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Uncle Doj was a respected, high-status warrior-priest of the Nyueng Bao, who practiced the Path of the Sword with unrivaled expertise. He and his students – most notably Thai Dei – became strong supporters of the Black Company during the Siege of Dejagore and remained so throughout the Books of Glittering Stone.

The relationship between the Nyueng Bao and the Company was established in the first place by two of Doj's senior relatives: the elderly seer and priestess Hong Tray, who was his mother's cousin, and her husband Ky Dam, the Speaker (leader) of the Nyueng Bao pilgrimage. Upon the death of that pair, their daughter Ky Gota and Doj became de facto leaders of the Nyueng Bao who traveled with the Company. Despite their support of the Company, Doj and Gota antagonized Murgen the Annalist for his relationship with Gota's daughter, Ky Sahra, and their bi-racial child, Tobo.

Introduction[]

Appearance and personality[]

Uncle Doj is described in the Annals as squat, with white hair, a weathered face as a result of his age, and sometimes flashing a knowing smirk.

Doj did appear more outwardly cheerful then most other Nyueng Bao. But, following the traditional Nyueng Bao attitudes, Doj was secretive and enigmatic when dealing with outsiders. He was comfortable being deceptive and withholding information when manipulating outsiders to achieve his ends. He greatly enjoyed teaching the Path of the Sword and whipping anyone (especially those well known to him) into shape to the point that Croaker called him sadistic.

Abilities[]

Uncle Doj was a master swordsman and the primary martial instructor of the group of Nyueng Bao who traveled with the Black Company. By continually practicing the martial arts forms of the Path of the Sword, Uncle Doj maintained incredible physical fitness despite being older than the pain-racked Gota, and 10 years older than Croaker. As such, he was an excellent combatant, and Croaker considered him have the fighting value of ten men. He even survived combat with Soulcatcher, who had previously killed apparently all the other masters of the Path at the Vinh Gao Ghang Temple of Ghanghesha. He used his ancient sword Ash Wand with lethal efficacy on many occasions. His slain enemies ranged from mobs of armored enemy soldiers to rumel-wielding veteran Stranglers striking from the shadows.

Doj was also a low-magnitude wizard. He was able to detect sorcery and determine its purpose, regardless if it was expertly disguised, which was especially useful in spotting traps. This was true even if concealment spells were cast by a high level practitioner like Soulcatcher. Additionally, he was nigh impossible to detect even via supernatural means. He was able to slip away in the middle of conversations, with his interlocutor unaware of his departure until he was already gone.

Bleak Seasons[]

Uncle Doj played key roles in Bleak Seasons, during Murgen's flashbacks to the Siege of Dejagore, as well as the "current events" narrative taking place 4 years later.

Flashbacks to siege[]

Uncle Doj was a senior member of the pilgrimage of Nyueng Bao De Duang numbering approximately 1,800 which was trying to pass through Stormgard during the events of Dreams of Steel. Very quickly after their arrival, the 2-day Battle of Dejagore took place, followed by the notorious Siege of Dejagore, where they became trapped in terrible conditions for months.

During this siege, Doj and his star pupil Thai Dei were key agents of Speaker Ky Dam. They coordinated with Murgen and his Old Crew faction of the Black Company to ensure their mutual survival. Doj personally escorted Murgen under the citadel of Dejagore so he could secretly witness the atrocities comitted by Mogaba and his Nar followers (the rivals of the Old Crew). Later, Murgen was essential in preserving the lives of the 600 Nyueng Bao survivors. Uncle Doj was the leader of the Path swordsmen who swore to become personal bodyguards to the Old Crew as matter of honor in their appreciation.

Current events[]

4 years later, Doj was present when rumel-wielding expert Stranglers penetrated the Palace of Taglios to assassinate Croaker. Uncle Doj's honed reflexes allowed him to escape death at the last moment, and to strike back. During this raid To Tan – the 5-year-old toddler of Doj's best student Thai Dei – was murdered. Uncle Doj and Ky Gota used the event to fake the death of Thai Dei's sister Ky Sahra. Their goal was to separate her from her foreign husband Murgen because of the racial shame the union brought to them personally. Thai Dei protested, but not strongly enough, and he did not reveal the deception. Doj and Gota chose this course of action despite knowing it was fully contrary to the wisdom of Hong Tray and Ky Dam, who had explicitly sponsored the union between Sahra and Murgen 4 years prior, during the Siege of Dejagore.

She Is the Darkness[]

At the Battle of Lake Tanji, Doj prepared to use Ash Wand to strike at the hellish waves of incoming shadows. However, the weapon would have been useless against the entities, and he was saved only by the Black Company's fireball projector weapons.

Later, at the Battle of Charandaprash, Doj – with the aged but spry Ky Gota covering his back – infiltrated the satellite encampment of Stranglers who were allies of Longshadow. To avenge the murder of To Tan, Doj and Gota killed dozens of the cultists. This was witnessed by Murgen in his supernatural spirit-walking form.

Soldiers Live[]

In Soldiers Live, Uncle Doj was part of Croaker's eclectic group of Company men and allies permitted by Sleepy, the Black Company Captain, to enter the Voroshk world to get revenge upon the forvalaka Lisa Daele Bowalk. Others who were present during this operation were Lady, Murgen, Thai Dei, Willow Swan, Cletus, Loftus, Spiff, JoJo, Cratch, Slobo, and a group of Unknown Shadows called the Black Hounds.

On their first night in Khatovar, Spiff and JoJo were killed by formerly feral, but now wizard-tamed shadows. Uncle Doj distributed snail shells throughout the area so the Unknown Shadows would have a place to hide if necessary. Soon, Doj and the others were joined by Goblin (possessed by the Khadidas) and the Chu Ming brothers. When they were finally confronted by Bowalk and three of her Voroshk allies, the Company group used conventional weapons, specially-prepared magic fetishes, and fireball projectors to subdue Bowalk despite her ferocious forvalaka shape. They also defeated the three Voroshk wizards, killing one, gravely injuring another, and abducting the third (Shukrat).

After joining up with Sleepy's main Company force in the homeworld, Uncle Doj and Thai Dei fought side-by-side during the Battle of the Middle Ground, where they were both killed by the Khadidas.

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