Legend of Poholo

A long, long time ago—so long ago that the archives had not yet commenced—a burgeoning settlement flourished on the island called Oahu in the vicinity of what is now Maluhia. Fish were abundant, the weather unparalleled, and the Grid robust and steady. One day, a small group of locals was surveying soon-to-be-occupied land for Grid patterns. As they walked the ground, one member of the party vanished in a brief burst of brilliant white light. With daylight fading fast, the others systematically searched for signs of the missing woman. As fortune had it, a second person vanished. This time, two people saw the flash, and they were able to confirm the precise location. That locus was marked kapu. Children were told the story of the place where people vanished—or "Poholo"—and warned to stay away. As time passed, youngsters dared each other to walk across Poholo. Most survived, but some did not. Parents cautioned their children about "Poholo hakahaka," or the empty place where those who vanished were trapped. Word spread and other regions of Kaia began to tell stories of Poholo hakahaka, or simply "haka," as a fearful place in which to be caught.

Some while later—the details have long been lost to time—a group of young itinerant fishermen left a tavern late one night by the light of a full moon. They were very drunk, and one of the party, Onni, bragged that he could safely pass through Poholo. His compatriots scoffed at him and dared him to try. So he did. Gemstone in hand, Onni vanished in a blinding flash of light. But then, while his friends were stumbling about in search of him, Onni contacted them with his gift of loquansmente. He was alive—but he knew not where he was. Because he had broken his leg in the transit, Onni was forced to wait for a search party to be assembled. Based on his description of the rocky shoreline visible at daybreak, the party found him. And thus was discovered the island's second portal, which became known as "Papalua." Eventually it was determined how to control, and then to construct, portals. The legend of Poholo hakahaka, however, lives on as a cautionary tale told to children too young to transit safely by themselves.