Blackspear Oroka
After the World Wound, the chieftain of the Blackspear Nation, Moatani, saw the approaching darkness and, choosing life instead of war or submission, ordered the construction of a grand fleet to save his people. They had long fished the waters of the great ocean, and now it would become their home. Moatani had a simple plan: spread their nation far and wide across the ocean and its islands to protect the future of his people.
The fleet was completed in only one year, setting sail in the late spring to the ends of the boundless ocean. The Blackspear Nation splintered as it found their homes on the islands, each settling as a sovereign land. Moatani and his ships came to Torotaua, the Smoking Island. They settled the island, building their homes of stone and wood, and watched as the remainder of their fleet sailed off to the horizon.
Generations passed, and the once-great Blackspear Nation became a simple, isolated tribe. Once numbering in the thousands, their numbers held in the hundreds; to the Blackspear, the outside world ceased to be. From time to time, mariners found their way to Torotaua, and they would trade for stone glass but then vanish again, leaving the tribe to their isolation.
Culture
Funerary and Memorial customs
Just as the island has given to us, we must give to the island: the dead we return to Torotaua. We seek her blessings, fueled by the life she has given and returned in sacrifice.The Blackspear Nation believes that the island gives them life, protects them from the evils of the world, and demands sacrifice. The dead are returned to the island in funerary rituals within the volcano, while portents and signs draw the tribe to sacrifice living members to the volcano. The sacrifices themselves see this as a great honor and believe they go on to become Firewalkers, a spirit connected to the volcano and the heart of Torotaua. The Firewalkers are viewed as shepherds of the dead and stewards of the island: they guide the spirits of the dead into the island's heart. There, the dead are said to enjoy a bountiful paradise, where fruits and beasts are plentiful, where the sun never sets, and where the spirits can watch over their families.
Common Myths and Legends
Torotaua gave life to the island with a breath of fire, raising it from the ocean and guarding it against the outer world. Torotaua then smiled, and breathed again, giving birth to the stone glass people, the Blackspear Nation.
Historical figures
Chief Moatani
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