Gunung Walurli

Gunung Walurli is the highest point on the island of Remad and has long been the most active volcano in the Mekonggan Archipelago. Though it has not erupted in two centuries, it is far from dormant. The region remains prone to earthquakes and landslides, and new hot springs appeared on the beaches southwest of the mountain only forty years ago.

For the people of Remad, Gunung Walurli also serves as the island's great dividing line: to the north, the land is largely cleared for farming and home to the majority of the island's population; to the south lies the lightly inhabited Rimba Nyanyia, the "Forest of Song," famed for its extraordinary diversity of songbirds. In the centuries of calm that followed the last eruption, the northern slopes have been intensely cultivated, with coffee groves now dominating the landscape.

Even so, those who live in the mountain's shadow keep a wary eye on both Walurli and the animals around it. They do not know when the volcano will awaken, only that it will - and they stand ready to act at the first sign.

Notable Spirits

The island of Remad is the domain of seven gods, known collectively as the Deza. Gunung Walurli lies within the realm of Tavuren, patron deity of the central highlands and the northwestern reaches of the Rimba Nyanyia. Tavuren is regarded as a restless and fickle god - easily offended and requiring careful respect from all who live under her watch.

She most often manifests as a Pulawan woman, neither young nor old, with the bearing of a queen but dressed in unassuming garb. In the old stories, she walks unannounced through the villages of the Pulawan, waiting to see how she will be received. When welcomed with proper courtesy and hospitality, she bestows abundant blessings: fertile soil, sweet water, and thriving fields.

But if slighted, Tavuren's wrath is swift and terrible. Sparks are said to burst from her eyes, mouth, ears, and nose as she screams her fury - sparks that ignite everything around her, especially the one who dared insult her. Some who have provoked Tavuren have survived the encounter and the burns she inflicts, but always grievously scarred, and often as the lone survivor of a village reduced to ashes. They are then ostracized for their crimes against the goddess, lest her rage turns to those who shelter the disfavored soul.