The Lair of Tanabrax

The Lair of Tanabrax is one of the four canon Spinjitzu Brothers books, focusing on Garmadon and Wu's formative years.https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1310970613335457793
==Official description==
The action-packed world of LEGO® NINJAGO®: Spinjitzu comes to life in this illustrated chapter book featuring Wu and Garmadon in their early adventures on the road to becoming Spinjitzu Masters! 
Wu and Garmadon both want to become Spinjitzu Masters—but a strange puppet master may pull the strings that will pull them apart before their training can truly begin. Do they have what it takes to help each other and work as a team to become true legends of Spinjitzu? Find out in this all-new illustrated chapter book series featuring the LEGO NINJAGO’s Spinjitzu Brothers!https://www.amazon.com/Spinjitzu-Brothers-Tanabrax-Ninjago-Stepping/dp/0593381432
==Plot==
===Prologue===
Master Wu and the ninja head to a village outside of Ninjago City to stop a couple of chicken thieves but it turns out they were just foxes. Although he is disappointed, Jay remarks that he doesn't mind coming here, for it's a nice break from training. Wu and the ninja soon find out the local villagers are celebrating a Turnip Festival.
But right when Jay mentioned that they should see traveling puppet show at the festival, Master Wu outbursts, saying that they could do something else other than watching the puppet show. Kai asks what he has against puppets and Wu tells them it's a long story, one that is part of his and Garmadon's journey to the northern ocean. He then sits near a tree with the ninja and proceeds to tell them what happened in the journey and his reason for hating puppets.
===Chapter 1: The Village===
Wu and Garmadon were playing "I Spy" after running out of things to talk and sing about. Garmadon soon spotted a village and the boys raced there. But when they arrived, they noticed villagers staring sadly at them and get rejected by another villager who refused to answer their questions and insisted they move on. Garmadon then caught a scent and they followed it to the marketplace, where they find a dumpling stand. They soon realize they only had money for one dumpling but decided to order anyways. However, Garmadon gets into a squabble with the dumpling seller over which one is the biggest.
Just then, a girl called to the seller to give them a plate of dumplings. She introduces herself to them as Hana and her grandmother, Obachan. Wu explained to them they had been traveling and asked if they knew anyone who wanted an extra hand. But when he mentioned staying the night, Obachan immediately told him otherwise. The brothers get suspicious so Hana eventually told them their village was in danger with people disappearing, including her own brother. But Obachan cut her off and suggested they leave before the night falls. Hana then asked where they could go as the next village was a day's journey away. Garmadon assured them they would be safe as they were ninja so Obachan finally agreed and let Hana lead them to her brother's room.
Up in his room, Wu asked Garmadon what he thought about the conversation, but he shrugged it off, unworried. They soon fell asleep after that.
===Chapter 2: A Creepy Secret===
Wu dreamed. They had found a tea plant to which Wu promptly made tea and gave to his brother to cure the evil. Instead, Garmadon's eyes turned red and he grew bigger and bigger. Wu ran away, shouting for help. He woke up to find someone actually yelling for help and he and Garmadon jumped out of the window to rescue the man. They discovered the perpetrators were puppets; but when they tried to follow them, they get swept up by snares. At that point, they decided to return to Hana, who thanked them for saving Kenji. Garmadon then remarked that she could've mentioned creepy living puppets running around at night and Wu suggested they tell the whole story so Hana brought them in. Obachan was waiting with a hot pot of tea, pleased to admit that she was wrong of her assumptions about them. She offered some to them as she and Hana both shared tales of villagers who disappeared, including Hana's brother, Shin. Hana then asked them for help to which they both eventually agreed—with Garmadon's plan for Wu as bait.
===Chapter 3: Bunch and Moody===
The next night, Wu sarcastically exclaimed how wonderful it was to be asleep outside so he could be kidnapped, causing Garmadon to chide him. They stopped squabbling when they heard two puppets, Bunch and Moody, argue how they were possibly supposed to bring another soul to their boss with all the ninja in the way. Garmadon then had Wu say something—less suspicious—so the puppets could find him. Bunch got excited and had all the puppets tie Wu up and carry him through the woods to a door in the ground. After a few seconds, Garmadon ran over and followed the puppet footprints down into the dark tunnel.
