List of minor Earth Kingdom locations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of minor locations from the Earth Kingdom in Nickelodeon’s animated cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. These locations are either too small or too insignificant to warrant mention in the primary Earth Nation article, but are still relevant at certain points in the series.
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[edit] The Cave of Two Lovers
A secret tunnel that passes through a section of the Kolau mountain range just beyond the Earth Kingdom of Omashu. The tunnel is home to territorial creatures such as Wolfbats and their natural predators, the earthbending Badgermoles. In actuality the tunnel is a giant subterranean labyrinth, filled with a seemingly endless supply of bewildering twists and turns. In the center of the labyrinth is the Tomb of Two Lovers, the creators of the cave, founders of the city of Omashu, and the world's very first human Earthbenders. The tomb is a large room with two sarcophaguses in the center which hold the bodies of the two lovers as their final resting place. The walls of the tomb are decorated with pictures and pictograms telling the story of the two lovers as well as the origins of their bending discipline and Omashu's creation. The walls also provide a hint to the solution of the maze with the proverb, "Love is brightest in the dark." In that a row of illuminated crystals in the ceiling would serve as a guide to the exit of the cave when in complete darkness. The two lovers would use the cave as their secret meeting place, anyone else would be lost forever within the labyrinth.
[edit] Chintown
A medium sized town, ruled by a mayor. This town was founded by the great conqueror Chin, who is worshipped by the citzens. Chin was killed by Avatar Kyoshi, which led to town celebrating 'Avatar Day', an anti-avatar holiday. During this day, there are festival with fried avatar cookies and floats representing the past avatars, which are burned. Chintown has a strange justice system, called "Just US," where Mayor Tong tells the story like he thinks it is and the accused tells it like what he thinks it is. Then the mayor, with the help the townspeople, decides who is guilty. Those decided guilty spin the wheel of punishment, which contains a series of different punishments, going from community service to being fried in oil. Less dangerous criminals or those waiting for trial are locked in a small prison cell. After Aang's visit to Chintown, and the way he saved it from the Rough Rhinos, Avatar Day was changed to a celebration of the avatar, and unfried dough was served to remember how Aang was not boiled in oil.
Written in ancient Chinese script, at the base of the Chin the Great statue is his name, 秦偉 (qín wěi). The name Chintown and Tong is most likely an allusion to American Chinatown enclaves which were historically run by an organization called the Tongs.
[edit] Full Moon Bay
Full Moon Bay is a small secluded cove on the western side of a large waterway. The port there has a ferry station that takes refugees across the waterway to another port at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. They then take a train ride from the outer wall to the metropolitan area through the city's farmlands. Full Moon Bay is the fastest and safest way for refugees to get from the western side to Ba Sing Se and it is popular because of it cannot be found by the Fire Nation. The Bay was mentioned in "The Serpent's Pass".
[edit] Gaipan
Situated near central Earth Kingdom, Gaipan was once a sleepy little town of loggers and woodsman that has since been taken over by the Fire Nation and turned into an outpost. It has been occupied primarily by average citizens and soldiers for several years. To the west, a large, man-made dam holds a reservoir, which serves as the town's main source of water. The town is situated within a large forest, whose canopy serves as the Freedom Fighters' base of operations, a camouflaged system of huts connected by zip lines, ladders, and rope bridges. The Freedom Fighters have strived to liberate the town from the Fire Nation and for years have been ambushing their patrol troops and cutting off their supply lines.
The occupants of Gaipan were all nearly killed when Jet and his Freedom Fighters filled and blew up the dam holding the excessive water supply, utterly flooding the entire town. Fortunately, Sokka was able to warn the people of the town and lead them away to safety before the plan was carried out.
[edit] Gaoling
A large town on the edge of the southern Earth Kingdom, Gaoling is home to both the Bei Fong family and the Earth Rumble tournaments. A very well established place, Gaoling has a variety of people residing in it ranging from the very rich to the very poor, but is mostly filled with middle class citizens whose families have been living there for many generations. On the outskirts of the town are very large, expensive estates where the richest people of the town live, homes to wealthy families such as Toph's.
