World Building of Eter: BEMUZU

United Chiefdoms of Bemuzu

BEMUZU

Full Name: United Chiefdoms of Bemuzu
Governance: Tribal Republics
Demonym: Bem, Bemu
Technology Inspiration: Afro-futurism 
Realm Capital: Akuna Maka
Discovered: 12 AD
Political Divisions: Federal Chiefdoms
Ethnic Groups:
Xhaga (Xhagan)
Worogo (Worogar)
Magwi Ambo (Amborian)
Bediki (Bedi)
Akhoye (Khoe)
Tisuragar (Tisuragese)

Average Adult Height:
Male: 5’6” - 6’6”
Female: 5’4” - 6’1”

Federal Flag and Planet

The Bemu

PEOPLE & CULTURE
The 400+ nation-strong realm of Bemuzu is said to be the most diverse in the entire Eteran system.  Diverse in ethnic groups, languages, socio-economics, governments, etc.  Even the fauna spread across the entire planet is also just as equally diverse.  With this, their regil source has given a variety of effects as it is highly based on the fauna of their environment.  This also made each tribe and nation consider a certain animal their god or goddess.

The Bemu or Bems are highly animistic because their regil is heavily dependent on the nature around them. A mutual respect that eventually led to religions that are embedded in Bemu psyche is what defines most of their daily living.  Now this doesn’t mean that all of them live in small tribes spread across the planet.  While some tribal nations consist of a collection of small villages, there are expansive technological cities throughout the realm.  Some of these cities could actually rival some of the most advanced cities in the whole of Eter.

Technology was introduced by both the Parnish and the Vhargs, but due to the recent unspoken fallout of the two, the Bems have been leaning towards the Parns for an alliance although trade is still highly facilitated with the Vharganauts.  However, given their inter-realm relationships, the Bemu are historically highly tribal, especially because of their beliefs and affinities.  While some people break it from time to time, it is highly frowned upon by certain groups.

For example, some chiefdom nations in Xhaga will never intermarry with a Worogar, among others.  While it is for the purity of their ethnic groups, it is also to not dilute their regil affinity, or so they believe.  While the newer generation is much more open-minded, it is still evident in most of the cultures and even in the realm-wide government.

Having this scenario now gives us a picture of how vastly different each chiefdom is to each other.  From culture, architecture, and every facet of their way of life, even their appearances would sometimes vary as some Bems with developed regils acquire certain features from their fauna of affinity. This can obviously be turned off but some display it permanently for aesthetic and ethnic group distinction. 

REGIL
The expressions of the regil of each ethnic group would have a similar structure, but they vary as it is based on a chosen fauna each tribe and nations associate with.  Regil expressions that are consistent throughout the realm would be: communication, physiology, mimicry, empowerment, mind manipulation,  and many more undocumented variations.  

This also includes the ability to use elemental power if the fauna they are able to mimic or manipulate can do so.  For example, the Fouridrac, the lava-swimming reptiles of the planet Paifouri, can also breathe out fire.  If a regil user is able to tap into this fauna, the person can then breath-out fire and perhaps not be affected by intense heat on its skin.

Each ethnic culture has different ways of developing their regils through schools.  Some start at 5 years old, most start at 7.  Some have developed academies and colleges, while others rely on the tribal shaman for education.  Of course, this gives us varied results as those who study in colleges end up far more powerful than those who study in just their tribal villages.  Thus some would seek to travel to bigger cities and apply for such education.

The different ethnic groups as mentioned focus on certain animal types.  This does not mean they cannot cross and use other species, but focus study makes them masters of their chosen fauna.  The Xhagan focused on all types of mammals.  The Amborians are masters of amphibians while reptiles are the Bedi people’s favorite.  The Worogars are fascinated with avians and the Tisuragese mastered the fishes of the sea.  Finally, the Khoisan tribes focused themselves on insects and other invertebrates. 

