Tulaylupa, the Merchant’s Splendor

History and Legends
Long before the islands came into existence, there was only ocean. Not a single entity, but a family of spirits, always winding and floating together among the cascading waves as siblings.

Then the land began to rise from the depths of the water. New spirits began to mingle with the ancient consciousnesses of the ocean—spirits of earth and flora, and not long after, people. Hills swelled to mountains, and mountains rumbled from within with gnawing, molten hunger. Though the people began to flourish in this burgeoning world, the ocean spirits, once so closely knit, now found themselves shattered, split apart by jagged reefs and towering chunks of land.

The sea grew angry.

What were once clear skies became sodden with rain; what were once gentle winds now tossed entire boats beneath ruthless waves. Beaches flooded, and soon, only the bravest dared to venture on the storming waters.

But such a vengeful existence quickly becomes a lonely one—and none grew quite as lonely as Tulaylupa. Separated from their siblings by a massive coral reef, Tulaylupa mourned the disappearance of sailing, gliding through the waters of Timanduk each day in search of something to abate their loneliness. And each day, Tulaylupa failed.

Until one evening, after a long and perilous journey, a wise babaylan approached Tulaylupa’s home and offered a deal: if the sea would allow the safety of those who sailed its waters, the people of the island would provide companionship and, slowly but surely, mend Tulaylupa’s lonely heart.

Now, Tulaylupa exists in harmony with the people of Timanduk, relishing in the boats sailing their waters once more. Though at time the sea round the island will still roil with angry storms, the currents now tug gently at the waves, carrying in new flotillas of merchant ships to Kaylahon City daily. This section of the sea has earned the nickname, “Merchant’s Splendor.”

Relationship with People of the Island
Unlike Nulkab, who hungers insatiably for food, Tulaylupa hungers only for company—for songs and stories to keep their loneliness at bay. Because of this, fishermen are held in high-esteem as friends of the ocean, with prayers uttered on their behalf upon their sailing in the morning. As well, groups of druids can often be found playing music and reciting old legends along the shore to keep the spirit company. In return for these daily offerings, the Merchant’s Splendor provides the fishermen with bountiful catches to bring home whilst abating the monsoons that wrack the island each year.

The boat craftsmen of the island have also developed their own form of worship to the sea. With delicate hands and hushed prayers, these craftsmen adorn the prows of their boats with intricate carvings: swirls of leaves and wind, to inspire swift travel; shimmering schools of fish, to bless a plentiful catch; powerful nagas, to protect the sailors upon the craft. No two boats created by such artisans look alike, each imbued with its own unique life and purpose.

However, though worship to the ocean is paramount to the people of Timanduk, very few dare to invoke the sea’s power itself. Tulaylupa is not a toy to play with, nor a tool to use at whim. Rather, the sea is life itself—as we give to it, so does it return the kindness; but as we insult it, so too will it destroy us: an angry sea is not a force to be reckoned with.

Important Festivals
The inaugural sailing of a new boat on Tulaylupa’s waters raises great celebration amongst the people of Kaylahon. Families of the sailors gather on the shore and perform a series of ritual dances, petitioning Tulaylupa to greet this new friend—this new boat—with the same kindness they have seen from the sea before. Once this has finished, the craftsman responsible for the boat takes a carefully sharpened chisel and completes the final wood carving, decorating the prow, “awakening” the boat and imbuing it with purpose and good fortune. Finally, the crew of sailors board the new boat and launch from shore, joyously singing a song of welcome as they set upon Tulaylupa’s waters for the first time.

Worshippers of the Merchant’s Splendor also share a small but important festival with the clerics of the volcano. On each night of the full moon, when Nulkab’s fire burns fiercest and the tides swell to their highest peak, a small group representing both the sea and the volcano hike to the edge of a seaside cliff. From this vantage, all can watch as the red lava flowing from Nulkab meets the turquoise sea of Tulaylupa, cooling instantly and expanding their beloved island ever more. This celebration, though quiet and pensive, serves as an important reminder to the people of the world; a reminder that we are not alone, that even those of opposing nature can work together to create something beautiful.