The Island Hopping Guide
Your Guide to the Beautiful Quatrica Islands!
Aloha! Welcome to the Island Hopping Guide, where I will help you along your journey in the gorgeous Quatrica Islands! Please remember that to properly follow this guide, you will need to bring along a Naeko, because a friend always makes the journey better, and no better friend exists than a Naeko! I've got mine! I hope you've got yours!
The Seven Main Islands
There are seven main islands in the Quatrica Island chain, ranging from west to east: Bra'iv, Opua, Laina, Kaili, Koano, Maona, and Parooma. I'll be focusing on the first six and avoiding Parooma. You should too! Why? Because Parooma is home to the nasty and barbaric Kongor, and they do not take kindly to visitors. Trust me. They almost boiled me alive! I am so glad I had my Naeko with me. So, we'll be starting from Maona, which is the largest island in the chain.
Maona, The Big Island
This is the largest island in the chain and is home to many wondrous sites, so many that it would fill an entire guide on its own. If you should start your journey from anywhere, it should be right here in Maona. Since the storms of several years ago that wiped out the Sabertooth villages on Parooma, and the remaining refugees were chased out by the nasty Kongor, some of them have taken refuge here. There are several tribes scattered across the island, and all of them are very friendly people. You should stop by and visit!
But this is an island that's ravaged by the effects of the Cataclysm just a few years ago, when the Dragon Lords, all ten of them, clashed over the island. The effects of that battle are seen everywhere across the island today. At the top of Mount Kiliwa, the dormant volcano which dominates much of the island, there stands a memorial to the lives lost on that fateful day. And in Bra'iv, there stands a statue dedicated to the great protector who gave his life to save us, as well as the adventurers who helped to end the Cataclysm.
Koano, the Volcano Island
This island is dominated by a massive volcano in the centre of the island. And oh boy, is this volcano active! Every month or so, it spews forth rivers of lava. The people living on this island have found a safe patch of land that never gets touched by the lava rivers, but that doesn't mean it will be safe forever! The people here live in fear that any day now the volcano will truly unleash its wrath! I hope not to be there when it does. . . Fire and Costori don't mix!
Kaili, the Forest Island
Just a few years ago, this island was overgrown with vegetation and trees, and vines. It was near impossible to even get through the hiking trails that normally dot this landscape, or even to get into the villages. As a result, the villages were cut off. It turned out the cause was one of the Dragon Lords, Gaias, had taken refuge in a cave nearby! But she's a nice dragon, not like those mean ones like Krosin! Today, the growth on the island has returned to normal, and it is even more vibrant than ever, with new species of flowers and plants being discovered every day. It's like Gaias supercharged it!
Laina, the Dream Island
Laina is a gorgeous island, where many plant life and Mystimon live and thrive, even some not seen anywhere else in the world. However, just a couple of years ago, this island was locked in a conflict with its neighbour, Opua. The problem was, no one even knew why they were fighting! It was like everyone was in a trance. It was very strange. . . This is also my home island — it is where I was born. Today, the two islands are getting along once again, but it was scary there for a while. The culture on Laina is unique to anywhere else in the Quatrica Islands, for they almost exclusively worship the Guardian Gods of Dreams and Nightmares, Yain and Sorn. It is also the ancestral home of the Alopeke, the mysterious fox-people.
Opua, the Island of Cats and Memories
I hope you brought along your Naeko, for now we come to an island full of Naekos! So many Naekos. . . I was in heaven as I came upon this island. And they were all super friendly and wanted pets. . . Oh right. I'm supposed to be writing a guide here. Sorry! Sometimes I get sidetracked when surrounded by so. . . many. . . Naekos!
Anyway. The reason this is called the island of memories is for the prominent cemetery on the island. Or rather, it's not a real cemetery, for there's no one buried here. Instead, it's a sort of memorial where the names of those who have passed are carved in stone and preserved for all time. In the Quatrica Islands, those who have passed are cremation and their ashes spread to the winds on the peaks overlooking the ocean. There are some outsiders who say that this is where memories go to die, but that isn't true at all. Their memories are deeply cherished, and this is a testament to that.
There is another tradition that is actually practiced all over the world in which people light paper lanterns and release them, remembering the past year and cherished loved ones. This tradition actually originated here in the Quatrica Islands. So the next time you look down upon the traditions of a culture, think about these things.
Alright, enough of my preaching. Very few people live on Opua, largely thanks to the memorial taking up a majority of the island. But there are also many wondrous ruins of an ancient civilization here. . . In fact, I noticed the same thing in Parooma, Maona, and several other islands. But I am not an archaeologist — I couldn't possibly tell you the significance of this. But I almost wish I had found someone who could answer this question. Perhaps I will get someone like Dr Deanna Reese for the followup.
Bra'iv, the Capital Island
Maona may be the largest island in the chain, but it is not the capital of the country. That honour belongs to Bra'iv, which is also home to one of the largest cities in the world. And that means there are a lot of Naekos! Did you bring your Naeko? It better be a Naeko, not a nasty Balthro! Only Naekos will do. Anyway. . . Zinnia's Naeko mania aside. The capital city, Bra'iv (yes, named the same as the island — I don't know why, it's confusing) is so large that it sprawls across a few small islets as well, connected to the main city via bridges. But despite the large city, there is one thing I have noticed across the islands. There is not a single bit of Mystia tech, outside of lamps, anywhere at all. No one is driving through these streets in an automobile. They are all walking or taking Mystimon-pulled wagons. What is going on here? Why does it seem like the Quatrica Islands is centuries behind the rest of the world?
Well, funny you should ask that. The Quatrican people are an interesting bunch who believe in the purity and sanctity of nature and the natural world. They see Mystia tech progress as almost a declaration of war on the natural world. But there are also deep concerns among the people here that Mystia tech could pollute the environment, something that has never been proven.
These concerns are deep, cultural, and are reflected across all the islands. There is a deep reverence for nature and Mystimon. It is a culture for which I have a lot of love and respect for, and I can understand their thinking regarding Mystia tech.
But that doesn't mean that things aren't changing. With the prospect that the Golan Empire could be on the move once again after a thousand years, there are some who are looking at maybe reversing this stance on Mystia tech and embracing it. . . If only to protect their way of life.
Epilogue
That is the end of our journey! I hope you had a lot of fun and that you will plan a trip to the gorgeous Quatrica Islands soon! Remember, you must bring a Naeko along with you! Because cats are the best and they make the journey all the better. It's about the journey, not the destination, after all! Maybe I will do a followup with Dr Deannna Reese to talk about all those ancient ruins. . . I wonder if she'd ever even take my calls. Probably not, I probably sound like a crazy person. But that's okay!
Purpose
The purpose of this is to serve as your guide as you begin your island-hopping adventure through the beautiful Quatrica Islands! Please remember, you must bring a Naeko along. Because they make the journey fun!
Document Structure
Publication Status
Published as a book and an audio crystal in the late 3rd Age.
This is a great article. I really like how the whole article feels like I am on an audio tour through the islands and the little recent events you've added. Like the conflict between Opua and Laina and the strangeness behind it. I love the style you chose and the information you provided. I noticed you chose not to go too far into the geography of each island and was curious about it but I don't want to pry or act like its a bad thing - just a thing I noticed. Overall, great article! Love everything!
Aloha! Thank you so much! That all comes down to the word count limit for the Hitchhiker's Challenge. The 2000 word limit really constrained me. lol
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