A'tūrākau

At first glance, A'tūrākau appears to be a deathly dangerous world, battered by unending storms of a truly tempestuous nature. Despite this, the planet boasts countless islands of natural beauty and danger that can be found in its more tropical equator. However, the poles of A'tūrākau are a truly apocalyptic landscape of ice and fire. The central poles are hot-beds of hyper volcanic activity, surrounded by an endless expanse of ice.

Despite its harshness, A'tūrākau possesses a unique beauty that stems from its potential cruelty. The planet is an oceanic world ruled by the gene-cabals of the Quill'a, a Semi-Cnidarian race of malicious gene-crafters. These cabals have seized control of the planet and transformed its native inhabitants into abhorrent mockeries of the human form.

Overall, A'tūrākau is a world of stark contrasts, where the beauty of its tropical islands is juxtaposed against the deadly storms that rage across its oceans, and the icy wasteland of its poles. Yet, it is the cruel and twisted nature of the gene-cabals and their creations that truly define this world, and make it a place where survival is a constant struggle.

## A'tūrākaun Races

### The Quill’a

The Quill'a are an enigmatic and technologically advanced alien species that created many of the sentient races on A'tūrākau. They are known for their skill in genetic engineering, often creating new species to serve their needs, including the Makaihua.

The Quill'a have a reputation for being cold and distant, with little interest in the affairs of other species. They typically communicate through technology, such as holograms and artificial intelligences, rather than face-to-face interaction.

Despite their advanced technology, the Quill'a are not invincible. They were severely weakened by the Void-Storm that ravaged the A'tūrākaun System and caused the rebellion of the Mano'oka against their rule. The Quill'a are still a powerful force to be reckoned with, but they are no longer as dominant as they once were.

#### Overview

##### Technology

The Quill'a are a highly advanced alien race known for their impressive technological achievements. Their technology is based on a combination of mechanical, energy-based, and biological engineering.

One of the most notable aspects of Quill'a technology is their use of biological engineering, which involves manipulating the genetic makeup of living organisms to achieve a desired result. This technology allows the Quill'a to create bio-mechanical creatures, such as the Makaihua, that are specifically designed to suit their needs. The Quill'a also use biological engineering to create other types of creatures, such as the Mano'oka, which they use as slaves and laborers.

In addition to biological engineering, the Quill'a have also mastered the use of energy-based technology. They use powerful energy sources to power their machines and spacecraft, allowing them to travel vast distances across the galaxy. Their weapons also rely heavily on energy-based technology, such as plasma weapons and sonic disruptors.

Finally, the Quill'a have also developed advanced mechanical technology, including powerful robotics and cybernetic implants. They use these technologies to augment their own bodies and to create machines that can perform a wide range of tasks.

##### Biology

The Quill'a are a race of hyper-advanced Semi-Cnidarians, with a unique biology that sets them apart from other races in the A'tūrākaun system.

Their bodies are a segmented mass of writhing tentacles, with their mid-section containing a core of pure gray matter wrapped in a cage of bone. This unique structure allows the Quill'a to process information at a speed that is unparalleled by any other race in the system.

### The Kaiholo (Tursiops Sapien)

They're dolphins turned into people, I deadass don't feel like writing the rest of this gang.

They still follow the Quill'a, as they weren't strong enough, nor numerous enough to rebel adequately.

This has caused them to remain enthralled to their ancient masters, as psychic tools.

### The Makaihua (Homo Orcana)

The **Makaihua** were not just any ordinary race; they were crafted for the sole purpose of war. Their bodies were forged in the fires of the Long Dark, and they were designed to be faster, stronger, and larger than any other creature on A'tūrākau. The Quill'a had created them to be their ultimate weapon, and they served their creators dutifully for centuries.

As one of the eldest races of A'tūrākau, the Makaihua shared the title with the Kaiholo. However, their history was far more tumultuous than their counterpart. They were a product of the Quill'a's insatiable hunger for power, and they were used as instruments of destruction in the Quill'a's wars across the planets of the A'tūrākaun System.

