The Mo Ce Sea is an open body of water located between the western Earth Kingdom, eastern Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations. It is part of the larger "western seas",[1][2] and connected to West Lake, which is located southwest of Ba Sing Se.
The sea serves as a route for trading operations and is most notably the location of Crescent Island, once the site of the Crescent Island Fire Temple, and the seedy merchants pier, an important black market trading center. The Mo Ce Sea experienced countless naval battles during the Hundred Year War and played host to a massive Fire Navy blockade aimed at keeping all outsiders from Fire Nation waters.[3] It also connects to Republic City through an inlet known as Yue Bay.[4]
History[]
Eras of Yangchen, Kuruk, and Kyoshi[]
Avatar Yangchen performed her first act of waterbending on a small island in the Mo Ce Sea, which would become a holy site to the Air Nomads.[5]
Years later, her successor, Avatar Kuruk, and his bending teachers traveled to the same island to learn how to control the Avatar State. The journey ended with him destroying the island and almost killing his friends.[6]
In 295 BG, Kyoshi and Jinpa flew over the Mo Ce Sea on the latter's flying bison, Yingyong, on their journey from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation Capital to celebrate the Festival of Szeto. Kyoshi fell off the bison once she received a painful vision of Kuruk. She later returned to the ruined island with the ship Sulan's Smile while leaving the Fire Nation, where she crossed over to the Spirit World and truly met Kuruk for the first time.[5][7]
Hundred Year War[]
In the Hundred Year War, the Fire Navy largely controlled the Mo Ce Sea, setting up a blockade to protect the Fire Islands.[3] By the late war, the Fire Nation had also built a prison rig in the Mo Ce Sea, where imprisoned earthbenders were forced to build warships. In late 99 AG, Team Avatar and the Earth Kingdom Army aided a major prison revolt, resulting in the rig being captured by the Earth Kingdom.[8][9]
Aang and his friends journeyed across the Mo Ce Sea in order to reach the Crescent Island Fire Temple before sunset on the winter solstice to see Avatar Roku. As they neared the Fire Nation border, they encountered a Fire Navy blockade under control by Zhao, a Commander at the time, who ordered his forces to attack the Avatar by catapulting fireballs at the incoming flying bison. Prince Zuko, also in hot pursuit of Aang, chose to cross the Mo Ce Sea into Fire Nation waters despite having been banished from the Fire Nation. Aang, Katara, and Sokka managed to evade the blockade and reach the temple in time for Aang to talk to Roku.[3]
Era of Korra[]
Tarrlok killed both himself and Amon during their trip across the Mo Ce Sea.
Seventy years later, in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of Amon's Anti-bending Revolution, he and his brother, former Councilman Tarrlok, traveled across the sea to escape from Republic City and start a new life. Here, Tarrlok blew up their speedboat, killing them both instantly.[10]
In 171 AG, Korra crossed the Mo Ce Sea in attempt to reach the Fire Nation, but was soon attacked by her cousins, Desna and Eska. Though their attacks were initially successful, the twins retreated when they saw a dark spirit lurking in the sea, which Korra tried to purify by going into the Avatar State. Her attempt failed, however, and the twins watched as the spirit forced Korra below the surface of the water.[11]
Description[]
The Mo Ce Sea covers the waters between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom[1][2][12][13] from the Baizhi Sea in the north[14] up to the South Sea and Southern Archipelago in the south. Its climate ranges from temperate[12] to tropical.[15]
The sea is also home to a rich marine life, including many species of fish, winged eel,[5] and cucumber sponges.[16]
Known islands and reefs[]
In contrast to the nearby Fire Nation archipelago or the southern seas, the Mo Ce Sea has relatively few islands which are often also rather small.[13] These include:
- Air Nomad sacred island (destroyed)[5][6]
- Air Temple Island[17]
- Chaisee's island[18]
- Natsuo Island[19]
- Razor Reef[15]
- Wangmo's Island[20]
- Water Tribe Sacred Island[19]
Trivia[]
- "Mo Ce Sea" translates to "lonely, sorrowful sea" in Chinese.
- After the Hundred Year War, a pro-bending team named the Mo Ce Mongoose Lizards was formed.[21]
- General Wei may have died on the Mo Ce Sea, as he was believed to have perished on the high seas and was buried at Hegemon's Folly at the Mo Ce Sea's coast.[22][23]
References[]
|
