History of the Dark Nation

The Dark Nation is a younger nation, established on an archipelago neighboring the Light Kingdom. It started as a lawless zone, a simple home for refugees from Ozai’s conquests. These refugees came from all over, even the Fire Nation, but the majority of their population hailed from the Earth Kingdom. Some held old grudges, considering the firebending refugees as enemies, but others tried to bury their hatchets as much as they could. Over time, the mingling of the water, earth, and firebenders gave rise to children who, with much practice, could exert limited mastery over two elements. Eventually, children who had more than two elements in their bloodline began to exert control over an entirely new element: Darkness.

As they united through friendships and family bonds, large clans and alliances began to form in this lawless zone, becoming a force to be reckoned with. They began raiding Light territories, kidnapping and looting to support their own growth.

100 years after the fall of Ozai (100 AO), the Light Kingdom sent an army to put down this threat. The leading general, Fen Daiyu, was ruthless and efficient. These ruling clans were given the choice of flying his banner or having their villages razed in the night. Some surrendered quickly, where others chose to fight to the last man- These clans proved most difficult to subjugate. Even with a powerful navy and an organized ground force, Fen Daiyu found his campaign coming to a standstill.

A single night before he was ready to admit defeat, he stumbled across a small clearing that housed a shriveled and shivering man. Taking pity on this man, Fen offered refuge at his camp, in exchange for only this man’s loyalty. He thought he could perhaps use this man for vital information, but this man only laughed at him. A dry, humorless laugh. The man explained that he pitied Fen, for to be in this place was a cruel fate indeed.
Angrily, Fen asked why. Looking closer, he could see that his man had some sort of root system growing through his veins, visible only due to this man’s malnourished state. The man explained that he was no ordinary man- He was a spirit, visible only to those whose ambition outweighed their very need to breathe. Further, he had a proposition for Fen. One that would bring him, his children, and his children’s children wealth, power, and drive. To Fen, it would bring the power he needed to exert dominance over those who opposed him.
In exchange, he would have no less than three heirs. These heirs would inherit Fen’s incredible avarice, but one would be fated to give himself to the spirit. Should he fail to give himself to the spirit, the spirit would take what was rightfully his.

Fen did not hesitate. Short-sighted as he was, he would have taken any solution. He offered his hand for a handshake, which the spirit clasped and shook firmly. As their hands met a thorn split from the spirit’s palm, injecting something into Fen’s hands. Thinking nothing of it, he went happily to his camp. After that day, his soldiers whispered that something was off about Fen. He seemed… hungrier before. Though he was ruthless, he seemed even more deadly efficient after that day. That deadly efficiency came to serve him well, however.

Fen Daiyu established dominion over the lawless zone within a year. As he had observed these people, he came to observe their emergent style of bending. This “Dark Bending” was not something he could bring himself to snuff out. On the contrary, he wanted its power for himself.

When what came to be known as the Daiyu Campaign came to an end, Fen Daiyu had taken a wife- One of these “Dark Benders”. Over his conquered lands, he did not fly the Light Kingdom’s flag over his claimed lands. Rather, he took the lands he was given for himself, flying a new banner for what he called his Dark Nation- an opposition to the Light.
He did not stop there. Fen Daiyu’s ambition yet hungered. In secret, Fen Daiyu gathered a handful of skilled merchants. He made large investments into their endeavors and scattered them among the other nations, in return for both continuing dividends and recruitment into his conglomerate- Vantage Trade Protections.
He set this in motion with the intent of his mercantile kingdom maturing, becoming a continuing inheritance to pass to his children along with the Spirit’s aid.

He did not want his children to become spoiled by this bounty before they were ready, however. He wanted them to build their own strength, first. He would keep this a secret from his descendants until they came of age. One by one, he would stage their disappearance- At that point, they would be given their birthright and taken away for a time, to hone their skills in a new way and to introduce them to the Spirit’s service. Those who refused or rebuked their birthright would be given to the Spirit.
Fen Daiyu would go on to have many children, and these children would eventually have their own. Over the next 200 years, the Daiyu Dynasty flourished. However, Fen’s merchant guild, now called Vantage Tactical Solutions, became prosperous enough that, though they maintained ties to the Daiyu family due to their still-royal leadership, they came to split off and began activities purely for the growth of their company, rather than for the growth of the Dark Nation.

Now, the current queen of the Dark Nation, Pan Daiyu, actively fights to oppose them, as Vantage attempts to exert a new kind of control over the Dark Nation.