Gunung Tambunti (ɡuˈnuŋ tamˈbunti)
"It was difficult getting permission to view the cave paintings of Gunung Tambunti, but worth it once I was admitted. They seem to predate even Muria, and I believe that they may shed light on other mysteries." - Higa Kamen
Gunung Tambunti is the highest mountain on the island of Lahat, and one of the highest peaks in the Great Ring. Its name translates to "Thunder Mountain" in Tanahti, but the precise reasons for this name have been lost to time and the virtual extinction of the Tau Tanah people during the invasion of the Mekongga.
Before the invasion and the establishment of the Kingdom of Lahat, the Tau Tanah maintained a special temple at the base of Gunung Tambunti that extended back into an extensive network of caverns beneath the mountain. These caves were forbidden to any who had not been inducted into the highest orders of the priesthood, and it was believed that the temple and the rituals it observed were protecting the people of Lahat from what lay within them.
When the Mekongga invaded, the priests of the temple were cut off from the villages which had provided them with food. The temple itself was in a remote and inhospitable part of the mountains, and without the food delivered by the devout, it could not sustain itself. Still, the priests did not abandon their rituals. The acolytes gathered and grew what food they could, and the priests ate as little as they could in order to continue carrying out their duties. The temple slowly starved over nineteen months of isolation. When the Mekongga army finally discovered the existence of the temple, they found only a few surviving acolytes who were carrying out the rituals by rote, and who had never been initiated into the deeper secrets of the mountain.
Since then, the Kingdom of Lahat has attempted to maintain the temple and its function as well as they can. Following the same principles that led to the creation of the Kosalo Villages, the Mekongga royals have attempted to reestablish a semblance of Kosalo. So far, no catastrophic force has emerged from the caves, but the deeper mysteries of Gunung Tambunti have been lost, and no one is sure how long this system can stand.
In an attempt to better understand the situation, the Kingdom of Lahat has allowed a few scholars to explore the caves to try and learn more of lies beneath the mountain. They have found hundreds of caves covered in elaborate artworks and strange characters in no known language. A few scholars have compared these to similar images linked to the Book of Koa'ki, but direct comparison has been impossible to perform. The last party of scholars to enter the caves were lost when an earthquake suddenly shook the entire island forty-seven years ago, and no further exploration has been permitted since.
Notable Spirits
Very little is known of the spirts and gods of Gungung Tambunti. Their names are included in the daily rites performed at the temple, but their deeper stories were lost when the elders of the temple died, leaving only fragments behind. It is believed that there are two major groups of spirits associated with the mountain, known as the Bunda' Langit and Bunda' Dalum, and that these groups are in opposition, but the details are all missing.
Geography
Gunung Tambunti is tall and forbidding mountain located in the Umpal Suduk mountain range of southeastern Lahat. This region is known to be particularly difficult and inhospitable terrain, with little arable land and limited fresh water in the mountains. Umpal Suduk means "harsh path" in the Tanahti language, a name which refers equally to its physical and spiritual reputation.
Geographic Details
Location: Southwestern RegionLatitude: 24.33 degrees North
Longitude: 62 degrees West
Elevation: 11,171 ft
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