Maha Palace

Maha Palace, known also locally as the Water Garden Palace, is a royal residence and cultural centre in Erimo, Lorikeet. It is the administrative headquarters and official residence of the Tāhā, the monarch of Lorikeet, as well as the official meeting place of the Matahui. The current resident is Tāhā Kaito Aumākua and his family.

Originally constructed in 2959 as one of the first halls of the city of Lorikeet, the Maha Palace became an historic focal point for much of the region and Lorikeet as a whole. Known simply as Lorikeet Hall, or ''彩鳥殿' in Old Daokan, it was the seat of the Daokan government that ruled in Lorikeet and Sentosa. It continued in its use as a centre of government throughout the rest of the 30th century. When Lorikeet declared its neutrality in the Federation / CE war, the Palace was abandoned as the primary political centre due to the threat of aerial bombardment, with the Erimo Bunker taking command of government activities. The Palace was maintained as a cultural centre, and became a museum funded by the Pāremi family.

With the fall of the Federation and the rise of Wiltshire in the early 3000s, the political decision of Lorikeet to maintain its underground bunker was made. While the intention of the government was to maintain positive relations with the new Wiltshirians, fears of resentment due to Lorikeet's neutrality were felt, especially by Perehitini Hiromasa Eto. As such, the Palace remained a ceremonial centre for government.

When Lorikeet was absorbed into the United Cities of Greater Bonitaña in 3016, the need for an underground military government headquarters was ended, with central government control being transferred out of Lorikeet and to Bonitaña. As such, the local government returned to the surface and reclaimed the Palace to be the city council chamber. It underwent significant renovations during this period, including the stripping of many of the Palace's old castle features and defences. During the Bonitaña / Almere conflicts of 3017-3019, the Palace was used to house several dozen artillery units, with the Bonitañan Security Forces taking control of the Erimo Bunker. The majority of the military purposes remained at the Palace through the era of the Eastern Federal Republic (EFR) and bolstered after the conquest of the New Corporate Republic (NCR).

Following Lorikeet's liberation from the NCR in the latter days of the Doggerland War (3020-3021) by the Wiltshire Army, the Palace was designated as the home of Lorikeet's devolved city government once again. Further changes were made to the structure, including the abandonment of the Palace's pagoda, which quickly fell into disrepair. The Palace was also underwent "Wiltshirification", in which traditional carved wooden structures, built in the Daokan culture, were replaced with marble neo-classical architecture. As the city government became increasingly irrelevant to the geopolitics of the region, the Palace became a forgotten part of Lorikeet's architecture.

Upon Lorikeet's independence in 3025, the Palace underwent a significant restoration, at the expense of the Pāremi family. The castle features were fully reconstructed, old features were restored faithfully to the original, and the Palace was brought back into active service. The city council features were removed completely, in favour of a brand new throne room, a water garden press space, and a state of the art meeting room for the Matahui. It was announced that the Palace would become the official workplace and residence of the royal family, as well as being home to the "national archives", which would house many historical Daokan artefacts. It was renamed Maha Palace in honour of the royals, who funded the reconstruction and who were to be at the heart of the new, uniquely Daokan nation.