===Chapter 4: The Shadow Man===
The tunnel opened up into a large cave where tall figure made of shadow, who called himself Tanabrax, grinned as he saw a ninja was brought to him. While he went to prepare a puppet, Wu sprang out and started to Spinjitzu. But Tanabrax then held up a medallion around his neck and started chanting what Garmadon figured out was the djinn language. Before he could help him though, a tendril of white energy streamed out of Wu's mouth into one of a puppet Tanabrax held up. Just then, he heard a voice call him out and saw Moody pointing at him. Tanabrax and the other puppets soon see him there too so Garmadon grabbed Moody and ran out of the tunnel.
===Chapter 5: A Puppet Problem===
Moody pleaded for his release as Garmadon ran back to Hana's house and they all surrounded him. Garmadon insisted that they only needed information from him but Obachan threatened to turn Moody into a salad bowl if he refused to speak. Moody then told them how Tanabrax turned people into puppets with his medallion and his motives behind the idea. They also learned what happened to their regular bodies if their soul was out of it for too long and how Tanabrax used to look like a regular man. While Hana made fun of Moody's idea that he and Bunch would be ruling by Tanabrax's side, Garmadon reassured that her brother and the others would not remain as puppets for long.
===Chapter 6: Time to Train===
Garmadon turned to leave but Obachan and Hana stopped him from running off without a solid plan. They suggested that they should get the villagers to help too but Moody started crying about all the different obstacles they would have to overcome to defeat Tanabrax before realizing he shouldn't even be helping them. However, Obachan tricked him into staying by praising his smart brain and Moody decided to stay as their number-one puppet.
They wasted no time and rounded up as many volunteers they could find. After that, they started training. At first, they had much trouble following the basic moves Garmadon showed them but after he suggested they use their own farm tools, they were a lot more successful with their practices. He and Obachan also showed them how to avoid the snares by blowing some flour on them. And at that moment, the sun rose so they prepared to rescue their friends and family.
===Chapter 7: Into the Lair===
As they all walked to the woods, Obachan handed Garmadon—to his amusement—a mirror as a backup plan against Tanabrax. She then struck up a conversation with Moody about his loyalty and number-one puppet status between Tanabrax and them. They soon reached the gnarled trees in the woods, which caused some of the villagers to rethink whether they were ready for the mission. But it was too late to reconsider as the puppets launched a surprise attack from above. Garmadon reminded everyone of their training to keep the busy. Fights break out as the villagers kicked and swiped at the puppets, who ran at them with clubs in their fists. They soon realized they had more trouble when arrows started flying. Hana was able to find the source so Obachan took over the charge of the villagers while Hana, Moody, and Garmadon made their way down the lair.
Down in the tunnel, Hana used the flour to check for snares. They found Bunch waiting for them, who started an argument with Moody about his loyalty. The two puppets launched into a fight while Garmadon and Hana ran ahead to find Tanabrax. But another puppet stepped out onto the path, one who immediately launched at them with Spinjitzu: Wu.
===Chapter 8: Brother vs. Puppet===
Wu attacked Garmadon, with a strength still as strong as if he were human. Hana quickly found a solution to trap him inside a trunk to avoid Garmadon accidentally breaking Wu's puppet body. Once he's trapped, Garmadon enters through a door and finds people that look like their puppets in an eternal sleep on cots. As he ran over to check on Wu, a maniacal laugh echoed across the room. He turned and saw Tanabrax, demanding he fix all the puppets. But Tanabrax objected, saying he already did, so Garmadon charged at him. He passed right through him as Tanabrax laughed that there was no way to defeat shadow. Just then, Bunch barged in with an army of puppets carrying some of the volunteers. Tanabrax then praised him but first proceeded to steal Garmadon's soul.
===Chapter 9: The Medallion===
Hana soon ran in and shouted for Garmadon to use Obachan's mirror. Tanabrax continued to chant away, believing the mirror couldn't do anything, but he slowly became dizzy and Garmadon seized the medallion from him. Unfortunately, Tanabrax quickly cornered him with one of his cold tendrils, causing Garmadon to drop it.