Gaoling ( 高陵 ) which means "tall hill" is also a name of a county in Shannxi, a Central province in China. However, in the Avatar world, it is located in the South which concidentally goes with Toph's knowledge of Chu Gar, Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Bei Fong (北 方), Toph's last name, is another contradiction since it means "North," despites her not being from there.
[edit] Great Divide
The largest canyon in the world, the Great Divide is found in the rocky regions of northwestern Earth Kingdom and can be crossed in about a full day if one has an expert guide. Some believe that the canyon was a natural result of millions of years of erosion, while local belief holds that the canyon was first formed by angered Earth Spirits who lacked proper sacrifices from local farmers. The canyon is home to various insects and omnivorous arachnoid creatures, mostly those known as Canyon Crawlers. The creatures possess a superior sense of smell and will attack passerby if they are carrying food. The single way down the canyon is by a narrow path along the sheer cliff wall. The canyon itself is wrought with missing sections of wall and spontaneous avalanches. It is therefore essential to be crossed only with the aid of the Earthbender guide, who is familiar with the secrets of the canyon and is able to re-construct or de-construct sections of the trail.
[edit] Makapu Village
Home to Aunt Wu, a fortuneteller whose fortunes are taken as gospel, it is situated at the foot of the active volcano Mt. Matapu. When Aang, Katara, and Sokka visit, the volcano is about to erupt, though the villagers refuse to believe them because Aunt Wu says otherwise until the trio manipulate the clouds and use Aunt Wu to tell the villagers the volcano will erupt.
Growing on the Mt. Matapu's rim are panda lilies, black and white striped flowers young men give to their lovers, and wandering in nearby forests are Platypus Bears. Meaning 'bulging eye' in Hawaiian, Matapu'u is a name given to the extreme eastern end of the Island of Oʻahu in the Hawaiian Islands.
[edit] Misty Palms Oasis
Located on the very edge of the Si Wong Desert, the Misty Palms Oasis is bustling cantina which is regularly filled with traders, soldiers, and wanderers. This is the last place to rest up, buy or trade anything before venturing into the desert, making it the proper place to stock up on supplies. It is here where Aang and the group encountered Professor Zei before heading off into the desert in search of Wan Shi Tong's spirit library. Later on, Zuko and Iroh met up with a member of the Order of the White Lotus within the catina and came close to sharing run-in with bounty hunter Xin Fu and Master Yu, but were able to escape by intiating a bar fight.
The cantina's trademark is its selection of frozen beverages, served up by itd skilled bartender who dices the fruit with dual katanas. The ice is carved from a subterranean iceberg just outside the pub, which for the most part is still preserved beneath the hot desert sand.
[edit] Pohuai Stronghold
A large, multi-walled, metal Fire Nation fortress overlooking the Earth Kingdom's western shore, built to serve as a troop and supply hub for the military. Many soldiers and Firebenders receive training here before they are deployed into battle. Supplies are regularly moved from the stronghold over thousands of miles of rail lines to relieve the Fire Nation army assembled at the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom capital city Ba Sing Se.
While still serving as a Commander of Fire Nation forces in occupied Earth Kingdom territories, Zhao was stationed at the stronghold under a Colonel Shu. When promoted to Admiral, Zhao swiftly used his resources equip the Yu Yan archers serving a security guards to capture Aang. The archers succeeded, and Aang was imprisoned within the iron stronghold, but was later able to escape with the aid of the Blue Spirit.
[edit] Ruins of Taku
Located near the western Earth Kingdom shores, the city of Taku was once an important hub of commerce for the Earth Kingdom, as it was used to distribute cargo imported from ships to various parts of the Kingdom. However, due to its key strategic location, it was recognized and attacked by the Fire Nation during the intial wave of attacks, becoming one of the very first Earth Kingdom cities to be destroyed. Now almost completely abandoned, the only remaining occupants are an old woman, a medicinal instructor from the now ruined, century-old Herbalist Institute, and her cat, Miyuki, apart from an occasional Earth Kingdom troop passing through.
[edit] Senlin's Forest
A forest which was burned down by the Fire Nation as a result of a battle. Having lost their home, the wildlife that once lived in the forest have fled to other parts of the Earth Kingdom and the only notable landscape that stands in the scorched remains is a grove of statues in its center. Near the forest is a small village left untouched by the Fire Nation as it does holds no significant military advantage. Its villagers are mostly farmers and traders and many have left to fight in the war. Though unharmed by the Fire Nation, the villagers dealt with constant attacks and kidnappings by Hei Bai, the black and white spirit guardian of the forest who angered, transformed from a docile giant panda bear into a ravage six-legged creature as a result of the descruction.
