Dagkut (ˈdaɡ.kut)

Dagkut is an island in southwestern Kapuluan, best known as the origin of the Weeping Plague which swept across the Tagápulo Empire in 3882. It is the smallest of the three main islands within the Lalawigan ng Duhan, the southwestern Lalawigan of the Tagápulo Empire. The largest settlement on Dagkut is the town of Bayanbago, which was built after the town of Daungan was abandoned during the plague. The island still carries a bad reputation from the time of the plague, and few outsiders ever visit it.

The first cases of Weeping Plague appeared on Dagkut early in 3882. At first, the disease did not seem serious, but over a few weeks it spread to most of the population and out to the larger island of Duhan. The empire attempted to quarantine Dagkut too late to stop the plague from escaping, but maintained the quarantine for five years after the last cases were reported. During this time, the population of Dagkut suffered greatly, but they endured and today their population has entirely recovered. The town of Daungan was hardest hit by the Plague, with over three-quarters of the population killed and the rest fleeing. Today, Daungan is a haunted ruin, where only ghosts linger.

Notable Spirits

Many of the people killed by the Weeping Plague did not receive proper burial, and as a result the island has a large population of Talagpasipala. These spirits haunt the locations near where they died, and attempt to coerce any living person who comes near into performing their funeral rites. However, their ordeal has left many of the Talagpasipala unable to clearly communicate their desires, and instead they tend to shriek and moan.

A few have the power to move objects, and will fling whatever is nearby at the living - these missiles are rarely dangerous, but can be frightening. And a very few of the Talagpasipala develop into a Sumagpangtalag, a ghost-eater. These spirits prey on the other Talagpasipala, consuming what energy they possess. In this way, the Sumagpangtalag grow strong enough to manifest a physical body out of the corpses, assembling random body parts into a monstrous parody of life. Once physical, the Sumagpangtalag will attack living beings for their spiritual energies as well, before incorporating the corpses of their victims into their own body.