Gulipua (ɡu.li.pu.a)
"My guides took me to a patch of forest that they said was a Tersembunyi village, and then said to wait. After a moment, I could smell food cooking, something delicious and fried. Then there was a burst of laughter and words in what sounded like Bahasa Pulawa behind me. I turned, and it was gone - the scents, the sounds cut off suddenly. I explored the 'village' for hours, catching tiny moments such as these. I even managed to catch a glimpse of the Tersembunyi in a mirror my guide had brought - they were shockingly beautiful and the man who I glimpsed gave me a wink before placing a hand over the mirror and pushing it gently down. I could feel the pressure of his hand - but when I stepped forward, there was nothing there to touch, or see, or hear." - Miyagi Yumeko, excerpted from a letter to her son.
Gulipua is one of the Harafora Islands, a part of the Mangimoi Archipelago. It is home to several villages of the Pulawan people, who live along the coast. It is better known for the strange people known as the Tersembunyi, which means 'hidden' in Bahasa Pulawa. The Tersembunyi live in communities across the island, but are only barely within the Physical Realm. Instead, they and their villages are embedded within The Dream, rendering them nearly imperceptible to people not currently Dreamwalking. This is not true from the other direction - they are able to observe those who wander through the regions of the Physical Realm that overlap their territory, and can choose to interact, or not, as much as they wish. Most of the time, they are apparent only in short bursts of sensation that disappear as soon as the physical person moves or reacts.
The largest physical village on the island is Samarinda, located on the western coast. Travelers who wish to encounter the Tersembunyi will often start here, and there are many guides who will take the curious to sites where the Tersembunyi reside. It is also the site of the Tumanara, an annual event where the Tersembunyi and the Pulawan pay homage to the goddess of the sea, Tabalora. During the Tumanara, both the visible and hidden people craft elaborate floating shrines (also known as Tumanara) to Tabalora, and drag them out to sea where they float upon the ocean currents. The Tumanara are made of bamboo, coconut fronds, and flowers, and the villages of the island compete to create the most beautiful versions. As the Pulawan bring their shrines to the shore, the half-real Tumanara of the Tersembunyi also begin to appear. They are decorated with flowers only found within their Dreamlands, and only emerge fully into the physical realm as they drift out to sea. To those who observe the festival, it seems like the Tumanara multiply upon the waters, with stranger and more wild versions emerging amongst the crowd from nowhere.
Notable Spirits
It is a matter of debate whether the Tersembunyi are themselves spirits, or if they are some hybrid between Numina and humans. They are believed to have magical abilities beyond their ability to slip in and out of The Dream, and also are more malleable by the Egregoric Force than most physical beings, as exhibted by their inhuman beauty. But they also need physical food and drink to sustain them, and they seem to live and die like other mortals (albeit with extremely long lives of two or three centuries).
Putting aside the conundrum of the Tersembunyi, there are several other gods of Gulipua acknowledged by the Pulawan and their hidden cousins. The two most important are Tabalora of the Sea and Puan of the Stone. These two are said to be married, and together are the parents and rulers of all the creatures and spirits of the island.
Geography
Gulipua is a small island and fairly flat. It is oval shaped, with a longest dimension of about 30 miles. The interior of the island is heavily forested, with unexpected clearings that appear only semi-natural throughout.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 4.43 degrees South
Longitude: 10.88 degrees West
Average Elevation: 39 ft
Highest Point: 253 ft
Lowest Point: -13 ft
Area: 665.25 sq mi
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I love the piece of prose at the beginning. What a fascinating place.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
Thanks! I have some plans for the hidden folk, especially when I start writing up the various Dreamlands and the peoples who have migrated into them.