Suddenly, Obachan arrived and tossed Moody up to a hatch. He opened it and sunlight pours into the cave. Tanabrax himself dissolved as soon as he came in contact, releasing the magical control on the puppets. Garmadon, the villagers, and the puppets regroup as they try to figure out how to fix everything. Eventually, they find a spell that could return their souls to their body in the djinn book Tanabrax had. Bunch and Moody then realized that the spell would end their lives but after some consideration, they agree to have Garmadon cast the spell. Garmadon took the medallion and recited the spell as loud as he could. Nothing happened at first, but then they watched golden light flow out from the mouths of the puppets into those of their bodies. Everyone then woke up and they reunited with their loved ones in the room. Bunch and Moody dissolved into dust, which swirled and floated out the ceiling.
As everyone prepared to go for a feast at the village, Garmadon, Wu, and Hana took one last look at the puppets and decided that they should be left alone in the lair. They leave the lair but not before Garmadon and Wu also realized that the latter's puppet was missing.
===Chapter 10: Hearts of Gold===
Once outside, they rolled a big rock over the entrance. Then they all reunited at the village, where they gave their cheers to Bunch and Moody for having hearts of gold in the end. While everyone prepared for the feast, Hana went over to Wu and Garmadon and personally thanked them for stopping by and saving their village but more importantly — her own brother, Shin. After that, they helped Obachan hide away the medallion in a flour crock beneath some flowers in her garden. Knowing everything Obachan had done in the last twenty-four hours, Garmadon assured a worrisome Wu that the medallion would kept safely away. Finally, they were able to go eat some of Mrs. Uchida's dumplings, who Obachan insists would never be as good as hers but should fill them up either way.
===Epilogue===
The six ninja stare at Wu in shock. Suddenly, Jay screams and they all see a wooden puppet heading towards them. Cole immediately attacks it, which earns a disapproved inquiry from a man who was actually managing the puppet. Cole and Jay apologize and the latter explains he was just playing a prank after hearing a scary puppet story while Cole gave the puppet back to the scowling puppeteer. But when the puppeteer asks whether they wanted to come watch another non-scary puppet show they were doing soon, the ninja make excuses about how they had other things to do.
As they walk back home, Cole demands they all admit the story spooked them to which they simultaneously agree. Then they discussed with Wu the whereabouts of his puppet and Tanabrax, getting more donuts, and making sure to stick together. But as they leave the festival, a puppet watched them from the back of a traveling wagon — one with glowing glass eyes and no strings.
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Cole
*Jay
*Kai
*Lloyd
*Nya
*Wu/Puppet Wu
*Zane
====Mentioned====
*First Spinjitzu Master
====Miscellaneous====
*Bunch (flashback)
*Garmadon (flashback)
*Hana (flashback)
*Moody (flashback)
*Mrs. Uchida (flashback)
*Old Man Jiro (flashback)
*Kenji (flashback)
*Obachan (flashback)
*Shin (flashback)
*Tanabrax (flashback)
*Uchida (flashback)
===Items===
*Bo staff
*Dumplings
*Mooncakes (mentioned)
*Turnips
*Turnip donuts
*Tanabrax's medallion (flashback)
===Locations===
*Ninjago
**Temple of Felis (mentioned)
**Monastery of Spinjitzu (mentioned)
**Village (flashback)
**Tanabrax's lair (flashback)
*Northern ocean (mentioned)
===Species===
*Djinns (mentioned)
*Dragons (pictured)
*Foxes (mentioned)
*Humans
*Nindroids
*Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
*Puppets
==Trivia==
*The working title for this book was Lair of the Dark Master.https://web.archive.org/web/20221222220625im_/https://www.ameet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/LEGO-BOOKS-presentation_Strona_31-scaled.jpg
*The overall plot of the book that people disappear from the village and the villagers are afraid, only for the main characters to help them, and the puppets are somehow incorporated into the whole story seems to be inspired by "The Puppetmaster," the episode from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
*In the book it was mentioned that the djinns have their own language. As Nadakhan grew up in the home realm of the djinns, it is likely he knew this language.
===Error===
*When Wu and Garmadon sleep in Shin's bed, at least Wu is wearing a night-shirt. However, when they run out to save Kenji, they are already wearing their normal clothes.
==Gallery==
===Promotional media===
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===In The Lair of Tanabrax===
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C8BB59D9-D99E-4A6F-BA0E-7A86ABEFD26C.jpeg|"Garmadon looked at Hana. "Why are you doing this? You don't even know us."Hana shrugged. "You look hungry. And Grandma and I like to feed people."