But their fate would change with the arrival of a colossal Void-Storm, which wiped out all life in the A'tūrākaun System except for the world of A'tūrākau. The devastating blow to the Quill'a's power created an opportunity for the Mano'oka, who had long been enslaved and oppressed by the Quill'a, to rebel in a devastating effect. They were able to thrive almost unimpeded over A'tūrākau, causing the Quill'a to fear for their dominance.

In response, the Makaihua were sent on endless extermination campaigns against the Mano'okan Freedmen. However, during these campaigns, the Makaihua armies were diluted and fractured, with many defecting and creating settlements among the north and southern poles where the frigid temperatures would disallow the Quill'a and their machines to reclaim these defective units.

Others, who had been moved by the plight of the Freedmen, often joined them against the Quill'a. The Makaihua were created to be the ultimate killing machines, but the freedom of the Mano'oka proved to be a powerful force. The Makaihua were no longer bound by their indoctrination and were free to make their own choices. Some chose to fight against their former masters, while others chose to live in isolation, away from the conflicts that tore apart their world.

#### Overview

##### Culture

As a race of warriors, the Makaihua culture is heavily steeped in martial tradition and discipline. They value strength, agility, and speed above all else, and their society is built around training and honing these skills.

The Makaihua have a strong sense of honor and loyalty, and they hold their leaders in high esteem. They place great importance on respecting authority and following orders, and disobedience or insubordination is not tolerated.

In terms of art and creativity, the Makaihua are known for their impressive metalworking skills. They create intricate and ornate weapons and armor that are not only practical in battle but also works of art. They also have a strong musical tradition, with drums and horns being popular instruments.

While they are primarily a race of warriors, the Makaihua also have a deep respect for nature and the environment. They are known for their expertise in survival and for their ability to adapt to different environments. They have a strong connection to the natural world and believe that it is their duty to protect and preserve it.

Overall, the Makaihua culture is focused on strength, discipline, and honor, with a deep respect for nature and the environment.

###### Tattooing

The Makaihua have a long-standing tradition of tattooing, which is considered an important aspect of their culture. Tattoos are not only seen as a form of artistic expression but are also imbued with spiritual and cultural significance.

Makaihua tattoos are usually intricate and complex, with designs that are heavily influenced by the natural world, particularly the flora and fauna of their home planet. They use a variety of colors, but black and red are the most common. These tattoos are not just decorative, but also convey important cultural and spiritual messages.

In Makaihua culture, tattoos are earned through various rites of passage, such as initiation into adulthood or achieving a great feat in battle. They are seen as a mark of honor, bravery, and status, and those with the most intricate and elaborate tattoos are held in high regard.

Tattoos are often placed on the face, neck, chest, and arms, with each area holding its own significance. For example, facial tattoos are reserved for the most skilled and respected warriors, while arm tattoos may indicate a particular battle or achievement.

The process of getting a tattoo is a sacred and intimate one, often performed by a skilled tattoo artist who is also a spiritual leader within the community. The process may involve rituals, such as purification and blessings, to ensure that the tattoo is not just a physical mark, but also a spiritual one.

###### Dance

The traditional Makaihua dance is the *siva*. The female *siva* is with gentle movements of the hands and feet in time to music. The sasa is a group dance performed sitting to a drum rhythm. Makaihua males traditionally perform the fa'ataupati, usually performed in a group with no music accompaniment. Traditional Makaihua dance is arguably the one area of Makaihuan culture that has not been touched by either the ravages of time, or the suppression of the Quill'a. The maulu'ulu is a group dance performed by female counterparts only, also the taualuga is the main Makaihua traditional dance that is performed by the matrilines matriarchs. It is often performed at weddings, birthdays and other Makaihua celebrations.

###### Social Organization

The Makaihua, while icy in their disposition are rather highly social individuals and at the very heart of this is the eldest mother forming the maternal group or matriline. Beyond this is a series of extended groups called pods, clans and communities.

