Marakihau

## Culture

The Marakihau are a race of Merfolk known for their vibrant, human-adjacent appearances, dedication to their kin, and preservation of ancient tradition. Though their society has existed for thousands of years, their core beliefs have hardly wavered.

Their capital city, Ōtamakura, has stood firmly since its construction, twisting caves and coves carved into the walls of a deep, deep trench, with the structure extended and added upon over the years to accommodate  a growing population of increasingly diverse citizens.

Bright fields of coral and vibrant plant life surround the city as well, feeding a thriving ecosystem and allowing the Marakihau to peacefully co-exist with their environment, carefully giving back as much as they take.

The deeper depths of the city, especially, are masterfully and intricately carved in order to allow the visually-impaired a form of tactile navigation. This system has since been adopted in all levels of the city.

The most well-known identifier of a Marakihau is often their bright coloration, but one can truly be sure of their lineage if their body has been tattooed with dark, flowing shapes, sometimes on the face, sometimes on their whole body.

These tattoos are used as a rite of passage, a marker of age, a mark of status, or simply a mark of self-expression. Some are fully tattooed, some are sparsely tattooed, but you would be hard-pressed to find an adult Marakihau without at least once tattoo.

## Government and Economy

The government of the Marakihau is comprised of a large council of representatives from multiple cities, led by a Chieftain who has either inherited the title or been elected to the position (in the event of a Chieftain producing no heir).

The current Chieftain, Kahurangi, is both loved and feared by their constituents, who praise both their good-will towards their citizens and strict expectations of their allies. Physically imposing and politically powerful, their reputation has dissuaded many would-be criminals from infringing on Marakihau law.

Marakihau government also prioritizes the safety and well-being of its citizens over the concept of material wealth. While there are materially wealthy citizens, necessities (food, medicine, shelter, etc) are provided to all by local governments, and those who are able to help their fellow Marakihau but choose not to are looked down upon nearly as criminals. Greed isn’t a punishable offense by law, but it is punishable by ostracization from your peers.

## General Biology

Among the various sub-races of merfolk inhabiting Saiph, the Marakihau are one of the groups most closely related to land-locked species, and share more in common with Humans than they do with purely aquatic species such as the Merrow.

Though born with a long, eel-like tail, Marakihau are capable of venturing on land by temporarily giving up their tail in favor of legs.
Though there are a good many who do choose to live on land or commute between land and water settlements, just as many fear the transition as it can be extremely painful. It is said that the more often one transforms, the less painful it becomes, however.

The bright coloration of a Marakihau is also instantly recognizable in many cases, though more muted colors are possible. When in their tailed form, many are even more brightly colored than they are in their land form. A large spectrum of hair, scale, and eye colors have been documented, though there is a strong lean towards blues and purples. Lighter colors that lean towards yellow or white are considered uncommon.

## Religion

The Marakihau worship the same pantheon as the people of Huatzintepec, though their admiration tends to lean toward the deities of marine life and water, as opposed to the sun. Their most popularly worshipped deity was given the name Nikora, ‘the The Circling Shark’, a well-loved guardian to whom the protection of Ōtamakura is credited.

The existence of all deities making up the pantheon is unquestioned, and the deities are believed to exist as physical entities on their own plane.
There are many stories and recorded histories of these deities presenting themselves physically on Saiph, but such an event has not been observed for several hundred years.

The Marakihau also believe in reincarnation and destined paths, as opposed to a final rest. The concept of an 'end’ is foreign to most, as death is considered a brief respite before rebirth.

## Weddings

Weddings in Marakihau society are taken extremely seriously, as recognition of a destined pair, or acknowledgment of soulmates finding each other the current life. Marrying at a young age isn’t common, as most couples take years upon years to be sure of their connection before solidifying their bond.

The occasion is celebrated with a small, private ritual ceremony between the couple that is officiated by a religious figure, during which it is believed the couple will be re-connected to their previous incarnations, strengthening their bond. This ritual is followed by at least three days of feasting and merrymaking, and in most cases an entire community will be expected to partake.

## Notable Characters

* Ariki
* Waauru