The Islands of Hawaii
Army Lists For 'Hordes of the Things'
By Alan Saunders

These lists covers the islands of Hawaii. The core of the first list is taken from the DBA historical list, with some minor changes in troop types to better reflect function according to the way HOTT works. The 'supernatural' elements are cobbled together from various websites. As with most mythological lists I have tried to come up with a 'good' and 'evil' list, but appreciate that these things are not always as cut and dried as we would like to think they are. Some of the decisions, therefore, might be considered a little arbitrary. Certainly you could pit two versions of the 'good' list against each other with no problems, or include 'conventional' troops as allies in the 'evil' list.

Good List

Alternatives: Dragon @ 4AP (Mo-o), Magician @ 4AP (Sorcerors), Water lurker @ 1AP (Aumakua mo'o), Shooters @ 2AP (Europeans or women with firearms), Artillery @ 3AP (European artillery) , Beasts @ 2AP (War-dogs)

Evil List

Magician general (Sorceress or sorceror) @ 4AP	1
Hordes (Ghouls, Huaka'i Po or similar spirits) @ 2AP	14
God or Hero (Rival god or demi-god) @ 4AP	1
Water Lurker (Nana’ue) @ 1AP	1
Lurker (Hidden temple and priests) @ 1AP	1

Notes

Kamahemeha (1758-1819) is one of Hawaii's greatest heroes, and was the first king to unite all seven of Hawaii's islands.

The volcano goddess Pele appears as either an old or youngwoman. Described as passionate, volatile and capricious she would seem to fit the HOTT god classification very well. Pele was attributed with the destruction of part of the army of one of Kamahemeha's enemies. They marched too close to a volcanic vent and she ... 'vented' her wrath on them. Her various siblings (especially those related to aspects of volcanic eruptions) could be fielded as a second god element if desired, and an opposing Hawaiian army could field one of her rivals (and/or lovers) such as the pig-god Kamapua'a or Poliahu, the goddess of snow-capped mountains.

Menehune are little people. Two to three feet tall they live in forests and only come out at night to perform building tasks and assist men in other ways. They would punish those that offended them, however.

The priests of one hidden temple captures and sacrificed any who were foolish enough to stray into the path of the smoke from their altar fires. This would make a nice diorama for an element.

Nana'ue was a were shark. Such men had a shark's head and jaws on their back but physically changed into a shark when they entered the water. Aumakua mo'o are female water guardian spirits, appearing as lizards, turtles or young women.

A Mo-o is a dragon god or goddess. Strictly they would fit the god classification just as well, but seem to have much in common with Chinese dragons in terms of abilities, so are classed as a dragon instead.

Kupuas were powerful demon spirits that could switch from animal to human form.

Huaka'i Po are ghostly warriors that march at night. An encounter with them was usually fatal as they would brook no interference by mortals. They could be recognised because their feet did not touch the ground, and one could hear them coming from their chanting and the beating of drums. Sightings of them appear to be common across all of the islands.

A sorceress once ruled the island  of Lanai and controlled an army of spirits and ghouls, and I have used her as the basis of the 'Evil' list. These spirits were tricked and banished by the prince Kaululaau in the 15th century, opening up the island to human habitation. Molokai has a reputation for powerful sorcerors; one was reputed to have been prayed to death by his rivals, and the island was the site of a school of sorcery.

Hawaiians seem to have been eager to adopt western technology, and  acquired guns, cannon and ships in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century. One  European was allowed to recruit and arm a unit of women armed with guns and one chief made use of specially trained war-dogs in one battle.

The following websites give more information:

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/5191/   (A school project with some nice descriptions of some of the supernatural elements)

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/hacul/otales.htm  (A brief island by island survey of myths and legends associated with particular places)

http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/IV12c/index.html  (Extensive notes for DBA covering Hawaiian armies from 1100-1785. Includes further links to useful pictures of warriors and weapons.)

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hlog/hlog28.htm (A piece on Dragon Goddesses, and part of a larger archive of Hawaiian and other Pacific myths and legends).

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/kona/historyt.htm  (Lots of detailed stuff on Hawaiian history and culture)

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