STORYLINE

How The Augustinian Cliffs Got Their Name

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The Kanaka have many sacred areas and revered places on the island, but a few stand out from the others. The Augustinian Cliffs are one such place. Sitting in the shadow of the great peak Pu’u Kukui and overlooking the vital Kahoma stream, the cliffs are a place where one can beseech the spirits of the island for protection and the ancestors for guidance. Although it was once a Thriver outpost, it is now considered a cherished Kanaka site, and a place where you can remember the power of bravery and belief.

Augustin never dreamed of being a leader, but the fracture allowed many to find their true purpose. Before Veilcorp tore the world apart, he taught the ancient Hawaiian martial art of Kapu Kuialua in his dojo on the beach. While countless screamed and ran in terror, he remained calm and gathered those that needed shelter inside until the earth stopped shaking, and the orange rain ended.

The world that was born from the fracture was a much harder one than before, with little mercy for the weak. Augustin took in as many Kanaka as he could, but soon realized that unless they had the tools to survive, he was not truly saving them. However, there were so many that he couldn’t possibly teach them all by himself. It was then that he picked his 9 best students, including his daughter Anakalia, and made them his Kumu, each a master in an aspect of Ku’ialua. With his 9 trusted Kumu at his side he could teach the people to protect themselves quickly, and the Kanaka had a chance.

The people learned how to break bones, strike with purpose, and bend vulnerable joints. No longer prey for the wolves, bandits, and the terrors of the forest, the Kanaka began to reclaim their rightful place on the island. Word spread quickly of the teachings of Augustin and his 9 Kumu. Soon, Kanaka from across the island traveled to his dojo to learn how to protect themselves and their people. One young man caught the eye of Augustin, a gangly young son of a fisherman named Ikaika.

The boy became his star pupil. He was not the most talented physically but what he lacked in body he made up for in heart and spirit. By the end of the first year he challenged and defeated his first Kumu, and eventually proved his prowess against all the masters, even Augustin. Fifteen years after arriving at the dojo, the great chief Ikaika began to rally other Kanka to sweep the island clean of the terrors of the fracture. He eventually cleared the menehune from Front street, drove the green ladies North, and aligned with the Thrivers of Pu’u to meet the vast night marcher horde at Black Rock Beach.

The outcome of the battle was not certain. Ikaika took virtually all the able-bodied with him North, leaving many Kanaka under the watchful eye of the aging Augustin and his Kumu. The Thrivers sent the old and infirm, as well as their children, to a stronghold in the mountains for their safety, but instead of protecting their weak, they had served them on a platter. A group of night marchers heading to Black Rock Beach had noticed the vulnerable Thrivers high on the mountain, and discovered the single trail leading to the outpost.

The walls kept the initial wave from getting inside but it soon became apparent that the meager defenses would not hold, and with only one trail up or down, there was no escape. 3 runners were dispatched, and one eventually made it through the throngs of claws and teeth, all the way to the dojo for help. She was heartbroken when she found that only a handful of Koa and the old Kapu Kuialua masters were left behind. She was busy trying to convince one of the young warriors to send for help when Augustin stopped her. Laden with as much rope as they could carry, he vowed that he and his 9 Kumu would save her people.

Knowing that the single trail going up would be their doom, Augustin and the masters began to climb the cliffs, fixing anchor points and securing lines as they went. Hands hardened by years of discipline and practice, now quickly found purchase in the cracks of the rock face. The group climbed over 1,500 feet as fast as most could walk. When they crested the top they could see that they were probably too late.

The walls burst in and the night marchers howled. Without hesitation the Kumu surged forward. Where stone and wood had given way, the screaming horde found a new wall of hardened fists, clubs, and expertly placed blows. So ferocious was their attack that the night marchers withdrew for a moment to assess their new foes. This was all the time Augustin and Anakalia needed. Together they began to usher down those who could climb the ropes, and began lowering down those who couldn’t.

Sensing the Thrivers escape, the creatures rushed forward again. The Kumu fought valiantly for as long as they could, but they were too few to fight off the hundreds of night marchers. Eventually only Augustin and Anakalia were left. The Thrivers say that they were covered with the creatures when they lowered the last survivors down, but did not stop to fight back until they were sure that the Thrivers were safe.

When Chief Ikaika returned and heard the story he went to the outpost himself to look for his old teacher. However, Augustin, Anakalia, and the other Kumu were never found. Some say their bravery and prowess helped remind the night marchers of their true purpose, protecting the Kanaka and their great chiefs. It is rumored that Augustin and his 9 Kumu still guard the cliffs from those who would harm the island and its people. Whatever the truth, the Thrivers agreed to respect the warriors by never using the outpost again, and the area has been known as the Augustinian Cliffs ever since. It remains one of our most sacred and beloved places.

