Rutaka'ga (roo-TA-ka-GA)

The Rutaka'ga are the people of the islands of southeast Trasa. While many outsiders know them only as able sailors and canny traders, they see themselves as stewards and inhabitants equally of land and sea; they call their islands takere, hulls, and the islands as a whole Tauranga, or port. They are organized into six super-familial clans, with a seventh, the Guardian clan, acting as political and religious leaders. Interclan war was once much more common. Now it is not unknown, and usually ritualized under the eye of the Guardians to avoid greater destruction of people, ships, or lands than necessary. When fighting outsiders they have the finest navy; on land they are capable warriors but are most effective at irregular warfare. When forced into pitched battles or sieges their inexperience can be their downfall.  

Village and Ship

The Rutaka'ga name themselves the Two-Stepping People, highlighting the centrality of both land and sea to their lives. While they are named in part for the first land they step on, they consider themselves just as much at home at sea as on land. To reinforce their interdependence, every watercraft holds a line of earth along the keel, and every building includes a crevice or niche to hold water-ideally seawater-that is kept filled.   Virtually every individual or household has a boat or canoe of their own for short trips or personal fishing, and sailing and swimming are learned at the same time a child takes its first steps. Larger boats for local trading or longer trips are owned by wealthier individuals or communally by villages. The largest vessels are built, owned, and crewed by the clans, but their captains become members of the Guardian clan rather than their birth clan.   The smallest settlements are typically composed of immediate family groups headed by a matriarch, while larger villages are led more formally by a lesser clan chief and advisors from elders and local elites. Clan town is a misleading name on both fronts. Before the creation of the Guardian clan they were nearly limited to individual clans, with relatives or delegations from other clans nearly the only exceptions; now the historic clan makes up most of the population but residents are much more diverse. Most towns are also closer to cities, with significant anchorage and mercantile spaces, shipbuilding facilities, and centers for religious, political and military power. Like the great clan ships, they are led by a Guardian clan member.  

The Clans

The clans are the basic social structure of the Rutaka'ga. Clan membership is matrilineal, and while interclan marriage is common the only time a person's clan changes is by joining the Guardian clan as chief of a clan town or captain of a clan ship. While clans have concentrations in certain traditional areas, interclan marriage and general migration mean any given island or region has individiauls from any of the clans and their concomitant skills. The six clans are believed to be descended from six legendary couples that were the first to people Tauranga. While certain clans are more associated with activities on sea or land, all have a presence on, and at least as groups, are expected to be capable stewards of both.  

Clan Markers

Certain elements of Rutaka'ga culture are present across all clans, but with differing implementations among them.   The Testing is the rite of passage from childhood to adult, when a young Rutaka'ga proves themselves capable of contributing independently to a ship or village and takes on all the responsibilities of a full-fledged member of their clan. Each clan has their own Test, depending on the particular practices or lifestyle of the clan. Upon passing their Test, the newly-fledged adult receives some item representative of their full membership in the Rutaka'ga, called a Proving. Each adult carries their Proving with them, and its loss without adequate excuse is considered a grave insult to the clan-essentially that their Testing was insufficient and they elevated a child to the status of adult. Retreival of the Proving, or some deed in service of the clan of equal stature, is required to satisfy the debt and earn their place back.   Upon passing their Testing they receive a tattoo on their right forearm that includes motifs of their clan and Takere'am, identifying them to any Rutaka'ga they meet, or anyone else who cares to learn their meaning. A tattoo is a core identifier; they are often added to after life events-relationships, great deeds or travels. A Rutaka'ga who has betrayed his people or responsibilities is cast out by scarifying the tattoo, and is considered clanless and unworthy of aid or assistance. On the other hand, a Rutaka'ga who wants to commit themselves fully to some cause-righting some dishonor, vengeance, or fighting some particular evil-will wrap their arm in woven coconut husk to show that they have excluded themselves from their clan until their task is completed; they are called kafa, for the husk used. Any rutaka'ga is bound to provide aid to a kafa, but only for one month or one voyage between Takere, so as to avoid distracting them from their task. When a Rutaka'ga is elevated to the Guardian clan, a black band is tattooed around their arm to signify their split from their birth clan. A Guardian's first posting is typically with their birth clan, and for each new clan whose town or ship they lead another band is added. Thus, those with six bands command considerable respect as having a depth of experience with the whole of the Rutaka'ga that few can aspire to.   Each clan has a Clanhome, which are the villages traditionally believed to be founded by the clan founders. They are usually larger, if not the largest, and a spiritual center as much as an economic or social one. Despite influence fromt he Guardian clan, they still tend to be the most homogenous of clan towns. Clan elders and experts in clan practices congregate there, and they are often a showcase of the techniques the clan is known for.  

