slick, and insidious" form of demagogic storytelling.[12] Regardless of the moral implications of the chief's ruling style, he was assessed as a fairly effective and sensible leader by Roku.[4]
Relatives
- His daughters[1]
Appearances
Trivia
- Ulo literally means "head" in Filipino, which compliments his status as the chief of the clan. It is the root word of "pangulo", where the prefix "pang-" turns it into "the one who heads".