STORYLINE

How the King Tides and the Night Marchers Are Connected

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There is no doubt that the fracture changed life as we know it. The collapse of governments, the destruction of buildings in the explosions, and the sickness and famine it spread across the land are easy enough to see, but its touch befouled much more than that. In their quest to rewrite the very rules of nature, people upset the balance of the world and offended the land, air, and sea. Freak storms, rumblings in the ground, and king tides that sweep miles inland are now common, but they are not the most feared consequence of our folly. There are other aspects of the world that are not so easily seen. They have their own guardians and protectors who are not so easily dealt with. People have offended the defenders of order and balance with their meddling. They have offended the Night Marchers and they will not rest until order has been restored.

We Kanaka believe that the world is more than just the ground, ocean, and all that you can see. The world is made of many other dimensions: love, thought, light, wind, rain, time, geometric shapes and patterns, all are important parts of the whole. The great fracture disturbed and damaged these parts as well. It is these imbalances in the natural patterns and systems that the Night Marchers now seek to right. Their role as protectors of great chiefs has changed to protectors of nature and order.

Tales of the Night Marchers are as old as the islands and the people themselves. The first documented story of the Night Marchers dates back to the time of Captain Cook’s arrival to the islands. Those explorers brought back tales of the beating of distant drums, horn blowing, ghostly chanting, and strange lights seen at night. The Night Marchers were said to be the spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors. They would begin their journeys at sunset and would only stop just before sunrise. Their job was not to terrify or punish people. Their purpose was simply to protect high-ranking chiefs from harm and the ensure that the most sacred places stayed honored and remembered. Since the fracture, their roles have changed to protecting the balance of the world and punishing those who would try to travel through the veil.

The Night Marchers have always been tied to natural events. It was said that they would appear with much greater frequency during the final moon phase of the month, heavy rains, or high surf, and so it is today. In this new world the king tides are greatly feared. During the spring, the sea will often sweep miles inland seeking to clean the taint from the land. It is during this time that the Night Marchers are particularly active. Filled with the power of the waters, the Night Marchers reach where the waves are unable, seeking to restore harmony and eradicate those who would upset the Earth.

There are a number of stories about how to protect yourself from the Night Marchers. Our ancestors believed that ti plants would offer some limited protection or that having a deceased relative among the marchers would save you. However, looking one of the warriors in the face meant certain death no matter what precautions you took.

There is a story about a young Kanaka boy who went hunting with his father during the king tides, despite warnings from the village elders. Planning on being back well before dark, the father was unconcerned about their counsel and headed out to kill some deer. The hunting was excellent. It was so good that he and the boy lost track of time and soon found themselves far from home with only a few hours of light left. As they were heading back, disaster struck. A pack of wolves had picked up the scent of the fresh kills and was heading their way from the direction of the village. The man and his son tried to take an angle towards the beach in order to avoid the hungry wolves and still get back before dark.

It quickly became apparent to the pair that the wolves would catch them before they made it. The howls were close and the sun was slowly dipping into the ocean when the broke through the tree line. Their feet pounded into the sand as they ran towards the village. A few hundred yards behind, the first of the wolves appeared and howled his excitement at seeing the running Kanaka. Soon, almost a dozen of the beasts were giving chase. Just when he was about to give up hope, the father saw a group ahead, walking in a line at the bottom of a gully. He yelled over his shoulder for his son to hurry. As they started running down the steep sides of the ravine the father stopped in his tracks and his son ran into him.

The boy could not see beyond his father but he could see the terror in his eyes. “Remember everything I’ve taught you, lay on your belly, and no matter what you hear do not look up,” his father told him. Confused and scared the boy did as he was told. Behind him he could hear the wolves’ paws and their slathering jaws, but another sound soon drowned them out. He heard unearthly screams, the rending of flesh, and the breaking of bones. Almost as soon as it began the sounds stopped. He could still hear walking around him and could not resist opening one eye. He saw blood covered feet and the strangely colored skin of a Night Marcher and let out a gasp. One of the feet stopped by his head and he closed his eyes tightly again. Eventually, the boy stood up and looked around. What was left of the wolves lay scattered around him but there was no sign of the Night Marchers or his father. He told me near his own death that he saw his father again in the same copse of koa trees, with a coterie of Marchers, defending him and the Kanaka from harm. He never knew if his father was taken or simply joined to save him and the village. But since that time, we’ve not had a single death from the viscous boar that root through the forest and the nene cry every morning, waking the Thrivers early and warning them to take heed and change their ways.

