The Second Age

The Earth Kingdom territories are in turmoil after the assassination of Earth Queen Hou-Ting at the hands of Zaheer, a member of the Red Lotus and an airbender who sought to introduce chaos into the world. The city of Ba Sing Se, capital of the Earth Kingdom, is in disarray without its ruler—precisely the fire Zaheer intended to ignite. Unrest and uncertainty permeate through to the Lower Ring; with the Earth Queen dead, the line of succession is unclear and many residents of the megacity have begun to question whether they need a monarch at all. For Zaheer, once again apprehended by the Avatar and the White Lotus, this is an accomplishment. For the rest of the world, these shaky circumstances translate to a lack of security.   This perfect storm of uncertainty has emboldened petty Earth monarchs throughout the Earth Kingdom provinces to lay claim to the throne while others seek to use the chaos to bolster their political goals. One such aspiring leader, hailed by her followers as the ‘Great Uniter’, has used this chaos to her advantage, rallying Earth Kingdom citizens behind her cause through nationalist rhetoric to unite the disparate Earth Kingdom under the banner of a new Earth Empire. She intends to demonstrate her conviction by quelling the unrest in Ba Sing Se. To do so, the Great Uniter has established a network of covert and overt supporters throughout the Kingdom and within Republic City to foment unrest or rally support for her cause.