Ombi (o.mbi)
"We were conquered by love, and then by money. Now we long to be free again."
Ombi is one of the Nofo Islands, a part of the Mangimoi Archipelago. It is at the center of a cluster of about forty islands, which are collectively referred to as Ombi. When it is necessary to be more specific, Ma Lomoso speakers will say Pulu Ombi, meaning only the big island.
Two hundred years ago, Ombi was an independent kingdom. In 3780, the Queen of Ombi was married to the King of Biku, and presented the entire kingdom as her dowry. At the time, the match was the subject of several romantic ballads, and the royal couple was much beloved. But in the decades that followed, the people of Ombi felt that they were being ignored by the government on Labiruta, and public sentiment gradually turned against the merger of the two kingdoms.
Then the Kingdom of Biku was itself dissolved and merged into the Kingdom of Pagi. Pagi managed to orchestrate a financial takeover of Biku, which ended in the current King of Biku abdicating and handing the kingdom over to Pagi. For many of the people of Ombi, this was the last straw. Now they had not only been given as a dowry, but purchased like a bushel of grain. It was only days later that the first meeting of the Ombi Manyawa convened.
The Ombi Manyawa (aka the People of Ombi) are a group of merchants and landowners who seek to break the islands of Ombi away from the Kingdom of Pagi and re-establish the Kingdom of Ombi. Every year since the purchase of Biku, the organization has grown in strength and numbers, and they have recently submitted a request to the King of Pagi that they be released from the sale of Biku. Few believe that this request will be granted, but the leaders of the Ombi Manyawa feel that submitting it is a necessary step towards independence. Most believe that it will eventually require violence to actually free the island, but they are reluctant to break the peace that has blessed the archipelago for the last five centuries. Still, the Ombi Manyawa has acknowledged the possibility of violence, and has been training soldiers to defend their land for the past sixteen years.
Notable Spirits
The Hyang of Ombi is Oma Latu, the Mother of the Land. She is said to perch upon the top of Gunung Puncak and peer down upon the island. When she sees something she does not care for, she selects a mortal to possess and uses them to deliver a warning to the people. According to the Ombi Manyawa, she is displeased with the rule of Pagi over the island, and has sent visions to their leaders demanding the restoration of the Kingdom of Ombi
Geography
Pulu Ombi is an oval-shaped island, measuring about fifty-two miles from north to south, and twenty-eight miles from east to west. The island is covered in heavy forest, some of which has been cleared to support the planting of sago palms. There are many species native to the islands, most notably the Ombi butterfly.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 1.5 degrees South
Longitude: 16.72 degrees West
Average Elevation: 387 ft
Highest Point: 5,043 ft (Gunung Puncak)
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 981 sq mi
Related Articles
Nofo Islands
The northernmost portion of the Mangimoi Archipelago
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I hope the Ombi Manyawa succeed without having to resort to too much violence.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
Yeah…these islands have abstained from war for a long time, and if someone broke that rule it could all go up in flames.