Kawalapua

Kawalapua is a province of the Second Republic of Ombria and is located on the northern coast of Vastallos on the Phagosian Sea. The capital, Waahi, is a moderately sized town that focuses on fishing, farming and the gathering of jungle resources.

Historically, the city-state was part of the Triple Alliance and was a co-founder of the VAWR. Over time, with a dwindling population, the High Chieftess Samantha Pantha, left the lands to the Doge 8jaaroud of Carvay in her will. The region then passed to the Diarchy of Knossos and, following its collapse, was eventually reconstituted as an autonomous state of Ombria.

History
The history of Kawalapua spans thousands of years, although, for a majority of that time, no written records were kept. Kawalapuan history was - and is - primarily passed through a robust oral tradition. Generally, it is accepted that Waahi was a settlement on the Phagosian Sea for at least 3000 years and the culture of its people could go back even further.

Pre-History
Proto-Kawalapuan clan groups migrated from the northwest and settled the many islands as they moved south across the Phagosian Sea. Eventually settling on the northern coast of Vastallos, the tribes would live on subsistence in their dense jungles. They would stay away from the spruce forests that separate the jungles from Neos Knossos, a fierce competitor on the battlefield and generally avoided. To the south, some proto-Kawapaluans would make contact with proto-Carvaians and trade goods.

Few written records are kept about this period of history.

Jagdasian Crisis
The contact with Jagdasian nationalist ideas convinced the Kawalapuans to settle down and build a city in the natural harbor of Wahai'i and formed the town of Waahi. The foundational leader, Samantha Pantha organized the town's construction, utilizing stilts and irrigation to keep the settlement safe from the violent tides of the Phagosian Sea.

Debut on the Stage of Foreign Affairs
Predominantly isolationist for much of its time during the Jagdasian Crisis, the newly formed nation of Kawalapua began seeking allies to stand against the Jagdasian empires in the east. The Most Serene Republic of Carvay was a natural ally due to the long relationship between the two cultural groups and through the efforts of Doge 8jaaroud, Kawalapua, along with Neos Knossos, joined the Triple Alliance. The three member states began persuading the other Vastallosi states to join a grand alliance of the continent with the intention of preventing continental violence. These efforts soon ballooned to the formidable yet cumbersome Vastallosi Alliance of Western Rathnir. Kawalapua was actively approaching the tribes on the icy coast to their east, and although successful in temporarily stabilizing the region, it would soon return to becoming unsettled.

Carvay
Under Carvaian rule the city slowly deteriorated as the city-state government was ill-equipped to stall the epidemics plaguing Waahi. Large parts of the population disappeared, going on great adventures by deep-sea rafts or vanishing in the jungle. The settlement was considered a cultural heritage by Carvay and was studied extensively by Carvaian researchers.

Under the rule of Dogess Frostina I Mezaria, efforts are being made to organize resettlement of the region but "populations willing to brave the difficult terrain and isolation through the jungle are difficult to find."

Knossos
Knossian rule saw efforts to preserve the small surviving settlements in Kawalapua. The towns of Nisia Gatas and Venlora were the first to be resettled, The former became an important source of luxury goods such as amethyst gems and crafted jewelry while the latter developed into an important stop in Phagosian trade routes. The riverside village of Ronaia was next to be developed as a major agricultural center through livestock.

Kawalapua Restored
Following the dissolution of the Diarchy of Knossos, Kawalapua once more regained self-governance as an autonomous state of Ombria. By this point, the palatial Lyceum had been constructed by the Ka family under the leadership of Caluk. As the most prominent resident of Kawalapua at that time, he took charge of the restoration of Kawalapua and began rebuilding the traditional capital of Waahi.

Waahi was expanded and more residences were added to accommodate the population. Communal utilities were constructed to server the burgeoning trade and industries that began to spring up in the town. Although the majority of its native inhabitants still adhered to the Wanui beliefs, Flosist motifs were also used in the town's redesign.

Work also began in the ancient temple of Kotah Mewah, and expeditions to resettle the outlying islands were also launched.

Government
The Serene Chiefdom of Kawalapua is governed by the Assembly of Chieftains whose members are selected from the citizenry via sortition. The Chieftains elect a Speaker who serves as the absolute leader. The Keeper, an unelected office, is in charge of the maintenance of the Kawalapuan nation.

Geography
The mainland of Kawalapua lie predominantly on the jungle coastline and rarely stretch deeper into the continent. A volcanic system exists on the northwestern end of the mainland. Various low-lying islands and archipelagos are also scattered across the Phagosian Sea.

Culture and Religion
Most Waahi people were devout Wanui, a belief system that deifies natural phenomena such as storms and volcanoes who are controlled by the deified ocean and land spirits. The ocean, known as Nui Tepo'a is in a binary system with the land, known as Kajulu.

A major part of the preserved cultural heritage concerns the Pantha family which founded the nation and ruled it until it was inherited by Carvay.

As a result of a prolonged rule by the Diarchy of Knossos, Flosism has also taken root in some populations of Kawalapua.