>>5303177>>5303666{Art:Herb Kawainui Kāne}
The fires roared, the dancers danced. Hundreds of sailors who spent a year and a half of their lives with sleep as a luxury gorge on indulgences that could make Ghede blush.
At the center of it all, you speak.
“Ke Awa! Behold the Glory of the Great Fleet!”
You bathe in the applause.
“For eighteen months, we suffered and bled for you. For This Island. Witness the fruits of our sacrifice!”
The Elite Guard raise the Anyaten weapons to the sky. They shine in the firelight, humbling the moon itself.
“We present these gifts to you, and soon the entire Island. But we know this is not enough. We must rebuild this mighty shore to its former glory. No, we must build beyond it! And from this great platform, we will go into the unknown, not as Ahi and Muli and Taya but as one united Island!”
You pause to catch your breath and absorb the crowd. This feeling, it’s intoxicating.
“But there are those who would stop us! Traders and powerbrokers who build wealth while we slave away and decay. It is time for the Hall of Peace to serve the people! I ask of the tribes to let me serve them as Axeholder! As Captain, I guided our Fleet to the future. When I am Axeholder, Ke Awa will no longer be known as just an Ahi village but as the heart of The Island and the base of The Eternal Fleet! A mighty Blue Road will span the globe, bringing wealth and honor to we the people!"
(Tribal Aproval Changes: Ahi +1, Ponni+1, Nupuri +1, Muli+1, Taya -1, Illa -1, Chantou -2)
The crowd is overcome with emotion and you are mobbed by throngs of adoring comrades. As you crawl from the sweaty throng you meet the iron gaze of the first person you ever saw.
Keilani: Hello, son.
