Rupe

Rupe moves between the world of men and the sky, and his power is transformation — he becomes a kererū, a native pigeon, to fly where no canoe can reach. His loyalty to his sister drives him to leave the familiar world and negotiate with the gods themselves. He matters because his story shows the family bonds that run through even the most supernatural tales, and because his flight into the heavens opens a doorway between the mythic and human realms that later stories pass through.