Tchia (Character)

**Tchia** is the titular protagonist of *Tchia*.

## History

*"Twelve years old, brave, driven, and very resourceful. Has lived all her life on Uma with her father. Will eat almost anything! Her left eye is green."*
— Journal Description
Tchia lived on the island of Uma with her father Joxu. On her twelfth birthday, Tchia was gifted a Slingshot and a Glider by her father. The next morning, Tchia helped her father prepare a Coutume for their friend and only contact with the outside world, Tre. Tchia and her father greeted Tre at their dock where he gifted her a tiare flower. Later that night at dinner, Tchia presented Tre with the Coutume and the three of them spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company. The next morning, Tchia awoke to the sound of an approaching helicopter. Joxu quickly instructed Tre to hide Tchia as the helicopter landed. A man named Pwi Dua and a two Maano emerged from the aircraft and approached Joxu. Pwi Dua mentioned how it had been twelve years since he had seen Joxu. He then had the Maano tie him up and throw him in the helicopter. As it took off, Tchia chased after them and used a special gift to possess Pwi Dua's machete and slash his face. Tchia then transformed back to normal and was pushed off the helicopter by Pwi Dua and fell into the water.

Luckily, Tre saved her from drowning and brought her to his camp. Feeling grateful, Tchia collected pearls and presented them in a Coutume at his Campfire to thank him. Appreciating her gesture, he gifted her a Ukulele and the pair played music together for the rest of the night. The next morning, Tchia asked Tre what they should do now. Tre told her that while he wished he could keep her safe at his camp, she needed to leave as Pwi Dua would surely come for him. Tchia asked him to come with her, but he declined as his whole life was at his camp and did not want to leave it forever. Tre then told her that she needed to find Meavora as Pwi Dua is his henchman. He further explained that Meavora has ruled the islands for the past 12 years from his fortress, Ga Ngazo, in the city of Aëmoon. Tre then gifted her his boat and asked her to stay at his camp one last night. Later that day Tree showed Tchia the art of Rock Balancing. In the morning, Tre gifted her a Compass and Flashlight. Tchia thanked Tre for everything as she set off on her journey.

Tchia eventually arrived at Aemoon and made her way to Ga Ngaza. Once inside, she met with the Secretary who told her to grab a number. Tchia grabbed the number 999 and was immediately called up to the desk. After the Secretary rudely asked what she wanted, Tchia told her that she wanted to talk to Maevora. The Secretary told her to fill out an excessively considerable number of forms and despite the challenge, Tchia managed to fill them all out. However, the Secretary took the stack of forms and threw them in the recycle bin, telling Tchia that she needed to gather a list of offerings for a Coutume to gain an audience with Maevora as it was "tradition". As Tchia was walking out, a man named Eli took the 1000th number. He was congratulated by the Secretary and was given an immediate audience to Maevora, much to Tchia's dismay.

After leaving Ga Ngazo, Tchia walked to the campfire near Aëmoon. While sitting by the fire, Tchia tested her new ability of Soul-Jump by possessing a coconut. She also learned how to Soul-Throw but accidently hit a man in the head with a coconut. Wondering if her gift was part of puberty, Tchia went to sleep for the night. The next morning, Tchia set out to start collecting items for the Coutume. She traveled to Hunahmi as she knew the people carved wood Totems. After arriving to meet the Chief, she was told by a villager that she should perform a Coutume to thank him before their meeting. Agreeing, Tchia collected the items and returned to meet the Chief. He asked Tchia what her name was and told her that she was welcome there. Tchia then asked if he could help her get a sculpted totem. The Chief agreed to help if she collected some while clay from Kwéö for the Pilou celebration. He explained that he and the other villagers were unable to travel there as the people of Weliwele hated them even though they had nothing against them. Sometime later, Tchia returned with the clay. The Chief then used it to give Tchia face paint and she joined in their celebration. The next morning, Tchia found the Chief at a Totem Sculpting Stand where he showed her how to sculpt a totem. Tchia thanked him for his help and was asked by the Chief where she would be going next. Tchia told him that she was looking for her father who had been taken prisoner by Meavora. The Chief told her to be incredibly careful with Meavora as he had evil within him. To help her further, the Chief brought Tchia to a nearby Totem Shrine Door and placed her totem in the pit in front of the door. After the door opened, Tchia was motioned by the Chief to go inside. It was here that she found a Soul Fruit and ate it, increasing her Soul-Meter.

