“TE TAUPORI O AOTEAROA…”

​Before the arrival of the Taniwha, the land that defined Aotearoa (Te Ika-A-Māui, Te Wai Pounamu and Rakiura – modern day New Zealand) were populated and governed by all-manner of creatures.

​When Tāne-Mahuta – the mighty god of the forest – separated Mother Earth from Sky Father (Papatūānuku and Rangi-Nui) the lands were already guarded by the first-born – the Tuatara – whom spent much of their time practicing natural magic and studying the various creatures that roamed the land. They assisted Tāne-Mahuta with caring for the land, and for a very long time it teemed with life.

​The dominant wild creatures during this time were the birds of the forest – the Moa – a giant flightless bird, and the giant Kahu (hawk). The two species lived in harmony at the beginning, but as time advanced and the mana (spiritual power and guiding light) of the world waned, the two birds became mortal enemies, and even waged a war (The War of the Birds) when food was scarce.​​

Other lesser creatures such as the Kea, the eel, the Wood Pigeon and the Kiwi were also prevalent, but played lesser roles in coming events.

​When the Taniwha arrived, the natural order became disrupted as these creatures took to interfering with the very laws of nature. The Tuatara did their best to contain their terrible magic, but they were too naive and too few. This unnatural perversion did not slow until the arrival of the Aho, who were charged to hunt down the Taniwha and, later, the Māori. By this time, some of the indigenous species of animal were transformed by the Taniwha’s black magic – such as the Eels.

​The landscape became radically altered during the Taniwha Wars – where whole mountains disappeared and courses of rivers diverted – from which a number of species disappeared – and the country was forever changed, before the arrival of the first colonial.