Far Cry 3 – The History of Rook Islands (LORE)

The Rook Islands are the Indonesian setting of Far Cry 3 and The Far Cry Experience. It is where Vaas, Citra, Hoyt Volker, Buck and Dr. Earnhardt are based, and is full of relics such as ancient ruins and World War II bunkers and tunnels. The Rook Islands consist of two major islands - the North Island and the South Island (actually four islands separated by streams) - along with three smaller islands.

Background:

The Rook Islands were once considered a tropical paradise. They are filled with tropical forests, green grasslands, thick swamps and steep mountains, but years of violence and neglect have caused them to fall into a state of permanent turmoil. The once peaceful archipelago belonged to the thriving native tribes, most notably the Rakyat, who controlled the islands in their entirety. However, lawless pirates and militiamen have since violently taken over the archipelago.

In the 15th Century Zheng He, a Chinese explorer, passed the islands during a voyage to map the oceans. They proved an ideal location for one of his most loyal warriors - Lin Cong. After Zheng He left the islands, Lin Cong stole one of his treasure ships, the Chaoyang, which contained massive amounts of gold and treasure collected by Zheng on his many voyages and promised his crew wealth and power which he promptly delivered. Once Lin Cong and his men secured and hid the ship, they set out to enslave the natives, they forced the native slaves to build shrines as well as some towns and temples in his name.

At this point, Lin Cong and his men were considered lords of the islands (with Lin still in complete control), the island's newfound empire was short-lived, however, as a vengeful Zheng He returned for Chaoyang and his traitorous old ally. After a relatively minor battle, Zheng He wiped Lin Cong's empire from the island for good (with the help from the Rakyat who took the opportunity to rebel), but not before Lin Cong could steal away his most prized possession: the Chaoyang.

Centuries later, a Japanese Brigadier General named Takeo Masaki had his men land on the isles to start up a small air force/army base during World War II. The natives were then forced to the centers of the isles, with some being imprisoned and most being killed. The soldiers were then able to build bunkers and fortifications across the island's perimeter with the natives effectively driven back.

However, just under a year after landing on the Rook Islands, the terrible news of Japan's bombings finally reached the island's radio station, Private Kashiwara, and Superior Private Shimizu sabotaged the radios and radio towers to prevent word of the world war reaching the island.

This caused great tension between Kashiwara, Shimizu, and their superiors, eventually leading the decorated Major Tanida to kill several of his own men, whom he believed were traitors working for the Americans. There were also two top secret projects, named Project Tenka and Project Kyouken, that were in the works led by a Doctor Fujita, under orders from the General. After being deserted on the island with the rest of the Japanese soldiers, Fujita grew increasingly paranoid until he finally descended into madness, before he met his untimely demise. During the 1980s the Rook Islands had an economic boom from large amounts of money coming into the island from mining.

Occasionally, Privateers will be heard discussing the topic. This was most likely the time when the Rook islands had some form of organized government like the one seen on billboards throughout the islands. Sometime shortly after the Rook Islanders attempted to govern themselves, Hoyt Volker landed on the island and brought on one of the darkest times in the Rook Islands already dark history.

As of 2012, the Rook Islands had not progressed from its past issues. The population had grown tired and only wish to live their lives in solitude, no longer caring who inhabits the islands anymore. The only resistance to the outside world is the people of the Rakyat, who believe the island was and still is rightfully their homeland. With the pirates still swarming the islands, the Rakyat are the only ones willing to fight back.

After the events of Far Cry 3, the Rakyat reclaimed control of the islands. If the "Join Citra" ending was chosen by the player then the unnamed child of Jason Brody most likely ruled the islands, but if the player chose the "Save Your Friends" ending then it is unclear who would rule the islands since Citra would be dead. All that is known for certain is that the Rakyat will clean up their islands and return them to the way they once were.

Notable Locations:

⭐ Amanaki - A friendly settlement located on the unnamed northern island of the Rook Islands. Jason Brody is brought here at the beginning of the game by Dennis. The town features include: a general store, a place to play a game of throwing knives and a noticeboard with various side quests just outside the village.

⭐ Citra's Temple - Located on the North Island. This is the place where Citra lives. Weapons cannot be used near or inside the temple, since they are automatically holstered. Citra's Temple is located to the south-east of the Calvary Point.

