Eber old

Eber Empire

The Eber Empire are to the eastern world what the Ngaran Tlarate was for our land. Eber once constituted all of the eastern continent of Baracsa – save the far north and south – as well as the western half of Armalia. They had frontiers battling the Vastions in Umberia, the Dunians in the Dividing Basin and Amber Plains, the Mintars and Oolu around the Sea of Lions, and the Aosade and Hade tribes around the Diamond Hills. But at its peak, it was known as the Xilou Empire and was thought to have half the population of the world. The Xilou Empire came from the Evexan Kingdom, whose kings descended from the Esereu people of the Ebere Desert. And after its fall, which was caused by the Karithians emerging from Yrtkuam and destroying the Xilou capital, the Xilou Empire became the Xilein Empire, which eventually became the Eber Empire we know today.

Land

The Eber primarily live around the Ebere Desert. The more verdant northwestern corner of this area is called Upper Ebere, where the Reunou live. The Dead Coast runs alongside the desert's western shore, so named because of how hostile the environment is; endless sands and harsh salty winds prevent any major civilising of the area. The southern end of the region is marked by the Hmou Plains, and their eastern border mostly constitutes the Dead Mountains. Beyond these dwell the Karithians.

The capital of these people has traditionally been Xar Kzala, an ancient city situated on the Sea of Lyte. It is a city of grandeur and colour, with buildings as red as blood and such strong spices in its markets that foreigners often faint or throw up upon passing through. But the capital was moved to Oqara when the Xilou Empire was near its peak. Oqara is where the Karithians attacked, so the locals didn’t actually lose their traditional capital. Today the capital of Oqara stands as a half-ruined remnant of the overbearing pride of the old emperors of Xilou. Other major cities include Erqix, in the very northwestern corner of the land, and Gzisan, an old city which sits on the largest river in Upper Ebere.

People

Eber people have golden hair and blue eyes, and complexion to be expected of desert-dwellers. They are also called rugmen, which is a term mocking the rug-like shawls of their mystics. Some feign to call them shitskins, but this is a term mostly originating from the Benevis Kingdoms, and makes fun of their darker skin. Despite being seen as brutal conquerors of the eastern world, the Eber people brought books and literature into the known world, and also invented parchment, structured militaries, plate armour and iron weapons, and pikes. They also invented the idea of a kingdom and then the concept of an empire, a grand state where multiple monarchs are overseen by a single emperor.

In modern times, the Eber Empire is much smaller than it used to be. They inhabit most of the Ebere Desert, though there are many smaller groups of people and tribes around including, but not limited to, the Reunou of Upper Ebere, the Xinmou, the Envou tribes, the Ileimou, the Hmou, and the various people of the Hanjare and Raonare regions in central and south Baracsa. Despite the relatively smaller size of the empire compared to its peak, there are remnants of this distinct culture in many places around the world, from high mystics in the Hills of the Horn, to great red pyramids in the Qarar Desert; from the hilltop ruins in the Yvatlands, to the lordland of Simbea in the Vastin Kingdom.

Religion

Eber mysticism is a pervasive and prevalent belief system. They believe the heavens hold all the answers to life’s problems. This involves a group of gods who offer differing ways to interpret the phenomena of the sky. Worship involves organised prayer and chanting in temples at particular times of day and is seen as an ingrained part of Eber culture. High mystics claim to hold solutions to everything, from healing diseases to prophecies about future events to casting strange spells. Some believe the mystics of old made deals with the Karithians and attained some of the widely-feared jaratk magic. Mysticism also governs most of how the people act; it dictates their laws and helps decide those who gain power.