The Truth of Diwa

Diwa is both the building block and the string upon which all of reality is spun. It permeates all things, and exists in varying states of matter. In a manner of speaking, that chair you see in front of you is Diwa, in a given form. Break it down to its most essential components and you shall see Diwa.

However Diwa can be used more than that. It exists in four states: • Agos, Diwa echoing Water. This is the normal state of Diwa, the Diwa that makes up all things. • Tagos, Diwa echoing Air. This is the Diwa that binds things together. It can be manipulated at this level, and if one were to have some means of seeing the invisible machinations of the gods, they will see tiny strands that link everything to everything, as well as the Diwata that embody everything. Diwa in this state can be known as “Fate”, and indeed, the Agents of Heaven call this Tadhana. • Bala, Diwa echoing Fire. This is the Diwa that burns within every living being, and every thing is a living being because everything has a diwata. The Human Eight-Point Soul is made up of this Burning Diwa, and so are the powerful essences of the Karanduun. Burning Diwa can be used to affect other states -- most commonly by having a lot of Burning Diwa, you have more say in how reality works. Thus why Burning Diwa in all beings is known as “Bala”, or “Power”. It is their measure of capability, and it is well known that the Karanduun possess “Unlocked” Bala, which allows their Bala to transcend event that of Gods. • Tigas, Diwa echoing Earth. This is similar to Flowing, except it is raw Diwa turned into matter. It usually manifests as a colorless glowing lump that is infinitely malleable, similar to clay. Some might say that the diwata, when they materialize, are in this Calcified state, and when they dematerialize, returning to the spirit, they are in the Permeating state.

All beings have Bala. Particularly powerful beings -- such as Gods or Mortals or Spirits -- can actually raise their Bala, making them stronger and granting them power. Karanduun have access to a powerful Heroic Bala that spurs them to greater heights, allowing them greater success in a dead world.

Gaining and raising Bala can be two ways: either by killing living beings with Bala, or by cultivating it through sheer meditation. “Divinity through bloodshed” is a common saying echoed in Yavuman Faith and Dayawan Scripts. Cultivation through meditation is longer and takes a more pacifistic route, meditating in various natural spots in the world that have lots of Tagos Diwa that they can absorb and turn into Bala. Eating the heart of something or stealing their heads is a great way to earn large amounts of Bala.

Spirits There are two kinds of Spirits, as categorized by the joint work of Al-Kaigian Essudio de Idjidio, and Dayawan Guro Magadla. They are the Diwata and the Anito.

The Diwata are the Spirits of Nature. They are the ones that embody everything -- there is a Diwata of a stone, of waterfalls, of trees, of lightning, of justice, of storms, of the sky. In addition, they have their own society, which is now the Invisible Society hidden in Spirit. The Hierarchy is as follows: • At the bottom of the rung are the Minor Diwata. These Diwata are usually non-sentient, existing only as an embodiment, and do not have “human” thought. Unlike other Diwata, a specific thing or concept might have multiple Lesser Diwata attached to them. They usually materialize as floating sprites, in various sizes ranging from anthropomorphic to platonic (cubes, spheres, flat circles). • Next are the Earthly Diwata. These are Diwata that are already sentient, and are capable of “human” thought. They exist in a state of being separate of their embodiment, and can have emotions, although they still reflect what they embody, and are ultimately that which they embody. They also usually have very alien conceptions of emotions, as they are not privy to normal human emotional limits. A river Diwata might fall in love with a mortal man, but their emotions might be rushing like the river, and she will leave him in the next instant as a river pushes against a large rock that bars its way. She may express regret, but she will never return to that man. Such is the nature of earthly diwata. • The highest on the rung are Heavenly Diwata, or the Apung Diwata. These are the most powerful of the Diwata, and are “Gods” in the modern sense of the word -- powerful beings that possess greater power than humans. Currently it is said that the most powerful Apo is the Mad Sky, Maykaptan, although should the Actor of Power return there would be a Clash of Strengths. Heavenly Diwata can embody more than just one concept or natural object. They can embody fire as much as they can embody war. They can embody disease as much as they can embody the rainbow. However they are more “human” in their way of thinking, and can get desperate when required, especially in the decadent metropolis of Maka. Most Heavenly Diwata live in Maka, the Skyworld, but that is not a mandatory thing. Bu-an and Sui-dapa both live in the Mountain of Madja-as, for example, and Mayari, the Crescent Moon, is nowhere to be found.

