Bulau (bu.laʊ)

"Bulau is the heart of the Phaṇin. We must protect it at all costs."

— Bagus Jayanagara

Bulau is the second largest island in Kanluranan, and is located to the northwest of Semvhu. It was the location where the ancestors of the Phaṇin first established themselves after the Clarati genocides and the fall of Muria, and the ten Karajans of Bulau are the oldest continuous nations in the Southwestern Region. Before the Persatuan Phaṇin formed, they made up the Persatuan Bulau and dedicated themselves to the destruction of Rangdayan.

During the first centuries after the Phaṇin established themselves on Bulau, the ten Karajans warred amongst themselves. In those days, the Utkrośa still kept to the mountains of Gili, where Rangdayan had anchored after her Apotheosis, and the Persatuan Bulau had yet to form. Only when the flying Utkrośa began to establish communities in the mountains of central Bulau did the Karajans find a reason to unite against the common foe. At first, they thought driving the Utkrośa away would be a simple matter, but they soon found themselves overmatched. Besides the martial prowess of the Utkrośa themselves (for Rangdayan had made them for war long ago), they found that each attack upon the winged folk would draw retaliation from Rangdayan herself. While the goddess could not travel far from Gili in the Physical realm, she could and did craft monsters to do her bidding. Beasts such as the Si Kaŋkarak would ravage their nests, and shadowy giants would cast handfuls of plague over their villages. With each encounter, the Phaṇin were losing more and more of Bulau to the Utkrośa invaders and their wicked goddess.

In desperation, the Karajans of Bulau joined forces and formed the Persatuan Bulau. Together, they were powerful enough to halt the advance of the Utkrośa, although they have never cleared them out of the mountains entirely. In the centuries since, the battle has shifted more to the larger island of Semvhu, and the Phaṇin have grown adept and handling the monsters created by Rangdayan. Many hope that with their new connection to the Tagápulo Empire, the Persatuan Phaṇin may be able to finally end their war with the Utkrośa and exterminate the monsters for good.

Notable Spirits

The god of Bulau is called Ket, and manifests as a great beast that once roamed the island long ago. This creature resembled a scaled tiger with the head of a kikipua, and was simply known as the Ket-Beast. Ket is the staunch opponent of Rangdayan, and will always attack her monsters if one crosses their path. Ket is also the ruler of the Para Dewata, the gods and spirits of Phaṇin folklore. Images of Ket are used to denote rank and authority throughout the Persatuan Phaṇin, and when Ket chooses an Avatar, that person is given status equal to or greater than any Sri.

Geography

Bulau is a medium sized island, about ninety-five miles from east to west and seventy miles across at its widest point. The center of the island is dominated by a steep and forbidding mountain range, which extends all the way to the island's east coast. There are several volcanos in the range, of which the largest is Gunung Induk, the mother mountain. Coral reefs surround the island, and there are several small islets just offshore.

Type

Island

Location under

Kanluranan

Included Locations

• Gunung Induk

Owning Organization

Tagápulo Empire

Geographic Details

Location: Southwestern Region
Latitude: 22.63 degrees North
Longitude: 34.71 degrees West
Average Elevation: 289 ft
Highest Point: 9,944 ft (Gunung Induk)
Lowest Point: -3 ft
Area: 2,230 sq mi

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