Hakakal
On a stony plateau on the north side of the great Padapali mountain stands a great temple complex surrounded by traditional selkie buildings. The huge ceremonial drums of this town beat every day midday and echo off the sides of the volcano and into the caldera, floating down into the misty forests and taro fields below.
Hakakal was once a monastery that hosted sages and hermits who tended to the shrines of the old gods and spirits. Once a year, the priests of the ancient clan-polities would hike here to feast together above all the petty squabbling and rivalries of mortals. This is where sky met flame and earth met sea, it was once believed - a truly sacred place. Now, Hakakal is much larger and richer but far less sacred. The monastery has grown into a temple-town and a site for cultural tourism.
Hakakal is not an agriculturally self-sustaining settlement, nor is it particularly well-positioned for trade. Instead, all of the traffic is drawn to the Vault of All Gods, the ancient shrines, and the Hanahai complex. Large archives of old selkie records are kept here, as are religious relics from around the world. A large parade from the Druidsden District in Halamahi comes here every May to pay reverence to the Vault of All Gods and the ancient rites once conducted at this plateau.
Government
The Exarch of Motosui appoints an overseer of Hakakal, often from one of the major Hanahai groups present in town.
Districts
The Ferningway: The Ferningway is the common residential and commercial part of town, surrounding the main road into the Shrine District. This area is home to the majority of the non-clerical and non-bureaucratic residents: the weavers, carpenters, smiths, laborers, farmers, and shopkeeps who sustain the town with their crafts and work. While there are laborers who live in the Shrine District, much of their labor connects more directly to the work there and with the Hanahai. The Ferningway is essentially the "normal" part of the town, away from all the cult stuff.
The Shrine District: The Shrine District is the old part of town, built around ancient shrines, monasteries, hermitages, and prayer stations. This is where the annual parade from Halamahi eventually ends up, where major civic ceremonies take place, and where the majority of tourism is drawn to. All kinds of holy amulets are sold here, along with traditional medicines and crafts. A community of Oldpelts live here, producing crafts and medicines for tourists and the bureaucracy.
The Forbidden District: The Forbidden District is the part of Hakakal reserved for the Hanahai. This is a mix between libraries, archives, ritual spaces, military garrison grounds, and training grounds for promoted Hanahai. The Threadbearers, Keepers of the Dead, and Selkie Sacred Guard all have a substantial presence here. Non-Hanahai are forbidden entirely. This district contains the start of the Hanahai-reserved path around the caldera to Pawapua.
Type
Town
Population
1,200
Inhabitant Demonym
Hakakali
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization
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