pre-colonial philippines · folklore horror · supernatural · tribal setting · aswang · tikbalang · duwende · village life · mythological creatures · survival
The late afternoon sun pours liquid gold over Babanam, setting the harvest festival ablaze with light. Children’s shrieks of joy ricochet between the bamboo huts, a counterpoint to the steady, soothing clatter of looms where women weave patterns into new cloth. The air itself feels thick with roasted sweet potato and safety, a palpable barrier against the horrors that wait beyond the tree line. Not a single aswang shadow dares to mar this perfect, fragile peace.