Albatross Clan

Members of the Albatross clan are most at home on the open sea, often spending long stretches sailing among the islands with only brief stops for resupply; clan ships take even longer voyages far from Tauranga. They are therefore the most likely to be found among the other peoples and lands of Trasa, often as traders. Besides trade they deep-sea fish and take charters for long voyages, though many consider "ferry work" to be menial. Their clan ships are the largest of the Rutaka'ga, often too large to dock at any but the largest cities. They are often accompanied by shifting groups of smaller ships. Some merely tag along to take advantage of the knowledge and infrastructure of the clan ships on longer voyages, while others are almost as much part of the clan ship as the ship itself.   They make their primary home aboard their ships, with land villages existing mostly as supply posts for their ships, peopled by those too old to sail or raising young children and their parents. Clan towns hold most of those not on ships, where new ships are built and more substantial agriculture occurs to supply the workers and ships. Unless they plan to spend significant time on land, Albatross clan members rarely have permanent personal homes, rather living in communal bunkhouses while ashore.   The Albatross Clanhome is actually a flotilla centered around the fittingly named Albatross. It is the largest of any ship of the Rutaka'ga. It is said to be thousands of years old, having simply been refitted and overhauled perhaps dozens of times but maintaining the same identity and ship spirit. According to legend the clan's founders, Ualame and Waiyeva, left Tauranga near the end of their lives and their ship remains at sea under the protection of Makawaila. The Albatross was the first of what would become many ships laid down to seek the ship and their founders remains. Since becoming the center of the clan's organization it spends most of its time touring Tauranga but on occasion a vision or message from afar will send it to sea.   The Test of the Albatross clan is a seaborne vigil. Youth must sail alone to a determined location in the open sea and hold post there for five days and nights before returning as a test of their wayfinding and shiphandling ability, as well as the physical and mental fortitude to complete the task alone. On their return, they are permitted to wear the feathers of seabirds, the first of which is given by their mother.  

Coral Clan

The Coral clan delights in the richness of the shallows and shelf around the islands. Even better than the Albatross, they can read the tides and currents around an island to find the quickest, safest way through reefs and rocks to shore or the open sea. They fish and harvest in the shallows; besides their sailing prowess they are the best free divers of the Rutaka'ga, allowing them to harvest kelp, coral, other resources from the depths. Their ships are nimble while holding a deceptive amount of cargo, which also makes them highly sought after smugglers and blockade runners outside of Tauranga. They are the marine daredevils of the Rutaka'ga, favoring surfing and cliff diving, the more extreme the better. They also produce beautiful, intricately worked pieces of coral or shell.   Their villages are often small, simple affairs that can be easily packed up and moved to the next bay or inlet when one is exhausted. Corals preferentially spend most of their time in or near the water, leaving buildings for storage, ritual use, and activities that need protection from the elements. Clan towns are found on large, rich bays and lagoons, preferably with rougher waters beyond. Those with minimal land build over the water on a combination of piers, pontoons, and ships moored with varying levels of permanence.   Their Clanhome is Crossed Hooks, named for the shape of the isle. The land area in the "cross" is small, but the city has been built out over the sea between the shanks and barbs, but the large lagoon between the barbs is left open. It is rich in resources, and the narrow opening to the ocean makes for constantly shifting currents depending on the wind and tides, a challenge relished by the Coral clan, and part of the Testing for the island.   Each island with a significant Coral clan presence develops its own testing ground of local challenges and dangers. Aspirants must sail, swim, dive, leap, or run through shallow reefs, across cliffs, and through caves, proving their knowledge of the waters, cunning, and physical courage. Along the way they are expected to retreive a specific object, such as an oyster from a difficult-to-reach pool, or a stone from a precarious ledge, which is worked into their Proving.  

