Tayagum

Tayagum was a waterbender and trusted warrior of the Water Tribes, serving in an important role for Chief Oyaluk during the Platinum Affair, along with his husband Akuudan. After being imprisoned in the Earth Kingdom when the international blunder began to unfold, Tayagum and Akuudan became trusted contacts and allies of Avatar Yangchen, and helped her investigate and bring an end to the Unanimity project.
== History ==
=== Early history ===
Tayagum was born in the Orca Islands to Angtan and Taganak, and was named after his cousin. He came to serve in a high-profile, secretive military capacity for the Water Tribes that involved direct orders from Chief Oyaluk in the Northern capital of Agna Qel'a. At some point, he met and married Akuudan a fellow warrior who hailed from the Southern Water Tribe. They modified the traditional custom of giving a hand-carved necklace by both wearing betrothal armbands; Akuudan made Tayagum use all of his failed attempts at carving to use as stones on his own armband, though the stone that Akuudan carved was perfect the first time. He spent time in Bin-Er at some point, and became acquainted with Mama Ayunerak.
During the Platinum Affair, they served as expedition quartermasters, escorting the Water Tribe's payment of platinum ingots to General Nong under diplomatic pretenses. However, they were run down by Earth King Feishan's forces at Llamapaca's Crossing, along with the platinum they were guarding. The Water Tribe ambassadors could not get them released right away, and eventually, they stopped trying. The two warriors were disavowed by Oyaluk, and were only freed when Avatar Yangchen personally took it upon herself to negotiate amnesty for them. The husbands became firm allies of Yangchen, believing her to be a person who would help others without question. After being freed, they came to run a Water Tribe inn located in the shang city of Jonduri which could act as a safe house for the Avatar's allies.
=== Unanimity project ===
In year 17 of the era of Yangchen, Tayagum arrived on a pickup boat in the Baizhi Sea, coming to collect Kavik, Yangchen's new informant who she could not officially bring into Jonduri. He reached down and clasped Kavik's arm, pulling him up to the boat. He smiled when he met him, glad to meet "kin" from the Water Tribes. They waterbent together to ride out of the patch of windless sea, and took a break when they could unfurl the sails, chatting about Kavik's past. After doing so, he used a rope to hoist up Kavik and startle him, as if he were trying to garotte his contact. After he unwound the line, he told Kavik to keep his head on straight, as the pickup could have been compromised. When Kavik asked if he would have been able to really overpower Tayagum and steal the boat, he snorted, telling him no, and to remember his passphrases.
As they neared the city, Tayagum explained that it was impossible for even adept waterbenders such as them to survive landing the dangerous beaches of Jonduri, and that they had no choice but to dock at the harbor, where only Tayagum and his assistant were authorized to leave and enter. Tayagum hoped that the new harbor agent, Ping, would be on duty and easily mistake Kavik for Tayagum's assistant, but it ended up being Harbormaster Lee on duty. Slowing their approach enough to avoid suspicion, Kavik asked if his hair was the same as his assistant, and after hearing that their height, build, and hairstyle were all the same, he smashed his face onto a hard surface to make it bloody and unrecognizable. When they arrived to meet the harbormaster, Tayagum's assistant was reprimanded for his supposed incompetence, and led Kavik down the pier, instructing him to keep his head down. After hustling down the streets of Jonduri, they made their way to the inn, where Tayagum giving him a place to sit. He left Kavik in Akuudan's care, and went back to the dock to smooth things over.
After Tayagum returned from the dock, he chatted quietly with Akuudan as Kavik napped. When he woke up, they offered him a meal, with Tayagum noting that Jonduri was able to get Water Tribe ingredients easily due to the large amount of trade in the city. Kavik tried to inquire more about Tayagum's assistant, but was met with standoffishness. He began to speculate on Tayagum and Akuudan's past, and they ended up telling Kavik what Yangchen had done for them, with Tayagum's nostrils flaring when Kavik made a somewhat disparaging comment about the Avatar. Kavik realized they were "true believers" in Yangchen, and then also inquired about when they were wed, having deduced that they were a married couple. They reminisced about their past and the romantic meaning of their betrothal armbands before finishing dinner. When Kavik explained his mission to find information on the Unanimity project in Jonduri, Tayagum and Akuudan were skeptical about the plan, especially since Kavik talked about simply getting roughed up in Bin-Er. The couple explained how Jonduri was a different city from Bin-Er due to Chaisee's complete grip on the flow of information, as well as the more cutthroat attitudes on the island. Kavik then worried about Yangchen meeting Chaisee face-to-face, but Tayagum said she would be okay, as it was aboveground, and Akuudan said that they would talk her out about her plan for Kavik. When the younger waterbender gave them a look, Tayagum told him not to doubt her, as they were professionals who knew when the risk was too great. Kavik pointed out that if they had been in the game for so long, they should be ready to break the nose of Tayagum's assistant so that Lee did not get suspicious, which a tense Akuudan said he would do.