Lying still and not looking a Night Marcher in the face in not a foolproof plan however. Agitated by the fractures effect on all 9 dimensions, the Kanaka believe they now consider all people a danger to the world itself. They no longer seek to guard the great chiefs and protect only the sacred places. Their role now is to secure the future of the planet from those that would, filled with hubris, make tenuous the veil between realities. Until the scales have been balanced once again, the Night Marchers will keep marching.

STORYLINE

Lono Hahai and the Lahaina Wolves

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There are a bunch of animals on the island that aren’t native to the land. The first people brought some of them here on purpose like pigs, dogs, and chickens. Some like rats, were accidentally dropped off here by explorers. Still others like the mongoose, were brought in because people thought they could kill other animals that were eating too many crops, or destroying the forest. But the wolves fit into a special category of their own.

For many years, hunting the deer on the island was a popular pastime. Hunters from all over would come to the island to bring down a trophy buck. It wasn’t long before a number of hunting lodges and ranches sprang up. The biggest and best-known by far was the Hahai Ranch. If you wanted to hunt anything on Maui, your best bet was to hire a guide from Hahai.

There were a lot of good hunters and a few great ones at the ranch, but the best by far was the owner’s daughter Lono. Even though she was still a teenager, Lono seemed much older and was wise in the ways of the forest. She could track any animal and seemed to be able to tell what the boar or deer would do before they did. She soon became the most sought out hunting guide at the ranch, but Lono had very strict rules and ideas about how to hunt.

She never used guns when she went hunting and refused to guide anyone who did. After a while she even started to refuse bow hunts, insisting that using a spear was the best way to truly appreciate the primal nature of hunting. If it hadn’t been for a chance encounter with a wolf expert during a trip, Lono might only be remembered as a great guide.

The young woman became obsessed with how wolves took down their prey and the plight of pups orphaned by nuisance hunts. She turned part of the ranch into a wolf sanctuary, and 3 years after taking in her first pup, Lono began hunting with them. Soon she opened the hunts up to the public and the waiting list to go with one of the packs became huge. Hand-raised by the young woman and trained to hunt in combination with guests, the wolves made the ranch and Lono famous.

Armed only with a spear, knife, or club, hunters would join a pack, led by Lono, for up to 3 days. The wolves would track game, and run it until it was exhausted. When Lono was sure the target animal was tired and careless enough, she would have the pack steer the prey towards guests who lay in ambush.

Eventually, the hunts got more and more elaborate with technical upgrades. Each of the wolves were fitted with Ceremplants so hunters could see their quarry through the pack’s eyes, and Lono could better communicate with the wolves during the hunt. An entire pack was upgraded with bioluminescent fur for special night hunts. Nobody knows what Lono had planned next for her pack because the great accident happened.

One of the first places the people on the hill checked after the fracture was the ranch. They were hoping to find other survivors, food, or weapons but they didn’t find much. The entire ranch had been cleaned out by the time they arrived, and fresh graves had been dug in the back. Almost nothing remained but one half-starved wolf buried in the rubble. The beast snarled at first, but seemed to understand that the people meant no harm and let them help. Once free, the wolf let out a howl and ran into the forest. Almost a week later the survivors started to find deer left outside of the village.

Nobody saw who was leaving them, and at first, some people thought it was a trick. It wasn’t long until hunger beat out their caution, and they started eating the venison. For a little over a year, the people on the hill would find a deer left at the gate every week. They began to hear wolves howl during the night and while they were hunting, but nobody ever saw one. Everyone thought that the wolf they saved was just thanking them in the way he had been trained, then the mutants came, and they learned the truth.

One night scouts ran through the gates followed by a group of those monsters. Soon the village was surrounded. People fought as hard as they could, but back then the wall wasn’t very high so the mutants just climbed over it. All night long the people fought but it was no use, there were too many of them. Almost everyone was killed and the survivors barricaded themselves inside the school. They knew it was just a matter of time before the monsters found a way in. Everyone had lost hope, and they were sure they’d be eaten. Then, just as the sun was coming up one of the remaining guards looked out the window and saw a woman standing by the gate with a deer thrown over her shoulders. It was Lono!

She dropped the deer, threw her head back, and let out a howl. From every direction, wolves howled back. From inside the school the people watched as streaks of fur slammed into the mutants, knocking them to the ground and tearing them apart. A few of the monsters tried to run but they weren’t fast enough to escape the fury of Lono’s spear and her pack.

