The Kokua are the Commoner warriors of the Menehune, Fae of the South Pacific related to the Nunnehi.
Overview[]
Kokua are the warriors of the Menehune, those who are born to defend the people from their enemies. While in the past their enemies were often other Menehune villages, today the kokua guard against humans and European Fae. It is a hard job and requires long hours of patience when on guard duty or when watching humans from afar. For this reason, kokua play hard when off duty, choosing sports or activities that hone athletic skills.
Surfing (he’enalu, or “sliding on a wave”) is a favorite of theirs. Among ancient Hawai’ians, this sport was reserved for kings, but it was too popular among the kokua to be declared taboo among them. So, kokua can often be found mixing with mortals on surfing beaches, searching for the highest waves.
A kokua is not necessarily of the War camp, for they can be defenders of the peace and the fields as well as soldiers. In the past, many warriors would ally with fish totems, such as Shark, rather than plants, but the scarcity of these sea animals of late has caused many Menehune kokua to instead ally with rock totems.
Most kokua use clubs as their weapons, but the honored among them sometimes have shark-tooth swords (especially those who follow Shark). (These swords to Strength + 2 in damage.)
Appearance[]
Kokua are physically fit and look it. They appear to be perfect physical specimens. They often wear only a loose tunic (both males and females) to better show off their tattoos.
Seemings[]
- Keiki Iki are boisterous and competitive. They fight with other kokua to see who is the best at everything.
- Kanaka are wild but more disciplined than when younger. They know the penalties for not following the ali’i’s orders, but can still sometimes forget.
- Kumu are mature, disciplined, and deadly. Their battle skills are well-honed but they are less energetic, preferring sometimes to go fishing rather than fighting.
Lifestyles[]
Kokua form smaller societies or groups, and one in each group rises as the natural leader. Usually the best athlete among them. These groups often fight with each other, sometimes in mock wars, sometimes in real wars, as someone gets angry and can’t control themselves. If this is forbidden by the ali’i (which is only sometimes) and happens anyway, all who fight are considered to have broken taboo.
Birthrights & Frailty[]
- Affinity: Actor
Birthright[]
- Swift: Kokua are faster and quicker than the average Menehune and all begin with an extra dot in Dexterity.
Frailty[]
- Cruel: Kokua have trouble governing their emotions. They sometimes cannot stop their anger. They become cruel, killing their enemies rather than capturing them, sometimes in excessive ways, such as forcing them off cliffs to die on sharp rocks below.
Views of the Others[]
- Ali'i: Powerful leaders. Their word is our deed, even when they are wrong.
- Kahuna: Strange but worthy of fear. We must respect them, for they guard the taboos.
- Hana: Weak but useful. They are fun but cannot stop our enemies.
- Kithain: We have little to fear from them. Their ali’i are weaklings who can barely lift a spear.
Known Kokua[]
References[]
- CTD. Immortal Eyes: Shadows on the Hill, pp. 136-137.