Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tonguez" data-source="post: 2461502" data-attributes="member: 1125">Hereditary is everything in Polynesia and Social status and Social stratification in Polynesia were determined by it primarily by way of Primogeniture (of descent), 'Vassalage' and Captivity.  Social stratification occurs in the clan by way of hereditary and primogenture (ie senior vs junior descent lines) In this case three (sometimes four) tiers can be identified being Ariki, Ra'atira,  and Matakainga 1 Ariki - the Senior descent line nobility inludes the chiefs and most priests2 Ra'atira - junior descent lines related to the Ariki. Often war leaders3 Matakainga (Villagers) - from the lowest descent lines and primarily workers, sometimes experts (tuhuna). However as they share descent from the founding Ancestor they have a degree of manaBelow these are the Commoners who are generally not considered part of the descent group and often live in a state of Vassalage occurings when one group comes to hegemonically dominate another group either by conquest or by submission (ie the vassal group seeks protection of or otherwise submits to the dominant group). If this persists for multiple generations then the vassal group will eventually become a 'commoner caste' who work the land on behalf of the village leaders (the Manahune of Tahiti were probably such a vassal group - original inhabitants dominated by later arrivals). The EMpire of Tonga is also an interesting case study in hegemonic dominance and vassalgeBelow these are the slaves again two groups - Mokai (favoured slaves - often the children of former slaves) and Taureka (captives whose fate is either to be sacrificed to the gods or eaten (in cannibal societies). Slaves had no rights however a chief would be judged on his care of his slaves thus ensuring they were kept feed and generally cared for). Also the children of a mokai and a freeman was accepted as a member of the community and had all the rights thereof (albeit as commoners or at best matakainga).The status of Outcast was known to exist but was a fate worse than slavery. Outcast would be killed on sight, they were non-persons who could be beaten and abused, have all their possession taken and no one would intervene so we have1 Ariki (Noble)2 Ra'atira (Aristocrat)3 Matakainga (Freemen)4 Ware (Vassals)5 Mokai (Favoured Slaves)6 Taurekareka (Captive Slave)7 Outcast Most PCs should come from the Ra'atira or Matakainga caste. Ware and even Mokai is possible but these would need to be an associate to a higher ranking character) so maybe better as Cohorts.I'd adapt the Noble class to represent the Ariki caste (leadership from level 1 sort of adjustment) and maybe give it some 'kupua' supernatural abilities (see the kupua myths of Hawaii for what I'm refering to)NB As an interesting factoid Tonga rcognised a class of people known as 'Poea', usually characterised as rougish layabouts who travelled around having adventures!</blockquote>

Verification