Whitefall Island

Inspired by and influenced by Frances Hardinge, Gullstruck Island (2009)

Whitefall Island is a tropical island, covered in dense jungle and several enormous volcanoes. The volcanoes and mountains are:

Le'kuape, the most beautiful: Le’kuape is the sister of Kiô, and by far the most beautiful of all the mountains. Her beauty makes her admired by some, and envied by others, but she never seems interested in the attentions of her neighbours. She wears skirts woven from water and mist. Sailors, coming to Whitefall Island from the west, saw these waterfalls pouring into the sea, and struck by Le’kuape’s beauty, they named the whole island after them.

Gua'hap, the laughing mountain: Gua’hap is famous for her mad and explosive laughter. During the war between the mountains, she liked nothing more than to send her messengers to each of the mountains, and tell lies and truths, so they would fight each other with greater fury. When the war was over she was exiled from the others. She continues to sit in the sea, cackling to herself, and dropping rocks into the surrounding waves.

Other geographic landmarks of the island include:

Heron Bay, Thia'tu Kem: as the first Sailors rounded the cape of Mô Thé, and entered this bay, they saw a flock of white herons take flight. They named the bay after the herons, and they founded the first settlement along this coast - Port Heron.

The White Falls, Rana-Le'kuape: the waterfalls that cascade down the flank of Le'kuape shine white with foam and mist. As one of the first views of the island, it was by these waterfalls that the entire island came to be named. In the language of the People, the waterfalls are called Rana-Le'kuape (Le'kuape's skirts)

Settlements and landmarks of the island include: