Humalik (huˈma.lik)

"Despite all the changes around them, the Aten have preserved their way of life, and they live much as they did before the Muria conquered the Great Ring. They are not ignorant of the ways of outsiders, but they have no desire to imitate them."

— Lykomedes of Thalessos

Humalik is the largest of the Humalik Islands, an archipelago just east of the great island of Pulo. It is inhabited by the Aten people, an ethnic group of Kikipua who have lived here for all of recorded history. Although the island is part of the Tagápulo Empire, the Aten have been granted significant autonomy and self-governance. This special status is a recognition of the Tagapangalaga ng Aten, the personal bodyguards of the Imperial Family, who are composed entirely of Aten warriors.

Most of the island is forested - though this is not the same as calling it wild. The Aten manage the forest as carefully as any farmer tends their fields, and with the same ultimate purpose. They work to maintain a healthy balance among the plants and animals they rely on, carefully moderating how much they hunt and harvest to sustain this equilibrium. They also monitor for invasive creatures and diseases, and have managed to keep the forest both healthy and productive for millennia.

There are several small villages along the coast of Humalik, where the Aten can easily access the resources of both land and sea. The only major settlement is the town of Bataa, located on the island’s western coast. This town exists primarily to support the nearby Imperial hunting lodge, where the elites of the Tagápulo Empire come to partake in the sport of tree-drake hunting - a practice akin to falconry, in which trained tree-drakes are used to flush and capture game. These hunts are carefully supervised by the Aten, who ensure that no hunter takes more than they ought, skillfully managing both the nobility and the drakes to create a balanced and satisfying experience.

Notable Spirits

The Aten believe that spirits inhabit all aspects of the world, and that living well depends on maintaining harmony with those spirits. They recognize three major leaders among the spirits of Humalik: Sedek, the lord of the hunt and the dance; Iwap, the god of the forest; and Desdes, the god of the sea and water. The Aten see themselves as part of Sedek's domain, and honor them above all others. They believe that dance is the language of the gods and have specific ritual dances for every occasion.

These dances are used especially to honor the creatures that help sustain the Aten. When collecting honey or hunting animals of the land, they perform dances in honor of Iwap, as well as the spirit of the animal itself. When fishing or harvesting from the sea, they dance to honor Desdes and the bounty of the waters. Each type of animal they hunt has its own sequence of steps, and they even train their tree-drakes to dance with them, in tribute to the prey they capture.