For the next few days, Tayagum went out to fish as they waited for the Avatar. By the middle of the third day, Yangchen still had not arrived, and Tayagum suspected that she was being watched and could not join them yet, doubtful that anyone would harm an Avatar. When Kavik doubted that, thinking of Avatars who had died violent deaths, Tayagum pointed out that those were great war heroes, not Avatars knifed in the middle of cities. Tayagum and Akuudan then told Kavik that they had an opening for him to join Chaisee's association, but it had to be that very night. When Kavik asked why there was so much unrest when Jonduri was supposedly pristine, Tayagum explained that Chaisee always sent people to "resolve the conflict". They also speculated on the nature of the Unanimity, with Tayagum was sure that it had to be money. Kavik then left the two men to join Chaisee's association after he pointed out to them that Yangchen herself would be willing to take such a risk.
Later, Tayagum and Akuudan met up with both Kavik and Yangchen. The Avatar was shocked after she learned that both her advisor, Sidao, and Kavik's former information broker, Qiu, had been killed. Yangchen was in shock, and while Tayagum said it was her call what to do next, she declared that she did not know, and stormed out the inn. Tayagum left with Akuudan and Kavik to go outside, but she had already left. While Akuudan despaired that they would not find her, Kavik had a hunch where she was, and left for the loudest beach on the island.
As Kavik kept working for the association, Tayagum and Akuudan provided him with some money, which he intentionally lost in gambling so that he could figure out what jobs people were being assigned. Yangchen then encouraged her informant to take on the job raiding the main warehouse in Jonduri, as it would likely give them access to the logbook that had the details on Unanimity. Before Kavik joined the team, Tayagum told him to move fast, as everyone would be trying to get the logbook if a fight broke out, and whoever was holding the goods would have all the negotiating power. When Kavik re-entered the inn, he told Tayagum, Akuudan and Yangchen that they had been wrong about Unanimity, first describing his fight in the warehouse and how he had recklessly opened the crates, with Tayagum voicing disapproval while showing a hint of respect with a smirk. Kavik explained that Unanimity was coming from Port Tuugaq on a ship called the Sunbeam. Before leaving to reach what she thought was the secret project, the Avatar tasked Tayagum and Akuudan with keeping an ear out for the warehouse workers in case Chaisee tried to retaliate against them. Kavik was told to stay under cover, and, secretly following orders from Kalyaan, he spent the next few days at the association building, telling the couple that sleeping there would help protect his cover.
Some time later, Yangchen returned to Jonduri, having deduced that she was wrong about Unanimity. She first picked up Kavik's partner, Jujinta, and then took him, Tayagum, and Akuudan to Bin-Er for their own safety and the extra help. Arriving at the city, they realized that the Unanimity project was actually three combustionbenders being used as human weapons. After arriving in the city, they first conducted a raid on Xiaoyun's position, with Yangchen quickly removing the air before Tayagum and Akuudan picked up his unconscious form. They moved on to Thapa next, Yangchen repeating the process, with Tayagum checking the room for hidden dangers as Akuudan hurled the huge combustionbender over his shoulder. Tayagum personally dragged away Zongdu Henshe, the very leader of the shangs who sought to use Unanimity as leverage. The raid on Yingsu, the final combustionbender, took longer, and Tayagum and Akuudan came rushing to Yangchen and Jujinta from deeper within the city, staying sight out of the gathering hall where the combustionbender had fallen back to. Tayagum was able to deliver an unstrung Water Tribe bow to Jujinta from a long wooden case, and then presented the marksman with the quiver. Jujinta said he could make the shot, but that there were too many places where Yingsu would be, and he could not pinpoint her precise location. Yangchen then launched herself at Yingsu, bellowing at her and commanding her to stand down, and Tayagum and Akuudan screamed at her out of concern. Yingsu fired in the Avatar's direction, but Yangchen was able to move aside, and the blast gave Jujinta an opening to strike Yingsu, allowing Yangchen to detain her and bring an end to the Unanimity project.
== Physical description ==
Tayagum was a wiry man, who had reached his forties by the time of the Unanimity crisis. He had a long face and a chin like a stone plinth.
== Relatives ==
== Appearances ==
== References ==
Category:A to Z
Category:Characters
Category:LGBT+ characters
Category:Major characters (Yangchen novels)
Category:Waterbenders
Category:Water Tribe characters
Category:Yangchen novels characters
Category:Yangchen's network