GEOPOLITICS
Technically, Bemuzu is divided into regions formed because of location and the existing major ethnic groups living within them.  These regions would contain the different sovereign chiefdoms that are directly under the realm government.

Depending on their context, each nation either has cities and municipalities under them or tribal villages scattered within their boundaries.  There is a stark contrast between these cities in comparison to nations that only have tribal villages.  This means some nations do not have cities at all and development is very slow.

The Major Regions with their own ethnic groups are: Xhaga, Worogo, Magwi Ambo, Bediki, Akhoye, and the loosely considered region called Tisuragar.  Now while they do not have capital cities as these regions are not sovereign states, they do have at least 1 independent city that the Realm Capital uses as overseer cities for each region and holds specific functions as well.  These cities are (aside from Akuna Maka):  Zuongo, Kiamara, Mbapundi, Dsho and Farafara.

Xhaga
The Xhagan people have an affinity with any kind of fauna considered under the mammalian classification.  This has given them a wide range of abilities and a territorial aggressiveness that made them some of the fiercest warriors in all of Bemuzu.  This led the nations in the Xhaga regions to be some of the military powerhouses of the realm.  This regil affinity is what led the Bemu, in the leading of the Xhagan, to ally themselves with the Parnish Empire. They honor the Isilgolide which is loosely translated to the Golden Lion in common tongue.

Those that are in higher education, they would grow fur on specific body parts or feline markings around their bodies to display for status. This is only available for those who have learned to master their regil.

Worogo
Worogars are masters of the avian affinity of their regil.   The region itself is mountainous and has the most prolific number of avian species that became the source of regil for the people of the region.  With this, Worogars are excellent at aerial warfare, they are amazing scouts and they make the best rangers due to accuracy of eyesight brought by certain avian skills.  Worogars honor the Kubwatai or known in the common tongue as Beastly Eagle or the 4-legged Eagle.  Worogars are also the tallest among the Bemus.

Plumage of feathers would be grown around faces up to the shoulder for Worogar regil masters who want to show-off their status.  It comes in various colors and sizes. The people of this region are also said to match the beauty and elegance of the Galrenics and Rounarcs.

Magwi Ambo
If the Xhagan concentrate more on providing warriors for the Bemu army, the Amborian is into science, particularly biology and chemistry.  With their regil affinity leaning towards amphibians, they seem to be experts on poisonous substances.  This is not to say that Amborian nations have no warriors themselves.  Amborian fighters can be equally fearsome as the others as they can both fight both on land and water with equal dexterity.  Talk about taking “amphibous warfare” literally.  Their people devote themselves to the honoring of the Bilisewe, a 40ft long salamander type that roams the shallow seas of the region.

Some Amborian who mastered their regil would display colorful amphibious markings around their body.

On a special note, Magwi Ambo has one of the only two gates to the reclusive realm of the Darashin located in a small town on one of its coastal jungles.

Bediki
The most forested region in all of Bemuzu.  While there are cities within this region, most would be tribal villages scattered deep in its expansive forests.  This has given the region some of the largest reptiles in all of Bemuzu.  With this, the Bedi people are excellent at defensive warfare due to the reptilian skin they can replicate that seems to withstand most things.  Due to the immense size of their reptiles, some have used them as some sort of battle tanks.  One of those would be the Nzamubu, a gentle long-necked giant that grows as high as 60 feet, and it is the revered and honred beast by the people of Bediki.

As for status aesthetics, Bedi masters show scales on parts of their faces and arms, some colorful, some for intimidation.

Akhoye
The least advanced region among the others.  It has only one city (the overseer city) among its many nations, the rest of the region would be tribal villages at varying sizes.  The Khoe people prefered it this way as they are very traditional and they do not want to let go of any of these traditions that were started by their ancestors.  They do not particularly honor any specific creature as a god as they worship nature in general.  The people of Akhoye however mastered the insects and invertebrate fauna since mastering other fauna requires colleges which most of them could not afford.  However, over time, their mastery of this proved valuable for the capital and a select group of individuals were chosen to train for espionage.