Boar Clan

The Boar clan take pride in living up to their name: tough, stubborn and indepenent. Competition-usually friendly-is a keystone of social interaction. They range freely throughout their territories, equally at home in the water, on the beach and scrublands, or in the thick of the mountain forest. They are powerful warriors, favoring the spear and sling. Each adult also carries a boar bone-handled knife, and ceremonial tusk-bladed knives are granted for great deeds   While they would like nothing better than to roam the forest foraging and rooting, their nature and attitude often brings them into conflict with other clans. Even their villages tend to have some level of fortifiication, with their clan towns among the most heavily defended of any in Tauranga. Family groups that would make villages tend to live a wider-ranging hunter-gatherer lifestyle, with basing at larger villages.   Following this nature, their clanhome is The Denning, where they have essentially fortified an entire island. Since the Guardian clan's inception and decline in interclan warfare, those fortifications have rarely been used for their intended purpose but are duitifully maintianed as a matter of pride. Even the most marginal landing places are defended and any narrow place is guarded by at least a watch tower and small garrison. It is widely believed that the island's core fortifications, while not impregnable, could hold out indefinitely against siege, with several dependable mountain springs, deep cave storage, and room for additional farming. The most important cave is Tinapoaka's Den. Here it is said the clan's founders, starving and exhausted, sought refuge in a cave and found it occupied by a mother boar. In desperation they slew her; but having now found safety, they raised her boarlets as companions and aides in the forest. Having been fairly bested, but her children cared for, she became the patron of the Boar clan. Her den continues to be the spiritual center of the clan.   Following their nature and patron, the Testing of a Boar clan youth is simple: touch a dangerous animal without harming it, and escape. Naturally a boar brings the highest renown, but any animal liable to kill one who isn't careful will do. They are gifted with a knife handled in boar-bone as a proving. Later, a ceremonial knife with a boar tusk blade may be given in recognition of an act of significant valor for the clan.  

Mountain Clan

The Mountain clan spend most of their time on land and little recreational time on the open water. Rather than the depths of the forest, they spend their time above the treeline on rocky heights and particularly the mountains and volcanoes of larger islands. While the cliffs and slopes are not as rich as the lowlands and coasts, they make up for it in trade of craft or its fruits, working as miners, stoneworkers, and smiths.   The Mountain clan form largely sedentary settlements, building near rich seams or locations with plenty of wood and water for metalwork. Theirs are the only villages and clan towns built largely of stone rather than wood. Rather than carrying a line of earth along the keel, their ships carry a stone from the peak of the island where the ship was built, set into the top of the tallest mast.   The Clanhome is the Cleft, built in a narrow mountain ravine. The city is carved into the living stone of the cliffs, with techniques becoming more refined higher and deeper in the cliff as the city has expanded over time. Semi-precious stones and gilding adorn carvings that cover nearly ever wall. Rope lines, wooden suspension bridges, and most impressively great stone arches cross the ravine. According to legend the clan's founders, Atakoura and Pukekohatu, took refuge from a storm in a shallow cave where the ravine opened into the forest. Finding everything they needed-shelter, a stream running down the ravine, good plants to eat nearby-they felt the mountain's embrace and that there was no better place to be.   The Mountain's Testing speaks directly to the mountain as source not just of their livelihood, but the very islands on which they live. Using material from the island's mountain, a youth crafts two identical pieces of beauty or respect to there Takere's spirit. It does not need to show great workmanship; rather the time and care taken in creation are counted. They must then climb the moutain alone and cast one piece into the volcano's caldera, returning a piece of the mountain to it and offering up something of value; the second is worn, tying their own spirit, expressed in the artistry, to that of the mountain and therefore all mountains.  

