The Kingdom of Uhànahi

```
*Fire and water, wind and wave.*

```

## *Overview*

The Kingdom of Uhànahi venerates Mahu, and controls the archipelago to the south of the mainland. The archipelago floats in the southern Hema Sea. There are three islands total in the archipelago, each of which possesses its own unique ecology and socio-political niche for the kingdom.

### Awa Nui

Built into the side of the once active volcano of Mo’e’atua, Awa Nui faces the boundless, glittering Hema Sea. The lower tiers of the capital have open access to the ocean, making it a fisherman’s dream. Ships, sailboats, rigs, and canoes are frequently docked at Awa Nui Harbor, where locals toil night and day to harvest fish, clams, mussels, sharks, eels, corals, pearls, and other bounties from the ocean. The harbor is also a hub for trade. The next tier of the capital is comprised of residential homes -- buildings made of wood, clay, and tile that house the people of Awa Nui. Farther up are artisans’ houses, craftspeople’s guilds, libraries, dance halls, saloons for music, laboratories, alchemists’ workshops, and other such venues for art, science, and community. Next we have the noble offices, the homes and work-places of advisors to the throne. Finally, there is the royal palace -- a dazzling, sprawling complex glittering close to the summit of Mo’e’atua like the volcano’s crown.

### Power

Uhànahi is a monarchy. The current ruler, Queen Olalani Kekoa, directly oversees the day-to-day affairs of her kingdom. A tight-knit network of royal officials, noble families, sorcerers, courtesans, and inventors assist the queen in her activities, along with an elite royal guard. Unlike other royal families across the mainland, Queen Olalani Kekoa often mingles with the public -- eating meals with commoners, frequenting the marketplace, and patronizing music halls. She is always accompanied by a retinue of guards during these outings, but civilians are allowed to talk to her face-to-face with her permission. This strengthens the bond between Queen Olalani Kekoa and her subjects, and helps her with keeping her finger on the pulse of her kingdom.

### Culture

As a people separated from the mainland by a considerable stretch of water, Uhànahians tend to be fiercely loyal to one another, and to the crown. Uhànahians are skilled sailors, fishermen, navigators, artists, and - above all - scientists and innovators. Some of the most technologically adept inventions come from Uhànahian minds.

Throughout the years, many outsiders have attempted to conquer Uhànahi for one reason or another, but the people and their queen have always repelled these attempts. This history of fraught tension between Uhànahi and powers on the mainland has drilled watchfulness, resilience, and creativity into the cultural memory of Uhànahians.

Moreover, no other power in Andake has achieved the kind of technological innovation that Uhànahi has in recent years. Steam-powered machines, knickknacks, and automatons are most common throughout the archipelago than anywhere else in the mainland, but their popularity is quickly spreading. Most recently, the Uhànahi Research Laboratory has debuted a marvelous, steam-powered ship, the only one of its kind, and belonging only to the queen herself. It is said to easily outstrip any wind-powered ship in speed, maneuverability, and durability.

## Landmarks

### The Hema Sea

The ocean of Andake is divided into two halves. The southern half, which encompasses the waters from the Kingdom of Uhànahi all the way up to the southern edge of the Championship, is known as the Hema Sea.

### Haelina Island

The island to the northwest is called Haelina, and is known to native Uhànahi as the “face” of the kingdom. Here, the waves are tame, the beaches warm, and the mountains supremely hikable. Of the three islands in the archipelago, Haelina is the friendliest to outsiders. Rest stops, taverns, recreation centers, gambling parlors, and other such entertainment venues are common along the leagues-long boardwalk encircling the entire island. The kingdom’s best courtiers frequent this island, schmoozing nobles and officiates from other nations. It is said that a deal struck in the inns of Haelina is felt everywhere in Andake. Few native Uhànahians call Haelina their home.

### Rangapuni Island

To the south of Haelina is Rangapuni Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and the site of Awa Nui -- the kingdom’s capital city. Rangapuni is geographically diverse; the western horn of the island is comprised of coastal seabeds, coral reefs, and forested beaches that slope gently upward as we move southward. Here, the forest transforms into tropical jungle, bustling with life and activity. Towns are carved out of natural breaks in the wilderness, with houses made from humidity-resistant wood, cement, clay, and tile. Several such townships are scattered about the base of Mo’e’atua, the dormant volcano that dominates the central crescent of Rangapuni.

### Nahwaa Island

Nahwaa Island lives to the east, and stands in stark difference to the outsider-friendly Haelina. As the smallest island in the archipelago, Nahwaa is completely closed to outsiders and unauthorized Uhànahians. Those without the proper permissions, writs, or retinues are immediately turned back at the harbor, or, if caught slinking around the island, imprisoned without trial. This is because Nahwaa is home to the prestigious, mysterious, and strictly guarded Uhànahi Research Laboratory. The U.R.L. is folded away in the green, mountainous depths of the island, though its exact location is unknown to everyone but Uhànahian royalty and their trusted advisors. As though Mahu herself were protecting the secrets of Nahwaa, the waves around the island’s shore are notoriously treacherous, filled with fickle gusts, mercurial tides, and hazardous bluffs that have dashed many a smuggler ship to pieces. Even native Uhànahians, who grow up riding these waters, have difficulty navigating the waves around Nahwaa. Storm clouds commonly gather around and above the island, growling with thunder and flashing white with lightning.

### The Red Lagoon

Technically an independent island in the middle of the Hema Sea, the Red Lagoon is a hotspot for pirates, smugglers, and criminals of all kinds. This small island is nestled in a reef notorious for shipwrecks, which makes it infamously hard to attack.