Uelamanpu'ue Clan

The Uelamanpu'ue are a Loa clan of minor nobility, of the Huelaban ethnic group and the Masa Ilaseuasa. There are no members of the clan remaining in the Loa Republic, all of them having fled to Sudmoll, Sarolasta and Corummese Stenza during the years immediately following the Burning of the Floating Palace in 1856 and the subsequent wars that followed. There are approximately 6,983 members of the clan, of which 2,146 live in Sudmoll, 2,941 live in Stenza along with 5,273 ethnic Huelaban retainers and 1,896 live in Sarolasta.

The Uelamanpu'ue clan is aligned with the Juiganban gatisu'o, which represents predominantly the fiber and textile industry of the Loa Republic, which numbers approximately ₮25 billion a year. However, the Uelamanpu'ue see a very small number of these returns given their very small size, with the whole clan in general receiving 15 million taler a year to divide between all the members and their retainers. The Uelamanpu'ue in general are pivotal for arranging and regulating trade with Stenza, Alstin, Kiravia and the Vallosian base of operations.

History
The Uelamanpu'ue first arose to prominence when Uelaman, the founder of the clan, was appointed the lord of the village of Kandosa by Mangaba the first king of the imperial subject state of Batana in 1068. From then onwards, the clan was one of seven that constantly vied for power within the kingdom. By the year 1569, this culminated in the Imiji War that saw the dissolution of Mangabapu'ue clan and the appointment of the Uelamanpu'ue as the sovereign lords of the Batana coast by the current Emperor of the Loa Imperial Domain. This was a markedly controversial decision as the preceding rulers and the majority of the Batana coast was of the Insular scion church while the clan was of the Masa scion. This was one of the four inciting incidents that led to the formation of the Sacred Order of the Golden Flame, which in this instance contested how the imperial domain sought to establish secular dominance over religious jurisprudence.

Rule over Batana
The rule of the Uelamanpu'ue was marked by a significant centralization of power. Being one of several noble clans wrestling control of the nation from one another convinced the clan that any influence beyond that of the royalty itself was an active threat to the state. As such, in 1575 Queen Uesamanakasu declared that all members of the anairia must submit to the royalty, yielding all assets to the throne and personally allowing their lineages to be abolished via marriages favorable to Uelamanpu'ue succession. This was met with a revolt that was quickly settled. In addition, the clan also established a different taxing standard for the followers of the Masa and Insular scions, with the Insular being forced to pay half more than the Masa. However, their rule wasn't entirely oppressive as the Kingdom of Batana benefited greatly from the Loa Golden Age. Under the reign of kings Uehaganaraia (1600-1645) and Uelamanta (1645-1695), the Batana coast became a major center of jute production, which saw exports across the imperial domain and even into the Occident. Uehaganaraia oversaw the building of numerous temples as well as the University of Uelakono, and the establishment of the modern day city of Junokalia as the major trade city of the Batana coast and the Masa Highlands. Uelamanta meanwhile sponsored several trade voyages to what is now modern day Corumm, Kiravia and Alstin to trade luxury textiles and bring back silver and gold. By coronation of Queen Uekokono in 1695, the Uelamanpu'ue dynasty ruled over an economically fortunate client kingdom, where even the Insular commoners could commonly afford goods such as wine, silk and gold in limited quantities despite the heavy tax levied upon them. Famines had not been observed for generations However, this era of prosperity began to fade during the reign of Uekokono (1695-1736). The activities of the Sacred Order began to increase during this time, leading to the increased surveillance of the Insular population. When the sage of the Order Sarau'ara came to Uelakono to discuss the limiting of Masa authority, and especially authority over a non Masa population, the queen had the royal guard storm the university to arrest him. The sage had been warned and escaped, fleeing east, but the unrest continued for months following his departure. This resulted in Uekokono closing the university to all non Masa students in the kingdom. In 1721, when the Masa Revolt overthrew the rule of of 15 Shrines, the queen of Batana quelled the revolt against the Shrine of Bounding Serenity near the capital of Uelako, thus ensuring the survival of shrine authority in Batana. Furthermore, she utilized it to launch a campaign against the Insular population, accusing them of fomenting the revolts. Approximately 4,000 Insular followers were executed and the tax was doubled. During the reign of the kings Malandeue (1736-1791) and Uesipoko (1792-1842), the Insular population continuously experienced pogroms and violent assaults, but never successfully revolted. In addition, the wealth of the state was increasingly centralized into the coffers of the Uelamanpu'ue clan, with little being invested into the maintenance of the state. This saw the emigration of many Masa followers, who sought fortune in the highlands.

