Hachi Amour-Kai

Hachi Amour-Kai (born Aitzakoa Piorika; 12 Ngezeiazua, 1929 (12 May, 1929); Azkali name Aitzakoa Hediangori, naizo Roinekiyotai (the well-read), niangaroan Hachi Amour, meaning noble struggle) is a Ueksperazkali artist, politician, and since 1965, the current kai, the supreme religious and spiritual scholar and leader of Turruism. They were a candidate for president in the 1967 Azkali presidential election, and served as the vice-president of Azkali from 1976 to 1977 replacing Litz Haiz, also serving as the leader of the Azkali Emergency Council based on Ari Island from 1997 to 2002. They have served as the Chief Nazuturi of Azkali from 1967 to 1980, and from 2006 onwards. They are referred to as Roinekiyotai Hachi Amour by their followers.

Amour was born in Dehimia, Sunteria, to a Ueksperazkali father and Azkali mother. They moved to Otzeipao, studying Turruist history and philosophy under Zepi Peiderezek at the Western Otzeipao University, graduating in 1947 and becoming the nazuturi of the Sechemearua temple in Pordmisktpelha, Sunteria in 1948. They married Tšuspito Hurišo in 1950 and became ineztazore in 1951 alongside Hurišo. In 1954, they were elected the Thuturi of Otzeipao and in 1965, were elected kai after the death of Niatzaki-Kai.

Amour became increasingly politically active throughout the latter half of the 1960s. Being appointed as the Chief Nazuturi of Azkali in 1967, they began promoting a form of democratic socialism referred to as Turru Kaitazki (Earth Socialism). They first ran as the vice-presidential candidate of independent politician Hagani Eñasi in the 1972 Azkali presidential election. In 1976, following the death of vice president of Haguo Tainek, Roinekiyotai was appointed as the vice-president of Azkali, serving until 1977. They subsequently ran as the presidential candidate of the Azkali Green Party and Reform Party in the 1977 election, alongside Uke Latsi, narrowly losing to the Turruist Peoples' Party. Following the 1st Bapho-Azkali War, Azkali genocide, and the subsequent Azkali plague outbreak and smoldering, Roinekiyotai fled to Ari Island and became involved with the Azkali Emergency Council government, serving as its president from 1997 to 2002. Following the reformation of the Azkali state, Roinekiyotai was restored as the Chief Nazuturi.

Amour founded the World Peoples' Progressive Organization in 2008, promoting nonviolent Isithipsism-Ipraksism across the world. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, they traveled across the world to give Turruist teachings and lectures. They limited their teaching schedule starting in 2020 due to their advanced age, teaching only within Azkali, Sunteria, and Xrwlphyz. They continue to regularly attend international conferences on both religion and science, and regularly meet with world leaders, scientists, religious leaders, and philosophers. They are also an acclaimed writer, focusing on the intersection between science and religion, nonviolence, the environment, interfaith dialogue, and gender identity.

Early life

Amour was born Aitzakoa Piorika on 12 Ngezeiazua, 1929 in Dehimia, Sunteria, to Keuhe Piorika (1883–1980; né Bersin) and his wife Eanaki Piorika (1893–1980). They were the youngest of five children, having three elder brothers, Huehento (1916–1980), Leukoni (1917–1980), Hatsi (1918–1943), and an elder sister Karika (1924–1988). Roinekiyotai's father Keuhe was a businessman and political theorist. Eanaki was a teacher at the local secondary school, teaching Azkali and Baphian language classes. Rionekiyotai's father Keuhe was a devout polylatrous Šertikist whilst their mother Eanaki was a devout Turruist. Rionekiyotai said in their autobiography My Person (2021) that their mother's religion influenced their beliefs in Turruism to a great extent, also noting that "in my youth, my religion was a rather peculiar mix of Šertikist and Turruist beliefs (...) in some way, this was compatible with standard Turruist belief".

Amour father Keuhe was Kalilondese, whilst their mother was Azkali, thus Roinekiyotai was a Ueksperazkali. Keuhe was born to a lower-class Kalilondese and Oikan-speaking family in Rekazki, but had risen to a comfortable middle-class status, studying business at the University of Kalilonde in Rekazki. After this, he moved to Dehimia and managed a shoe and furniture manufacturing business. Roinekiyotai's mother Eanaki's ethnic background is unclear, with Eanaki's mother variously described as Azkali, Pameakali, or as mixed Inori-Azkali. Eanaki was born in Otzeipao to an upper class family of university professors whom taught at the Western Otzeipao University. After studying Azkali and Baphian in Otzeipao, she immigrated to Dehimia, meeting Keuhe; they were married six months later.At Roinekiyotai's birth, both Keuhe and Eanaki were involved with the liberal monarchist movement in Kalilonde. Keuhe would later in his life found and lead the Kalilondese Peoples Standard Front, a short-lived Kalilondese fascist and monarchist organization, whilst Eanaki would later endorse democratic socialist ideals and become a member of the Progressive Labor Party of Kalilonde. Amour, being the youngest in their family, described feeling isolated from nearly their entire family. They were particularly close with their sister Karika and their brothers Hatsi and Huehento, who acted as a "second-parent" to them as described by them.

Amour was raised between Dehimia and Otzeipao, living in Dehimia and attending primary school in Otzeipao at the Ageke School. In 1943, at the age of 14, their brother Hatsi died of heart failure in his sleep. Hatsi's death caused them to enter a deep depressive episode for a year. During it, they nearly abandoned their Turruist religion, but received a religious epiphany and entered out of their depressive episode deeply and enthusiastically religious.