It is not impossible to rise in the hierarchy. What one needs are Prayers, which is a currency in the Society of the Diwata. Prayers directly power diwata, granting them more power, bolstering their Bala and giving them a place in the hierarchy of power. Thus why diwata are need humans, and mortals as a whole, to worship them. A more powerful form of Prayer is Sacrifice. Generally, the act of Praying is something that can bolster any Bala, provided that it is sufficient. Mortal Bala needs exponentially more prayers than a diwata does for the purposes of rising in power.

Diwata hold the Karanduun, both those that are Born and those that have Awakened Bala, in both respect and contempt. Respect because they are the ones that fought against the tyranny of the Mad Sky, as well as generally helping the diwata gain prayers during the Sinaunang Kedatuan. Some of them hold the Karanduun in contempt because they were born with the capacity to become better than them.

Katalonan are humans (and Karanduun) that bargain and speak and exchange pleasantries with all types of Diwata. Usually, a Katalonan would allow a diwata to possess them, in a process known as Taruna which means “Help” in the ancient Diwatan speech. This ritual which would last for hours would be used to possess the body of the medium, and the two would combine. The Katalonan would have access to the powers of a Diwata. Minor Diwata are the easiest to perform Tolona with. Heavenly Diwata usually takes days to perform the ritual with, made up of long prayers, a sung epic, intricate dances, and numerous sacrifices.

There are some Katalonan that focus on channeling a single type of Spirit. Those that are more adept in channeling Anito are known as Anitowan, and those that are more adept in channeling the Diwata are known as Diwateros.

The Anito are either -- Ancestral Spirits or Guardian spirits. The Anito are the spirits of humans, although what kind of humans depends on what category they fall within.

• Ancestral Anito are the spirits of a specific person’s long-dead Ancestor, A great warrior may be an Ancestral Anito, or a wise sage. Similarly to the Diwata, ancestral anito are prayed to by their families as ancestor worship is prevalent in the islands, even in the midst of colonization. The more prayers the ancestor gets, the more power he earns in the afterlife, which is either trudging around Sulad or living it up in Maka. Most ancestral anito, when prayed to, are most happy to give advice and even concrete help, such as a family heirloom, or a piece of potent magic. They can also possess a being, and can also be the target of a Katalonan. Sometimes, though, they would do it voluntarily. • Guardian Anito are Anito that usually don’t have human thought (although some of them do) and are bound by their being to protect a person. Most people begin life with one or two Guardian anito that protect them from various dangers as well as various diseases. Most people earn more Guardian Anito as time pass, and this renders them more impervious to diseases and helps them wither strikes, but not death itself. Karanduun have powerful Guardian Anito usually. Sometimes Guardian Anito can be an Ancestral Anito as well.

The Spirit World The Spirit World is known under many names, but it is usually known as “Diwa”. The Spirit World is the darkly reflecting mirror of the Natural World. After the sundering of the spheres due to the Thousand Lightnings and Tears Apocalypse, most of the Diwata have withdrawn to the Spirit World, and have been there for a thousand years. In the present day, Diwata of greater age or power tend to be more alien and harder to understand than younger ones. Heavenly Diwata tend to either be of the two extremes -- either they are too human in their dealings, too prone to passion, or they are too cold and distant, too alien.

When a Spirit is dematerialized, it is currently skulking through the Diwa. Since the Diwa is the reflection of the Natural World, it is actually there, and hypothetically, there are always Spirits about you, they are just impossible to interact with.

But that is not always the case. The Spirit World is not perfectly parallel to the Natural World. Truly, in fact, it has three different Shores, which measure how far they are from the Natural World.

