Legends of Hawaiki 2: Where the Wild Things Are

[Seonaid]

Lani nods thoughtfully. "It is good to have these spirits on our side. I just hope they don't ask for more than we can give," she says, thinking of stories she had heard mothers tell their young children. Nevertheless, she settles down to listen as Wai speaks with the creatures.

 

[Tonguez]

(ooc reading the coloured text is entirely optional - but it gives an idea of how Hakaturi work - well the nicer aspects )

"Honored Hakaturi, we appreciate your offer. We must discuss it amongst ourselves before we decide," says Wai with a bow..

The Sprite grins broadly amused by your queer answer the shrugs and says "we stop - you go we stop - no go cut to dark - no drink."

"Until then, perhaps you could tell me about yourselves?"

Wai look over the crowd of spirits with wonder suffusing his face; never before has he seen anything like this gathering of spirits

The Sprite turns then and merges back in amongst the undergrowth and the other sprites and animals and shadows move around you. The shapes are emphemeral and fluid seeming to flow into each other and the forms never constant require great concentration for you to keep track.


"You ken Tane?" comes a voice behind you a short while after and turning you see a small red headed potbellied man like a minature gnome
"Tane got many eyes" he says pointing to his eye "got many ears" and points to his ear. "keeps the living things"

"Look" he says and holds forth a huge bowl of clear water in which you see the Takanui village begin to form.

Down from the forest the view sweeps into the village and up towards the stage where the Karioi perform. You see Makea Takanui there with the other officials, Ru-Hina and Maeharoa sitting not far away to his side and then the gathered people.

A sombre moods still hungs over the village, the day saw a few running and fishing races and of course prayers offered for the success of the party travelling to Waihoro cove.

But now on stage the Karioi are performing - the well known Legend of Rata.

As the story unfolds before you the potbellied sprite grins and then as the action builds he gasps "watch - I was there"

Rata went far up the deep valley, the recess of which was sacred to the inland spirit, To'a-hiti, and his numerous sprites of all sizes. Rata chose a fine tree, which he chopped down with wonderful skill. He had trimmed off the branches and made the trunk ready to hew out when nightfall came. Then he returned home to have supper and rest until the next day.
Rata's grandmother welcomed him home, and while he sat enjoying his supper she inquired whether his errand had been propitious, and he answered enthusiastically that it had. She, being clairvoyant, replied ambiguously: "The foliage of your tree is standing up," a remark that he did not regard as ominous, as he thought she was referring to the fresh branches lying scattered on the ground, as he had left them.
But when Rata returned to his work the next morning, he was bewildered to find his tree standing erect among the other trees with all its branches and leaves restored, and he could not see upon the ground any trace of his recent work.
So he again set to work and felled the tree, and this time he did not cut off the branches but concealed himself among the thickest of them and sat watching for the return of the mysterious beings.
At length Rata heard strange voices up in the air, and before long he saw approaching the tree a host of odd little beings, some stout and others slender. He saw good jovial potbellied To'a-hiti with his little muscular canoe artisan, named Ta-va'a, heading the train of sprites in attendance on him! While they lighted upon the branches, Rata kept still, and soon they sang gently and harmoniously:

Fly hither, fly hither,
Branches of my tree!
Come gently, come enraged,
Fly hither, fly hither!
Watery sap of my tree,
Adhesive gum, stand-
Stand the tree erect!

But Rata held the tree down, so that it could not rise again. Not seeing him, the spirits wondered what prevented the tree from rising, and then their artisan, Ta-va'a, said, "Let us drive away the anger of 'Ui," and ran from end to end of the tree. Then they sang gently again:

Fly hither, fly hither!
Watery sap of my tree,
Come gently, come enraged!
Adhesive gum stand-
Stand the tree erect!

And up went the tree with all the spirits upon the branches, while Rata remained still hidden in the foliage. They then adjusted the leaves and were ready to take their departure when Rata gave a shout and shook the branches, which so startled them that they rushed out confusedly, tumbling head first over one another, sideways through the air, not heeding what they were doing, from their surprise at seeing a man intrude upon their sacred ground. Never before had mortal dared to cut a tree from their beautiful forest so high inland!
As soon as order was reestablished and all were again perched up in the tree, Ta-va'a said to Rata: "What is your desire here in this recess of the valley sacred to us?"
Rata answered in brief, faltering words: "I want a canoe!"

"Your person is sacred," replied the artisan, "because of our friendship for your parents, whom we adopted. Yes, Rata, you shall have a canoe! Our dear grandson, long, long endures the love for one's parents, and sorrow for them cannot subside! You furnish us with the tools and the sennit and leave the building of your canoe to us."
Rata was delighted at this promise and readily agreed to furnish all that the artisan desired. So he went home quickly and told his grandmother all that had happened, and she soon aided him in obtaining the things that were required for the making of the canoe. Most of the tools they already had. Moreover, Rata was provided with a present of red feathers and fine girdles and mats as offerings for those spirits.
When everything was ready, Rata carried inland all he had gathered and placed everything beside the trunk of the tree he had chosen. Then he returned home with a light heart. His grandmother said, "Now your canoe will soon be done!" They had supper and went to bed.
Towards midnight, as Rata slept, he dreamed about his canoe, and as he dreamed he chanted:

Oh, my eyes are closed!
My dream is to stand, to be a champion;
My dream is to demolish,
Aided by the master in 'ura feathers, Tane,
This is Tane's evening
My sleep is amid boards, I am awakened
By the song of the thrush,
That sings in the day, sings at night,
Chirps, and spreads [its wings];
And the fountains flow in the dream of night.
It is the spirits, O it is the spirits
That excite one in sleep!

