Gunung Kecil (ɡu.nuŋ kə.tʃil)

"While the majority of the sorcerers remained on Bhati, they were all linked to a single observer that directed the energies to destroy Anmara. While we no longer have the observer's name, we do know that they stood atop Gunung Kecil during the ritual and only retreated once the stability of the great island was irrevocably destroyed."

— from "A History of the Mangimoi Archipelago", found within the Temple of Tabarunai

Gunung Kecil is the highest point on Nuhu Bes, and one of the most notorious places in the entire archipelago. In the days before the breaking of Bato, Gunung Kecil was a fairly unremarkable mountain on the great island. But when the Nakaal of Muria used their powers to shatter Bato into the Mangimoi Archipelago, they used the mountain as the final platform from which to direct the spell. For many of the ancient Anma, the last thing they saw was a beam of blinding light from atop Gunung Kecil that burrowed into the heart of Bato. The mountain itself was somewhat protected from the devastation by the wards protecting that final sorcerer, which may have contributed to the selection of Nuhu Bes as the center of Murian authority over the broken islands.

Today, thousands of years later, the mountain shows little of its past in the Physical realm. But its history has been kept alive by both the Ularan and the Anma. The mountain's echo within the Dream is dominated by this event, making Dreamwalking near the mountain extremely dangerous. There, the island is always shattering, and thousands of Eidolons remain trapped there reliving their death. The gods of Anmara are gone and forgotten (save for those phantoms haunting Gunung Pau), and no psychopomps or afterlife await them save this.

The Ularan of Bikusigara consider the mountain to be a memorial to the power of Muria, while to the descendants of the Anma it is a reminder of the Nakaal's brutality. Whether it is out of respect or disgust, neither group chooses to spend much time on the mountain, and it is left to nature's care.

Notable Spirits

Gunung Kecil is a haunted place, and a Wild Place, where one might slip into the Dream accidentally. The eidolons of those destroyed in the death of Anmara can be felt all over the mountainside, and can sometimes be seen or heard as well. These ghosts are entirely immersed in their final moments, and rarely notice anyone outside of themselves. However, when they are fully manifested they can draw bits of their Dreamland with them. An encounter with a manifested ghost of Gunung Kecil is marked by rains of stones and ash, toxic gases, and molten lava. While these vanish after the manifestation ends, the damage they do lingers, scarring the forest for years afterwards.

Geography

Gunung Kecil is a heavily forested mountain, with occasional patches charred by the past. The lower slopes are easily climbed, but it gets steeper and more difficult during the upper half. The jungle extends most of the way to the summit, before dwindling to a few stunted trees and open ground at the top. For those brave enough to climb Gunung Kecil, it provides an unparalleled view of Nuhu Bes.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Nuhu Bes

Owning Organization

Bikusigara

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 3.9 degrees South
Longitude: 12.35 degrees West
Elevation: 2,467 ft

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