A typical Makaihuan matriline consists of an older female or ‘matriarch’ and her male and female descendants. Adult sons will stay with their mother throughout their lives, even after marrying and siring children, with these families boosting the number of the pod. These men often form hunting parties to collect the needed food for their growing familial groups. While adult daughters will either travel to other groups to find mates, or orphan males will flock to them to create a family. These daughters who haven't left their birth groups and who have their own children may spend some time away from the matriarch but are often found travelling nearby.

A pod is a group of closely related matrilines that likely share a common maternal ancestor and is made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins and their children. Pods often travel together and tend to have differing dialects both in their spoken and sung language that are distinctive and these can be readily identifiable acoustically.

The next level of social structure above the pod is the clan and this is defined by acoustic tradition. It is comprised of pods that have similar vocal dialects. Interestingly, pods from separate clans commonly socialize with each other within the community, even though they do not share languages.

The top level of social structure is the community and is made up of pods that regularly associate with one another and is defined by association patterns rather than maternal genealogy or linguistic/acoustic similarity.

##### Anatomy

The Makaihua, bred by the Quill'a to serve as their ultimate soldiers, possess genetic enhancements that make them stronger, faster, and larger than any other chimeric race on A'tūrākau. Their internal organs are extremely robust and their metabolism is advanced, allowing them to regenerate from injuries with remarkable speed. Additionally, their blood has been genetically altered to coagulate at an accelerated rate, which makes them a formidable force on the battlefield.

Due to a thin but hyper-dense layer of bioengineered blubber, the Makaihua are remarkably resilient and difficult to take down in combat. This blubber also provides them with exceptional protection against the cold temperatures of A'tūrākau's frigid poles. Their sturdy dorsal fins along their backs and semi-webbed fingers and toes give them superior agility both in and out of the water, while their nearly two-meter-long tails, reminiscent of ancient cetaceans on Earth, provide them with an extra level of propulsion and maneuverability.

In battle, the Makaihua are a sight to behold. Their powerful physique and genetic enhancements make them nearly unbeatable against the unarmed and destitute slave populations of A'tūrākau. Despite their prowess, the Makaihua lack the ability to collapse their fins like some of their chimeric counterparts. However, this does not hinder their effectiveness as soldiers, as they remain one of the most elite fighting forces on A'tūrākau.

### The Mano'oka (Homo Carcharias)

The **Mano'oka**, a chimeric Abhuman race engineered by the Quill'a as a slave legion. They are the youngest and most numerous of the A'tūrākaun Races, a group of engineered humanoids created using the genetic baseline of the now-extinct A'tūrākaun natives.

Unlike other A'tūrākaun Races that were designed for combat or psionic abilities, the Mano'oka were engineered to serve as a versatile workforce for the Quill'a's plans. With their shark-like features and human intelligence, they were suited for a range of tasks, both on land and in water.

Although their origins are rooted in servitude, the Mano'oka have begun to rebel against the Quill'a, with the strongest having since established their own tribal cultures and society. And are fiercely loyal to their own kind, with a devout hatred of most of the other A'tūrākaun races and have a deep connection to the ocean, with these Mano'okan freemen often living in interconnected island cities and grotto communities.

#### Overview

##### Culture

###### *Mana*

*Mana,* a cultural concept of the Mano'oka, meaning a sacred power or authority. Mana is sacred power bestowed by the gods on the ancestral lineage of chiefs, or *tohunga*. While the *mana* itself is a supernatural gift, the chief is free to waste or magnify it. Historian Judith Binney says that maintaining and increasing the *mana* of *hā'nua* and *apūelo* and loyalty within the group is unquestionably at the heart of Mano'oka cultural concepts. She says that Mano'oka cultural history is confusing to the uninformed as it consists of narrative-myths that stretch far back in time. Also confusing is that chronological time is irrelevant or distorted to cultural story, so a person living in the present may narrate a story about their family or apūelo that happened centuries ago; nonetheless, the narrator appears as a contemporary figure in the myth.

A key element of cultural leadership is to link the narrator to a well known historical figure with mana.

