“The Undoing Of A Titan”
The Fire Taniwha was one transformation of Watcher that proved to be its undoing. Whilst other Watchers used stone and wooden elements to strengthen their physical being, both Fire and Water Taniwha attained invulnerability by shedding their bodies for an incorporeal form of natural elements. Both transformations were initially successful, but presented limits on movement – where the Water Taniwha was restricted by the appearance of water – the Fire Taniwha needed constant burnable fuel to remain ignited.
Once a wooded area was scorched, the Fire Taniwha would find itself extinguished and returned to the earth as sacred ash.
This ash would eventually grow back as forest, but the spirit of the Taniwha remained dormant and locked within the forestation, until the tree was felled and burned, either by natural or unnatural means.
The areas where Fire Taniwha were felled or known to be felled became sacred groves under tapu by Māori, ensuring these ancient beasts would remain locked in their natural prisons, never to wreak havoc on the surrounding landscape with their fiery temper.