Tui Iti

"Every war is a crime, and every battle an atrocity" - Tui Iti proverb

The Tui Iti are the people of Iti Motu. They are related to the Tāngata people of Atu Motu, but have long since diverged from their cousins. They are best known in the islands for their uncompromising pacifism, an ethical stance which many of the Tui Iti have died for over the centuries.

There are only about seven hundred Tui Iti in total. They consider Iti Motu to be a paradise, and they sustain themselves on the abundant fruit and fish the island and the ocean provides. They fish primarily through the use of net traps that require little tending, and spend much of their free time enjoying the sunshine and the sea.

Several hundred years ago, Iti Motu was invaded by Tamatunga Aiga from Motu. The Tui Iti refused to fight the invaders, and fled into the jungle, where the Tamatunga hunted them down for sport. It grieved Rēkohu, who is the soul of Iti Motu, to see its people abused so for their convictions, and they imposed a consequence for violence upon anyone on the island. Rēkohu shared their grief with the invaders, connecting them to all the pain and suffering their actions caused, directly or indirectly. This made every act of violence, especially one that resulted in death, into a cataclysm of emotional trauma. The attacker would carry the burden of their action for the rest of their life, feeling the grief and pain they caused to their victim's friends and family, along with that Rēkohu themself. A few people attempted to expunge the pain by killing more, hoping to end the pain they received by eliminating those who felt it, but this only amplified the effect. The Tamatunga fled before the wall of sorrow erected by the spirit, and the remaining Tui Iti have lived under this protection ever since.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The language of Tui Iti is related to Tāngatāiki, but has diverged so much as to become mutually unintelligible.

Foods & Cuisine

The Tui Iti diet is primarily made up of seafood and wild fruits. They do not cook much of their food, typically only searing fish lightly or eating it raw.

Common Taboos

Physical violence against another person is absolutely forbidden among the Tui Iti. They adopted this shortly after they migrated to Iti Motu from Atu Motu, when a conflict among them resulted in a war that left more than half the population dead. The survivors came together under the chief Kukunu, who established the Hamata, a body of laws that forbade war, cannibalism, and murder. This grew into the current prohibition against all violence, and the Tui Iti are the most peaceful people in the entire Great Ring.

Parent ethnicities

• Tāngata

Related Locations

• Iti Motu