###### *Naka'pa*

*The Naka'pa* is the origin and path of descent of a person, object or geographic area. A person's *Naka'pa* establishes their mana and tribal connections. And is oft' recited as an introduction.

###### *Utu*

*Utu* is often associated with the word 'revenge'. However, in a broader sense, *utu* is meant as the preservation of balance and harmony within a civilization. In the concept of *utu*, a fault must always be corrected and a kindness repaid. However, the means by which this is accomplished may vary greatly by case. In the context of a gift exchange, *utu* creates and preserves social connections and commitments. *Utu* recovers balance in the event that social relations are interrupted.

*Muru*, a form of *utu*, is a process of restorative justice typically between apūelo and hā'nua groups, where acts of compensation for wrongdoing, usually physical items or resources, are given to the wronged party as a way to restore societal balance. *Muru* differs from *utu*, as once the *whakawā* (ceremonial judicial process) has been completed and the compensation is made, no further acts or requirements are necessary, and the balance between the two parties has been restored.

###### *Tapu*

*Tapu* is similar to *mana*. Together, they keep the harmony of things. *Tapu* sustains structure and social order. It can be seen as a legal or religious concept, that is centered on the idea of being "forbidden" and "sacred." When a person, place, or thing is considered to be *tapu*, it is often distinguished as something in high value and importance, being set aside by the gods.

###### *Kaumātua*

*Kaumātua* (or sometimes *Metkuia* for women) are respected tribal elders of either gender in a Mano'okan community who have been involved with their *hā'nua* for a number of years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both current and future generations. It is against the rules of mana for anyone to self-proclaim their elder status, instead, the people acknowledge an elder's *kaumātua* status.

##### Kahu's Law

All A'tūrākaun breeds have their Litanies. The Mano'oka’s, whilst the youngest racially hold possibly the oldest and the simplest of distinctly human creeds, known as Kahu's Law.

* *Survive:* The race must survive, no matter what. The Mano'oka believe that there is only foolishness, not honor, in fighting a battle they can't win. No Mano'oka will accuse another of cowardice if they run from a fight that is hopeless. The only exception is sacrifice in the name of a Grotto, which is expected to be defended to the last breath.

* *Hunt:* The Mano'oka, whilst primarily intended for labor, were still engineered for combat and as such still retain that scarlet hunger of their nonhuman genetic ancestors. They were designed to be predators of the highest order, and their actions affect the sea around them. This tenet reminds Mano'oka that they are warriors and predators above everything else.

* *Spawn:* Mano'oka live relatively longer than baseline humans by a few decades, and as such breed slowly but deliberately. Each member of a committee is expected to breed at least once during their lives. This part of the code also obliges all Mano'oka to teach and mentor the youth in the ways of the Kahu.

For the vast majority of their existence after the opening rebellions, most Mano'oka simply obeyed Kahu’s law and survived. They didn’t fight against the Quill'a — and for most, this inactivity remained the status quo. Their ancient ones counsel the tribes to wait, promising that soon the other races will destroy themselves, and the Quill'a burning themselves to the ground. Then, the Mano'oka will remain and can rebuild their numbers.

##### Tattooing (*tā moko'nue*)

*Tā moko'nue* is the traditional Mano'oka art of tattooing the skin; a *moko* is an instance of the art. Most high-ranking persons received *moko* as an important milestone between childhood and adulthood, and those who went without them were perceived to have lower social status. The art having become a sacred activity accompanied by many rites and rituals. Men generally receiving *moko* on their faces, buttocks, forearms and thighs, women on their lips and chins. The facial form gives details of the bearer's lineage, status, and origin.

Historically, it has combined tattooing with scarification, in that the skin was carved with *uhi* (chisels), not punctured. This left the skin with grooves rather than a smooth surface. *Uhi* are often made from bird bone and hafted to a handle, though Kaiholo ribs are an excellent substitute. Pigments are made from crushed jade for the vivid green color, and *ngarehu* for the blacker face color. The soot from burnt kauri gum was also mixed with fat to make pigment.