• The Near Shores are the Shores that are, metaphysically speaking, right beside the Natural World, or otherwise right underneath the skin of reality. This is the least populated Shore. Most Minor Diwata drift through this Shore, anchored to whatever they embody in the Natural World. A Diwata can simply materialize into the Natural World from the Near Shore. Most Engkanto Societies exist here as well, and truly there are even physical passages (known as Hedges) to the societies of the Engkanto, such as the tamawo Biringan, and the duwende Kingdom of Libing-Libing. The Near Shores are near perfect replicas of the Natural World, save that everything is more malleable. • The Middle Shores are the Shores that are farther than Near Shores. It would take Spiritual Travel to the Near Shore before the being can materialize. Most Diwata Societies exist here in the Middle Shores, as well as the rich Anito that have been allowed passage by the guardians of Sulad. Here the world is less of a mirror and more of a shadow, with the shadows able to controlled and changed. The Kalilim Forest in the Natural World might not be the same in the Middle Shores. • The Far Shores are the Farthest Shores, and the last of the Shores that are safe. Within these Shores are Maka to the metaphysical up, and Sulad to the metaphysical down. The only thing that separates the two is the Great Ocean. Unlike the Near and the Middle Shores, these are not anymore reflections of the Natural World. Maka is a completely autonomous society filled with decadent apo and diwata, spirit-gangs and triads, and even syndicates of gods that rule the poor quarter of Heavenly Diwata that are not receiving any prayer. To the South, the land of Sulad is bleaker, but quieter and a hell of a lot more peaceful. Most of them follow the rules of Siginarugan and Suimuran, the two guardian giants of Hell who also keep Souls within Jars. The formal ruler of the Underworld is Magu’yawan, as the Ocean covers the Earth. The Guardian of the Underworld is Sitan, a powerful god of death and a guardian spirit. Saragnayan is here, chained to his realm of Darkness, protected by legions of automata warriors made by Golden Age Panday. • The Farthest Reaches are the last vestiges of things understandable by the Human Soul. It is the event horizon right before total chaos. It is here that the other planets -- now destroyed -- used to exist. In addition, it is here where, in the Metaphysical up, resides the Throne of Heaven, which has been unaccessible for a thousand years. It is also where, in the Metaphysical down, exists utter Oblivion, guarded by Bakonawa and the two giants of the Underworld, Suimuran and Siginarugan. • In the Beyond, it is impossible to describe. Some say this is where other universes exist. Others say one can find the Five Principle Spindle of the Great Weaver. In these areas, Mortals and Karanduun are subject to powerful mind-vexing truths -- their Souls are not meant to be there, after all. The longer they spend in the Beyond, if they even reach it, the more they are contorted, and the more they are barred from entering back into the Creation.

Classes and Races

The following shows how the Classes from PHB 1 - 3, including the Swordmage and the Artificer fit into the setting.

Power Sources: Martial, Arcane, Primal, and Divine

Martial This power source is supernatural power borne from training and innate talent and ability, as well as honing and cultivating their innate Bala.

Striker • Monk -- No longer in the Psionic Power Source. They gain their power from meditation and honing of their Bala. • Rogue -- No changes. Still thieves and assassins and thugs. • Ranger -- No changes. Good at fighting at range or with two blades or with a beast companion. Defender • Fighter -- No changes. This class fits everywhere. Leader • Warlord -- No changes. Leaderly and helps his allies with a mix of charisma and tactical genius. Controller • Guerrilla -- No changes. Good with traps and stuff.

Primal This power source is supernatural power borne from a familiar relationship with the two types of spirits -- the diwata (nature gods) and anito (ancestral spirits).

Striker • Barbarian -- Blessed and/or imbued with a supernatural rage powered by diwata of either rage or thunder. Defender • Warden -- Chosen warriors and guardians that channel the elemental powers of the diwata. • Battlemind -- Warriors possessed with diwata of war, allowing them to have an innate control over the battlefield and the ability to control it with supernatural movement and meditation. Leader • Shaman -- Katalonan with a powerful Guardian Spirit. Most of their invocations is by channeling the appropriate diwata for a certain move. Most combat invocations are Minor Diwata (meaning the negotiation can be quick) or if it is an Earthly or Heavenly Diwata, the spell is usually something that is negotiated before even the day began (Daily Spells). Katalonan usually tend to be the most powerful beings in the setting, since they can eventually channel Controller • Druid -- Witches/Mangkukulam that learns the natural laws and manipulates the diwata and anito to manipulate the natural world. • Seeker -- Hunters that have forged pacts or channel diwata to help them on their great hunt.

Divine This Power Source tends to channel either the Apo or the burning power of Yavum depending on where they are from or which god they believe in. Yavum in the setting is an Unaligned God of Light, War, Tyranny, and Lightnings.

