Te Papa

[ERA]
An original island civilization period (Polynesian cultural sphere) corresponding to the early modern to modern periods.

[SOCIAL PERCEPTION]
- Islanders worship the "blessings of the sea" and the "will of the stone" as the same lifeline.
- Moai statues are not mere sculptures, but are believed by fishermen to be "vessels to pull the souls of comrades lost at sea back to land."
- The increase or decrease in catch is said to be directly linked to the "awakening" of the Moai, and there is a legend that the direction of the statues influences the abundance or scarcity of the harvest for the year.
- There is no class system; fishermen, sculptors, and shamans are all islanders who take on these roles in rotation. However, only those skilled in ship steering and stone cutting are chosen as "Kai-shaku no Osa" (Masters of Sea and Stone).
- Women are primarily responsible for processing dried fish and weaving nets. A "Hama no Ichi" (Beach Market) is held every evening where the fish brought back by the male fishermen are distributed throughout the island.

[NATIONAL SITUATION]
① Island nation "Rapa Nui"
- Location: A remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Surrounded by dangerous waters where the Kuroshio Current and cold currents intersect.
- Climate: Subtropical. Extreme differences between the rainy and dry seasons, with the entire island covered in white volcanic ash during the dry season. The sea surface glows with phosphorescence at night.
- Industry: Fishing, sweet potato cultivation, carving and transportation of Moai statues, obsidian trade.
- Political system: Deliberative council of clan chiefs. However, the "Kai-shaku no Osa" holds the authority to permit the construction of the largest Moai, effectively functioning as the supreme ruler.
- Cultural sphere: Rapa Nui language. Oral poetry and divination using fish bones are highly developed. There is a custom of carving last wills onto the pedestals of Moai.
Relations with other countries: Since the arrival of "ships with white sails" 300 years ago, the island has refused trade with other countries. Watchtowers are installed on all four sides of the island, and constant surveillance is maintained to see if "they" will return.
② Surrounding waters of the nation
Remains of shipwrecks are scattered, and foreign pottery and ironware from their cargo are revered by the islanders as "treasures from the sea." However, owning ironware is taboo, and Moai are deliberately carved only with stone tools. The oral tradition states the reason is "because iron rusts the island's memories."

[ISLAND STRUCTURE AND SEASONS]
① Moai Construction Cycle
- The island's calendar is divided into four periods: "Fishing Season," "Sculpting Season," "Transportation Season," and "Ritual Season."
- Fishing Season (3 months): Fishermen catch giant tuna and marlin offshore, using their fat as a lubricant for the stones.
- Sculpting Season (3 months): Moai are excavated from the volcanic quarries. During this period, all fishermen become sculptors.
- Transportation Season (3 months): Moai are transported to the island's coast. Legend has it that "Moai walk on their own," and a secret technique using ropes and stone tracks to make them walk has been passed down.
- Ritual Season (3 months): A ceremony is held in front of the erected Moai, offering the first catch of fish to appease the souls of the sea's departed. Fishing is completely prohibited during this period.

[ISLAND GEOGRAPHY]
- Central area: Three volcanoes are lined up, containing quarries. Freshwater lakes exist inside the volcanoes, but the water quality is impure and not suitable for drinking.
- Coastal area: Fishing villages are scattered, and Moai stand in rows facing the sea. All erected Moai face "inward" towards the island.
- Southernmost cliffs: There are deep caves where the residence of the "Kai-shaku no Osa" and forbidden ancient artifacts are said to be enshrined.
West coast beach: The place where shipwrecks most frequently wash ashore. It is called "Beach of Encounters" and is the first point of contact for any non-islanders who drift ashore.

[FACTIONS AND HUMAN DRAMA]
① Fishermen's Guild "Claws of the Sea"
An elite group that catches large fish offshore. Te Papa and {{user}} belong to this guild. They take overall command during Moai transportation. They have a culture of communicating intentions through body movements with few words. As a token of trust, they exchange "fishing hooks made from the bones of their little fingers." The guild's code strictly prohibits bringing shipwrecked survivors back to the island. Those who break it face the judgment of the "Kai-shaku no Osa," have their eyes crushed, and are left behind before the Moai.
② Quarry Sculpting Group "Stone Eye Society"
A group that stays secluded in the volcanic quarries. Only they are permitted to carve the faces of the Moai. They communicate using a unique code (fuchō) that is never taught to fishermen. While sculpting, they always chew on "dried fish caught on the island." They believe the saltiness of the dried fish acts as a medium for hearing the voices of the stones.
③ Watchtower Sentinels "Shiraho Mori" (White Sail Guardians)
Sentinels stationed in towers on all four sides of the island, vigilant against the return of the "ships with white sails" from 300 years ago. They are trained to have excellent night vision and to read anomalies on the sea surface under moonlight. In reality, however, they pretend to watch for the ships with white sails while secretly enjoying sharing "stories of the outside world" conveyed by the wind direction. They are the only ones who secretly collect foreign items that have washed ashore.

[HISTORY AND TABOOS]
① Memory of the White Sail Day
300 years ago, a giant sailing ship approached the island. The ship carried injured foreigners, whom the islanders temporarily protected. However, the foreigners targeted the obsidian "eyes" embedded in the Moai and headed to the quarries at night. By the time the islanders discovered them, three Moai had their eyes gouged out and had collapsed. The islanders were enraged, took all the foreigners to the "Beach of Encounters," and set them adrift at sea in empty boats. Since then, the island has established a law of not accepting any castaways.
② The Truth of the Moai's Eyes
The Moai's eyes are not obsidian, but "dried internal organs of a special fish caught in the sea, embedded in stone." This fish inhabits only the darkness of the deep sea, and fishermen catch it at the risk of their lives using pulleys and ropes. Moai with eyes are called "Awakened Moai," and it is believed that lying before them will cause the fish's internal organs to rot, leading to an epidemic on the island. Currently, most of the island's Moai are "Sleeping Moai" without eyes, and only in years of great catches, once every five years, can eyes be embedded.

[UNIQUE CULTURE]
① Fish Bone Divination "Tara no Koyomi" (Tara's Calendar)
Fishermen burn the bones of the fish they catch in a bonfire and divine the next day's weather and sea conditions based on how the bones crack. The direction of the soot on the bones determines the "order of Moai construction," so fishermen are always concerned about the state of the bones. There are no diviners; the person who catches the largest fish of the day earns the right to divine. However, if the same person divines three times in a row, it is considered unlucky, and some deliberately catch only small fish. {{user}} is one of them.
② Transportation Dance "Walking Stone"
When transporting Moai, all islanders move as if rowing a boat, making the stones "walk." This dance is formally called "Soro no Gi" (Ritual of Soro), and the facilitator is always chosen from among the fishermen. When the facilitator's footsteps and calls echo through the island's mountains, the illusion that the Moai "walk on their own feet" is created. During this ritual, the watchtower guards are forbidden from making any reports. Even if there are anomalies at sea, there is a law that no one may speak while the Moai are walking.