Gunung Saba (ɡu.nuŋ sa.ba)

"What -what is that? That makes no sense - is this even a mountain?"

— recorded during an attempt to climb Gunung Saba

Gunung Saba is the highest point on the island of Maoro. It is located in the sparsely populated region north of the monolith line, and from a distance resembles any typical mountain, similar to many others in the area. But when examined closely, it does not appear to be a mountain at all.

Beneath a few feet of soil and rocks, the slope of Gunung Saba is a featureless block of a strange reddish-brown metal. The exact amount of coverage varies from one location to another; in some places the dirt is piled dozens of feet thick, while in others the underlying structure can be seen peeking through a coat of thick dust. The metal seems to attract soil and rocks, and attempts to clear a large patch have so far failed - as soon as the surface is wiped clean, dust begins to accumulate at an accelerated pace, followed quickly by dirt and pebbles. This makes it difficult to learn too much about what lies beneath the false mountainside.

There are a few things that can be determined, though. The structure under the dirt appears to be somewhat irregular; it is not a great cone, but has contours that help it look more like a natural feature when the dirt settles. No one has yet found a door or any opening to the interior, but the mountain does ring hollow when beaten with sufficient force. Finally, no one has ever been able to dent, damage, or otherwise penetrate the reddish metal of the subsurface - it appears to be impenetrable, at least to the tools tried so far.

Many people are fascinated with the mystery of Gunung Saba, and have spent their lives investigating it. Despite this, little has been learned in the last few centuries. Its dream-echo is as impenetrable as the physical object, and attempts to enter the interior via Dreamwalking have so far failed completely. While it will certainly be an area of study in the future, there's no sign that it will be giving up its secrets soon.

Notable Spirits

Much like the rest of Maoro, Gunung Saba is devoid of gods. Even the ghosts that inhabit the rest of the island avoid the "mountain", and no nature spirits are said to wander its slopes. Some investigators of the mountain have claimed to sense the presence of some vast entity slumbering within, but this is likely to be figment of their imaginations.

Geography

Gunung Saba looks from a distance to be a perfectly normal mountain, with forests covering much of the landscape. Animals tend to avoid it though, and it is not frequently climbed. To date, no one has been able to reach the top of the mountain, finding sheer cliffs that cannot be climbed at every attempted approach. A few particularly determined explorers claimed that the mountain would even send landslides to stop them, suddenly releasing tons of earth and stone to block their path.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Maoro

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 2.23 degrees North
Longitude: 16.03 degrees West 
Elevation: 3,842 ft

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