Atu Motu (ˈa.tu ˈmo.tu)
Atu Motu is the largest island in the Southern Region, and one of the largest islands in the Great Ring. It is a part of the Atuao'umi island group at the center of the Southern Region, and is deeply connected with the island of Motu to the south across the Vā o Manogi, a strait which is only fifteen miles wide at points.
The population of Atu Motu is dominated by two cultures. The Tāngata are a human culture which inhabits most of the island, while the Mu'o'a are a Kikipua culture that lives mostly in the southern portion of Atu Motu, having migrated north from Motu. Relations between the Tāngata and Mu'o'a are usually distant, and punctuated by brief periods of intense violence. While there are instances of peaceful cooperation, the two peoples have warred on each other frequently during their shared history.
More recently, the Tāngata have been dealing with increasingly brazen raids from the Kaikai people from the island of Koa'ki to the northeast. Generations ago, one of the Tāngata hapū conquered Koa'ki and ruled over the Kaikai. The Kaikai rebelled against the invaders and drove them out, and have raided Atu Motu ever since. These raids have become much more frequent in recent years, and some of the Kaikai have begun to sieze and hold territory on Atu Motu.
The largest settlement on the island is Tauranga, on the northern coast. While most of the Tāngata live in traditional villages, Tauranga is a bustling port frequented by ships from around the Great Ring. The Tāngata hapū further south on Atu Motu dislike Tauranga, and believe that the Whenua-Mārama hapū who rule it are decadent and corrupt. The northern hapū consider their southern cousins to be backward and old-fashioned in return. The most prominent of the southern hapū is Te Ao Ngākau, a hapū which has formed in opposition to the Whenua-Mārama and their attempts to dominate the culture of Atu Motu. The Te Ao Ngākau are centered around the village of Te Mānawa, a village in southern Atu Motu known for its strict adherence to Tulafafo.
Notable Spirits
The gods and spirits of Atu Motu are known as the Atua, and can be found throughout the island. The great mountain of Te Tihi is considered most sacred to the Atua of the land and sky, while the mystical tidal flat of Hānau Pūtahi is sacred to the Atua of the sea. The island is inhabited by a host of patupaiarehe and taniwha, lesser spirits among the Atua whose actions can be either helpful or malevolent, depending on their mood and nature.
The greatest of the Atua on Atu Motu is the goddess Tarangata. She is the embodiment of the island itself, and mother of the great hero and atua-kura Māuika, along with many others of the Atua. The Tāngata honor Tarangata above all others, and sacred carvings of the goddess are found in every village. One of the accusations of the Te Ao Ngākau against the Whenua-Mārama is that they allow Tarangata to be dishonored and defiled by their city.
Geography
Atu Motu is dominated by the Kohu Maunga mountain range that runs the most of the length of the island, including Te Tihi, the highest peak in the archipelago. To the east of the mountains lie the Ngahere Rāwhiti, a vast jungle that is managed by the Tāngata communities that live there, ensuring rich soil and a beneficial mixture of species. To the west of the mountains is the Whenua Uru, a region of plains crisscrossed by multiple rivers. The Tāngata who live in this region are mostly herders of the Moa-huarahi, a species of giant wingless birds that eat the grass and shrubs found there.
The island is 522 miles long, and a little over a hundred miles across at the widest point. The mountains are a little east of the island's centerline, making the Whenua Uru larger than the Ngahere Rāwhiti.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 3.54 degrees South
Longitude: 0.5 degrees East
Average Elevation: 659 ft
Highest Point: 9,800 ft (Te Tihi)
Lowest Point: -3 ft (Hānau Pūtahi)
Area: 58,084 sq mi
Comments