Gunung Palamata (ɡu.nuŋ pa.la.ma.ta)
"The locals call it "The Watching Mountain", and are careful to never look at it directly. Nobody will tell me why, but I get the feeling that they are afraid of it."
Gunung Palamata is the highest point on Ngofa. It is a part of the island's western mountains, an area of Ngofa which is extremely sparsely populated. According to the Pulawan who will speak of it, Gunung Palamata is not the mountains proper name, which is never spoken aloud or written down; it is a euphemism for the mountain that means "Watching Mountain". They believe that the mountain is alive and aware of what is happening in the world, and that it is bad luck to draw the mountain's attention to you by speaking or writing its proper name.
This is also the reason why few of the locals live near the mountain, or will approach it. It is said that once the mountain's gaze has marked you, you are never free of its attention again. If the focus of its attention grows boring, the mountain will send troubles to them, so that their life is more interesting to watch. This can be disease, or thieves, or simple ill luck, but they always serve to entertain the mountain first. Those afflicted with the mountain's gaze also find that they can no longer leave the island of Ngofa. Strange accidents will befall them if they attempt it, which can cripple or even kill the subject. The mountain would rather witness the death of its victim than their escape.
Notable Spirits
Gunung Palamata is the physical anchor of one of the Hyang, who is the mind behind the persistent observation of the mountain. Like the mountain itself, the god's name is never spoken, and they are only referred to as Palamata, or "Watching". It is believed that the god Palamata has the power to bend fate and luck, cursing or blessing those it observes according to its whims. Far more of its subjects are cursed rather than blessed. The one sure way to gain Palamata's favor is to become one of the god's eyes - these are avatars who travel the world watching things on the behalf of Palamata. The Eyes of Palamata are granted the durability and patience of mountains, and do not require food, drink, or sleep. Sadly, the constant touch of Palamata's gaze upon them and through them tends to erode their sanity, and after a few years they typically dive into the ocean and do not return.
Geography
Gunung Palamata is a cone-shaped mountain, surrounded by smaller mountains and hills. Almost the entire mountainside is forested, with only the last several hundred feet of the peak rising above the tree line. Eyes can be found carved into the mountain wherever there is exposed stone; nobody knows who once carved these eyes, and many believe that to make eye contact with them is potentially lethal. There is an especially large eye carved near the mountain's summit facing east, which can be seen from a great distance - many Pulawan refrain from even looking towards the mountain when they are east of it lest they lock eyes with this carving.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 2.92 degrees South
Longitude: 15.79 degrees West
Elevation: 7,966 ft
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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.
This is a very unsettling mountain, but also a brilliant idea to add in your story! It has so much potential for hooks and plots around it. I liked this one very much <3
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Or, if you want something darker, Crux Umbra awaits.
Thanks!