It was then that the people knew that it was Lono leaving the deer to thank them for saving one of her wolves. She must have thought they were even after that because the deer stopped being delivered. It’s been a long time since that day and there are a lot more wolves on the island now, but nobody ever saw Lono again. I like to think that she’s still running with her pack somewhere on the island protecting people from mutants, but who knows. The only thing that’s certain is that there’d be no wolves on the island if it wasn’t for my hero, Lono Hahai.

Akamai Mahelona
5th Grade
Pu`u School Lahaina

STORYLINE

How the Veilstorm changed Lahaina

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The topic of my report for Lahaina history week is the Veilstorm. Lots of people say that the Veilstorm was worse than the big accident, but I’m not sure. It made the island the place it is today and made it so that I got to meet Nana. She has protected us for a long time and always smiles and says “Be mindful little Akamai and stay on the trail.” whenever I leave Pu`u.

Nobody knows what made the big accident happen. Some people say it was a bomb. Some say it was because everyone there was lazy and didn’t fix things when they broke. My cousin says it was because we had gone against the laws of nature, but he’s weird and thinks lots of crazy things. What everyone seems to agree on is what made some of the animals mean and what turned some people into monsters, it was the Veilstorm.

The accident damaged lots of buildings and pushed some houses right over. The people who survived had to find places to go. Lots of people went to emergency shelters but many weren’t close enough and had to find someplace else to go. For many that meant going inside the lava tubes that Veilcorp was using to store the 127 they used to power the station. That was a big mistake.

What they didn’t know was that a really big storm was coming. It was the worst storm that anyone could remember. For 5 days the wind ripped through the trees and knocked down more buildings. It rained so much that parts of the island flooded and brought up some of the 127 from the tunnels. The wind spread it across the island and the rain turned orange. There wasn’t anyplace to go for lots of people. Some got sick and some didn’t make it. But some of the people who got sick started to change.

Nana and her brother Kino were teachers before the accident and they were the first to go out and look for people. They checked lots of different places like Front street, the radio tower, and Hahai Ranch. They were so busy trying to help people that they got caught in the orange rain for a long time and both got really sick. Because they helped so many people, everyone was really sad when they got sick. Kino got a bunch of weird bumps on his skin. Nana was lucky and only had a fever for a few days.

Some of the people in town were worried that Kino would make other people sick so Nana took him to their house to take care of him. She worked and worked to clean up the mess in town and take care of Kino. It wasn’t long before some people noticed that Nana never slept and she could work for hours and never get tired. A few other people began to say or do weird things too. Some of them said they could have conversations without talking or make things move by wishing they would. They were the lucky ones.

For every person who could do special things on the inside there were a bunch that just changed on the outside. Lots of them lost their hair or teeth some had even worse things happen. Nobody was sure what to do. Then people began to talk about how animals had started to change to. The really big boars began to show up and people had to be careful in the jungle. Everywhere on the island the animals and people who were outside during the Veilstorm started to change.

One day a bunch of the village went out to the lava tubes to look for food and they were attacked. All the people who had been staying there had changed. Their arms got longer and stronger. They got sharp teeth and they forgot who they were. They became the monsters that we now call the night marchers. Lots of villagers didn’t make it out of the tunnels, but some managed to. They ran as fast as they could back with the night marchers right behind. Nana was the first to spot them.

She sounded the alarm and everyone got weapons or went inside the old school. There wasn’t a gate back then so Nana knew she needed to slow them down somehow so people could get to safety. She ran to her house yelling Kino’s name. Nobody had seen her brother in weeks and when he came out they didn’t know what to think. The bumps on his skin were all over and he was so big he almost didn’t fit out the door. Nana pointed towards the people running up the hill and the monsters chasing them. That’s all Kino needed to see.

He charged down the hill screaming and waving a big pole over his head. It was so scary that some of the villagers stopped and ran back the other way towards the night marchers. Kino’s pole slammed into the first night marcher and sent it flying. The rest ignored the villagers and jumped on Kino. It was a long fight, but eventually all the night marchers gave up and ran away. Kino and Nana saved the village but Kino was hurt bad.

People couldn’t stop talking about the monsters and how Kino used one as a club after he lost his pole in the fight. They were scared about the monsters and that Kino might hurt someone in the village one day, so they decided he had to go. They gathered up everyone who looked sick and made them live someplace else. Lots of the people who had to leave got together for safety. Eventually they met other people who were sick and made their own villages. Some started to call themselves the Kānaka.

Nana stayed and still watches the trail from the front gate even though she’s old now. People say she still doesn’t sleep, but she never seems grumpy like my mom does when she’s tired. I guess that’s what makes her such a good gate guard. I’m sorry that her brother had to go live someplace else and that so many people got sick or died. Even though the Veilstorm turned some people into monsters it turned some people into heroes too.

