Humalik Islands (huˈma.lik ˈaj.lan(d)s)
"I have granted Humalik autonomy because the Aten have displayed their loyalty, time and again. Can you say as much?"
The Humalik Islands are a group of twenty-seven small islands just sixteen miles off the southeastern coast of Pulo. They are inhabited by the Aten people, a group of Kikipua who have forged a personal connection with the royal family and now form the Emperor's personal guard, the Tagapangalaga ng Aten. This connection has caused the Emperor to grant the Aten a degree of self-governance, and the Humalik Islands now comprise the smallest Lalawigan in the Empire - the Lalawigan ng Aten.
These islands were incorporated into the Empire centuries ago. For most of that time, the Aten were treated more as a curiosity than as a people. The Tagápulo regarded them as picturesque savages and gave them little further thought. The Imperial family did, however, maintain a hunting lodge outside the town of Bataa, where they could engage in drake-hunting - a sport much like falconry, but using the small tree-drakes domesticated by the Aten. Many members of the Tagápulo elite enjoyed this pastime and would visit the Humalik Islands to indulge in it.
It was during one such visit that Matatag, then the crown prince, chose to form a personal guard made up of Aten. The tall, black-scaled Kikipua impressed him, and he believed they would make splendid guards. Thus was founded the Tagapangalaga ng Aten. Over the next several years, Matatag grew to genuinely respect the Aten, and when he ascended the throne, he granted them several privileges, including the right to select their own Lakanlalawigan from among their leaders. He established the Lalawigan ng Aten, an act that angered some members of the nobility but secured the unwavering loyalty of the Tagapangalaga ng Aten.
Geography
The Humalik Islands are a low-lying collection of twenty-seven islands clustered off the southeastern coast of Pulo. Humalik, the largest island in the archipelago, accounts for more than seventy percent of the total land area. It is the only island with a significant population, mostly concentrated around the town of Bataa. The other islands may host a village or two but are largely wild and undeveloped. The Aten do not engage in agriculture, choosing instead to fish and hunt for their food rather than clearing the forest to create farmland.
Geographic Details
Location: Southwestern RegionLatitude: 14.81 degrees North
Longitude: 27.16 degrees West
Average Elevation: 112 ft
Highest Point: 436 ft (Bundok Balani)
Lowest Point: -3 ft (Lawa ng Kaliwang Kulo)
Area: 337.84 sq mi
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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.
I need more on these on the Tree Drakes! Tree Drakes as the same kinda of hunting like Falconry is amazing, do they have Rooks they are kept in? What would you call it if it's not a Rook? Sorry, just a lot of ideas and questions hit me at once.
I’m planning to give them their own article at some point; I’m hoping there’s a good summer camp prompt for them! I haven’t worked out all their details yet, but they’ll have some kind of rookery or an equivalent.