Leviathan Hunt
The myriad cultures of the Islands seem to have little in common, but they all practice the ritual of the Leviathan Hunt. Tiwami, Oluxins, Pursai, Revelers, and even the mysterious people of Acqoupam rush to the sea as one when the spout of a Leviathan is spotted.
During the Leviathan Hunt, a group that can be as small as a few foolhardy souls to as large as an entire tribe set sail to murder the most gigantic creature of the vast seas, the Leviathan. The first to reach and devour the beast's essence heart gain incredible strength and other abilities, as well as honors specific to the tribe. The meat, scales, and other parts of the Leviathan are preserved, sometimes for years. Leviathan meat is a traditional coming-of-age meal for teenagers, and the scales, horns, and bones are used to make armor and weapons.
Execution
Every sailing vessel in the Islands carries a ceremonial Leviathan horn that is blown as soon as a Leviathan spout is spotted. The blowing of the horn signals to the tribe for every able-bodied adult to take to the seas. Tribes differ in their exact organization of the hunt. The Pursai and the Oluxins prefer to wait and gather into a coordinated hunting party that tracks down the beast as one. The Tiwami treat the hunt as a military operation, attacking in predetermined units, each competing to take down the beast first. The Revelers sail in loose clusters of friends and family, treating the hunt as a joyous but grave occasion. The natives of Acquopam, as well as many pirates and marauders, track the beast individually, often for days at a time.
The Leviathan Hunt is exceedingly dangerous, with tribes sometimes losing dozens of hunters during each one. Nevertheless, the meat of a Leviathan can sustain entire tribes for years, not to mention the value of its other parts. They are so rare that no one can afford to pass up the opportunity to take one.
The hunt itself can be over in as short as a few hours, or last several weeks, depending on the technique. Common strategies are to attack the vulnerable eyes and blowholes first, although this also takes them the closest to the gnashing jaws. When the Leviathan is dead, great honor goes to the ones that struck the fatal blow, if it can be determined. Even greater honor goes to the first to reach the essence heart, who are allowed to drink the concentrated essence and take the Leviathan's strength.
Participants
The Hunt is often led by the last person to kill a Leviathan, who goes by a variety of titles depending on the tribe. However, the most valuable member of the hunt is typically the Immortal, the consumer of Leviathan essence, who can fight in close combat with the massive beast. For that reason, the Immortal often remains the same person from Hunt to Hunt, his continued success a sign of favor from Haka.
Children are forbidden to consume Leviathan meat until they come of age, which varies by tribe. During years without hunts, in which meat can grow scarce, barrels are preserved solely for the ritual meal where a child becomes an adult, capable of hunting and killing on their own. Leviathan meat is almost always eaten raw, sometimes heavily salted, served alongside other fish or meat.
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