Gaotona

Gaotona
by botanicaxu
Profession	Arbiter
Groups	Heritage Faction
Nationality	Grand
Homeworld	Sel
Universe	Cosmere

Gaotona is an arbiter of the Heritage Faction of the Rose Empire on Sel. He is noted as being the most influential of the arbiters, due to favor of the emperor .

Appearance and Personality

He is elderly, and the oldest of the arbiters . He is noted for being a very genuine person.^[expand]

• Images of Gaotona
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  Portrait by User: Botanicaxu

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  The Emperor's Soul by User: Botanicaxu

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  Gaotona and Shai by Lyraina

History

Gaotona was born in the same area as Ashravan. He extensively studied art of historical cultures. He became Ashravan's mentor, constantly encouraging him to become emperor. He is known to have been incredibly close with Ashravan, which has given him influence among the other arbiters. Gaotona, along with Frava and three others, were appointed as the five main arbiters of the Rose Empire. The resentment Ashravan felt for Gaotona slowly pushed Gaotona out of favor with the emperor. Gaotona disagreed with Frava on almost every topic discussed. When the Glory Faction sent assassins after the emperor, Gaotona and the other arbiters took over with damage control. They first brought in resealers to heal the wound. The physical wound was healed, but Ashravan's mind was gone. To keep their positions, Gaotona and the other arbiters considered secretly hiring Shai, currently a prisoner, to reForge Ashravan's soul. Gaotona, observing Shai's artwork, voted yes on using her out of a desire to understand her. This was the first time in years he and Frava had agreed on a vote.

Gaotona volunteers to personally oversee Shai's work to reForge Ashravan's soul. He is extremely cautious in guarding Shai. He forbids her from telling her guards about her work. He also employs Weedfingers to use Bloodsealing to prevent Shai from escaping. Gaotona's previous interaction with Weedfingers led him to believe the man is trustworthy in imprisoning her. Gaotona continued to watch and visit Shai each day as she worked. While Shai was doing her initial research into Ashravan's life, gaotona brought a book to her room to read. Gaotona asks Shai to tell him about how Forgery works after he wattches her Forge the desk in her room. He finds the bits of Realmatic Theory that she tells him to be superstitious nonsense, but his mind is open to learning. At Shai's advice, Gaotona increases the security around the emperor. He appoints someone to change a fake chamber pot and forbids anyone without a card showing his personal signature to enter the room. The seventeenth day after the assassination attempt, Gaotona took a break from watching Shai and went to the Delbahad festivities.

Gaotona and Shai by Lyraina

Gaotona offered himself up as the test subject for Shai's Essence Marks, as he fit the qualifications and did not want to subject any of his people to the abomination of Soul Forgery. The first one he tried took, but the second did not. Talking to Shai about art, Gaotona realized there was something the arbiters missed about ShuXen's painting. Shai admitted to him that the version hanging in Frava's office was a fake and that she'd burned the original. Angry at the destruction, Gaotona left for the day. Gaotona remained angry at Shai for burning the painting for some time, though he was able to return to a professional relationship and continue testing the Essence Marks. By day fifty-eight, he had tested over a hundred stamps for Shai. In order to better understand what Shai is doing to him, Gaotona studies Forgery and soulstamps. His understanding grows quickly, and he soon can recognize what specific symbols in the stamps represent. Shai finally uses the soulstamp showing Ashravan's shame felt from Gaotona. The realization shocks Gaotona. Shai comments that, unlike the other arbiters, Gaotona is willing to use Forgery because he wants the man he loved as a son back. Gaotona realizes that, despite their best efforts, they've all underestimated Shai and her ability with people.

On day seventy-six, Gaotona decides to bring Shai's Essence Marks to her room to talk to her about them. When he arrives, Gaotona finds Shai stamping the wall to paint it with intricate patterns and designs. Gaotona observes that Shai had the skills to paint the walls herself and wonders again why Shai would choose to Forge it instead. Gaotona asks about the five Essence Marks, and Shai tells him the truth about her escape plan if she ever wanted to leave the life of a Forger. Shai also tells him the truth about ShuXen hiring her to destroy his own painting. While Gaotona does not agree with Shai, he understands her perspective. He also sees the potential in soulstamps to bring awareness of other people's perspectives to people.

When Gaotona learned that Shai had broken out of her room, he immediately went for Ashravan's rooms, bringing Shai's Essence Marks with him. Gaotona returns them to her, keeping up the arbiters' end of the deal. Gaotona realizes that Shai manipulated him, but is unsure how. Shai tells him it was the hardest way possible, by being genuine. Shai gives him a book containing the truth and he tells her to leave, before Weedfingers catches her. Fearful of what he'll find, Gaotona enters Ashravan's room. Gaotona is amazed at the similarity between what Shai created and the original Ashravan. When Gaotona read the copy of the book Shai had left him, he discoveredd it was a copy of Ashravan's soulstamp. Shai had written an explanation of the modifications she'd made that would, slowly, lead to Ashravan becoming a better man. Overcome by the beauty of the art Shai had reated in her work, Gaotona realized the only way the modifications would work is if no one knows about them. He burns the book.

Notes

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