Vorda (ˈvɔr.da)
"No longer will we hide from the humans. This is our island, and always will be."
Vorda is one of the Mbaru Islands, and a part of the Mangimoi Archipelago. It is nominally a part of the Kingdom of Gailo, but in the wake of the Tubu Incident the kingdom has had few resources to devote to the island. This has proved a boon to the native Vaihala of Vorda, who have taken the opportunity to drive the human Pulawan and Mangimoi villages from Vorda and reclaim the island for themselves.
The Vaihala are a group of Kikipua, related to the Mu'o'a of Motu, who colonized the island of Vorda centuries ago. When the Kingdom of Gailo arose on nearby Tubu and claimed Vorda as part of its domain, the Vaihala objected strongly, and were nearly wiped out in the ensuing conflict. Humans from elsewhere in the archipelago moved in and founded villages on Vorda, while the surviving Vaihala villages hid themselves from the ships and soldiers of Gailo.
In the weeks after the depopulation of Tubu and near-destruction of the Kingdom of Gailo, the Vaihala emerged from their hidden villages and attacked the humans. Caught off-guard, only those humans who could flee survived the ambush, and before long there were only the Vaihala again resident on Vorda, save for a few keepers in the Jerung Lighthouse on the northern tip of the island, who were protected by their goddess. The lighthouse has since recieved supplies and support from the Ring of Light, but the other human settlements have been abandoned entirely.
Notable Spirits
The Vaihala worship a group of Atua they call the Ado'do. These spirits take the form of great sharks, and rule over the waters around Vorda. According to Vaihala folklore, the land itself is devoid of true gods, and only houses meddlesome spirits that do not merit anything so grand as worship.
During the times when humans occupied most of Vorda, they did pay tribute to the spirits of the forest, hills, and streams, leaving offerings to Vorda's small gods in exchange for what favors they could provide. In the few years since humans have been driven from Vorda, these small gods have grown agitated by the absence of worship or tribute, and have begun to torment the Vaihala in any way they can. This has mostly taken the form of minor harrasments, but can sometimes escalate to engineering deliberate and highly damaging "accidents".
Geography
Vorda is a long and thin island, stretching about ten miles from end to end. At the northwestern tip of the island is Jerung Lighthouse, which warns ships of dangerous reefs in the area. The island is hilly and forested, with white sandy beaches along most of the coastline. The highest point on the island is the ridge called Apapa, which means "shark fin" in Vagahālā. The hills are home to many caves which the humans had used for burial chambers - the Vaihala bury their dead in the ocean and do not typically visit the caves.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 4.95 degrees South
Longitude: 13.73 degrees West
Average Elevation: 69 ft
Highest Point: 692 ft
Lowest Point: -3 ft
Area: 116 sq mi
Shark Worshippers
The Vaihala claim that their ancestors came from Motu, and that those same ancestors bore "the blood of the shark" within them. Some people believe that they are connected to the Nifetai of Mu'o'a folklore, and that some if not all of the Vaihala may actually be able to shapeshift into dangerous and voracious sharks. You can read more about the Nifetai here.
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.
The Vaihala should probably work out some way to appease the gods or things might turn out badly for them. I feel kind of sorry for the lighthouse keepers, too. XD
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
The Vaihala believe that they are what happens to other people. We will see how that plays out.