The Island at the End of the World
The Island of the World's End is also a very peculiar island, as well with respect to its topography as with its geographic position and climate. Besides, it is said to be inhabited by legendary creatures which, so is it said too, protect certain parts of it. Despite the thick mystery around these « Korrigans » and their « Kaerns » and the island not being much visited, it's been well explored and it even bears three settlements which deserve the name hamlet. Hence it is permanently inhabited by about sixty persons when times are good…
Approaching the island
Its position slightly to the South of the Equator and in contact to the Dee Sea make that island really unique. It is truly at the End of the World, at this end at any rate, for no Ship is capable of crossing the Dee Sea. Geographs, with a good knowledge and even better data, know, however, that if the crossing would be possible, a Ship would thus reach Nip'On.
Regarding climate, the vicinity of the Dee Sea and the strength of winds more than temperate the position close to Equator and the island knows actually quite cold and humid weather conditions, a feature reinforced by the average altitude of the land at five hundred meters.
Talking about it, the island's shape is quite that of a table, cut in several parts by hanging valleys and many narrow deep gorges. It is a very rocky island with high cliffs falling on low rocks and shallows on the shore; it is essentially a basaltic island even if it doesn't look like volcanic: basaltic pipe structures almost completely surround it while the back of the cental highland quietly waves in hilly landscapes covered of a magnificient moor battered by the winds.
Some mysteries…
Of unknown origin - but legends refer to little goblins, the Korrigans – one finds many circles or other erected stone structures spread all over the island. These little goblins would be touchy and mischievous, being capable of making indistinctly gifts to as well as doing the dirty on anybody and the local inhabitants attempt to win them over by offering them gifts of shiny things, of which they are said to be fond… They would have magical powers, among others the power to go through stones and walls! Which also explains why the legends about them pretend they would have hidden treasures without an end in deep caves or in underground cavities which would be inaccessible for the common run of the mortals…
And those would not be the only indications of a strong magic on the island, yet different from the Voodoo but even less understood than it; indeed, many springs and « fountains » produce waters – hot or fresh – to which many virtues are attributed, especially youth and healing. It is however very difficult to confirm anything of the sort when you're a stranger. Only one is for sure: bathing in some of the hot springs is a true pleasure and maybe it brings relaxation and more to the bodies of exhausted Pirates…
Inhabitants of the island
Let us come to the inhabitants of the island: they dwell in three hamlets, each time located close to the edge of a cliff, more or less at equal distance from each other. One of those hamlets – Ternak – is located above a naturally well protected bay and a path has been carved in the cliff to link the shore to the highland. There can port Ships to access to the Island at World's End. From Ternak, following « roads » of stone which wave their way on the moor between the hills, one can join first Brethren, then Narok. That last hamlet cannot be accessed directly because a deep wide gorge cuts the island in two and is impossible to cross.
The inhabitants of the Island at the World's End are simple, strapping and hard-working fellows. They live with few things and their main activity is the breeding of sheep, in great quantity on the island. They also grow potatoes and other crops for their subsistence. Nothing grows here really well, except some pumpkins and, above all, the hard and salty grass for the sheep, allowing for a production of milk, butter and cheese which are naturally salted and quite a famous rarity on many a Curry-Bean island!
Points of interest
To the occasional rain'n'lamb stew Pirate tourists, it is here important to remind that the treasures of the Island at World's End remain a legend - hard-living though – and that if nobody brought any piece of eight back from there, the stories of disparitions of Pirates or villagers – taken away by the Korrigans, so it is said – are much more numerous…
To the researcher, provided that one brought his or her optical devices and can manage the time between the showers, the Island at the World's End is a very well located place for observing the stars; some moreover thought to understand that the sets of raised megaliths could be maps of the skies once designed and built for eternity in the landscapes of the island by Korrigans or some other ancient, unknown and mythological creatures…
To these who have no interest in all that remain perhaps the possibility to taste - for it seems impossible to steal the production technique! – the almost legendary Whitchkiss, a distilled drink, based on fermentated Rooroot and, among other beautiful virtues, a source of long and healthy life, aye! So is it said.