Storm Clan

The Storm clan rejoice in the power of storms, combining the violence of wind and wave with the life-giving rainfall. They live among the highlands above the coasts and outside of the forests, preferring to build just below and to the lee of hills and ridgetops that lets them safely experience the storm. Their villages and clan towns are festooned with flags, banners and streamers to catch the wind, and channels for water to flow into great streams and sprays when it rains. Each clan town has a ligtning rod built into its clan house, counting a strike as a powerful positive omen.   As the Boars emulate their patron in warfare, willing to stand and butt heads with any that oppose them, so too do the Storms. Like lightning they strike, hard and fast, and melt away again like the rain. They also specialize in psychological warfare-putting on grand displays or mysterious noises and flashes in the night to intimidate and demoralize their enemy. While a life on the sea makes all the Rutaka'ga in tune with the weather, the Storm clan's connection with the storm makes them the preeminent predictors of weather and an important part of any major expedition. They can see the signs of an oncoming storm well before others, predict its length and ferocity, and give general guidance on the seasons to come.   Young Storm clan Rutaka'ga must face and experience the storm to prove their readiness. Before the storm comes, they place a lightning rod in sand in a place of their choosing. They choose to either sail on their own beyond their island, or a high and open place. Naked and alone, with nothing between them and the storm, they must hold vigil through its length. If, having survived the storm, lightning has also struck the rod and created a fulgurite, it is considered a sign from the storm of their acceptance as an adult. Many have reported visions or insight that has guided them through later challenges, only furthering their mystical relationship to the weather.   The Storm Clanhome is Stormbreak, on the northwesternmost island of Tauranga. Storms that have buit up crossing the open sea from the west or north make their first and strongest landfall here, giving them the greatest opportunity to experience and commune with their power. From the heights of the island they can also best observe the weather patterns of both the open sea and Tauranga.  

Forest Clan

The Forest clan are the farthest-looking and most considered of the Rutaka'ga, arising from their expertise as the horticulturalists of Tauranga. Rather than the razed fields found in many other cultures, the Rutaka'ga and Forest clan in particular focus on developing full ecosystems adapted to human need. The most basic systems are simple companion planting systems, bringing together small fields, shrubs and trees, and herbaceous plants that is more productive than any on their own. The most elegant and fully developed, intended as much as works of art as productive land, can hardly be distinguished from natural forest until you notice every plant can be used for food or another resource.   Given that their systems tend to take generations of development, the Forest clan families typically tend to the same areas for many years. Larger villages and clan towns are markets for both food and raw materials as well as exchanges for cuttings and seeds as farms are every adjusted and refined. Their ships are festooned with greenery cut or replanted to take their gardens with them. In case water can't be spared on a voyage, they are intricately carved beneath with gardens and plant life.   The test of the Forest clan reflects their long view and careful stewardship. The rakau puhoi, or slow tree, is something of a totem for the Forest clan. In the wild forest, the tree is a rare sight and its fruit rarer still. It grows slowly and is sensitive to environmental conditions. It typically takes ten years to have even the potential to bear fruit, at which point it requires a particularly wet season two years before seeding, the right amount of sun and shade, and a set of companion plants. The ability of a Forest clan youth to raise a rakau puhoi from planting to seeding demonstrates their mastery of the clan's agricultural tradition. The first fruit to ripen is planted in family or clan groves, giving back to the generations before them and providing for the generations to come. The pit of the second is carved into a piece of jewelry and worn as their Proving.     The Forest Clanhome is Treehaven, a city built around and in the enourmous rakau puhoi Sun's Yearning. It is believed that it was planted by the clan's founders, given to them as a boon by the Tonu'ga. While most of the city is built on the ground, particularly old, sacred or important places are in a complex of treehouses centered on Sun's Yearning. They were initially built there, and surrounding trees were slowly guided so they could support treehouses that could connect to the complex.  

Guardian Clan

  The Guardian Clan is unique among the clans. For one it is not even two centuries old, rather than existing since the semi-mythical founding of Tauranga; and it is an "artificial" clan that was deliberately created and whose members are made, not born. The clan was created after the destruction of Puna Wai, the now-barren island in the center of Tauranga. The six clans were independent, in conflict or cooperation as each group's needs and goals led them. A faction of the Albatross clan, Rapua Te Pae "Search the Horizon" believed the Rutaka'ga had grown stagnant and aimless and sought to make the islands unsuitable for any long-term, large scale habitation. Only by destroying or subsuming the other clans to the Albatross could the Rutaka'ga as a people and culture be saved. While the damage was limited to Puna Wai and Rapua Te Pae defeated, it was clear that the   Seacall: conscription (leidang) normal: Javanese djong war: lancaran, ghurab, ghali