Reign of Uekandu'a and Interregnum
King Uekandu'a (1842-1873) was the last king of the Batana Kingdom, and sought to undo the legacy of his forefathers. He equalized the tax alongside opening up many institutions to the Insular followers. His affection for the Insular was unprecedented given his father and grandfather's harsh policies. In addition, he met with the village heads of every city and town in Batana to gauge where the prodigious royal funds needed to be distributed. This was eventually established into an official council, creating a somewhat parliamentary system. However, a year later, the Floating Palace was burned and capsized when Ansarama incited the Iliolaia to revolt against the Imperial Clan, which signified the end of Imperial support for Batana. The troops supplied by the empire returned to their home provinces, and the military of the Uelamanpu'ue was weak and underdeveloped. As a result, the local village chieftains became more emboldened and demanded greater concessions and freedoms, which Uekandu'a obliged. For the majority of his reign, peace presided in Batana unlike in much of the Loa Republic, which was disintegrating into chaos. However, when he died in 1873, an interregnum took place as the queen mother had given birth to triplets; Princess Kasasumano, Prince Anadika and Prince Laitopoa. This unprecedented result required deliberation on the part of the Masa scion as each sibling presented a reasoning for their ascension to a judge. However, the council of chieftains was especially irate that none of the siblings sought their approval, and in 1874 had agreed to deny any taxes towards the crown until whichever monarch amended this insult. The Interregnum was eventually settled in 1875 with Anadika being crowned Uenadika, King of Batana on the basis that he inherited the most property, unlike his sister, and that his birth did not cause the death of his mother, unlike his brother. However, Unadika was not a benevolent sovereign and sent troops after the villages to extract taxes and end the council's protests. The villages however resisted this and retaliated against the crown. This war endured until 1877 when the peasants stormed the palace at Uelako. Uenadika, in fear, killed his wives and children before taking his life. This meant that the succession passed to the eldest of the triplets, Kasasumano, crowned Uesumano. However, the Insular population demanded the exile of the Uelamanpu'ue clan and the end of Masa rule in Batana. Uesumano, unable to refuse, accepted on the condition that she was allowed to keep on material possessions and wealth and sell all the crownlands of the Uelamanpu'ue. The council acquiesced, and Uesumano quickly liquidated and consolidated the majority of the family wealth, reaching approximately 10 million Taler. With this, the clan of roughly 5,000 along with 3,000 retainers fled the Loa Republic.

Exile
The Uelamanpu'ue left the Batana Coast entirely, eventually coming to stay in Usomo. From there, they tapped into the trade networks that the dynasty had established, seeking refuge in Sarolasta. However, the Katu had also heard from the Burgoignesc merchants on the island that there was a rush to Sudmoll given the collapsing Alshari colonies. As such, the two remaining triplets, Uesumano and Laitopoa traveled to Burgundie and Sudmoll, and Kiravia and Sarolasta respectively. They had both found the two colonies to be quite agreeable, and seeking to establish new Occidental ties as well as maintaining existing Kiravian and Cronan ties, decided to split the clan into the Topoa and Sumano branches, in Sarolasta and Sudmoll respectively. In addition, Uesumano's second eldest son was sent to Corumm to petition the Corummese state for the structure of a small cotton plantation in what is now modern day Stenza to be staffed entirely by Huelaban retainers and the Uelamanpu'ue lesser nobles. This was approved, and thus the clan was extended to Stenza. Approximately 900 members, including Uesumano, settled in Sudmoll, 1,500 in Stenza along with 3,000 retainers and 800 in Sarolasta.