Otah Machi

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!!

Also known as Itani Noyga/Itani Noygu, Khai Machi, Emperor of the Khaiem.

Otah Machi is the sixth son of the Khai Machi. He first trains to be a poet but leaves the school. He then works as a laborer in Saraykeht when the andat is released, works as a fisherman in the Eastern Islands, and as a courier in Udun. He then becomes the Khai Machi, and later, the Emperor of the Khaiem.

A Shadow in Summer

Otah is first seen as a young boy entering the poet's school. He passes the first test, showing the strength to stand on his own feet by deciding to leave the school, and the second test, showing compassion in the face of cruelty when he cries about his treatment of young Maati. When he is told the purpose of the tests he is disgusted by the nature of the school and leaves permanently, while also refusing the brand. Before he leaves, he visits Maati and tells him the secret of the school.

Later, Otah has grown into a young man living under the false name of Itani Noygu and working as an indentured laborer in Saraykeht. He is lovers with Liat Chokavi and through her is sent by her mentor Amat Kyaan to spy on Marchat Wilsin's secret meeting. He then meets Maati Vaupathi again during negotiations for the sad trade.

He becomes close with Maati, who still views him as a teacher since Otah is the one who enabled Maati to become a poet. Otah travels to the village of the Dai-kvo to carry a message for Maati after the failed sad trade, asking for advice on what to do. Before he leaves he tells Liat that he is actually Otah Machi, the sixth son of the Khai Machi. Maati and Liat become lovers and Otah starts to consider what he wants to do in life. In the Dai-kvo's village he is able to confirm that his choice in his childhood to renounce the life of a poet was correct.

When he returns Maati tells him that Maati and Liat where having an affair. He is hurt and angry and withdraws from both Maati and Liat but continues to care for them deeply. He talks with Seedless and is shown how the andat and Galt's plot will soon be revealed and destruction will be visited upon the Galts for what they have done. He sees that he must kill the poet Heshai or else the lives of Maati, Liat, and thousands Galt women will be ruined. He finds the village woman Maj who had her baby removed and offers her a chance of vengeance against Heshai, the one directly responsible for her tragedy. She goes with him to the hovel Heshai goes to hide in and Otah strangles Heshai while Maj holds him down thus freeing Seedless.

Otah and Maj escape the city that night on ship.

A Betrayal in Winter

13 years have passed and Otah is still living under the name Itani Noygu. He has built a life as a courier for House Siyanti and is engaged in the gentleman's trade. His overseer Amit Foss wants to send him to Machi to see what he can learn about the succession that has started but Otah is reluctant. He goes to his lover Kiyan and tells her about his true identity, hoping to marry her. She is fearful of the consequences and rejects him completely, telling him to leave. Otah goes to Machi.

Once he arrives, he learns that Maati is also in Machi looking for him and he flees. His identity is revealed and he goes back to Machi to turn himself into Maati in hopes of protecting Kiyan. Maati brings him before the Khai Machi and the Khai has Otah locked in a tower for murdering his brother Biitrah. Maati is not convinced Otah did this and has been working the whole book to figure out who is actually behind it. Otah is broken out by hired thugs and the Khai is simultaneously murdered so that it looks like Otah did it. Otah's death is faked and it is revealed that Amit Foss had bought out the contract of the mercenaries hired to kidnap Otah. Kiyan is also there and reveals that she has decided to be with Otah because she is pregnant with his child. News comes that Danat, the last surviving son of the Khai, is also dead and Otah is blamed for it as well.

Otah decides that the only way he and his family can survive is if he becomes the Khai Machi. He sneaks back into Machi and contacts Maati. They try to discover who is behind the killings. Cehmai sends news that his lover Idaan Machi, Otah's sister, and her husbands house, Vauyanti, is the one behind everything. Otah presents this to the head of house Radaani and presents Cehmai as proof to gain the support of the utkhaiem families. During the council convened to determine the new Khai, Otah comes forward with his claim and accusation and is successful and becomes the Khai Machi.

