Manapou

Manapou is a system of caves and lava channels inside the Mangai volcano that has recently been remodelled by a small group of characters for their own ends. They have worked to isolate Manapou from other caves and make them habitable, as well as creating entrances that are both concealed and easily accessible to those who know where to look.

Description

The main entrance on the north-eastern side of the Mangai, hidden from Ta-Koro by a spur. It is concealed in a tumble of volcanic stones up against the valley wall that at one time contained a small spring, and a mountain stream poured out from among them. The water has since dried up to a trickle, but the big blocks of stone remain, sitting at the head of the dry streambed. The trapdoor leading inside is in the centre of the stones, and invisible from both inside and out. It is not actually a door at all, just a thin space of stone between Manapou and the outside A toa or Skakdi of stone can remove this layer of rock and then replace it as if it had always been there.

The back entrance comes out in the next valley to the west, at the back of a deep cave. The cave, or “entrance hall” as Rehu has taken to calling it, sparkles with all sorts of natural crystals enmedded in staligtites and stalagmites. Large crystal nodules cover the walls in many places. One of these large patches of crystal is not natural like the others. It is made of zamor crystal. A knowledgable toa of crystal is able to make it temporarily intangible and allow people to step through, before closing it behind them.

The cave system itself is quite extensive, though its size in insignificant compared to the Mangai’s bulk. A narrow hallway leads from the main entrance to a large natural cavern, easily big enough for a large group of beings to meet, train and hide from the outside world. Several smaller caves and passages lead off this, though only a select few are large or go far. The most significant of these is a twisting and narrow natural psaage that leads down a long way before opening up into a mid-sized cave with a small lava stream and lavafall in it. The stream cannot be followed in either direction because it flows straight out ofa crevice in the rock at the top of the fall and back into a low channel with no margin at the far end of the cave. Beyond the stream, are two forks. One contains a kofo-jaga nest that the settlers have been unable or unwilling to purge completely, and the other continues on downwards. The path tightens up again, so much that it becomes difficult for larger beings to squeeze through. At the end of this is the bolthole out through the crystal cave.

History

Manapou has no history to speak of, being a recently-settled location. This is expected to change in the future.