Talani'i
Talani'i are the southern hakanu tribes of the land of Talani in southern Okaluan. For most of their history, these tribes had been at constant, low level war with one another, until the threat of the Purifying Fire bound them together in common cause to form the Talani'i Alliance for common defense against the Kahala Empire. Because Talani'i are forbidden from marrying within their own clan, the inter-clan blood and kin ties that are maintained keep this identity strong, despite the weak governmental structure in Talani. Each clan village has a headman or headwoman, the ariki. This position is gained by having the respect of the village, especially the prominent members, such as prosperous farmers and skilled craftspeople along with the tukuoro of the village temple. The most powerful of a clan's ariki is named the clan's kaiku.
Close ties did not preclude conflict however. Before the armies of the holy war began by Tohuna Otanahi invaded Talani, the Talani'i clans often raided each other, stealing animals, youths, as well as engaging in ritual head hunting and cannibalism, using the spirits trapped in the shrunken heads to add to the power of their tukuoro and thus their villages.
This was the way of life for the Talani from time immemorial, but after the powerful Kua tribe of northern Talani was conquered by the Kahala'i, a unprecedented great council of all the clan koeke'tukuoro was called. These elders merged their spirits into one, and entered the spirit home, Utulhuanu, and held council with the ancestor spirits. There it was agreed that killing a fellow Talani'i for power or revenge was forbidden.
They are not as technologically sophisticated as the Kahala'i and most still live simple lives of farming, hunting and fishing. Necessary goods are generally produced within the villages with little in the way of commerce. However, in the last couple of decades some villages have grown to become trading hubs, expanding to the size of cities, especially on the southeast coast where they trade with foreigners mainly from the Kalmasan Samraj, but elsewhere as well. Despite the growing affluence of these towns and villages, the inter-clan relations have kept the traditional egalitarian structure strong as young Talani’i from other parts of the country come to work in the ports and trading hubs, usually returning to their home clan to marry, bringing wealth with them.
Spiritual life is central to Talani'i culture, though they are not as religiously strict and dogmatic as their northern counterparts. Each clan has a spiritual leader, the koeke'tukuoro and each village of the clan also has its own tukuoro. These are the 'Honored Speakers', those who are able to clearly perceive and communicate with the honored ancestors, merge those spirits with their own, other living Talani'i and with each other through the tradition of mana'aki. The tukuoro also lead communal prayers to the great ancestors, the koroua.
To the Talani’i, there is no real death. Those whose body dies merely enter the Utulhuanu, the Spirit Home, where they reside with their forebears. The spirits of the dead walk amongst them in their villages, offering advice and judgment when asked. The newly dead can be seen moving amongst the living by those with the power to see, but older spirits retreat more into the Utulhuanu as those they knew and loved also die. They are able to possess the living, granting them their knowledge and skills. The spirits of the dead may also merge with each other, creating Rua’utulhu’i, great spirits that can also possess the living as well as specially made vessels and the land itself. However, the power of ancestors lessens with distance from the place of their lives or living Talani'i. But within this limitation, they give the Talani’i great power and their knowledge of their fates after life makes them utterly fearless in battle.
Compared especially to their haughty northern cousins, the Talani'i are an extroverted, friendly and easy going people. They prize freedom of will and letting people do what comes naturally. They are lenient with discipline with their young, but they too value knowledge and all children are taught to read and reckon, as well as practical knowledge. Male and female Talani’i also learn the art of combat and war from the veteran warriors of their villages and towns. There is currently little conflict between different clans, focused as all the Talani'i are on the ever-present threat from the north.
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