Tchia later traveled to Weliwele as she knew the village had chickens. As she walked into the village, the village leader Gaby gave a warning shot with her rifle and asked her what she wanted. Before Tchia could answer, Gaby told her that she didn't care and instead wanted crabs to eat. She told her to go to Kwéö to get the crabs. Gaby explained that she would go herself but the people of Hunahmi hated them even though they had nothing against them. Tchia later returned with the crabs, much to Gaby's delight. Thankful for Tchia's efforts, Gaby asked her to stay for dinner and help her daughter Louise. Tchia agreed and went inside to help Louise cook. While preparing the meal, Tchia got to know Louise and told her that she needed a dead farm chicken for Meavora's Coutume. Louise agreed to get her a chicken the next day. As Tchia and Louise were eating, Louise noticed that the villagers had set up lights and pulled Tchia to the stage. They then enjoyed the rest of the night together singing and dancing with the village. The next morning, Tchia met up with Gaby who told her that Louise was waiting for her on a cliffside that overlooks Gutu. Before she left, Gaby gave Tchia her Treasure Map to help her on her travels.

At the cliffside, Tchia found Louise messing with her camera. They sat and played a song together before returning to Weliwele. Louise then beheaded a chicken for Tchia to use for her Coutume, though it unexpectedly did not die right away. Louise then took a picture of Tchia and gave her the Film Camera so that she would return to show Louise the pictures she had taken during her travels. After hugging one another, Tchia promised Louise that she would return and left the village.

With all the items collected for the Coutume, Tchia returned to Ga Ngazo and was allowed by the Secretary to go up the lift to meet Meavora. He asked Tchia if she had anything to offer him, prompting her to go through her bag to retrieve the items. As she was going through her bag, Tchia was horrified to see Meavora consume a baby boy whole. Regaining her composure, Tchia started to ask about her father when Pwi Dua recognized her. He told Meavora that Tchia was the girl he had encountered on Uma. Delighted by this fact, Meavora brought several Maano to life to capture her. This led Tchia to run outside to the balcony overlooking the city. As Pwi Dua and the Maano were closing in on her, a Masked Warrior jumped in front of her and pushed her over the edge. As she fell towards the ground and passed out, a Xetiwa saved her.

Tchia awoke on a mysterious island named Ieji Sinöe and started exploring it. She was soon captured by old spirits that inhabited the island named Mwakens. Tchia was placed in a cage and watched the Mwakens go through her bag. As they got to her Ukulele, Tchia motioned for them to give it to her. She then played a song on it that entertained the Mwakens. Afterwards, Tchia noticed an old woman watching. The old woman told the Mwakens to let her out of the cage. Once free, Tchia collected items for a Coutume and traveled to the woman's home on the island. The woman told Tchia that her name was Kavere and explained the nature of the Xetiwa. Kavere then displayed a gift of her own, growing a small vegetable to an enormous size to feed the Xetiwa. Kavere then told Tchia that while she knew what she was looking for, Tchia needed to learn of her family's past first. Kavere took Tchia to the nearby Banyan Tree and told her to go inside the brush to find the answers she was looking for. Once inside, Tchia learned that her father and mother had been the King and Queen of the archipelago twelve years ago and that she had a twin named Makanu who was sacrificed to Meavora by Pwi Dua. Furthermore, due to the intervention of the Legendary Hero, Joxu was able to escape with Tchia to Uma where they had spent the next twelve years together. Once outside the tree, Tchia found Kavere standing beside her boat. Kavere told her that Meavora would retaliate by attacking the people she loved. Before she could say anything else, Tchia hopped onto her boat and started sailing away to save her friends. While she promised Kavere that she would return, Tchia was unaware that Kavere had wanted her to meet someone.

Tchia traveled to Ija Nöj to check on Louise, finding her at the cliff overlooking Gutu. After playing a song together, Louise remarked that she was glad that Tchia had come back. She also mentioned that while she was singing, she spoke a bit of Tchia's native language to impress her. Tchia approved, leading Louise to ask her how to say "I like you a lot" in her native language. After Tchia told her, Louise said that she liked her a lot as well and the pair kissed. Afterwards, Louise took Tchia's Tiaré Flower and placed it on Tchia's left ear, signifying that her heart was now taken. Moments later, they saw a helicopter approaching Weliwele Village. Louise managed to return to the village first but was taken captive by Pwi Dua along with Gaby and the other villagers. As Tchia rushed after them, the Masked Warrior stopped her. This led Pwi Dua to quickly depart, leaving Tchia frustrated. Tchia was then approached by a boy named Youl who told her that he could help her. He then brought her to his home at the Wildlife Refuge where she learned that he was Eli's son. Youl explained that she could force Meavora to make a deal with them if she destroyed all his factories on Madra Nöj. He went on to say that if she took pictures of each factory, he could find their weaknesses. Youl then gave her a radio so that they could stay in touch.

