Welcome to the world of the Ega empire.
In my upcoming novel, The Royal Heretic (July 2020), I explore what happens when an empire falls. Specifically the Ega empire. Now, I’m going to give you a look at the major cultures of it and quite a few details that I worked out visually.
The Ega empire consists of three major regions: the empire proper surrounding the capital of Metkara, the kingdom of Wiluru in the north, and the city of Nsongo and the surrounding cities. The empire slowly grew outward over the centuries from Metkara and now reaches from the northern ocean to the wide Bangi river to the south. Most conquered lands were allowed to keep their cultures but over time, most have become more and more Egan in their ways.
The mid empire is the original home of the Ega. It has a very Egyptian feel. My original thought was what if ancient Egypt happened when the Sahara was still grasslands. They are very proud of their culture and think themselves the height of civilization in the known world. This is what prompted one of their early leaders to expand the empire and begin the imperial dream of spreading their influence to the world.
The first place they conquered was the city of Djelebe, the city-state of warrior scholars. They were famed for their dedication to their studies as much as their training. Djeleban scholars gain prominence by mastering different subjects. While not warriors today, they are still respected for their quest for knowledge.
The second land conquered was the country of Wiluru. Located to the far north of the continent, it sits at the base of a sharp fall in the landscape. They are a people with a strong navy and it’s trade agreements were coveted by the Ega leader at the time. It’s cities are strongly fortified and the conquest took several decades. Eventually, the Wiluruans conceded but there was one stipulation: the royal family of Wiluru would give one of the princesses to be the second queen of the empire.
The empire turned it’s full attention to the south ages ago. The southern cities along the Bangi river were the source of gold for the entire area. The biggest city of Nsongo was known as the city of gold. While the Ega wanted to control the gold, the southerners were fierce and resisted the empire for centuries. Finally, after a long, ten year war, the leader of the southern coalition surrendered, ushering in a new age of a unified empire.
We’ll learn more about the individual areas in the coming weeks! Sketches included!
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