[edit] Serpent's Pass
A dangerous passage to Ba Sing Se, occasionally described as the "Deadly" Serpent's Pass. It is a slender, natural bridge made up of mountainous rocks and surrounded by water, the sole portion of land connecting the Southern Earth Kingdom to the Northern Earth Kingdom. The passage also serves to separate the Eastern Earth Kingdom side from the Western Fire Nation controlled side. Several years ago, the Serpent's pass was the only way for refugees to get from the Southern Earth Kingdom to Ba Sing Se, but fortunately today there are less dangerous route ferries able to shuttle refugees across. However, obtaining a passport for such privileges can prove to be quite rigorous.
Traveling on foot across the pass is extremely treacherous, as it holds areas high above the waters with steep, crumbling cliffs on either side, while other parts that are actually submerged deep into the lake. In these waters lives a green serpent that often attacks people who are crossing. At the start of the pass, there is a gate with the reading "Abandon hope."
[edit] Si Wong Desert
With a name that literally translates to "Desert of the Dead" in Mandarin Chinese, it comes as no surprise that the Si Wong Desert holds the driest, hottest environment of the Avatar world and is really nothing more than miles of barren sand. Only a select few are mentally and physically capable of surviving in this desert, let alone navigate through it, for an extended period of time. However, certain desert-dwelling peoples such as the Sandbenders and the Bedouin merchants have come to adapt to the habitat. Nevertheless, even they can find themselves victims to common habital afflictions such as starvation, dehydration and skin cancer. The desert's ecosystem is primarily consisted of cacti and a few scavenger species such as the Gilacorn and the large predatory insectoid Buzzard-Wasp.
[edit] Si Wong Rock
A gigantic mesa that rises from the center of the rolling dunes of the Si Wong Desert, looming imposingly over the landscape. Considering its flat, barren surroundings, the mesa would appear supernaturally out of place. Ancient Sandbender lore tells that the rock was dropped from the heavens by the gods as a demonstration of their potent power and incense when human inhabitants had stopped abiding by the rules of their priests. Regardless of its true origin, the rock is the only notable landscape feature of the barren desert, aside from the now completely buried library, and is thus used as a guidepost by the Sandbenders or any others who traverse through the Si Wong. In addition to being a visual landmark, the rock is also composed of a metallic ore that gives it magnetic qualities, allowing the Sandbenders to create compasses that work throughout the desert, giving them their location in relation to the rock. Atop of rock stands a large hive home to a colony of carnivorous Buzzard-Wasps who are known to immediately defend their home against anyone who disturbs.
The Si Wong Rock bears a resemblance to Uluru, the great sandstone rock formation located in central Australia.
[edit] Wan Shi Tong's Spirit Library
An ancient structure built and passed over from the Spirit world to the physical world by the knowledge spirit Wan Shi Tong several thousand years ago for the purpose of the preservation of all the world's knowledge for the betterment of humanity. While it was once a huge palatial structure, a large majority of was buried beneath the sands of the Si Wong and only its top most spire was visible from the desert. With the assistance of his knowledge seekers, the library has built up an enormous collection, though a portion of it has been destroyed by the Fire Nation. The library also holds an advanced, domed planetary calender room constructed from various fine materials including phosphorescent crystals, jade, and brass. Using its gears, cogs, crystal-projected stars, as well as several rotating planets, the planetarium acts as a kind of almanac, illustrating both recorded history as well as projected future planetary alignments. The library has now been completely buried underneath the desert sands by Wan Shi Tong in an effort to prevent his knowledge from ever being misused.
[edit] See also
| Franchise |
|---|
| Episodes · Media information · Trading cards · Video game |
| Universe |
| Water Tribe · Earth Kingdom · Fire Nation · Air Nomads · Spirit World Waterbender · Earthbender · Firebender · Airbender · Chakra |
| Characters |
| Aang · Katara · Sokka · Appa · Toph · Zuko · Iroh · Azula Major secondary characters · Minor secondary characters · Creatures |
