Bomohku

Overview

In the wilderness between settled lands, a people tasked with maintaining the balance of nature move through unseen paths. These secretive and far-traveled people are the Bomokhu, who are known for tracking and regulating Rahi populations, maintaining caves and waterways, seeding soil, and promoting harmony in nature.

The Bomokhu possess great adaptability and tenacity, which is what has allowed them to gain a foothold in the most hostile regions of the universe. They harmonize with their environments and take great pains to move with the natural contours of their ecotones. They are additionally able to use Kanohi, and their warriors display a level of fitness to rival veterans from other societies. Bomokhu generally find kinship with Rahi, looking for patterns and inserting themselves as seamlessly as they can into Rahi social structures. A Bomokhu naturalist will usually attempt to simply observe Rahi undisturbed, but some press up against the boundaries of nature and pull complex Rahi societies around themselves, going so far as to lead them. Bomokhu naturally possess a pair of small horns on their head, and over a Bomokhu’s career of patrolling the wilds they will add shards of bonemetal to their horns with grafts through a painful ritual process. Some tribes have adopted alternative customs, choosing to graft other materials to their horns instead of bonemetal. The size and elaborate engravings of grafted horns tend to be seen as status symbols within Bomokhu clans. While the Bomokhu people originate in the fertile and expansive lands of Udonogawai, the Southern Continent of the Matoran Universe, a combination of wanderlust and the wars that have ravaged the region have driven some communities of Bomokhu into diaspora. While a great many remain on their home landmass, those that depart tend to seek out lands of extremes and habitually adapt to them as if they were natives themselves. Most Bomokhu stem from one of the three largest Tribes, the Jungle, Desert, or Coastal Bomokhu. These are the oldest communities of Bomokhu - when a clan strikes out independently of them to move to a different kind of environment, they can establish whole new Tribes. This process is one of deliberate education and adaptation, consisting of the honing of skill and equipment, and can take many years to complete. Once fully acclimated to an environment, most Bomokhu can move as if through shadow from one region of their patrolled lands to the other at frightening speed. Tribes are further divided into smaller, territorial clans, each led by Bomokhu elders. Most elders direct their clans in the day to day works of managing the ecosystems they integrate with, and also are central in determining when a violent response is necessary to protect their work or eliminate existential threats to the clan or land. Bomokhu clans will sometimes come together in order to collaboratively plan or rebuild ecologies they have dominion over, preparing it for new habitation or repairing it after natural disasters or wars. When clans disagree about a course of action, the elders of each clan meet and decide on the best course of action, drawing from the experience and understanding of the land. If clans from more than one tribe are involved, those from outside the style of land being managed will defer to elders from native clans. Though many splintered clans can be found throughout the universe, the largest and most unified tribes are those found in their homeland:

Jungle Bomokhu The Bomokhu of the Vezohi and Balrapahi jungles are skilled naturalists, surviving in regions of dense vegetation that most would dare not approach. The Jungle Bomokhu have a reputation as being hostile to outsiders and are sometimes blamed for raids on villages in regions where they’re known to operate, even if it isn’t true. The members of this tribe are usually seasoned hunters, taking great pride in the trophies they collect. Survivor accounts from those who’ve ventured into the jungles have described them as raiders who will attack campsites with ranged weapons before moving in to dispatch any unlucky stragglers.

Desert Bomokhu In contrast to those living in Vezohi, the Bomokhu of Asonara are somewhat friendlier toward outsiders. They will often trade and, when compensated, offer guidance through the treacherous deserts they call home, and maintain the ephemeral trade roads through the region. The members of this tribe are often skilled in mounted traversal, forming close bonds with their companion Rahi. It is not uncommon to see a highly-decorated mount, with dozens of trophies and trinkets hanging from their saddles.

Coastal Bomokhu Further toward Balrapahi’s Coast of Storms, the Bomokhu eke out a living in small fishing communities, hunting Rahi in the waters. These coastal Bomokhu have adopted a custom of grafting coral to their antlers instead of bonemetal, inspired by their close relationship with the otherwise detached and lax Gawalai. They will occasionally spend time fishing and trading with Matoran from nearby villages.

Other Tribes Due to various reasons, clans hailing from the above tribes have split off and ventured to other parts of the Matoran Universe, adapting to those environments and learning new ways to manage those ecologies. While some clans can come to be known for the same adaptations and come from different tribes, the list below describes the general relationships that are common between different Tribes.

The following Tribes have descended from the Jungle Bomokhu: Urban Bomokhu, who are more sociable than their home tribe and thrive as general purpose caravaneers. They adapt to the urban jungle and tend to forsake connections with nature, helping plan villages around the land to compromise for the sake of both. Swamp Bomokhu, who are markedly less sociable than Jungle Bomokhu and are adept in the ways of poisons and medicine. Some Swamp Bomokhu delve into the most extreme forms of pain and psychoactive properties of swamp plants, and shun their inner Light to become Shadow Bomokhu. Cavern Bomokhu, who have a contentious but stable relationship with the various mining and subterranean hunter societies of the Matoran Universe.

The following Tribes have descended from the Desert Bomokhu: Plains Bomokhu, who have a reputation as sellswords and farmers both. Fire Plains Bomokhu, who have strong relationships with several important lava management villages throughout the Matoran Universe. Psi-tone Bomokhu, who patrol regions of the Matoran Universe that overflow with runaway Psionic energies. Some Psi-tone Bomokhu have been known to learn how to proof themselves against the darkness inherent in fighting malignant psionic entities, rejecting their inner Shadow and becoming Light Bomokhu.

The following Tribes have descended from the Coastal Bomokhu: Arctic Bomokhu, who have adapted to glacial regions, almost exclusively working with cold weather Rahi and managing ice floes. Mountain Bomokhu, who have adapted to life in nearly vertical environments, and are generally more isolationist than Coastal Bomokhu. Gyre Bomokhu, who have adapted to life in magnetic and gravity suspended island chains, helping manage orbits and flying Rahi. Some Gyre Bomokhu clans have adapted to vacuum environments, and are known as Space Bomokhu.