Golowu (ɡo.lo.ʔu)

"There are few things that could bring Pagi and Kodu to war, but the Mangimoi occupying Golowu is one of them. It may be a lever we can push on."

— excerpt from a dispatch from the Hleemeentreezee agent known as Nheegh'hlath, intercepted by agents of the Lorekeepers of Foxbridge

Golowu is an island in the Mangimoi Archipelago, and a part of the Nofo Islands. It is where the ancestors of the Ngofangare people first arrived in the Great Ring, and they consider is a sacred place. In the aftermath of the War for Gimoi, Golowu was specified as a place forbidden to the Mangimoi, a part of the treaty that saw the larger island of Gimoi become the territory of the Mangimoi Kingdom of Pagi. Golowu is the northernmost territory of the Kingdom of Kodu, and is best known for the gilded lighthouse Kodu has erected to outshine anything Pagi might construct.

The largest settlement on Golowu is the port city of Ogot. It sits on the southwestern coast of the island, near the southern end of the channel separating Golowu and Gotugimoi from Gimoi. Kodu's gilded lighthouse stands on the shore just south of the city, and helps ships find their way into the channel and Ogot's harbor. Kodu maintains the city of Ogot as a showpiece, with the intent of literally and figuratively outshining anything Pagi might construct along the channel.

Notable Spirits

The Hyang of Golowu is a goddess known as Suantu. Suantu is a goddess of magic and of bargains, who may provide your heart's desire but will charge a terrible price for it. Her priestesses maintain small homes near the communities of the Ngofangare, but never in them. Anyone may visit a priestess of Suantu to ask for her blessing and aid, and to learn what such a blessing may cost them. Sometimes the cost is simple - it may be money, or a task, or an eye. Other times the cost becomes complex, as Suantu demands the petitioners memory, or their sense of freedom. If the price is fairly paid, then Suantu and her priestesses fulfill their side faithfully as well. But those who attempt to cheat the goddess find that they have purchased a curse, and must either bear it, or pay again for it to be lifted.

Geography

Golowu is a volcanic island, and the great peak of Moyakiro looms over the south. In the north there are two smaller volcanos, and the island rarely goes a century without one of them erupting. The island is shaped like an egg, with the large end to the south. From north to south, Golowu is about nine miles long, and it is about six miles across at its widest point.

Type

Island

Location under

Nofo Islands

Included Locations

• Moyakiro
• Ogot

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Kodu

Related Ethnicities

• Ngofangare

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 0.41 degrees North
Longitude: 16.07 degrees West 
Average Elevation: 276 ft
Highest Point: 5,627 ft (Moyakiro)
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 44.79 sq mi

Golowu and Gotugimoi

Lying just to the east of Gimoi, Golowu and Gotugimoi are two small islands with a big impact on the history of the Mangimoi Archipelago. Golowu is the home island of the Ngofangare, while Gotugimoi just to the north is where the Mangimoi originated. These two ethnic groups have been rivals for as long as either can remember, and while outsiders can barely tell them apart, they have found many differences between them to argue about.

Their rivalry turned violent centuries ago, during the period when both peoples were expanding onto the island of Gimoi. The War for Gimoi was a bloodbath that nearly destroyed both sides, and when they finally made peace, the Mangimoi and the Ngofangare swore to never go to war again. While such promises have been made many times before, in this case it stuck. Today, the Mangimoi and the Ngofangare control the two largest kingdoms in the Mangimoi Archipelago, and while they remain fierce rivals, they restrict their competition to non-violent avenues.