Rekauri (ɾeˈkauɾi)

"It's the safest place to go hide from the world. No enemy can reach you there, and you'd be surprised how many people need that."Aomarama, Matatau of Rekauri

Rekauri is the largest island in the Rekauri Archipelago, and where most of the population lives. It is a place dedicated to safety and retreat from the world. Most of those who are permitted through the wall of mists surrounding the Rekauri Archipelago will put ashore here, excepting those in dire need of healing who are carried to Rangio.

The island is a paradise, and few there need labor more than they need to. Fruit grows abundantly, and crabs, mollusks, and other seafood is easily gathered along the shore. The gods maintain the weather, permitting no destructive storms to enter while allowing pleasant rains. No violence of any sort is permitted on the island; any attempts to act violently are prevented by the ever-present spirits.

Some find this the perfect place for them. They are sheltered and protected, and need fear nothing, and want for nothing. Others appreciate the island's nature for a time, but then choose to leave again for wilder shores, where they can be more free than safe. Those who would reject the island outright are never permitted as far as Rekauri's shores - they are sent elsewhere when they attempt to breach the wall of mists, for this place would be no paradise to them, not even temporarily.

Notable Spirits

The island is home to a race of helpful spirits, known collectively as the Ngā Whakaruru, which means "The Shelterers". These spirits surround all who live there and tend to all of their needs. They bring food to those who are hungry, and water to those who thirst. When someone is upset, they soothe them, and when two people might clash, the Ngā Whakaruru guide their steps away from each other.

The Ngā Whakaruru are invisible most of the time, and nobody ever sees them moving things around. Whatever is needful simply appears nearby, deposited there by the watching spirits. Sometimes, if they are asked, they will permit someone to gather their own food, or construct a shelter of their own. But even then, they find it hard not to help out, bringing what thoughts and objects they think the person needs to them.

Geography

Rekauri is shaped like the letter T, with large bays on both the eastern and western shores. The terrain is mostly flat, with a few gentle hills. Small lakes are common all over Rekauri, and there are nearly three dozen of them in total. The island is about thirty miles from east to west, and a little less from north to south.

The island is covered in forest, but it is not wild. Rather, it is intensely cultivated by the Ngā Whakaruru, who make sure that every plant and animal on Rekauri serves a purpose. Coconuts, breadfruit, and date palms are the most common trees. There are no large predators who live upon Rekauri.

Type

Island

Location under

Rekauri Archipelago

Geographic Details

Location: Southern Region
Latitude: 3.46 degrees South
Longitude: 12.53 degrees West
Average Elevation: 39 ft
Highest Point: 981 ft
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 360 sq mi

The Other Way In

For centuries, Rekauri has been filled with purpose. Ever since the Tui Iti who fled Iti Motu landed here, the island has had the label of sanctuary. The idea has permeated the dream-echoes of the island, tying the physical landscape to the concept of refuge. This Association has allowed paths to form across The Dream to other locations that share the same purpose.

On the distant island of Otok, there is a lake called Dvorsko Jezero. When the Empire of Vlast pursued its enemies to the shores of this lake, the goddess Sestra offered shelter to the pursued, and made the lake a sanctuary to them. These refugees were transformed into a new people and a new species, adapted to living deep below the lake's surface.

Ever since, the lakes of Rekauri have become entangled with Dvorsko Jezero. The Association has formed paths through deep waters and Dreamlands that can be followed, allowing Sestra's Rusalje to swim across the world and emerge into the Physical Realm from a new location. So far, few have made the journey, but some of the gods of Rekauri worry about this new accessway into their sheltered land.