Mola (ˈmo.la)

"Since everyone vanished on Tubu, we have been almost completly isolated. Some of us think that's a good thing."

— Tama, the self-proclaimed King of Mola

Mola is a small island in the Mbaru Islands, part of the Mangimoi Archipelago. The island is populated by a mix of Tāngata and Pulawan villages, and has historically been a part of the Kingdom of Gailo. However, since the mysterious depopulating of Tubu, Gailo has not been in a position to exert any authority over the people of Mola. In their absence, a Tāngata rārantira has declared himself the King of Mola.

The Tāngata villages have decided to support Tama's claim, joining with him in a new hapū they call Te Hono o Mola. The Pulawan villages still consider themselves a part of the Kingdom of Gailo, despite the limited contact they've had in recent years. Tama has recently declared that all those who do not acknowledge him as the ruler of Mola will be driven from the island, and it looks as though there is violence in their immediate future.

Notable Spirits

The Numina of Mola bridges the gap between the Atua and the Hyang, and shows a different face to each of the cultures who live upon the island. To the Tāngata, they are known as Hanoatua and manifest as a young warrior with an obsidian blade. To the Pulawan, their name is Sakti and appear as a giant who is made from the rock and soil of the Mola. In both incarnations, the god is mostly concerned with the observance of proper order and respect, although they are sometimes at odds with themself when Tāngata and Pulawan opinions collide. In the current conflict, the god of Mola has refused to take either side, and appears to be suffering an identity crisis as the divide between the two cultures grows.

Geography

Mola is a small, crescent-shaped island dominated by a central ridge created by a long extinct volcano. The eastern shore is mostly sandy beaches and shallow lagoons, while the western coast features rocky cliffs. Forests blanket the interior of the island, and several narrow streams wind their way out of the highlands, mostly across the island's eastern half.

Type

Island

Location under

Mbaru Islands

Characters in Location

• Tama

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 4.75 degrees South
Longitude: 13.22 degrees West
Average Elevation: 59 ft
Highest Point: 791 ft
Lowest Point: -7 ft
Area: 39 sq mi

Librarian's Note - Divine Fission

In the world of the Million Islands, the gods are typically small and regional. The reason for this is due to the influence of the Egregoric Force on Numina when there are too many conflicting beliefs about them. If the god cannot reconcile the differing beliefs about them internally, they tend to split into two or more separate entities, each representing one coherent identity that partakes of those beliefs that are least contradictory. Thus there are no gods of the whole sky or sea, only gods that live in a part of the world. In theory, if a monoculture were to dominate the Great Ring and held extremely similar beliefs about a particular deity, they could grow much larger than gods today, but this seems unlikely to happen.