Tchia first made her way over to Xupi Maano. Upon approaching the factory, Tchia noticed her father standing in the window of a locked cell. She quickly ran up and embraced her him through the window bars. He told her that he was glad she was okay and looked inside the cell. Tchia saw that Gaby, the Chief, and a few others were being held inside the same cell. Joxu then tried telling his daughter of the past but was stopped by Tchia who told him she knew already. Before he could question his daughter further, the cell door started to open. Joxu told Tchia that she needed to leave. He then told her that he would see her soon and kissed her as two Maano entered. After leaving the factory, Tchia radioed into Youl. Youl surmised that all the captured adults were being held at that factory and that if they destroyed it, it would give them a chance to escape. After Tchia took pictures of the factory, Youl deduced that they could destroy the factory by clogging its chimneys to overheat it. However, he pointed out that each chimney was protected with hatches and that Tchia would need to cut their energy supply first so that he could open them. As the factory was powered by energy from Xupi Nüü, Xupi Mäcii, and Xupi Atü, Tchia set out to take pictures of them so that she and Youl could learn their weaknesses.

Sometime later, Tchia shutdown the four factories that were powering Xupi Maano, enabling her to open the factory's chimney hatches and destroy them. While this opened the doors to allow Joxu and the others to escape, Pwi Dua soon arrived. After being confronted by the Masked Warrior, Pwi Dua quickly departed in his helicopter. Before leaving, however, he threw explosives into the compound which created a large explosion and destroyed it. Joxu was heavily injured from the blast and was found by the Masked Warrior and Tchia in the rubble. The Masked Warrior then unmasked, revealing herself to be Tchia's mother, Heia. Recognizing his wife, Joxu called her name and the two held hands before he passed away from his injuries. Joxu's death left the two heartbroken as they mourned their passing.

After some time, Tchia and Heia took Joxu's body and returned to Uma to hold a funeral. Later that night, Tchia bonded with her mother by the campfire. In the morning, Tchia awoke and found her mother gone though she had left a note telling Tchia to meet her at Ieji Sinöe. Tchia later arrived at the island and found her mother speaking with Kavere. Kavere told her that there was more she needed to know and directed her to the Banyan Tree. Tchia learned that Kavere had been the one that had stopped Pwi Dua from sacrificing her as a baby which allowed Tchia and her father to escape to Uma. Tchia also discovered that Meavora had been devouring children since the beginning of time until Kavere had transformed him into a wood worm. Furthermore, Meavora had regained his physical form when he devoured Makanu and stole his powers which allowed him to take over the archipelago and rule within Ga Ngazo. After leaving the tree, Tchia returned to Kavere and Heia and they concocted a plan to save the children that had been devoured by Meavora.

Heia brought Tchia to Ga Ngazo to confront Meavora. After noticing Tre in a cage beside the throne, Tchia agreed to surrender herself if Tre was released. Meavora agreed to these terms and devoured her. Once inside Meavora, Tchia met with the other devoured children including Louise and her brother Makanu. She then reassured the children that they were not trapped as she had a plan to free them all. After Louise told Tchia that she was trapped with them now, Tchia told her that she needed to find Meavora's heart. Before she could ask any questions, Tchia stated that she would explain later. Eventually, Tchia managed to find the heart and threw a Boucan into it. This caused Meavora to throw up all the children he had devoured and return to his wood worm form. As they debated on what to do with Meavora, Heia promptly squished and killed him. With Meavora now gone, Pwi Dua took Makanu captive and ran outside. As his aircraft arrived, Pwi Dua fatally stabbed Makanu with his machete and threw him towards the crowd. While Heia managed to catch him, Makanu had already passed away from his injuries. As Heia lay weeping over her son's body, Tchia used her power to possess Pwi Dua's machete once again and severed his hand before returning to the others. As everyone wept, Tre used his power to revive Makanu. However, this had a severe toll on his body and caused him to pass away moments later.

Sometime later, Tchia returned to Uma with Louise and all the other children Meavora had devoured. With Kavere now living on the island to look after them, they turned Uma into a haven for orphans and lost children. Decades later, Tchia and Louise continued to live on the island and look after children for several decades, well into old age.

## Trivia

* Tchia, Makanu, and Meavora have Heterochromia. This is caused by their special powers which manifest through their eyes.