Tano Lumoto (ˈtanɔ luˈmɔtɔ)

"Beyond the final caverns lies Lina Madoro, the hidden land of the ancestors. Only those who are past breathing may enter there unaided, and few who enter ever return."

— tales of Tano Lumoto

Tano Lumoto is an enormous cave system located on the northernmost peninsula of the island of Gimoi. Kano Malitu, the island's largest river, has its source deep within the caves, and is the longest navigable underground waterway in the Great Ring. According to legend, the caves are an entrance to Lina Madaro, the Mangimoi underworld.

The large caverns along the river's course have long been used by the Mangimoi of the region as a cemetery. The bodies of the deceased are carefully cleaned and wrapped in cloth, and then brought by boat up the river to the final caverns reachable by living humans. There they are placed among the bodies of their ancestors. The Mangimoi believe that the spirit of the deceased will then follow the river through its subterranean path, emerging finally in Lina Madaro.

Some folktales talk of living heroes who have travelled to the land of the dead and returned, having consulted with their ancestors and recieved their guidance. Usually, they seek a different path into Lina Madaro with a higher survival rate, but will exit the underworld via the river, with the blessings of the spirits sustaining them through the long, dark, and airless journey. Like all underworlds within the Great Ring, Lina Madaro is a Dreamland, and sometimes Dreamwalkers will also attempt to return to the physical realm via this route.

Every year, the local people will gather within the Tano Lumoto to celebrate Arwahan, a holiday that honors those who have passed into Lina Madaro. During Arwahan, they tend to the bodies of the deceased. Those that have rotted away to bones are respectfully moved into ossuary chambers away from the main caverns, while fresher bodies are rewrapped in fresh cloth. This portion of the ceremony is done in silence, but after the bodies have been attended to the living gather in the largest cavern to tell stories of their ancestors, passing on their names and histories to their children so that they are not forgotten. The storytelling goes on all night, and the community will only emerge from the Tano Lumoto as the sun rises the next day.

Notable Spirits

The Tano Lumoto is guarded by the spirits of the Kano Malitu, known as the Yaratu. These spirits appear as vaguely humanoid creatures made of water, and help the newly deceased make their way into Lina Madaro. They also protect the cemetery caverns from any who would defile them, and more than one grave robber has been found drowned upon the riverbank. Finally, they make sure that no living person can pass upstream into Lina Madaro, even if they have found some way to breathe underwater. The Yaratu are often described as humorless and unimaginative, and completely immune to either bribery or coercion.

Geography

The caves are extensive, with the main series of caverns extending over five miles, and many offshoots that have never been fully explored. Several of the caverns are large enough to contain a village, and feature large white formations including stalagmites, stalactites, and pillars. The walls of the cave are primarily made of limestone.

Type

Cave System

Location under

Gimoi

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 1.49 degrees North*
Longitude: 16.75 degrees West* 
Area: 30 sq mi**
*Coordinates provided are for the main entrance to the cave system.
**Approximate above-ground area. It is unknown how much area is contained within the caves themselves.

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