Narukas

Narukas are a fictional coastal-archipelago culture described in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing materials. In the imagined world, the Narukas inhabit a chain of small islands along a sheltered maritime route, with villages perched on terraced hillsides and economies focused on fishing, farming, and canoe-building. The name Narukas is said to derive from the Narukan language, with various etymologies offered by different authors.

Social organization centers on kin-based clans that manage shared fishing grounds and ceremonial duties. Elders form a council that handles resource management and dispute settlement, while a chief or matriarch is chosen by consensus rather than hereditary succession. The Narukas are known for wood-carved art, drum-based music, and sea-bathing rites tied to seasonal cycles.

Economy combines shellcraft, canoe construction, and agriculture on terraced plots of taro and yams, supplemented by salt harvesting. They participate in barter-based exchanges with inland and coastal traders, trading fish, carved goods, and tools for textiles and metal items. Their navigational knowledge, using stars and wave patterns, supports long-distance voyages along coral routes.

Language and literature describe Narukan as a distinct language with a small but recognizable sound system and a compact verb morphology. The Narukas appear in multiple games and novels as an example of a resilient coastal society facing environmental pressures and contact with outsiders.