Cocobolo is the name for a living island that bleeds gold when mined and has trees that grow rubies when the island cries.
Tales of the Peculiar[]
Cocobolos are only mentioned in Tales of the Peculiar.
History[]
Cocobolo is thought by most to be a singular legendary island, known for rubies growing on trees and liquid gold pooling in vast lakes. Because of these riches, humans come to take the gold. Liu Zhi later reveals to Zheng that there is more than one Cocobolo.
In a footnote, it is said that living islands are now virtually unknown in peculiardom, as if any still exist, they stay very well hidden.
Description[]
Known Cocobolos are born humans, but their peculiarity is eventually turning into Cocobolo, which happens in adulthood. When Zheng arrives atop his father, who has become an island, it is described to be "a lumpy collection of unremarkable hills covered with dense greenery," and looking to be the same as any normal island. Palm trees grow on the sand and there are jaguars living in the jungle.
However, Cocobolos are sentient and are still like humans in some aspects: they feel pain, bleed, cry, breathe, and have a voice. They can move across the ocean and are strong enough to create waves that knock over ships. They can also move the parts of themselves, such as bending their trees and raising their earth. Caves are a Cocobolo's nose and mouth, with a hot humid wind being breathed out and their voice coming from the depths. The earth is their skin, the grass is their hair, the liquid gold is their blood and the rubies that fall from the trees are their tears.
Cocobolo is the natural form of a human peculiar destined to become one, and though they may not like it and spend years in denial and trying to stop it, they are ultimately unable to. Their new form takes some getting used to, but they do come to accept their loss of humanity, with Liu Zhi calling it "such a relief" after he transformed, and Zheng realizing that he finally feels like himself when his own transformation is complete. Cocobolos are shy with humans and conceal themselves from them due to not wanting to be mined for their blood, which is "a process every bit as grotesque and painful as it sounds."