"I have been dreaming," said Rata, "about my canoe, and believe it is here on the right side of our house!" So saying, he fell asleep again, and just before daybreak he had the same dream and chanted in the same strain as before, after which he awoke and said to his grandmother: "Oh, my dream! I have had it again, and I feel certain that my canoe is here, near our door."
The old woman replied: "Take some fara seeds and throw them out to where you think the canoe is, and you cannot mistake the sound that they will make against the side of the canoe if it is there."
So, groping in the dark, he went and got a handful of edible fara seeds from a basket, threw them with force into the dense shade on the right, just outside of the door; and they heard the desired noise of the seeds falling against boards. Highly delighted, the lad went out and felt his canoe to make quite sure it was there, and returning to the house he impatiently waited for dawn to see his canoe.
At length daylight arrived, and Rata and his grandmother went joyously to inspect the canoe. It was beautiful and complete! The seams of the planks were sewn tightly together with sennit and made waterproof with breadfruit gum. A long magical spear for Rata, named "Tevao-roa-ia-Rata" (The-distant-recess-of-Rata), had been placed at the stern of the vessel. The masts and rigging were of the strongest and best quality, and there were strong mats for sails.

 

[wolff96]

As the first sprite disappears into the forest around him, Wai thinks over her words. "Hmm... It doesn't sound like they will even LET us go to the Cut tonight. Let's start preparing a camp here..."

When the pot-bellied sprite comes forward with the bowl of water, Wai lets his sentence trail off, waiting to see what he will do next.

Wai watches the water in the bowl with rapt attention, amazed at the magic commanded by the seemingly simple creatures. Not taking his eyes from the spectacle, he speaks to Lani and Tu-Ru, "Are you seeing this? Such magic! Now I understand why father worships Tane so closely... his creatures are glorious.

 

[Mirth]

Puna Tani's knife hacks into the vines but makes little impact on those that yet hold the Nanakia. The creature itself struggles to escape, its head and upper body now free but its arms, legs and tail still caught.

Looking into the frightened animal's eyes, Puna Tani takes a deep breath and says, "I am only trying to help you, lord beast, remember that." Quickly, the shaman grabs hold of the nanakia's head and torso and pulls with all of his might, praying silently to the spirits that the creature's powerful jaws don't devour him...

 

[Seonaid]

Lani watches the scene in the bowl raptly, amazed by the magic of the vision and by the story.

 

[Mirth]

*b*u*m*p*

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Tatiki keeps the greenery away from himself but keeps it's attention as fully on him as he can. he will only attack again if the plant creature attacks him.

 

[Tonguez]

Looking into the frightened animal's eyes, Puna Tani takes a deep breath and says, "I am only trying to help you, lord beast, remember that." Quickly, the shaman grabs hold of the nanakia's head and torso and pulls with all of his might, praying silently to the spirits that the creature's powerful jaws don't devour him...

The nanakia stares at you with frantic eyes, ita mouth held open nd ready to bite. However as your soothing words proceed it seems to calm down and even as your arms lock around its torso, you feel it shudder but it does not resist.

Hauling with all your strength you can feel the nanakia's body shift despite resistance from the vines. Then with a last effort the creatures is pulled clear and you stagger backwards under its weight.

The Nanakia gives a cry and pulls away from you wanting to once more be free...

(Made a grapple check vs the plant to free the nanakia. Now reflx save dc 20 required to stay on your feet)

Tatiki

The plant too is cautious and the four waving vines hold back from attacking you. Casting around you see that the grasses still wave about and a few roots and trailing vines might yet try to restrict your escape...

Lani, Wai, Tu-Ru

As the vision in the bowl fades the potbellied sprite grins a huge toothy grin "I was there" he says proudly "hauled the vaka - you want to drink?"

with that last question he offers you the bowl of water...

 

[Seonaid]

Lani shakes her head silently, then looks at Wai quickly to see what he does, hoping she didn't just offend the creatures.

 

[Mirth]

The nanakia stares at you with frantic eyes, its mouth held open and ready to bite. However as your soothing words proceed it seems to calm down and even as your arms lock around its torso, you feel it shudder but it does not resist.

Hauling with all your strength you can feel the nanakia's body shift despite resistance from the vines. Then with a last effort the creatures is pulled clear and you stagger backwards under its weight.

The Nanakia gives a cry and pulls away from you wanting to once more be free...

(Made a grapple check vs the plant to free the nanakia. Now reflx save dc 20 required to stay on your feet)

As the large mass of the beast finally pulls free of the vines, Puna Tani feels truly blessed to have helped the nanakia and come away unscathed --- that is until his feet give way beneath him (rolled a 2 ). Trying to break his fall, the shaman instinctively lets go of the nanakia and throws his arms behind him. Prone on the ground, Puna Tani watches in horror as the now freed animal's savage claws fall towards the ground and the shaman's head...