Lapu-Lapu

From the top of the summit, Lapu-Lapu contemplated the flames of the Moniyan camp, at the foot of the mountain. He never thought he would once again find himself on a battlefield, the kind of place he hated the most. But he knew that to protect what was most important, he could no longer run away.

From the middle of the Age of Strife, the Dorik people came to the Vonetis Islands, southeast of the mainland, where they prospered.

Just as turbulent waves are the normal state of the sea, this solitary archipelago was by no means peaceful. The protection of the sea and the isolated way of life made the Dorik forget the vows made by the different tribes hundreds of years before to join forces and resist the powerful Moniyan navy and there was constant conflict between the tribes large and small.

Lapu-Lapu was the most famous warrior of the Vonetis Islands. It was employed by various tribes for a long period, passing between islands. The endless fighting brought him weariness, dignity, honor and money... On the battlefield, human lives were worthless. So[,] what was the value of all this? After fighting countless wars, he returned to his hometown with his body and mind scarred.

Lapu-Lapu led a quiet life in his hometown as an ordinary hunter, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. But the peaceful life he hoped for did not last. Some warlords who had defected from the Moniyan Empire set their sights on this free land. Well-trained troops landed on the Vonetis Islands like a tidal wave. The scattered Dorik peoples were powerless to resist, and large areas of land fell to the enemy.

Various tribes sent invitations to Lapu-Lapu, hoping that he might join their camp. He was no longer willing to work for the interests of the tribal leaders, but under no circumstances could he become a contemptible capitulator. He therefore rejected the beliefs of the rulers and the Moniyan and simply wanted to remain a simple hunter, away from any worldly conflict.

Lapu-Lapu and the Moniyan entered into a non-aggression agreement. However, in the eyes of the greedy Moniyans, neutrality did not exist and everything in the Vonetis Islands belonged to them. Soon, the Moniyans broke the agreement and ransacked Lapu-Lapu's tribe in his absence.

This humiliating loss left him with nothing but mourning for his wife and children and a devastated home. Lapu-Lapu was furious. He wanted nothing more than to protect everything around him. If the Moniyan wanted to pay for his compromises with perfidy, he would show them his inviolable dignity in the form of their own blood.

Lapu-Lapu gathered the tribe's youth into a unit and began his resistance campaign. He knew the hometown under his feet better than anyone and knew how to attack, fight and retreat in the mountains and forests. The unit continued to attack Moniyan bases and supply lines, coming and going without a trace, leaving the Moniyan in constant confusion and panic.

When a Moniyan warlord discovered that all this was the work of Lapu-Lapu, the despicable invaders began to deliberately plunder the villages with which Lapu-Lapu had allied himself. They strengthened their defenses and hid supplies to force Lapu-Lapu to appear. The villages that once cordially welcomed Lapu-Lapu had become completely unrecognizable under the iron boot of the Moniyan.

Lapu-Lapu, heartbroken, understood that guerrilla warfare would not be enough to achieve final victory. The Dorik were destined to confront the powerful Moniyan Empire head-on; an arguably impossible task for him and his unit.