Hubba (ˈhub.ba)

“By restoring Hubba to its Pre-Murian configuration, it could provide an anchor to the current configuration of Kosalo, counterbalancing somewhat the changes to Lampuato and Lahat.”

— excerpt from the proposed restoration of Hubba made to the Mekongga King of Lahat

Hubba is an island in the Southwestern Region, and a protectorate of the Kingdom of Lahat. It is exclusively inhabited by the Taula people, whose ancestors inhabited the island before humans came to the Great Ring. Until a century ago, there were also communities of Tau Dilaut who would establish temporary villages along the coast, but this was banned when the rulers of Lahat enacted the restoration of Hubba.

Thousands of years ago, the Taula lived and thrived on Hubba. They had a system of interlinking kinship, with each person carrying a divine lineage, a regional affiliation, and a nest lineage. They were a mostly peaceful group, and their enormous communal tombs were some of the ancient world's most impressive structures.

When the Empire of Muria arose, Hubba was one of the first areas they conquered, taking thousands of prisoners to fuel their magics. This was the first major reshaping of Taula society, but far from the last. In the centuries to come, they would be decimated by the Clarati genocide of the Kikipua, and then lose territory and tradition to Human incursions.

But this all changed about a century ago, a little while after the Mekongga invaded and conquered Lahat. Their culture was strongly based around the idea of Kosalo, which held that changes to the order of the world endangered all of existence. While they were driven to leave their homes on Lampuato due to a metaphysical collapse, they were also terrified that their actions would be their own undoing. In consequence, they sought ways to stabilize the order of the universe, and one of those ways was to enact the restoration of Hubba.

According to their philosophers, the overall structure of Kosalo would be reinforced if certain areas of the world could be restored to ancient conditions. Hubba was selected as a suitable place for this experiment, and the Kingdom of Lahat set out to convert the island into its pre-Murian condition. They investigated the echoes and memories of the island within the Dream, in order to determine how the ancient Taula had lived. Then they began to enforce that way of life upon the island.

All humans were banned from visiting, and the animals (such as dogs and horses) that had attended the Human arrival were also removed. The Taula were instructed on the ways the Mekongga believed their ancestors had lived, even when the current inhabitants disagreed with what had been uncovered in the Dreamlands. The Mekongga even went so far as to capture descendants of the original Taula elsewhere in the region and force them to move to Hubba, so that certain key familial lines could be re-established. While the transition encountered resistance from several quarters, the Mekongga rulers were ultimately successful in recreating a facsimile of ancient Hubba.

Today, the Kingdom of Lahat maintains a cordon around the island, preventing all visitors except for those tasked by the crown to inspect the island for historical consistency. As long as the Taula live in the manner dictated by the scholars, they are free to do as they wish. Still, many chafe under the requirements to be unchanging anchors to the past, especially among the island's younger inhabitants. As the Kingdom of Lahat has had to shift more resources to defend against the attacks of the Tagápulo Empire, the cordon around Hubba has lost strength and many young Taula have left the island to seek out a less regimented life elsewhere in the Great Ring.

Notable Spirits

When the Mekongga restored the island, they did not ignore the metaphysical aspects. Using techniques developed by the Godcrafter's Guild of Ynys and records dredged up from the depths of the Dream, they did their best to restore the ancient deities of the island, while erasing the names of the ones that had arisen in the meantime. Of course, this was not completely successful, and the result was a synthesis of old and new that seems to serve their purposes well enough. These gods are ancestral in nature, and anchored in the megalithic tombs that can be found all over Hubba. They are connected to the lineages of the Taula, and serve as patrons, protectors, and guides. However, their recent history has left them somewhat confused, and interactions with the gods of Hubba can be difficult, as they cannot always remain focused on the present and tend to become lost in memories of the ancient past.

Geography

Hubba is an elongated island, with a curved shape like that of a kidney bean. From east to west it extends about one hundred and forty miles, and it is about thirty-five miles across at the widest. Low limestone hills make up most of the terrain, covered in tropical forests and savannas. There are some mountains in the interior, including Watu Ta'eti, the highest point on the island.

The island is home to many forms of wildlife, although many of the mammals were slaughtered during the restoration in favor of birds, reptiles, and amphibians (a choice which the Taula notably objected to). The largest animal is the giant predatory eagle known as the Manubala. This creature has been known to snatch hatchlings from the nest when given the opportunity, and is considered an evil and unclean monster by the Taula.

Type

Island

Location under

Southwestern Region

Included Locations

• Watu Ta'eti

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Lahat

Geographic Details

Location: Southwestern Region
Latitude: 24 degrees North
Longitude: 57.71 degrees West
Average Elevation: 262 ft
Highest Point: 4,019 ft (Watu Ta'eti)
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 4,341.25 sq mi

One Effort Among Many

Hubba is not the only place where the Mekongga have attempted to reinforce Kosalo. From the Kosalo Villages on Lahat, to the forced habitation of Desa Penjara, the Mekongga have done whatever they can to reinforce the universal order and prevent the dissolution of Kosalo into chaos (a state they call Keterbagaan). All of this is coordinated through the strange device known as the Kosalo Astrolabe, and the attendants of this instrument have great influence over the policies of the Kingdom of Lahat. You can read more about all of these efforts in the articles below.