In the pantheon of the Apo of Maka… Unaligned • Sui-dapa, God of Death and Shadows • Bulan, God of the Moon • Okot, God of the Forests • Ama-ni-Kable, God of Hunters and the Sea • Duma’kulem, God of the Earth and Mountains • Somilge, Goddess of Witchcraft and Patron of Druids • Halmista, God of Magic and Patron of Wizards • Dalikmata, God of Health • Mal-yari, One-Eyed Goddess of the Crescent Moon and Rebellion • Yna Guinida, Triumvirate Goddess of War and Poison • Marandukk, Triumvirate God of War and Raiding and Thieves • Barangkaw, Triumvirate God of Victory and Rainbows • Magu’yawan, Primordial Goddess of the Ocean and Psychopomp to Sulad in the Ocean • Maykaptan, Primordial God of the Sky and the Storm • Buwaya, Crocodile God of Rivers and Psychopomp to Sulad in the Earth

Striker • Avenger -- Chosen by the Apo or by Yavum, turning them into a Saint-King. Their Bala is bolstered, imbued by their respective god, and they are burning with avenging justice for their god. Defender • Paladin -- Chosen by the Apo or Yavum. Their Bala is imbued with the justice of their god, and they are fulminating with the desire to inflict virtue and keep to their Oath. Leader • Runepriest -- Only available to those that worship Yavum. These are the ones that have learned to read the esoteric writings of the Canticle of Light, allowing them to impress it upon the world and affect it therein, blessed with Divine Inspiration by Yavum. • Cleric -- Leader and paragon of the faith of the God they follow, healing their allies and punishing the wicked with their god-chosen Bala. • Ardent -- Bishops and priests that spread the faith of Yavum, using their words to incite passions and manipulate emotions within a person. Controllers • Invokers -- Invokers either are chosen by their god with a blast of divine power, or they have sought through ancient writings to learn the secrets to divinity, imbuing them with the power of a small god. Those with Awakened Bala are especially susceptible to this god imbuing.

Arcane This Power Source comes from ancient knowledge gleaned either from engkanto teachings or ancient writings about how the natural world works by the ancient Heroes.

Striker • Warlock -- Those that have gleaned too much knowledge, or have died or have been driven to the brink of destruction, and in their desperations, pleaded with power. The Karanduun wholly accept pact with power… because they know they will be the ones in power in the end. • Sorcerer -- Powerful beings that might or might not have diwata blood within them that allows them to inherently affect the natural world. They usually channel the powers of the diwata around them for spells, but they do not do this with the finesse of a Katalonan, so it ends up being uncontrollable bursts of elemental power. Defender • Swordmage -- Those trained in the ancient arts of the engkanto, which allow them to use an ancient martial art that weaves sword and the manipulation of the natural world with quick moving katas. Leader • Bard -- Storytellers that bolster their community. Storytellers can be shamans as well, speaking with the spirits, or the leaders of a barangay. In the colonized areas, they either incite revolts or make a living in coffee shops, sowing seeds of inspiration. • Artificers -- Those that have studied in Al-Kaigian or Zuhayran colleges for Kapnayan, the second branch of Natural Philosophy. They use crafted items to manipulate the world and are well known to create potions and tinctures that strengthen allies or weaken themselves. Controllers • Wizards -- “Salamangkero”. Those that have studied in Al-Kaigian or Zuhayran Colleges for Salamangka, the fifth branch of Natural Philosophy. It is the usage of the will and its extensions and representations in the natural world to affect the other three branches of Natural Philosophy: Agbuhay, the study of life, Kapnayan, the study of matter and the natural world, Liknayan, the study of the forces that move everything.

Races: The engkanto races are fractured, and humans breed like crazy in comparison to the other races. As such, humans have a marginally larger population and territorial control over the known world. However, humans are not the only playable race.

Within the confines of the Karanduun’s Receptacle, they are known only to possess those fetuses of humans and demihumans. Those that are not human, such as the Dragon Lords, and the anggitay tribes, and the Engkanto races that live within the Spirit, are not eligible for the blessing of Maykapal. However, this does not affect the mechanics in the least. In the fluff, however, the Karanduun are subject to much worship/adoration/jealousy by the Engkanto races, as the humans have the capacity to be born with this power, whereas the engkanto races have to live long enough to be able to cultivate their Bala until they are Worthy of Song.

