Fiheoru

A colony of Liotain.

### History

There is evidence that L'acquan explorers visited the islands during the late 1400s, but little proof they stayed long or exerted much influence on the locals.

In 1741, suspecting that Firoccan traders and diplomats sought to establish treaty ports in the Motunuian archipelago, Liotainian traders petitioned for the creation of treaty ports in Fiheoru and Tukefu. The request for a treaty port was approved by the rangatira (chieftain) of Fiheoru, and Waikiri was officially established in 1742.

Initial attempts to bring Liotainian settlers resulted in a poor response, and so the Liotainians offered transport and settlement assistance to refugees fleeing Gwyneath due to the Forty Years War. Approximately nine thousand Gwyneans immigrated to Waikiri and Pourerere between 1742 and 1750. The locals called them *Pakeha* (a term also applied to the Liotainian colonists who accompanied them).

Although Pourerere became the primary port-of-call for Liotainian ships trading in the area, Waikiri was the preferred anchorage of the Royal Liotainian Navy.

During the tumultuous years between 1809 and 1829, the Motunuian archipelago was wracked by conflicts over who controlled the role of Rangatira Nui (*Paramount Chieftain*), a high king who ruled over the rest of the islands. The conflicts divided not only the different Motunuian kingdoms, but also the various groups of settlers on each of the islands. Fiheoru's local kings made their own claims, but suffered a major defeat in 1814.

The Paramount Wars saw increasing foreign involvement in the islands, with Liotain and Antargentina both establishing competing claims and interests, each backing one (or more) claimants to the role of Paramount Chieftain. In 1825, crown prince and future Liotainian king Edmundas arrived to personally create and lead an alliance of native Motunuians and colonial allies (the Coalition of Totara). Although Edmundas returned home in 1827 following the death of his mother Elzbieta, his reputation as a warrior prince was so high that he was formally adopted by the *rangatira* of Totara - the Coalition's primary claimant to the role of Paramount Chieftain - prior to his departure. In 1829, after his adopted father was killed in battle, Edmundas was proclaimed Rangatira Nui.

A pause in conflicts followed, as the three opposition factions could not compete with the Coalition militarily, particularly with direct Liotainian support. With the exception of the treaty port at Waikiri, Fiheoru held allegiance to the Kingdom of Arawa, the largest opposition faction (centered on Nambukilu and backed by Antargentina).

During the course of the 1860s and the early 1870s, Antargentina slowly withdrew their support for opposition factions in the Motunuian Archipelago. This process was finalized in 1878, when Liotain acquired ownership of the Antargentine colonies of Amidala and Perennia, and the treaty port of Taha'a in Nambukilu, in payment for cancelling debts held by the Antargentine government.

This resulted in a cascading re-alignment of allegiances, with individual chieftains slowly defecting away from the Kingdom of Arawa until Arawa itself re-aligned in 1884, declaring their allegiance to the Paramount Chieftain in 1884. Fiheoru was one of the last princedoms to declare their allegiance in 1882. In 1890, the treaty port at Waikiri was officially dissolved and incorporated into the rest of Fiheoru.

A hurricane which struck in October 1904 severely damaged the island, and economic recovery has been slow.

### Government and Politics

Since 1890, Fiheoru is officially an Overseas Crown Principality. It has local autonomy in most domestic matters, with Liotain being responsible for foreign affairs and defense.

The rangatira of Fiheoru serves as the Principality's official head-of-state and head-of-government, but in turn declares allegiance to the monarch of Liotain, who holds the title of *Rangatira Nui* (paramount chieftain). As of 1907, the rangatira is Tawhiri Parata (b.1866), who has been rangatira (a term variously translated as *chieftain* or *king*) since 1904. Parata, nicknamed "The Rock", became king in the immediate aftermath of the Hurricane of 1904. The rangatira functionally serves as the head-of-government, appointing a functional cabinet to serve in bureaucratic roles.

A unicameral Parliament is elected for purposes of setting policy for the region. As of 1907, Fiheoru is organized into fifty-seven districts, each of which sends one Representative to the Parliament. Twelve of those districts cover the former treaty port of Waikiri.

The Parliament also elects two representatives to the Liotainian Teismas (Parliament) in Neris.

At present, there is no constitution delineating the various roles of the rangatira or the parliament, although precedents (both from Fiheoru and elsewhere) have established a de facto balance of powers. Nevertheless, the rangatira theoretically possesses the powers of an absolute monarch, answerable only the Paramount Chieftain.

* **Monarch (Rangatira)**: Tawhiri Parata
* **Suzerain (Rangatira Nui)**: Kotryna Urmana

### Geography

The Fiheoru Archipelago consists of one large island (Fiheoru, sometimes called *The Big Island*), the medium-sized island of Ohau, and several smaller outlying islands.

Fiheoru is temperate year round, with heavy rainfall on the western slopes of the mountains. In these areas, the climate resembles a transitional temperate / tropical rainforest, with extensive tree cover including both monkey-puzzle trees (a symbol of Fiheoru) and the hardy Motunuian beech tree.

The eastern, and particularly northeastern portions of the large island are quite dry, however, as they exist in the rain-shadow of Fiheoru's mountainous interior. In these regions, trees can only be found in low-lying areas where streams provide water, and a range of cactus and thorny bushes provide most of the ground cover.

### Demographics

Fiheoru is populated by a mix of ethnic Motunuians (who predominate in the countryside), Liotainians, and the descendants of Gwyneath refugees. The latter two groups are localized in the former treaty port of Waikiri.

Waikiri, with a population of 12,000, is the regional capital of Fiheoru, with the rangatira relocating his seat here in 1896. Approximately 70% of the town's population is "pakeha" (either Gwyneans, Liotainians, or Antargentine settlers). Outside of Waikiri, however, only 15% of the population is composed of pakeha.

### Economy

Outside of the treaty port of Waikiri, Fiheoru was one of the last regions in the Motunuian archipelago to begin modernizing. In great part, this was due to the prior rangatira, who opposed modernization efforts and largely prevented any democratic reforms.

There is a fairly high economic disparity between those living in Waikiri and those who do not; this disparity is higher than any other place in Liotain.

### Infrastructure

Fiheoru's recent political changes mean that the island significantly lags behind other places in the Motunuian archipelago in infrastructure/

#### Transport

The residents of Waikiri introduced a horse-drawn tram system in 1886, using lightweight meter-gauge rails. One of the branches of the tram system was washed away by the storm surge during the 1904 hurricane.

A 14.3km narrow-gauge railway, the Fiheoru Tramway, was built in 1901 to connect the main port at Waikiri with the outlying towns of Opotiki and Papamoa. The railway has a pair of Class NT16 tank locomotives.

#### Utilities

The outlying areas of Waikiri were widely built up with modern wastewater systems during the 1800s, but fresh water was only installed to neighborhood pumps, where most people drew their water.

### Culture

While Fiheoru shares the general Motunuian culture with the other regions in the archipelago, it has its own regional variations in food, dress, and language.

#### Symbols

The monkey-puzzle tree, or tihi, is one of the most respected symbols of Fiheoru. This unusual tree, theoretically similar to a pine, is called a 'living fossil' due to its unusual leaf design, the serpentine pattern of its bark, and the unusual size and shape of the edible seeds. Elders usually carry a staff made of tihi wood, which is a symbol of wisdom and authority.

#### Cuisine

Fiheoru has a native cactus, the *hua miro*, which is cultivated for its fruit. Hua miro is used as an ingredient in a significant number of native Fiheoru dishes, often being served as part of breakfast or lunch due to its properties as a low-level stimulant.