An Autumn War

Otah has been Khai Machi for 15 years and has refused to take more than one wife, thus failing to build relations with the utkhaiem. He has a daughter and sickly son, both from his wife Kiyan. He has been training soldiers and sends them with Sinja Ajutani away from the cities of the Khaiem so they can gain some field experience and not seem threatening to the other cities. Liat comes with her son Nayiit with warnings of the Galt's plans which Otah believes. He sends a warning and asks for advice from the Dai-kvo. Kiyan also realizes that Nayiit is actually Otah's son, rather than Maati's and Otah has separate conversations with Kiyan and Liat to assure them that Nayiit's true parentage will remain secret. He also tells Liat he will not kill Nayiit in case his sickly son Danat should die and Nayiit needs to become Khai Machi.

After the Galts successfully release all the andat of the Khaiem Otah musters a company of men to ride to the Dai-kvo's aid in an attempt to save the Dai-kvo and his knowledge before the Galtish army reaches his village so that the cities of the Khaiem can maintain a chance a survival.He arrives too late and battles with the Galts in a humiliating defeat. He and his men enter the Dai-kvo's village to find everyone dead and all the books burned. Otah decides to try to beat the Galts to their next destination, Cetani, and devises a plan to defeat them. They ambush the army at a road and use bear hunting bows to destroy the steam engines the Galts use for travel. Otah is able to kill the commander, Crow, and defeat that section of the army. He then marches to Cetani and tells the Khai Cetani to ally with him and evacuate the city to Machi. The Khai Cetani sees this is the only hope of survival and they proceed to Maachi where they accommodate the extra people in the tunnels and mines below Maachi. The Khai Cetani openly starts to call for Otah to become the emperor.

Sinja arrives at Maachi and informs Otah of the Galt's plans. They devise a strategy to try and defeat the Galts. The battle goes badly until Sterile is summoned and then a third of the Galt's army is killed while the men are still reeling from the pain of being gelded. Otah negotiates a truce with the Galts and winters them in Maachi until they can leave in the spring and he banishes Cehmai and Maati, though he forgives Maati. He burns all the remaining poet's books with Balasar Gice.

The Price of Spring

Otah is struggling as Emperor to save the Khaeim from extinction by trying to broker a deal with the Galts to intermarry the two peoples. He is burdened by the death of his wife Kiyan and the estrangement of his daughter Eiah. Utani is also being attacked by pirates from Eddensea and the mercenaries protecting it are threatening to change loyalties. He manages to successfully pass the marriage legislation by writing to the wives of the Galtic High Council and negotiating with Alessandra Dasin to marry his son Danat to her daughter Ana. During the betrothal ceremony however Ana surprises everyone by refusing to marry Danat because she is already in love with someone else.

Shortly after, Idaan Machi comes with news that Maati has a school and is training young women to become poets. Otah reveals that Maati told him of his plans many years ago but Otah did not think he would succeed so he did not try to find Maati. However, now that the threat has become more dire and Maati has said he has a supporter high in the palace, Otah starts to investigate the issue seriously with Idaan, the only person he can trust with the search. He delegates Danat's marriage to Danat and Alessandra and the issues in Utani to Balasar Gice and Sinja Ajutani. Idaan eventually comes to the conclusion that Eiah is the one backing Maati and Otah sends Idaan to find her and the poets.

Things are going well with Danat and Ana but suddenly all the Galts go blind. This is a clear sign that the andat are back in the world and Otah decides he must go find the poets himself. Otah, Danat, and Ana all head out toward Parthai where Otah believes Maati and his students are hiding. Along the way, he receives news from Balasar Gice, who could no longer send naval support to Sinja because he is blind, that Chaburi Tan has fallen and Sinja is dead. Filled with sadness at the death of one of his last friends Otah is met by Idaan near Parthai with Ashti Beg. They travel together to Parthai to find a note from Irit saying Maati and his students recently left because of Eiah's concern for Maati's health. They follow them all the way to the river, with Otah struggling with anger and sadness, to find Eiah and Maati in a wayhouse heading back to Otah for help after losing the mad poet Vanjit.

They travel together to ruined Udun where Vanjit lost her family and Otah helps Eiah bind the andat Wounded and kill Vanjit.

In the Epilogue, Otah is an old man at the end of his life, contemplating everything he has done and reaching some peace. His relationship with his family is renewed and the Khaiem and the Galts are helping each other rebuild. When he dies, the whole city mourns and he is seen as a great man.

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