Loa Empire

The Aría Káámarakatu (Estates of the Celestial Masters), or Loa Empire as its commonly called in non-Loa sources, was a Kiravian tribute state and proxy colony that existed from 1701-1875 CE in Vallos and the nearby islands. It had decent autonomy for a colonial state, able to wage wars and conduct minor trade and diplomacy so long as it managed to deliver adequate tribute to Kiravia in the form of sugar and exotic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and mace. For much of its history, it maintained little diplomatic relations with non-Coscivian nations except to wage war or smuggle goods, such as Burgundie just before and during the Bourgondii-Loa Wars. Despite this relative self-imposed isolation, it managed to expand dramatically to encompass the entirety of Southern Vallos and the nearby Kindreds Islands and hold onto most of these territories from the peak of its size in 1770 until its collapse in 1875, with certain exceptions such as the loss of its holdings in Puertego and other Kindreds region.

Founded by the Katu Raiakono in 1550 CE after she managed to overthrow the existing Aliali Kingdom and its allies, the Kingdom of the Loa was established on the grounds of being a merchant state as Raiakono was of the merchant class in comparison to the royal ali'i class that ruled the Loa Islands at the time. The term Katu at this time referred to somebody who owned tenured land, as it was thought that the gods gave all land to the ali'i to rule and rent out. For the next 150 years, the Kingdom managed to establish extensive trade with the Polynesian kingdoms, then reaching the nadir of their influence via piracy and cultural development, as well as the Occidental countries such as Caphiria. Around 1650, contact was made with both Kiravia and the BRTC. Trade was amicably established with both, but the BRCT eventually tried to establish an economic dominance over the Kingdom, which resulted in strained relations towards the end of the century. In 1660, the Loa conquered the tribal Polynesians of the Satana Coast. The Septrine Alliance which had established peace over the mainland was impotent to respond to the invasion of the coast, and regarded the tribal lands as being outside of their concern. The Loa were approached by Kiravian authorities who offered the sale of weapons to the Loa in exchange for the establishment of Kiravian sugar farms in the conquered areas. The Loa agreed and proceeded to launch several expeditions against coastal regions and islands, such as the Wild Peninsula, Usomo and Jennasura.

In the 1680s the Loa were approached by Kiravian diplomats who proposed that they would fund the Loa wars so long as the Loa submitted to Kiravia as a tribute state. The then queen, Raianaoko was incensed at the thought and was set to refuse. She was however deposed by her daughter, Tia'a who accepted the deal with the conditions that the Loa will be the ones to run the sugar plantations and maintain administrative autonomy. The Loa then launched an invasion of the Masa Kingdom's highlands who had no support from their fellow Septrines and so broke off from the alliance. In 1699, following her success in the Masa Invasion, Raiatia'a declared herself Káámarakatu Raiatia'atiauelao, thereby marking the transition from Kingdom to Empire. She began to use her supplied weapons to fund rebel groups and dissident tribes to weaken the Septrine Alliance. In 1700, she also formally ceased trade with the BRTC due to discoveries that they were suppressing Loa silk in order to maintain a monopoly on silk as a whole. The BRTC escalated this into war, and the Bourgondii-Loa Wars began to take place as a result. In 1712, the Loa Empire launched a full-scale conquest of the Septrines when the Masa Kingdom agreed to assist in exchange for the return of most of their lands. The resulting Conquest of the Six Kingdoms ended around 1718 with the Loa managing to unite the Polynesian heartland for the first time in recorded history.

Raiatia'atiauelao died a few years after the conquest from cancer and was succeeded by her daughter I'ikao, who was crowned as Káámarakatu Raiai'ikaokao in 1720. During her reign, she led the extensive conquest of Southern Vallos and the establishment of indigenous firearm manufacturing amd shipbuilding. Prior to her ascension, the Loa struggled against the superior naval power of the BRTC due to their small transport-based navy, but with the sudden acquisition of the pirate fleets of the Septrines, they found themselves able to more adequately contest the Burgoignesc on the waves, though they always had an advantage on the land due to relatively equal technology alongside superior numbers and knowledge of the landscape. She oversaw many technological advancements, such as the developments of offensive rocketry derived from native firesticks and Daxian rocket technology acquired at ruinous costs, the formalization of the navy and adaption of indigenous pirate tactics and ships to conventional warfare and the establishment of an organized infantry and artillery army called the Celestial Eighteen Standards Army. In addition, she systemically annihilated existing power structures in place, with the mandate that a kingdom's land be divided between all the king's daughters upon his death, resulting in the fragmentation of the previously powerful Masa vassal kingdom as well as the further obliteration of the submitted kingdoms. She is thus credited with igniting the roots of Loafication as she mandated matrilineal inheritance and other Loa cultural elements not found on the mainland. She also forcibly migrated people to guard and work sugar plantations, often placing guards onto the lands of a hated enemy tribe to ensure loyalty. Her economic management and military development meant that the Loa Empire became the most valuable overseas asset of Kiravia and upon her death in 1745, the Empire consisted of most of southern Vallos with the exception of the Polynesians in current Almadarian territory and the Romany Kingdoms. After she passed from cancer, these would be conquered by her successor who would also lead the conquest of the Kindred islands.

Káámarakatu Raiatia'atiauelao was the following Empress and was especially notable for overseeing the greatest extent of the Loa Empire. She extended conquered the northern Polynesian kingdoms which had developed a coalition to resist the Loa. in 1748, the northern kingdoms were conquered and the attention of the Eighteen Standards was turned to the Romany Kingdoms of the northeast. The conquest was completed in 1751, which resulted in the severe persecution and migration of the Romany into the nearby lands, forming the basis of Navidadian Delepasians. However, the majority of her attention was devoted to expanding the navy and conquering the Kindred Islands. The Loa Empire served as the primary force behind Kiravian efforts during the Kindred Wars. The western islands were quickly conquered throughout the 1750s and 60s, with the eastern islands being heavily contested between Kiravia, the Loa Empire, Pelaxia and Caphiria. These wars ended with the Loa keeping the Krasoa Islands while Pelaxia maintained control over it's colonies. These islands were then transferred to Kiravian control in 1774. In the last years of her reign, the Empress had planned for a conquest of the northern regions, but a succession crisis ensued when her direct heir died from cancer at the age of 19. This meant that her sister, Pueakao, rose as the heir to the Empire, and when Raiatia'atiauelao died in 1780 she succeeded her mother.