0CCA23F6-6484-4B56-A1D9-C514A3A12C55.jpeg|"Well, we're ninja and we're not afraid," Garmadon informed them, and he spun into a dashing ninja kick to prove it.
FC4B00F5-C911-4FA6-9F63-B4E1D029CB9F.jpeg|Then he jumped onto the bed. "Mine!""No fair! You can't just call it like that."
Kenji being kidnapped by puppets.jpeg|Outside, a group of what looked like kids — or were they tiny men? — were carrying a man more than twice their size down the street.
863A8E7A-2DE8-4BCB-BC66-F743BF557AE9 1 105 c.jpeg|Several of the inhabitants had come outside and gathered around the miserable man the puppets had tried to kidnap.
Screenshot 2022-03-03 at 09-04-11.jpg|"I tried to go after them, but—""But I stopped her. I do not need to lose both of my grandchildren."
Screen Shot 2022-03-05 at 2.02.08 PM.jpeg|Garmadon peered through a hold in the garden wall. About a dozen puppets were outside on the street. Two of the puppets seemed to be leading them.
Screen Shot 2022-04-19 at 11.41.56 AM.jpeg|All the puppets rushed toward Wu, covering him like a swarm of killer bees.
Screen Shot 2022-04-19 at 11.41.37 AM.jpeg|Garmadon followed them swiftly and silently, staying in the shadows. The puppets carried Wu into the woods.
Screen Shot 2022-04-19 at 11.40.56 AM.jpeg|Garmadon ran to the door and opened it. It led to a tunnel. He saw tiny puppet footprints in the dirt and followed them.
Garmadon spying on Tanabrax and the puppet army.jpeg|The puppets carried Wu over to their master, and a crooked grin spread aross his face.
Tanabrax turning Wu into a puppet (1).jpeg|Wu slowly stopped, his eyes locked to the medallion.
Tanabrax turning Wu into a puppet (2).jpeg|A tendril of white, glowing energy began to stream from Wu's mouth and into the mouth of the puppet!
Tanabrax and the puppet army.jpeg|"Well, the puppet idea was his, because a soul in a puppet body can live forever."
Garmadon training the villagers.jpeg|The villagers ran to the fence and began kicking the posts. Some of them made contact, but Garmadon was surprised to see that half of them couldn't even manage a proper kick.
Garmadon, Moody, and Hana.jpg|Hana took some flour from a small pouch hanging from her belt and blew on it. The powdery white grains settled on the floor.
Part of Page 62 of The Lair of Tanabrax.jpeg|Then he saw his brother, lying motionless on a cot, his eyes closed. Garmadon ran over, and shook him.
Tanabrax vs Garmadon (1).jpeg|He charged toward Tanabrax — and passed right through him!
Tanabrax with his medallion.jpeg|Tanabrax held out the medallion and pointed it at Garmadon. It began to glow.
Tanabrax vs Garmadon (2).jpeg|"Give me back that medallion!"
Tanabrax being exposed to the sun.jpeg|Obachan tossed Moody into the air. He sailed up and yanked on a handle in the ceiling. Sunlight streamed through the open hatch and hit Tanabrax.
Tanabrax's death.jpeg|Tanabrax's body began to dissolve into wisps of smoke. Then his face dissolved, too.
Screen Shot 2022-03-05 at 1.34.39 PM.jpeg|Garmadon held up the medallion like he'd seen Tanabrax do. Then he said the words in the djinn language as loudly as he could.
Bunch & Moody's deaths.jpg|The two puppets were slowly fading away.
Part of Page 79 of The Lair of Tanabrax.jpeg|"We really need to thank you," Hana said. "If you hadn't come to our village, I never would have gotten my brother back. I don't know what I would have done without him."Garmadon looked over at Wu. "I know what you mean."
Puppet Wu watching the ninja.jpeg|"I wonder whatever happened to that puppet of you, Master Wu." Lloyd said.Master Wu shrugged. "I'm sure it's still somewhere in that underground lair. I don't really think much about it anymore."
Image 9450.jpeg|And in the back of the travelling wagon, a puppet sat up and watched them go. A puppet with glowing glass eyes and no string...
==Translations==
==References==
Category:Books
Category:2021
Category:Spinjitzu Brothers
de:Die Höhle des Seelendiebs