Humans - Normal human character creation, but replace the Attribute bonuses with the following: • Lakungdulans, the inhabitants of the Lakungdulan Isles, favored of the Gods, use Halfling rules, although instead of a skill bonus they simply get one additional skill from your class skill list. • Zuhayrans, the colonized Lakungdulans who have adopted numerous other cultures and have become a global and widely trade-focused people. They use pure Human rules since they’re the ones most easily adaptable to every situation. • Al-Kaigians, the powerful descendants of the half-tamawo children known as the Septumvirate. They use Half-Elf rules to reflect their tamawo-blooded ancestry. • Giroans, the people that were enslaved by the Dragon Lords and subsequently rebelled afterwards. They use Half-Orc rules, reflecting their inherent warring nationality and innate war-like ability for combat. • Effisians, the genius people of the city state of Effisia, who have traded with the nomadic people of the North and South Salvage Sites to restore and learn the blueprints of butang, artifacts from the time before. They use Tinker Gnome stats to reflect the people’s knack for invention and technology, more so than the other races.

There are also Demi-humans that can be playable in the setting:

• Anakyawa, those with the blood of the yawa, demons. Inherently reviled, they are seen as horrible beings that usually have horrible implications. They almost always have horns, either small or large, and have darker skin than usual.They use tiefling rules. • Anakdiwata, those that are offspring of a union of human and diwata. Rare as all hell, but usually have lighter skin and hair of different colors than the usual brown or white. They use Deva rules. • Automata, are anomalies amongst the demihumans, and indeed they cannot truly be called human at all, but rather, constructs that have managed to grow intelligence that is like the human’s. Did they grow a Soul? Or do humans not have souls at all? They use Warforged rules.

And finally, now living among humanity, are the engkanto. • Tamawo (Eladrin), those highly favored by the Apo, are engkanto that have built vast magical kingdoms that bent space and time… even if they only have had one vast Kingdom that is home to every engkanto race, and in addition, every vice possible. The tamawo are tall, haughty, proud, and utterly alien, and are not quick to associate themselves with humans nor the other races. • Palesekan (Elf), engkanto that live in the forest, one with nature, and worship Apung Okot. The palesekan always wear masks that both hide their true face (which is either said to be disgustingly horrible or amazingly beautiful), but from their masks they always sing a low and beautiful humming tune. • Tikbalang (As the ones published by Nosfecatu Publishing) are engkanto that now live in the outskirts of civilization. While they used to be tricksters, the loss of the Aswang and the sudden disappearance of the Mad Sky and the death of multitudes of other engkanto races, have implanted upon them the responsibility of defending Nature itself. Note that not every tikbalang feels called to defend nature, however. Some of them actually enter into civilization (and indeed there are societies of them living within the Metropolis of Indigo), wherein they continue their original modus: trickery. • Duwende (Gnome) are engkanto that live both underground and above ground. Tricksters by trade, they have always been looked down upon by other engkanto for being master tricksters, even more so than the tikbalang, but now in the Time of Malice, they have created their own Kingdom, Libing-Libing, and most Duwende that live in the cities are known for being master rogues and thieves, as well as minstrels for the rich. • Garuda (Avian Homebrew rules that I found in D&DWiki) are engkanto that have powerful wings that can lift them off the air. They used to have a City in the Clouds, and worshipped the Mad Sky Himself, until the Apocalypse. Now they live in small tribes in areas known as aeries, which are usually found within cliff faces or dense forestry. They are adverse to new technological advancements in warfare.

The Price of Power

“I have gazed upon the endless world, and have found the truth of all. The gods and all. Sorcery and all. The truth is worse than what the truth itself can tell. The truth itself is Sorcery.”

Sorcery is the form of supernatural aid most magic-users call upon. They all have one thing in common -- they call upon laws and realities and effects from another realm.

The first form of Sorcery to have ever come is Kulam, otherwise known as Natural Sorcery. Those that practice Symbolry might think this to be Witchcraft, even if their own Sorcery came from this. Another name for Sorcery is the “Primal Path”, otherwise known as the “Old Way”, resonating with the first few steps of when the first few Races knew Awareness, and learned to use the power of nature to their advantage.

