Avatar:Penquan Island
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"Not surprising. It used to be a popular destination, but that was before the War. Families from across the Fire Nation would go to Penquan to witness the famous geyser Hakizashi in action."
— The shopkeeper about Penquan Island.[1]
<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Penquan Island</default></title> <group> <header>Physical information</header> <label>Location</label> </group> <group> <header>Government</header> <label>Position</label> <label>Capital</label> <label>Form of government</label> <label>Head of state</label> <label>Religious authority</label> <label>Currency</label> <label>Ruler</label> <label>Owner</label> <label>Leader</label> <label>Administrator</label> <label>First appearance</label> <label>Last appearance</label> </group> <group> <header>Location on map</header> </group> <header>Image gallery (0)</header> </infobox> Penquan Island is located in the eastern Fire Islands. It is well known for the famous Hakizashi Geyser, which made it a tourist spot before the Hundred Year War. After the end of the war, Penquan became a rural backwater. Under the leadership of Sheriff Panzo, the island continued to strongly support Fire Nation imperialism, and developed a highly repressive culture. This was preserved until the mid-170s AG, when Hisa overthrew the sheriff with the help of Mako and Bolin.[1]
History
Inhabitants of Penquan Island believe that the island's famous Hakizashi Geyser has erupted at the same time for thousands of years, relatively undisturbed. The geyser, which is active in the late evening, eventually grew famous in the rest of the Fire Nation. Many families from elsewhere would come to Penquan to see the geyser erupt.
Some time after the Hundred Year War began, the tourist ferries started to dry up. In post-war era, the island was considered a quaint, rural backwater, and it was considered a relic of the "old world". However, the reforms of Fire Lords Zuko and Izumi failed to reach the island, and it maintained a culture of isolation. Sheriff Panzo ruled the island as a tyrant, and promoted a culture considered extreme even relative to the imperialist Fire Nation. All the boys with firebending were trained to fight for the sheriff as his underdogs, while women and girls were banned from firebending. The sheriff made sure anyone who tried to change things would disappear.
Many young people tried to leave the island and escape from Panzo's tyrannical rule. One fisherman, Hai Jun, would regularly take people away from the island and bring them to Republic City. One firebender who escaped the island, Naoki, also became eager to help others from her home island. She would regularly help islanders get set up in Republic City with a home and a job.
Eventually, Panzo's own grandchildren, Jian, Ming Ming, and Kibi, were able to escape the island with the help of a family friend, Hisa. Some time later, Hisa took the children back to the island after Hai Jun was kidnapped by Panzo's allies, and a threat issued to Hisa. Around the same time, Hisa and the children had attracted the attention of Naoki's elder son, Mako, who followed Hisa to the island with his younger brother, Bolin.
Mako and Bolin found the islanders to be somewhat hostile, and initially failed to uncover information on Hai Jun. After trying to speak to the sheriff and to locals, the brothers witnessed the geyser erupt hours before schedule. While one islander believed that the outsiders' very presence had caused an ill omen to occur, Mako instead deduced that the geyser had likely erupted due to Hisa's firebending. He worked out that Hisa must have been held captive in a cave system below. He and Bolin fought off Panzo's underlings in the dungeons, and rescued Hisa and Hai Jun from their cells. The sheriff himself then started to fight the brothers, but Mako used lightningbending to defeat Panzo.
After Panzo was restrained, Hisa addressed the islanders and promised that the ex-sheriff would be brought to justice in Hari Bulkan. Hisa promised that the age of stagnation would end on the island, and asked the people to embrace progress. The islanders agreed to accept her as a temporary leader. Hai Jun hoped that new ferry routes would be set up to the other Fire Islands and to Republic City, hoping that the people would see the benefits of change once they were no longer isolated.[1]
Culture
Under Sheriff Panzo's rule, an extremely bigoted and authoritarian culture was promoted on the island. Panzo viewed himself as the last successor of the fire warlords, while also revered the imperialist Fire Lords such as Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai. The culture was both bender supremacist and misogynistic. Young boys were deputized as Panzo's underlings as soon as they were able to firebend, as benders were believed to have the right to dominate others. Panzo disliked women and girls firebending, and refused to let them practice the art. Several islanders were also xenophobic, and believed that people's physical features could mark them as clear outsiders. Multicultural families were frowned upon, with Panzo himself refusing to believe that a person of mixed heritage would be able to lightningbend.
Although Penquan is primarily an agrarian society, it is not self-sufficient, and has to import rice from the mainland. They survive by exporting volcanic rock and special types of mud.
Hakizashi Geyser is a cornerstone of the island's culture. Any activity from the geyser outside late evening is considered a very bad omen.[1]
Geography
Penquan's location is considered remote. It is small compared to most Fire Islands. By the mid-170s AG, it was unfamiliar to many outsiders, except for experts or traders.
Stones from the volcanic island can be clearly identified due to their bird shape and pumice. They are commonly used as "worry stones" by islanders, and fidgeting with them can help aid relaxation and calm nerves.[1]
Notable figures
Trivia
- Penquan (喷泉
(pēnquán)) means fountain or geyser, and Penquan Island is famous for the Hakizashi Geyser.