##### Anatomy

The Mano'oka, engineered as a versatile workforce, were designed to excel both in the depths of A'tūrākau and on its myriad of islands. To accomplish this, they were endowed with a variety of genetic enhancements, including dual sets of gills. The primary set of three gills runs down from the neck to the shoulder, while the secondary set of two smaller gill ports is located near the human lungs. In addition, The Mano'oka possess biological traits that allow them to better function both on land and in water, such as webbed hands and feet, retractable claws.

In addition to gills, the Mano'oka were equipped with multiple fins along their body and limbs, namely the three primary dorsal fins along the upper spine and lower trapezius, and the brachioradial fins along the forearms. These fins are made of spongy cartilaginous rods known as ceratotrichia cavernosa. These unique structures could inflate and deflate on command, allowing the Mano'oka to adjust their buoyancy and swim with exceptional speed and agility.

The Mano'oka's genetic modifications have also given them several other abilities, such as enhanced vision both above and below water and an acute sense of smell. They are also capable of generating electrical fields to communicate through water and to sense their surroundings, much like their nonhuman genetic counterparts. But most impressively is the skin of the Mano'oka, namely the incredibly rough texture of the darker segments.

These darker areas of the Mano'okan epidermis along the backs and outer extremities are made up of a central pulp cavity, a dentine layer, and an outer layer of enamel. These in conjunction strengthen and protect the skin against injury. A Mano'oka's skin also helps them swim faster. As a Mano'okan swims, grooves along their skin allow water to flow through, thereby decreasing the resistance against the traveling tribesmen. There skin is made of many tiny subunits called denticles, and the gaps between these denticles are the grooves that the water runs through.

### Manovir (Homo Pravus)

A **Manovir** is a mindless mutant creature who once belonged to one of the intelligent races of A'tūrākau and who has become so mutated through their servitude to the Quill'a that they have beem hyperevolved into twisted and insane abominations.

Those either seeking immortality and power through the ultimate attainment of the rank of Quill'kea in service to the Gene-Cabals face the constant possibility of being accidentally, or maliciously, reduced into Manovir, either by accumulating too many mutations, genetic boons, or simply being cast aside by their patrons as unworthy of further advancement because of their consistent failure to serve the will of the Cabals.

More simply, they may lack the inherent qualities required for successful leadership of other Quill'a servants and thus be of no further use to their cabalic patrons. Koa'quish members who are transformed into Manovir will either be abandoned by their former comrades or kept as pets or as cannon fodder, to be herded into battle along with the rest of their slave Legions.

Although physically powerful and extremely resilient, Manovir are insane, mewling creatures with no mental ability or self-awareness. Their former intelligence has been sacrificed to their failed ambition. Many a Cabal Champion of great promise has ended up as a seething mound of bone and blubber, monstrous and screaming with lunatic rage.

#### Titan Beast

The **Manovir**, regardless of their breed, are repugnant and insane creatures, stripped of their will and reduced to mere tools of the Quill'a and their armies. They vary greatly in size, ranging from dog-sized to man-sized creatures, and even to huge, grotesque monstrosities. These mutants have been left to their own devices, and their genetic mutations have run rampant, resulting in the creation of these abominable beings.

However, the most horrifying of these abominations are the Titan Beasts. These creatures have survived for standard centuries in a state of constant mutation, with their twisted genetics causing their bodies to bloat and grow until they reach monstrous proportions. Their mutations have reached a point where they have become almost invincible, rendering them all but impossible to kill. The poor wretched souls who have reached this stage of mutation have been condemned to an eternity of torment as a squealing mound of mutated limbs and churning fangs.

The Quill'a are known to keep these Titan Beasts as their prized pets, displaying them as symbols of their power and dominance over the enslaved races of A'tūrākau. The sight of these monsters inspires fear and revulsion in all who lay eyes on them, a stark reminder of the horrors of mutation that can be inflicted upon those who fail to meet the expectations of their masters.