⭐ Badtown - A shanty town village located on northern island. It is located on the east end of the island, inland from the sea along a river, in the Murder Summit Region of the island. The village is made up of mostly shanties, and the residents are fallen men and women shunned by Rakyat society. The town has a general store as well as some seedy businesses for prostitution, drinking, gambling and drugs.

⭐ Gaztown - A small village located in the Krige Valley region on the southernmost island in the Rook Islands. It is located on the western side of southern island perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. One of the island's main roads passes through the middle of the village. The village itself is home to a few small businesses that serve the locals and a small church. When compared to other villages and towns in the islands, it appears to be a well-maintained middle-class village. It is a stark contrast to the poverty-stricken settlements scattered throughout the Rook Islands. It, unlike Thurston, is not controlled by privateers.

⭐ Thurston Town - A town located on the Southern Island. It features a number of urban buildings as well as large apartment complex-type structures. Thurston has more urban buildings than any other settlement in the Rook Islands. It also hosts a number of local businesses and a large number of Privateers who do not attack Jason Brody. Thurston seems to be thriving as a result of the Privateer population who serve as customers for the local businesses. One of the most notable landmarks is a run-down hotel used by Privateers as accommodation.

⭐ Beras Town - A settlement on the northern island. There are large rice fields near the town which Hoyt uses as obstacle course (with landmines) for natives. The town also contains many native style houses and sheds similar to those in Badtown. The coordinates of this location are: X: 738, Y: 815

Island Location:

Based on the wildlife, people, environment and culture seen in Far Cry 3, the Rook Islands are most likely located in either East Nusa Tenggara or the Moluccas of Indonesia. In real life, an Island called Rook Island is located near Papua New Guinea. However, according to the local language used, Malay language and/or Indonesian language, the location may be around Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia where Bahasa Melayu and/or Bahasa Indonesia are spoken.

Based on the fact that the island has a bizarre mix of species from both sides of the Wallace Line - with tigers, leopards, and Komodo dragons from the Southeast Asian side, and Cassowaries, dingoes, and Birds of Paradise from the Oceanian - the most likely point on the map for the Rook Islands is directly between Bali and Lombok, where drastic differences in wildlife are also seen despite the islands' proximity to one another. The Asian black bear however is not naturally found in either Indonesia or Oceania.

Geography:

⭐ Rook Islands: The Rook Island archipelago bears some similarities to the Indonesian archipelago.

⭐ North Rook Island: The northern island resembles a mixture of Nusa Tenggara, Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi and Komodo Island due to large jungles, large savannah, some beaches, small islands, farms and many towns can be found here. Komodo Dragons also common on this island but in the real life Komodo Dragons are endemic to Komodo Island.

⭐ South Rook Island: The southern island resembles a mixture of Papua and Maluku Islands due to its mountainous nature, large jungles, and beautiful marine parks.

⭐ Beras Town: Bears similarities to the island of Java, Sumatra, and Bali.

⭐ Citra's Temple: Closely resembles temples found in Sumatra, Java, and Bali.

Demographics:

⭐ Rakyat: The Rakyat people resemble the Dayak people. The names of both peoples strongly resemble each other.

⭐ Rook Islander: The people of the Rook Islands closely resemble Indonesians and Malaysians.

⭐ Pirates: Indonesia has long been ranked one of the highest countries for illegal piracy.

⭐Privateers: Private Military Companies are becoming increasingly common within Southeast Asia specifically Indonesia, bearing a similarity to Hoyt's Privateers.

Wildlife:

⭐ Komodo Dragon
⭐ Sumatran Tiger
⭐ Cassowary
⭐ Tapir
⭐ Bird of Paradise
⭐ Leopard
⭐ Dingo
⭐ Rabid Dog
⭐ Crocodile
⭐ Buffalo
⭐ Asian Black Bear
⭐ Deer
⭐ Rat
⭐ Chicken
⭐ Pig
⭐ Snake
⭐ Aquatic Animals - Sharks, Moray Eels, River Fish & Manta Ray's

Final Thoughts:

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Extracts From:
⭐ Far Cry Playlist: Far Cry Playlist

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