Gunung Xulla (ɡuˈnuŋ ˈsuʟʟa)

"When the demon lord Manggalinga broke open the gates of Puyarga and rose up on a column of lava, he found Tatali Jiwanguru waiting with the power to hold him back."

— Mangimoi and Ngofangare myth about Gunung Xulla

Gunung Xulla is the highest point on the island of Besi, and is considered a forbidden location by both the Mangimoi and Ngofangare inhabitents of the island. Located a little south of the island's center, the inhabitants take great care to never approach it, lest they trigger a great catastrophe that would destroy everything they know.

According to legend, Gunung Xulla was once the main entrance to Puyarga, the underworld where the spirits of the deceased would go to. But a great demon lord named Manggalinga invaded Puyarga and overthrew its defenses. Manggalinga's goal was to use Puyarga as a way into the world of the living. When the gates of the underworld failed to contain him, he triggered a volcanic eruption that would send him and his army across the island and beyond, bringing an age of darkness and mayhem to the world.

But he did not rise unopposed. The great shaman Tatali Jiwanguru, hero of both the Mangimoi and the Ngofangare, avatar of Tanjung Baleha, the Hyang of Besi, was waiting. He had learned of the impending doom Manggalinga sought to bring, and knew that if the demon lord ever left the mountain the world would be lost. He gathered to him all the power he had gathered during his long life and ascended the mountain in a single bound, and placed himself in the path of the eruption. With his power, he held it back. Manggalinga raged at Tatali Jiwanguru, but the force that could break open the gates of death failed against the power of Tatali Jiwanguru. But the shaman could only stop Manggalinga, not turn him back. Each strove to overcome the other, to end the fight, and neither could advance, and neither would turn away. So it is to this day - the hero and the demon remain in a stalemate within the heart of Gunung Xulla.

It is for this reason that none will approach the mountain. They believe that the balance is so delicate that any disturbance could result in either the demon or the shaman gaining an advantage, and that if Manggalinga were to break free, it would be the end of all light, and joy, and safety in the world.

Notable Spirits

While the heart of Gunung Xulla contains the great battle, the exterior of the mountain is haunted by the ghosts who seek to enter Puyarga. While most of those destined for Puyarga are drawn to other entrances, those who die too close to the mountain find themselves pulled toward it and cannot escape to find another path. They wander the forests covering the mountain, and at night can be seen as faint lights through the trees. These ghosts are another reason to avoid the mountain, as they go mad while trapped on the slopes of Gunung Xulla, and can be dangerous to those unprepared to meet them.

Geography

Gunung Xulla is a volcano, rising a little over two thousand feet over the island. It is covered in dense rainforest, and is the home to thousands of species of plant and animal. The Besi bat is the best known creature to originate from the mountain - it is said that when the ghosts of the island finally forget their mortal lives entirely, they are reborn as one of the bats. This myth may be caused by the Besi bat's odd habit of flying far away from the mountain at the end of their lives, heading out over the ocean until they finally fall into the sea from exhaustion.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Besi

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 2.28 degrees South
Longitude: 18.49 degrees West 
Elevation: 2,024 ft

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