Balete Tree

History and Legends
Scholars of the islands furiously debate as to what allows the balete to resonate with the spirits so strongly. Some believe that this stems from its half-dead yet half-alive nature, as the vines from the strangler fig thrive upon the host’s arboreal corpse. Others believe that the vines themselves form the sturdy framework of a house, perfect for wandering spirits to settle.

While only a few baletes exist in the islands (with each balete housing unique spirits and qualities), all baletes can serve as a gateway between the mortal plane and the realm of the spirits. Many babaylan commune with baletes to speak with the spirits, or to undergo initiations within the spirit realm. The land around a balete itself is loath to remain bound to things as time and memory, and many who have accidentally wandered into the grove of a balete have found themselves transported to the past or future, names all but forgotten in the mist.

A few have interpreted the balete’s penchant for serving as a domicile of spirits as a wicked perversion of the womb. This is not entirely false: the various elves that now walk the isles are born from these balete, after all. However, instead of malicious intent, spirits born into mortal form approach the world with precious curiosity, a sign that nature, in spite of all things, still grows brightly.

Relationship with the Islanders
Babaylan are the most common visitors to the balete. When seeking to perform a particularly difficult ritual—such as ones involving clairvoyance or large celebratory feasts—babaylan will often travel to the balete to ensure the spirits can hear them well.

Food is almost always left before a balete, even if it has a spirit house of its own. This food is eaten and taken as reverrent pieces by the spirits that live within, and can influence their goodwill the next time a babaylan performs important rituals and worship.

Many elves also pay homage to the balete as a remembrance of their ancestry. Younger elves will excitedly recount tales of their adventures to the nature spirits beyond the balete’s gate, while more traveled individuals will impart the wisdom their time in the mortal world has gifted them.

Important Festivals
Before an important sea raid or other pivotal battle, the community will gather to make large sacrifices to the balete of the region. Entire feasts may be held before the balete as a means to preemptively thank the spirits for a victory.

After such ventures of valor, another huge feast is held to once again pay homage to the spirits of the balete. A victory of a village is not only the work of its people, but of its history—of the ancestors and spirits who came before them to pave the path to their success.

The elves of the islands also put aside a special day to celebrate the balete tree that they came from. It is often a tranquil time, one of introspection and family. Entire elf populations within a settlement can come from a single balete, after all, which they call Punong Ina, or the mother tree.