Kulam comes from the usage of actual items that have spiritual symbolism within them, and fusing them together or otherwise using their symbolism to their will. This power draws upon the Natural or Primal world. It draws upon the spiritual significance of things that already exist and are material, and deals with the manipulation of it through natural means, such as aging, or fermentation, or whatever else, by combining or otherwise applying.

Applying Shadowed Ashes upon yourself can cause a veil of shadow over you, for example, or otherwise the usage of a potion mixed with various dream-inducing herbs fermented with alcohol, when thrown to the ground, can induce harrowing illusions upon those who smell it.

Paganito, otherwise known as Theurgy or Spirit-calling, is the one used by many shamans and priests of the gods as well. Many babaylan call upon the power of the gods and spirits to aid them in many things. The most common form of this is calling upon the Healing Grace of Mapulon, God of the Seasons and Health, wherein they invoke their grace and pray, alongside the application of various herbs. The other (arguably more popular and accepted form) of this is the invoking of the nature spirits to come and heal the wound, for they believed that the Gods of the Skyworld had no time for being their intermediaries. Holy Warriors -- those who fight with abilities and powers bestowed upon them by whatever God chose them -- are rarer, but also rampant. They revere these “Apo Diwata”, and make sure their will is not unheeded, or otherwise not deterred. Sometimes, these Holy Warriors can turn upon their God, or whatever else.

Salamangka is the natural evolution and -- amusingly enough -- mixture of the two. This type of Sorcery -- otherwise known as Wizardry -- uses Natural Laws, and then invokes -- usually using prayers -- Supernatural Deities who can help them assert their will upon the world. Their Sorcery comes from their own Souls or Bala, their own Power. It is Sorcery that only came to light when the strange peoples of the Al-Kaigian Empire arrived, bringing with them their codified knowledge of the natural world, which hierarchy and framework the Zuhayran Sages copied. Most notably, the wisest of Sages and Bards took these and fashioned an entirely new Sorcery upon them, which was based upon Symbols and Will. This form of sorcery has proven to be the most efficient and useful, for it eschewed much of the natural rituals of Natural Sorcery and the need for an intermediary of Divine Sorcery. This has also become a Sorcery that applied itself well with the creation of new technology, as opposed to Natural Sorcery which relied on the spiritual power of Nature itself, Arcane Sorcery only bothered with the usage of these spiritual power when used with another form of technology. Thusly, from this Ships that Rose to the Air was born, from the fusing of various Sky-aspected Trinkets (bird bones, feathers, white crystals, captured steam) into an engine that harvested and then converted its power into motion energy. Other than that, here came the infamous diwa-harvester engine, that harvested the burning Bala of diwata and anito and converted them into pure energy that can be used for anything. Salamangka is the fifth branch of Natural Philosophy and Savantry, and is mostly the science of manipulating the arcane forces that exist within the world, as well as manipulating the four other branches of Natural Philosophy: Agbuhay, the study of life, Kapnayan, the study of matter and the natural world, Liknayan, the study of the forces that move everything, and Buturan. And Buturan is the study of Diwa, Spirit, the Soul, and the underlying mechanics of the universe. Buturanero are those that codified the four types of Diwa.

In the setting, especially natural philosophers, are distinguished by their titles. These titles are usually "[insert natural branch here]" and then add an "-ero" at the end.

Agbuhayero are those that study life professionally.

Kapanyanero are those that study Kapnayan professionally (a branch of this is Sigwasan, which is applied Kapnyan basically, and is mechanics and artifice mixed together. Those that study here are either called Mekanikos or Sigwaseros, but Mekanikos have become the more popular term. Mekanikos are (Artificers).).

Liknayanero are those that study the forces of everything. Those that study Salamangka usually major in Liknayan if they want to manipulate the natural forces of the world with their sorcery.

Salamangkero are those that study Salamangka and practice it. To a Salamangkero, Salamangka is as much of an art as it is a science, and they usually use the four other branches of Natural Philosophy to supplant this.

The Seven Layered Universe

Oft-whispred about by the Apo, that the Universe is made up of seven cosmic layers. Although this has been subject to much deciphering and thought by natural philosophers, much is still unknown at the extremities. One thing is known for sure -- they cannot be sure that there is an Abyss, nor a Throne. It was only knowledge given to them by Pamahres, God of Knowledge.

Below

The First three layers of the Universe is made up of the things below the earth.

Abyss

Something toils restlessly within the nothingness of the Abyss.

