Sarua (saru.a)
"Moving the capital to Gamfene is pure cowardice. We should be rebuilding the kingdom, not abandoning our most valuable territory!"
Sarua is the second-largest of the Mbaru Islands, and has the largest population after the mysterious depopulation of Tubu. Many of the noble families of the Kingdom of Gailo had estates on the island, and it was ruled over by the Turalaya Daraja. With the disappearance of most of the royal family, Daraja has become the Turanai of the Kingdom of Gailo, and heir to her much younger cousin Malanoa.
While many of the surviving nobles have abandonded Sarua to join the new royal court in Gailolo, Daraja has refused to abandon the island where she has lived for so long. Instead, she has advocated to move the capital temporarily to Loura, the largest city on Sarua, in preparation for a full return to Kota Daya on Tubu. While Malanoa has rejected this plan, there are a group of Gailo nobles who have gathered on Sarua who support it, and have undertaken expeditions to Tubu in preparation. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that they declare Daraja the true Tura of Gailo, but she has rejected this idea so far.
Notable Spirits
According to local tradition, the island is the body of a great serpent-god named Kaibulan, who was bound to eternal slumber by the Clarati when they overthrew Muria. But while Kaibulan is asleep and their power is bound, they can still speak to people in their dreams, and is actively seeking acolytes to undo the powers that imprison it. Most people flee the dream-serpent, and Kaibulan rarely bothers those who are not open to the promises of power and glory should they be freed. But there have always been a few willing to serve Kaibulan for the knowledge they can teach, and the promise of future ascendancy.
Geography
Sarua is a long, crescent shaped island just south of Tubu. It is very low-lying, with the northernmost regions being higher than those to the south. The city of Loura is built upon the highest point of the island, a hill with a maximum elevation of only 256 feet.
Much of the island is forested, with mangrove swamps dominating most of the coastline and rainforest in the interior. By tradition, the trees of Sarua are the personal property of the throne of Gailo, and all the logging done on the island was by royal charter.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 6.16 degrees South
Longitude: 14.31 degrees West
Average Elevation: 10 ft
Highest Point: 256 ft
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 309 sq mi
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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.
Intriguing. It feels like stuff on Sarua might boil over before too long. And that's without thinking about Kaibulan and what they might be capable of. Also, ooo mangrove swamps.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
Yeah, there’s a good chance that chaos is coming to Sarua. Especially if they go through with recolonizing Tubu; it’s not friendly anymore and they might bring home something dangerous.