Mo Kene (ˈmo ˈke.ne)

"Our Past contains many worlds. Our mission is to remember them."

— from the initial communications between the Xapeta and the Tamarau

Mo Kene is the highest point on the island of Hunu, and a part of the island's central mountain range. When the Xapeta first came to Hunu they encountered the Tamarau, a group of ancient spirits dedicated to preserving the memories of ancient worlds. These worlds preserved the living patterns and landscapes from the past of the Great Ring and before the Million Islands arose from the sea. Hunu itself was a relic of one of those past worlds, with plants and animals not found anywhere else in the world. Mo Kene stood at the heart of those preservation efforts.

Beneath the mountain lie miles of caves, winding in and out of the Dreamlands. The Tamarau had shaped the caves to create Associations to the Dreamlands which held the echoes, memories, and legends of worlds gone by. This serves to anchor them, helping them resist the Egregoric Force which would dissolve them as they were forgotten, or warp them as ideas about these times shifted. But time is inexorable, and the Tamarau could not sustain this effort alone; they too are creatures of The Dream, and subject to the same forces which would dissolve them as they were forgotten. They needed the help of corporeal beings to help stabilize both them, and the worlds they sought to preserve.

Their allies in this are the Xapeta. They have lived upon the islands of Nûrîka for thousands of years, and provide a valuable anchor to the Tamarau. When shown the caves of Mo Kene, they were able to explore and learn about the worlds gone by, reinforcing their existence by the acts of seeing and thinking about them.

The Xapeta also constructed a new temple upon the slopes of Mo Kene, designed to bring support to the Tamarau's quest. When the armies of Belanu ša Telmun conquered Nûrîka, the Xapeta were exposed to many outside concepts previously unheard of in the remote temple. One of these was the existence of the Eclectic Temples, which unite gods of similar domains across cultures. This concept was put into action shortly after the Telmun kingdom was overthrown, with the construction of Varokena, the temple of Memory. This structure is devoted to as many gods of memory and history as the Xapeta could identify, and they regularly send expeditions out into the world to discover others. These gods are naturally disposed to aid in the mission of the Tamarau, and because of this there are many other temples that now contain descriptions of the worlds gone by, dictated to the priests by their gods. This dissemination of knowledge has done more to anchor the ancient memories than any other strategy.

Notable Spirits

Because of the nature of Mo Kene, the mountain is inhabited by thousands of ancient spirits. Besides the Tamarau themselves, the memories of ancient beasts often manifest upon the slopes as though they were still alive. Mo Kene is a Wild Place with many connections to the Dream, and it is easy for those ancient memories to wander from the caves and into the physical realm. The Xapeta are always careful when they walk near the mountain, for one can never be sure when an ancient thirty-foot carnivore might come crashing out of the trees.

Geography

Mo Kene is located near the eastern coast of Hunu, and the steep eastern slopes of the mountain descend directly into the sea. On the western side of the mountain are two large rivers which have carved deep valleys through the mountains - it is in these valleys that most of the accessible cave entries are located. The Varokena temple can be accessed from the larger of these two valleys, with a steep path that winds up the mountainside to the temple itself. The slopes are mostly covered in a prehistoric rainforest featuring the strange plants and animals that dominate the rest of Hunu.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Hunu

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 14.88 degrees North
Longitude: 9.57 degrees West
Elevation: 5,341 ft

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