The Waters

This is the seas, and the domain of Maguyawan, the Guiding Waters and Psychopomp of the Dead. She makes sure that the souls that die are ferried to the Underworld.

This layer makes up every source of water, from the sea, to the oceans, to the rivers. It is why, it is said, that one can find water underneath the ground. If one were to bury all the way past the world, one would find the Waters.

Many of the aquatic races live within, such as the siokoy, magindara, and the tiburon.

A giant crab that is the son of the Child Moon God Bu’an, named Tambanokano, who lives in the Sea, blocking the Hole to the Abyss. This place is known as the Navel of the Sea. When he leaves, the waters rush into the hole, causing low tide, but when he inhabits it once again, the high tide returns. He is so powerful that when he blinks his eyes lightnings flash, and the great waves of the sea are because of his movements within the Waters.

The Underworld, or Sulad

The Underworld in the Natural world is the abode of the creatures that live within the earth, the hot flames underneath the earth, and the vast kingdoms of earth-dwelling engkanto and maligno, including duwende and the others. Lately, beings from the Spirit Underworld have been seeping into the Natural Underworld, whereas amalanhig and aswang have begun to threaten the kingdoms of the duwende. Pandaki is known to inhabit the Natural Underworld. Portals to the Near Shore of the Underworld, known as Sulad, exist in every nook and cranny, whether it be a small shrine of bone and flesh, or a neverending hole that only fits one person, or a huge maw of a cave underneath an underground cave. Sulad is where ALL the souls go to once they die.

The Waters flows into the Underworld, thus why Maguyawan is also the ferry of the dead. The rivers of the great mountains -- when followed to their end -- can cause a mortal to arrive at the Underworld, and if they survive, the Spirit Underworld as well.

The Middle

There is only one realm in the Middle, and it is arguably the most important one, for it is the center of the universe. This realm is Sanlibutan.

The Midworld, or Sanlibutan

This is the flat realm of the Mortal Races and the engkanto who have not become diwata. The diwata live here as well, although in the realm of Spirit, and thusly are invisible to the naked eye. The Anito also walk this land as well if they are allowed by Sui-dapa to cross, or manage to ask Magu-yawan to ferry them back, or if they manage to trick Suimuran and Siginarugan, the two giant guardians of the underworld, or if Pandaki manages to save them from the Underworld.

Sanlbiutan is mostly made up of various islands, as the Waters still dominates all. center of the world is the Archipelago itself, named Lakungdula by human scholars. The rest of the world is waters, with other islands existing.

At the borders of the world are the Jaws. These are the ends of the earth, and you will fall off, or be crushed by the jaws. One should possess impeccable timing to be able to jump through the Jaws of the Horizon, and arrive bodily into the Skyworld, or Maka.

Above

The Skies

This is the realm of air that exists above the earth. It is the abode of the Lipod, and they share this with other air creatures such as the bentohangin, the winged half-horse, half human, and the kubot, a bird that resembles a flying kite. It is also here that the corpses of Adlaw, Bulan, and Suga exist the Sun, Moon, and Stars respectively and wheel about the sky. Similarly to the natural Underworld, this can be seen as the Natural part of Maka. Once one goes into the Near Shores, they arrive at…

The Skyworld, or Maka

This is the realm of the Apo, and it resides above the Skies. This is also the abode of human mediums and intermediaries as they speak with the anito of the Skies, or the Apo. Not much is known about the Skyworld, other than it having one section where the Soul of every living thing is kept within tight clay jars. This section is guarded by a being with eight heads and a thousand eyes, whom one Apo has called Walo. Among the heroes that have managed to jump across the Jaws of the World and live, and come back to tell the tale, they spoke sang of a grand and vast city of white ivory towers and pure spiritual rivers coursing through everything. The city itself was unmatched in glory, and had seven layers upon it, upon the seventh of which the Apo conglomerated. Those diwata that are not given enough prayer live in the most bottom stratum of Maka, toiling in divine poverty.

The Throne

The Throne belongs to the supreme being to which the rest of the anito answer to, and to which the Diwata confer, and this supreme being is Maykaptan, the Mad Sky. This place is also where the spirits of good people go to after they are saved by Pandaki. In this layer can be found the Tree of Life, where the name of every person to ever have lived is written, carved by Sui-dapa himself from the Mountain of Madja-as.