Ponaturi

 

The Hidden Riverfolk

  Secretive and elusive, the Ponaturi are a people of blue skin and amphibious grace, dwelling in hidden grottoes fed by underground streams. They are rarely seen by outsiders, for their sanctuaries lie beneath the surface of Whenua, in caverns where rivers disappear into darkness and reemerge in secret lakes.   Standing taller than a tāngata but slimmer and more fluid in movement, Ponaturi skin shimmers in shades of deep blue, indigo, and turquoise, often patterned like the ripples of water. Their eyes glow faintly silver or green in dim light, a mark of their affinity with the moon and tides and their hair ranges from pale silver to seaweed-dark green; some shave it entirely. Though humanoid in form, faint webbing between their fingers and toes, along with vestigial gill slits on their necks, reveal their semi-aquatic nature.  

Born of Water and Twilight

  The Ponaturi are tied to the rivers and underground waters of Whenua, believing themselves to be children of the liminal spaces—dusk, dawn, the surface between water and air. They thrive in twilight and moonlight, but direct sunlight weakens them, leaving them sluggish and pained.   Despite their frailty under the sun, they are a proud people with a deep mastery of magic tied to water, illusion, and memory. Their artisans are famed for delicate works of glass, coral, and crystal, shaped with techniques unknown to surface folk.  

The Twilight Bond

  Ponaturi live in tightly bound enclaves, each clan tied to a hidden waterway that grants them passage to their subterranean sanctuaries. Their societies are governed by Bonds, councils of elders and mystics who preserve ancient pacts with the spirits of rivers and the moon. These pacts, known as The Twilight Bond, are believed to protect the Ponaturi from the will of these spirits during their underwater travelling.   They are not a warlike people, but outsiders who stumble upon a Ponaturi enclave are rarely allowed to leave with knowledge of its location.