Taonglupa

History
Taonglupa, like much of Kandaya, is largely populated by the indigenous halflings of the region. Despite having lived here for countless generations, they consider themselves new settlers to the island. This is because they have adopted their spirit’s millennia-old perspective on life. Each Taonglupa resident believes they sprouted from the seeds of Malahom, the spirit that created all plant life on the island.

As children of the land, the people are taught from an early age that they must look after their still siblings — the trees, flowers, and other greenery around them — who are vulnerable to predation by other beings. After all, it is their mangrove brethren who safeguard them from coastal storms and their fruit-bearing cousins who feed them in lean times. This stewardship includes making the village hospitable for the birds, bats, and honeybees that feed on garden pests and pollinate these plants. In their effort to protect their own, the small folk of Taonglupa serve as reluctant, though effective, guides for travellers headed to the Mangrove City.

Despite their reputation, the villagers are a humane and compassionate lot. It is common for the entire community to share in each other’s joy or pain, and the loss of a felled tree is taken as seriously as the passing of any other loved one. Young people channel their passion for the arts through public displays of song and dance to win the affection of a crush. This flair for the dramatic, encouraged by community leaders, makes their unwelcoming ruse all the more convincing to outsiders.Their bamboo homes are thatched with anahaw leaves and overgrown with living vines. The village might appear to be in disrepair, but this is how its inhabitants prefer to live: in harmony with nature.

To abandon Taonglupa is to desert one’s verdant community: those who leave are forbidden to return. Exiles are called “the rootless”, for their spiritual ties to Malahom have been severed.

Important Figures
Datu Madula. Sprightly for his age, Datu Madula is equal parts charming and clever. The older halfling is an accomplished performer. When all else fails to dissuade outsiders from trekking to Taonglupa, Madula takes great pleasure in making the village appear inhospitable to foreigners. His most memorable stunt involved a pair of particularly nosy city folk who insisted upon overstaying their welcome. The datu himself, together with nearly half of the community, dressed up as aswangs to terrorize the unaware visitors. In their haste to leave, the two were so shaken from this ordeal that they left behind their belongings, never to return again.

When disputes arise between residents, they are settled publicly with a verbal sparring match in which insults are thrown back and forth between the aggrieved parties. The winner, declared by the datu, lands the most impressive jibes.

Babaylan Kampupot. Babaylan Kampupot became an asog to deepen her attunement to the land and strengthen her relationship with Malahom. As a child, the young halfling shied away from other people, instead preferring to play with and confide in the plants around her. In turn, they gave up their own secrets: which roots could cure fevers, which leaves would cause rashes. By the time she began training as a babaylan, she possessed extensive knowledge about the natural world.

Malahom shared with Kampupot the gifts of healing and clairvoyance. Not only can she predict changes in the weather and seasons, but she is also able to heal the natural lifespan of any child of Malahom through her connection with the spirit and knowledge of healing plants.

Tahimik. One of the few non-halflings who reside in Taonglupa, Tahimik is a master of the art of disappearing. The gold gnome is adept at using camouflage to blend into the natural world. She teaches hunters how to break up their silhouettes as they stalk their prey or make their traps appear to be part of the landscape. A trusted friend of the datu, she is sometimes asked to spy on interlopers and report her observations to him.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking for the village and is kept busy preparing festival feasts. True to their outwardly sour disposition, Taonglupa’s favorite dishes include sinigang and kinilaw, flavored with acidic fruits like kalamansi and batuan.

Landmarks
Paglunas Spring. At the center of the Taonglupa, a small spring bubbles up fresh groundwater, sustaining a variety of medicinal plants that grow around it. A large tibig helps maintain the village’s main source of drinking water. During the rainy season, the tree’s roots soak up excess moisture, which it then releases during drought. Where there is a tibig, there will always be water within reach.

An earthly reminder of Malahom’s gifts, the tree bears soft, watery fruit that hangs in dense clusters along its trunk. Often found roosting among its branches are fruit-eating birds and bats whose droppings propagate all other tibig on Kandaya. Flocks of noisy katala birds are frequent visitors.

Malahom’s Mire. The nearby coastal mangroves are an excellent fishing spot for Taonglupa. Mud crabs, fish, and shrimp are plentiful here, preferring to spawn and shelter among the mangroves’ many finger-like roots. Crocodiles and venomous snakes nest here, so fishermen must venture through with caution. Fallen trees harbor tamilok, a marine delicacy harvested for special events.

Residents assemble annually in the mire, bearing woven baskets for the renowned fishing festival. Pieces of tubli root are ground and mixed into the water, temporarily stunning all the fish in the area for easy collection. Villagers cannot take more than can be eaten in the day. Any fish caught using this method cannot be cured or dried, its flesh altered by the poison.