Tacea, Terreille

Tacea is by far the most tropical of all the territories in Terreille, consisting of lush tropical forests, beautiful sandy beaches, and exotic flora and fauna that the rest of the Realm does not see. It is also one of the only three territories to be completely surrounded by water, and as such they have to be able to function on their own without having to rely too much on trade with other territories.

The northern section of the territory, where Anuhea is located, is the most mountainous region. Mount Ihe is located in that region, and though the volcano is usually dormant it does tend to act up from time to time. The northeastern section, where Kahawai is located, is almost completely covered with lush tropical forests. The southern portion of the territory, where Mahi'ai is located, consists of most of the territories agriculture. There are crop fields as well as livestock farms located there with a majority of the lands exports coming from those farms. The main exports of Tacea are coffee, sugarcane, pineapple, macademia nuts, ginger, bananas, sweet potatoes, and lettuce, though coffee is by far the one that brings in the largest amount of income.

The climate of Tacea is a pleasant one that has mild temperatures and sunny skies through most of the year. There is little to no change between the seasons, giving the land really only about two distinct seasons as opposed to the four that most territories have. The warm season, which spans from May to September, has temperatures averaging at about 80°F, though it can get up to about 85°F. The cooler season, which spans from October to April, also averages about 80°F, though it can drop down to about 75°F. Once the sun sets though, there is a drop in temperature of about 10°F.

Tacea is one of the greenest places in the Realm and that is due in large part to the life-giving rains that it receives. It rains every day somewhere on the island and it is rather common to see a light rainfall while the sun is brightly shining. The rain rarely lasts a long time though and it is almost always pleasant unless a large storm has hit the island. There is usually a nice breeze that sweeps across Tacea as well as a constant humidity that tends to be most noticeable to those from other lands. The humidity is not unbearable though as long as the winds are moving. On the rare occasion that the winds die out, the humidity can make the air feel heavy and thick.

For the most part, the astounding beauty of Tacea is only matched by the beauty of its people. It is a place that is the embodiment of diversity and it has become a gathering place of a number of cultures over the centuries. They are a hardworking people, who do what they need to in order to survive. However, they are also a people that truly enjoys life and taking the time to play whenever they are given the chance. At least a portion of the day is set aside to simply enjoy life and those around them as there is no happiness to be found when all one does is work. That is a notion that the Tacean people truly believe in, but they also usually find that balance between the work that needs to be done for survival and making sure their souls have what is needed to thrive. A problem only occurs with this lifestyle when that balance falls out of whack.

The arts have always been something that is an inherit part of their lives, with music almost constantly being heard on the breeze. Art and hula dance is an almost natural part of their lives as well with all of the art forms being carefully preserved and handed down from generation to generation so that nothing about their cultural heritage is lost. Their music is a heartbeat of the land and the people that live upon it. More often than not, it is even worked into the ceremonies there, making them different than anywhere else in the Realm.

Another thing that the people of Tacea are known for is their luaus. Though the Aristocracy do hold some of the more formal parties and gatherings that are seen throughout the Aristos of the Realm, luaus are a far more common form of celebration and are often seen across the land, regardless of social status and caste. They almost always feature food, which normally consists of poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and tacean ale. There is also music and hula, leis, and a lot of laughter and happiness.

Tacea is an old territory, though its exact origins got lost over the years. The oral stories that have been passed down from generation speak of a people who were content to remain apart from the rest of the Realm in the beginning. Travel was no easy back then and there were few that wore dark enough jewels to travel distances that vast on the winds, especially when no one really knew what else was out there back then.

They were a land that thrived off of their agriculture and the rich traditions that were already beginning to form. It was only after a few thousand years of supporting themselves and being completely self-sustaining that they finally began to reach out to the other lands being discovered around them. They sold their surplus of goods and bought what they could not receive from their own land, prospering under the new trade that had been brought to the land. They say that it was a happy time, but that time existed before the wars that tore Terreille apart for so many years and much of the details of the time prior to that were lost as the people who held the stories were returned to the Darkness.

Tacea had managed to stay out of the wars for some time, but its Queen had been watching the power that was gained by the territories that won as well as the land that was out there to be had. Lady Ahe Hokuao had always been a greedy Queen, so it was no surprise to those around her when she made the decision to go to war with Chaillot. She had seen the size of their land and desired it as her own, since in her opinion Tacea was simply not large enough for a proper Queen to rule. She watched as that land prospered and she wanted to add that income to her own. Her Court went along with her and as such, so did the people of Tacea. The two territories fought for many generations, getting bloodier and more deadly with each passing year. Lady Ahe died of old age long before the war ever brought her the outcome she had desired and a number of Queens after her continued to try. It wasn't until Lady Iolani Ruihi became Queen of Tacea that the bloody war was finally brought to an end. She called for peace and met with the ruler of Chaillot in a neutral place so that the terms of a treaty could be reached between them.

Lady Iolani then turned her attention towards healing the land and the people that had been so devastated by the war. She helped build up the land once more as well as began to bring life back to the fields and the farms. She was even the one that created the Marketplace in the capital city of Halemono in the hopes of inspiring trade amonst the people of her land. She was such a wonderful Queen that no one questioned it when her daughter became the next Queen of Tacea, nor did they dispute when the Ruihi Queens continued to rule for many generations to come.

The Ruihi Queens have ruled Tacea since the war with Chaillot and it was not a trend that anyone saw changing as long as the family produced a Queen within its line. Lady Kai Ruihi was a great Queen, one whom the people truly loved as she treated all equally, whether they were Aristo born or of the common people. She proved that when she took a simple farmer on as her Consort and proved it even more when she married him and began to start a family. When they had their second child, it was a young Queen who would be groomed to take over for her mother when Kai was ready to step aside.

Both of the Ruihi children were raised to be the best that they could be, receiving whatever training their parents felt they needed. Things were pleasant between the children and the family was at peace. That is until the eldest child, Aalona, was old enough to realize that no matter how hard he worked, his mother would never pass the reins of the territory to himself. Despite him being the oldest of the two and being raised to believe that one can accomplish anything they set their mind too, his younger sister would become Queen once she was old enough to. It was at that point that the trouble began.

The people watched as a divide seemed to grow between Aalona and the young Healer Queen, Noelani. It was something that most people could notice after all since the two had been so very close prior to that. That rift only grew larger when Noelani walked away from her Offering to the Darkness wearing the same jewel as her brother and she became Territory Queen. In an attempt to smooth things over between them, Aalona was named as Province Ruler of Anuhea, but nothing changed. If anything, things only got worse in the three years that Noelani has ruled.

Aalona has began to gather people to him that believe as he does, that a man should rule and that more needs to be done in order to make Tacea the powerful land that it should be. Noelani has done her best to see the good in her brother though, despite all of the attempts on her life. Especially considering that none of the attempts has been linked back to her brother officially.

Tacea is on the brink of a civil war, but that is a well-kept secret since they do not converse much with other nations outside of trade. They are a people that believe in keeping their problems close to their heart and as far as they are concerned, the people outside of the land simply do not need to know what's going on. Noelani has begun to notice that her brother is getting bolder though and she is beginning to wonder if perhaps she should strike up an alliance with some of the territory's neighbors. It is only a matter of time after all, before something happens that will force her hand where her brother is concerned...