Vaomatua (ˌvɑoˈmatua)

"What you see of the Kaikai on the coasts is only the outside. To understand them, you must go within, to the heart of their land. That heart is within the Vaomatua, and there you can truly learn how to be Kaikai."

— Miyagi Yumeko, in a letter to her son.

At the heart of the island of Koa'ki is the great jungle of Vaomatua. It covers almost ninety percent of the island's area, and the great volcanos rise up out of the trees. It is also at the heart of Kaikai culture and spirituality. Lives are shaped within the Vaomatua, and lives are ended there as well.

Besides its spiritual significance, the jungle and its inhabitants are critical to the survival of the Kaikai. They hunt in the Vaomatua, and gather food and medicine from the plants that grow there. Several of the species found in the jungle are unique to the island, and there are said to be regions of the Vaomatua that are not in the physical realm at all - they are stable parts of The Dream that those who know the right paths can navigate to. In these places, gods and spirits are accessible, and many Kaikai tales begin with a journey to the hidden parts of the jungle.

An Ancient Place

The Vaomatua is also home to many ancient and perplexing ruins. Like the buildings of the city of Kikai, they are built from massive blocks of yellow stone and seem untouched by age or human hands. They are smaller than the buildings found on the coast, but still larger than almost anything else in the Great Ring. They tend to be simple geometric shapes, such as cubes, spheres, and pyramids, and most are partially buried, with only a dome or peak stretching to the jungle canopy. Inside, they are vast empty spaces, with no interior divisions. However, strange things have been reported by those who have ventured into those ancient constructs.

Some people report that when they brought their lights inside, vast mazes of shadow flickered into being that prevented them from leaving until all the light was doused. Others claim that they entered into one ruin only to exit another in a different part of the island. One notable account comes from the great inventor Zaman al-Razaz who had a waking dream while exploring a vast pyramid in the shadow of Kauhala. In his dream, he saw that all the buildings, including those in Kikai and the drowned pyramid off the coast were part of a single edifice that spanned several worlds. He could see the structure of it all in his mind's eye, and could even focus on turning in a new direction to find passages hidden from view that connected the structures. When he awoke, he was no longer able to find the trick of turning towards the passages, but he claimed that the insight he gained was critical in the construction of the Fak Altashfir and later, the Prophecy Clock.

Notable Spirits

The Vaomatua is the domain of the god Kūma, one of the Kahuna'iwi. Kūma is the lord of tests, trials, and competitions, and is the patron of the athletic challenges that carry great importance in Kaikai society. All the creatures in the Vaomatua are sacred to Kūma, and the Kaikai are careful to treat them with the respect they bear the god, especially when they hunt in the jungle for food.

One animal in the Vaomatua does hold a special place in the lore of Kūma, as they are the god's personal messengers and agents in the physical world. This is the Kūma-cat or Pōpoki Kūma. It is a small predator, averaging around thirty pounds and standing about eighteen inches high. The Kaikai say that that Pōpoki Kūma is the most exquisitely honed hunter in the entire Vaomatua, with every aspect of their being tuned to be the exemplar of their own selves. When one of the Pōpoki Kūma approaches a human, it is customary to offer the animal something to eat, and then to watch it for any signs that it came bearing a message from Kūma.