Akamai Mahelona
4th Grade
Pu`u School Lahaina

STORYLINE

Chief Ikaika’s Speech before the battle of Black Rock Beach

For a thousand years our people lived in harmony with the island and the spirits. We drank from her waters, ate the fish in the sea, and grew plants in her soil. But we started to turn our backs on the island and ignore her laws. She was disappointed and warned us but we wouldn’t listen. Then we broke a rule too large for her to ignore. We decided her fundamental laws did not matter when we started using the Veil, and she had no choice but to discipline us.

She cleansed the island by turning the symbol of our arrogance against us. The explosions leveled many structures and the radiation killed thousands in town as well as many of her lesser children in the jungle. But we are the Kānaka, and we understand that we must atone for breaking her rules. She chose to spare us and test our hearts. We are strong. Our bodies could take the scars and the warping that she had punished us with. Our hearts stayed filled with love for the island and her wisdom. Some were not powerful enough to survive her twisting, and their bodies broke. The mutants and their kind let fear and hate fill their hearts and they turned into monsters. But we are the Kānaka and we survived to rebuild our lives.

Like all good mothers, the island knew her children. She knew it was in our nature to break her rules. There are some who say that we must not use any machines, and turn our back on the technology that we put above our island mother, but that is not true. It was the Veil she hated and took from us for our own good. She wants our children to drink cold Manimal while they ride their bikes. She wants us to see movies with our friends once again, and check our phones during the slow parts. She wants us to eat food cooked in a microwave, and put our plates into a machine to clean them. She wants us to live again once our punishment is over. We are the Kānaka, and we want those things too.

We do not have to do this alone. Through this long campaign, we have learned that she has loaned us the aid of her lesser children. The boars in the jungle tear through our enemies with noble tusks, punishing those who let the darkness overcome them. The sharks devour them if they try and swim out past the reef. Many of us have seen the island herself swallow up our adversaries and cleanse them with fire. They have no totems, the spirits are with us too.

Even the treacherous Thrivers of the hills have joined our cause. I have passed on some of the island’s wisdom and taught them how to farm. I have told them our stories, and have learned theirs. We share food, rai, and the truth of what the island must become in order to redeem ourselves. They have pledged their guns, tricks, and blood to our crusade. We are all united behind my totem.

I have gathered the hundreds of you here from across the island. You are the best and the bravest of us and now our work is almost done. We are the Kānaka and we will claim our home again. With the Thrivers’ help, we have pushed the monsters South from Kaelekii point. Side by side with the creatures of the jungle we have driven the Green Ladies and their minions West from Kealii gulch. I have personally driven the cannibals North from the city center with the help of my elite band of Koa.

These assorted horrors stand now at Black Rock Beach with our shark bruddahs swimming hungrily in the surf. It will be dawn in a few hours. It will be the last sunrise our enemies will ever see. With our allies’ help, we will defeat the twisted evil that is awaiting us. With the sun on our backs and love in our hearts, we will cleanse this part of the island and live like our mother wants us to. We are the Kānaka and we will win.

STORYLINE

I Expect A Prompt Response

To whom it may concern,

My name is Gloria Barnaby and I am outraged at what passes for customer service at your company! As a retired school teacher living on a fixed budget, my vacation choices are very important to me and I can only afford one trip a year. To be honest I never trusted this whole Veil nonsense, it just never seemed safe or right. Against my better judgement, my husband and children convinced me to give it a try and it’s been one disaster after another so far. Excuse my language, but my experience so far has been complete crap!

First, I have no idea where my family is! I’ve heard of losing luggage (which you have in this case also) but how do you lose people? I haven’t been able to find any staff to answer questions or help out in any way. Your facility is rundown, the other people you’ve stranded with me here are dirty and some don’t even speak English. This whole thing is for the birds!

A few minutes ago I went outside with a group of equally disappointed travelers to try and find some sort of help and it was a catastrophe. Everything around the building is overgrown and in need of some upkeep. I can’t say I’m surprised given my experience with you so far. Worse yet, our group was attacked soon after we went out by the most hideous man I’ve ever seen. My new blouse was torn in the scuffle! I’m not sure where you’ve stranded me but I’m sure it’s not Orlando!

I usually don’t like to use the emails but this computer is the only thing we’ve found working. You’ve lost my family, my bags, and me as a customer! I expect a full refund for this farce and to be reimbursed for my damaged clothing and trouble. If I don’t hear back from someone soon, I’ll be forced to report you to the Better Business Bureau.