Crescent Island is a volcanic isle in the eastern Fire Nation[1] that once housed a temple for the Fire Sages and a shrine to Avatar Roku.
History[]
In 55 BG, Avatar Roku remained on this island for five months for spiritual training with Fire Sage Kaja to try to master the Avatar State. However, instead of listening to Kaja's teaching, an impatient Roku triggered the Avatar State by using the winter solstice sun, which resulted in the destruction of the upper half of the temple and the eruption of the nearby volcano on the island.
The activation of a volcano triggered seismic instability in the eastern Fire Islands, leading to earthquakes damaging or destroying villages in neighboring communities. Villages struggled to rebuild, though Avatar Roku personally provided aid to the people living there. Many wanted to move away to the western parts of the Fire Nation, but while Fire Lord Sozin promised to send aid, he explained that he could do no more, as the Fire Nation did not have plentiful land to offer people as the Earth Kingdom did. The people on the neighboring island began to buy into more anti-Earth Kingdom sentiment from the government as a result, as the neighboring nation had not sent aid or offered them shelter, with many also angry at Earth King Jialun and his greedy claim to Natsuo Island.[2]
Team Avatar visited the island in 99 AG after Avatar Roku's dragon, Fang, told Aang to come there to contact Roku.[3] There, at the island's temple, the fire Avatar told his young successor about the impending arrival of Sozin's Comet and subsequently destroyed the building with lavabending in an effort to expel the Fire Nation soldiers that had invaded the island.[4] After this, the lava never stopped flowing and the island became uninhabited.[5]
Several months later, Aang washed ashore on the island after having braved a storm and his friends found him there lying unconsciously on the beach. After his broken glider staff washed ashore as well, Aang let the lava of the island consume the object that would otherwise reveal his identity as the Avatar while traversing the Fire Nation and left with his friends to continue their journey to defeat the Fire Lord.[6]
Crescent Island Fire Temple[]
- Main article: Crescent Island Fire Temple
The Crescent Island Fire Temple was located near a volcano on Crescent Island.
The Crescent Island Fire Temple, built on the island so that it aligned with the solstices and equinoxes,[1] was a five-tiered pagoda that sat on a hill near the volcano's base, managed by a small group of Fire Sages.[7] After Avatar Roku destroyed the temple in 55 BG, he rebuilt it and it was here that he perfected his use of the Avatar State.[8] After his death, the temple was rededicated to him. The ancient temple used mechanisms that required firebending to operate. The temple was destroyed again when Aang channeled Roku's spirit to face the threat awaiting him at the Crescent Island Fire Temple directly following the winter solstice.[4]
Sanctuary[]
The sanctuary was built to receive a shaft of sunlight through a giant ruby at sundown on the winter solstice. Avatar Roku meditated in this sanctuary with Fire Sage Kaja to learn to master the Avatar State, and it was here that Roku becomes stuck in the Avatar State while using the spiritual energy from the sun during the winter solstice.
At the time of the winter solstice, the light from the ruby illuminated the statue of Avatar Roku, making it possible to communicate with him. When Avatar Roku was alive, the previous generations of sages used the sanctuary to communicate with him on the solstice,[9] but now only the Avatar can communicate with Avatar Roku. The sanctuary doors protected the sanctuary from intruders; they could only be opened by either a fully realized Avatar or five simultaneous fire blasts.[4]
Notable former occupants[]
- Avatar Roku
- Fire Sages
- Fire Sage Shyu
- Fire Sage Kaja
- Great Sage
Trivia[]
- During the era of Avatar Korra, a mover titled The Crescent Island Doom was directed by Wing Len.[10]
