Kandaya Current Status
Current Status
Kandaya sits as the northernmost Island within the Free Islands Alliance. After receiving word from an emissary from Kotabalon about the expanding Colony invasion, the Hunters of Hanapin on the Island's Northeast have began mobilizing warriors and weaponry. Additionally, they have worked to build a surplus of Salt which is distributed throughout the Island for the purpose of hunting the dreaded Aswang. This surplus will continue to supply Kandaya and hunters on other Island during extended conflict if necessary.
Messages have been sent throughout the island to mobilize the people.
No response has been had from Taongulpa, who is responsible for assembling the material casting components for the magic casters within their ranks.
Sininga has begun the production of magical textiles for cloaks, robes, and armors.
The Panday, the most skilled shipwrights in all of the Islands, have begun mass production of war canoes which will carry warriors across rivers and seas. The center of their production is Pahinga, which is where the Datu of the island assemble to make governing and military decisions.
Background
Kandayans live and die under the shade of the Mangroves. As the sun filters through the leaves and light dances on the surface of the water that submerges the trees' winding roots, the true form of things within can be hard to ascertain. As such things appear to be gnarled and ugly can be a thing of beauty, as the twisted wood of the trees can become refined into the finest of watercraft by skilled a skilled Panday, often imbuing magic within their hulls. Or else, things of tranquil beauty can be a result of mass decay, as the magical silted clay which dyes magical textiles famous in the southern settlement of Sininga.
The Mangroves hide dangers well. Travel between settlements is precarious, requiring small boats to navigate Tagaampon, the wide river that flows through the island. The swirling of currents can leave wanderers disoriented, and maps do not exist on Kandaya. A sharp survival instinct or a guiding spirit is needed to traverse the harsh landscape. Additionally cannibal monsters called Aswangs often raid under the tree canopies, launching from two islands off the coast named Twin's Folly.
Those who successfully navigate to the center of the island may find Pahinga, the Mangrove City. Populated by Halflings who constructed bridges and docks between trees, the thriving city is the hidden capital of the island. Outsiders must be allowed to find the city within the trees or else be lost to the mists rising off the water.
Faction Control
Kandaya is controlled by the Free Islands Alliance
Diplomacy
Kandaya is sending emissaries to Kaylahon to secure support for their mobilization.
Adlawadto and Talunan are allied with Kandaya within the Free Islands Alliance. All 3 islands are independently attempting to mobilize , which will direct each islands strengths towards a combined war effort to resist Colony expansion.
Key Figures
Datu Makisig - Humble and composed, Datu Makisig is a younger halfling of jovial nature, whose duties take him travelling across all of Kandaya to meet with the other leaders of the island. From them, he takes in those whose needs are greater than those settlements can provide, and arranges for them the help that they require. His role as Datu is hidden as he travels, taking the appearance of a small, blind merchant with his bodyguards, so as to travel undisturbed. But while the title of merchant is a falsehood, his blindness isn’t, for it was his blindness that brought him to Pahinga to begin with. Given freely to Tagaampon as a child, he has learned to live his life without the use of his eyes, and now senses their way in the world through the aid of a spirit in order to serve as Pahinga’s Datu. He works tirelessly to bring new members to Pahinga: both those who need or want assistance beyond normal healing, or panday, whose skills surpass their peers when working with wood. While his duties may take him away from Tagaampon and Pahinga for weeks at a time, he is glad to bring back new members and stories for his friends and family. (SI 69)
Babaylan Marikit - Marikit first began her life as a panday, crafting boats on the island of Timanduk for many of her early years. When she decided to try her hand at sailing for the first time, it was a disaster and left her battered and at death’s door on Kandaya. The members of Taonglupa saw this dying tiefling, and though nursed back to health, could not heal her arm. Seeing her resolve to make it back home, a silent agreement was made between the members of Taonglupa, and they brought her through the mangrove forests of the island to Pahinga. There, Marikit was given a new, prosthetic arm. With her permission and request, they grew an arm made of wood and bark, replacing the one of flesh she was born with. This new arm allowed her to learn the method of boat making unique to Pahinga, using the mangroves special to the river, which can sometimes be infused with magical potency. She was taught how to speak with the spirits of the trees to keep the wood alive as it was cut and carved, as well as the spirit of the boat once it came to be. (69)
Caylao - Quiet and imposing, Caylao serves as the collective representative of the panday in Pahinga. The half-elf serves as the teacher for those who come to panday to learn their craft, and it is through her guidance that they grasp how to work the spirit wood that marks Pahinga’s work above that of others. Though it took her many years to learn the techniques that using the spirit wood demands, there is no doubt that Caylao has earned her position through tireless effort and unceasing care of craft. She spends much of her spare time assisting with trade, meting out the herbs and remedies used to treat internal pains that are grown under her watch. (69)
Datu Panganiban - Datu Panganiban comes from a lineage of elves that begins with Watan. And while Watan, the creator of the salt farms, was not a hunter, Panganiban is. Panganiban almost seemed reluctant to take the role of datu from their mother because of their love of hunting, which provoked skepticism from the villagers. While Panganiban seems restless and occasionally impatient, they approach leadership with the same fervor they once approached hunting. Some interpret this intensity as a sincere desire to become a good leader, like the hunters who once travelled alongside Panganiban. Others perceive it as overcompensation for lack of experience. As datu, Panganiban no longer has the time to hunt as freely as they once did. Additionally, they worry that spending so much time away on hunts would only serve to validate their community’s skepticism. So, Panganiban has found their own way to remain involved in hunting that won’t take them as far from the village: raising and training hunting dogs. Through this, Panganiban hopes to demonstrate that despite their youthful inexperience, they have the makings of a capable leader. (70)
Tahimik - One of the few non-halflings who reside in Taonglupa, Tahimik is a master of the art of disappearing. The gold gnome is adept at using camouflage to blend into the natural world. She teaches hunters how to break up their silhouettes as they stalk their prey or make their traps appear to be part of the landscape. A trusted friend of the datu, she is sometimes asked to spy on interlopers and report her observations to him. (71)
Datu Habai - Habai is Sininga’s datu and chief master crafter. They can trace their bloodline back to Likha, the founder of Sininga. A skilled weaver and dyer, they continue to use the techniques that have been passed down through generations to create textiles of incredible quality. Habai is also driven, like many who have held the title of Datu, continuing to hone their craft. Their wares are sought after at the dagiya, both for their quality and their rareness. Habai is known to only create a few pieces each season, each one more intricate than the last. Habai is well loved by the Siningan people and is described as a driven individual who is wise beyond their young years. (73)
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