While they do not have any fauna-specific aesthetic they show through their bodies, you can easily identify them through their clothing which is mostly some sort of loincloth for the males and some covering for females.  This made most Bemu chiefdoms look down on them.

Tisuragar
The region is not really a region, instead, Tisuragar is a collection of island nations scattered across the planet.  They were masters of the sea even from a millennium ago making their ethnic group occupy much of the smaller islands all over the realm.  This is due to their affinity towards sea creatures (except those that are mammalian).  This made the Tisuragese excellent in amphibious warfare and sea traveling.  They worship a leviathan they call the Ramonitra but this beast is believed to be mythological as reports of sightings are very rare.  It is also said that there is an underwater gate towards Idara in the Bemu oceans but that has yet to be proven.  This speculation is because the description of this leviathan matches the description of a Deran ocean beast called the Bakunara.

To distinguish themselves, Tisuragese masters adorn themselves with colorful fins on their heads and glistening scales using their regil.

OVERSEER CITIES

Akuna Maka

The capital of the entire realm established by Chief Akulu the Wild.  It also serves as the overseeing city for the Xhaga region.  It is by all means the home of the central government in all aspects and is the biggest and most technologically advanced in the realm. Akuna Maka is also one of the economically powerful cities in Eter.

Kiamara

This city is said to be one of the most beautiful not just in Bemuzu but in all of Eter as well.  Situated on a higher altitude with cascading waterfalls on different parts, this city is also the center of tourism and not just as a satellite of the capital in the Worogo region. This made the city the most popular and the most visited in the realm.  Unofficially dubbed as the fashion capital of the realm for its citizens are usually garbed in well made expensive clothings.

Zuongo

The overseer or the satellite city of the Capital in the Magwi Ambo region.  Built on an empty desolate land, it is now one of the most thriving independent cities in the realm.  It’s main purpose is  to be the center for science and research for Bemuzu.  Some of the best Universities are found here and students from all over the realm flock here to get a seat in its prestigious schools. 

Mbapundi

The overseeing city of the capital in Bediki, Mbapundi was built in the middle of a plateau surrounded by lush jungles below.  There are no major roads that connect to this city from other parts and the only way to safely travel here is through airships.  The jungles below the plateau are filled with some of the most dangerous reptiles and other fauna that you wouldn’t want to mess with.  Somehow considered dangerous as a city as compared to the others because of its isolation and local gangs arising, but order is still kept as Mbapundi holds one of the biggest military bases in Bemuzu.

Dsho

This city is only called a city because it is the largest settlement in all of the Akhoye region.  This is the only “city” in the region and compared to the other overseer cities, it is more like a township.  Dsho serves as an entry point to the region but the government is said to have established an “unofficial” base designed to train any qualified Bems to be spies or even assassins for the realm.

Farafara

A port city that is said to be situated on the opposite side of the planet in reference to Akuna Maka.  This city is also used by the realm as a station to monitor ocean activities and keep tabs on animals that have been tagged for study.  The Vhargs have helped them develop a sonar technology that they also have learned from the Arathites.  It is also sometimes considered the Summer Capital of the Realm as when colder seasons start, most governmental functions move here for 2 months.

Gate city of Serotsha in the Xhagan Region

POLITICS
The United Tribes of Bemuzu are governed by the Grand Arch Chief.  This is mostly monarchical but this position can be challenged every 10 years by any of the Arch Chieftains of each Sovereign Tribes.

All the Sovereign Tribes, while organized into regional ethnic groups, are all directly under the Capital city of Akuna Maka.  The nations under these major ethnic groups do cooperate with one another but are never organized under Sovereign states themselves.  

This was actually the reason why 250 years ago, several years after their first gate opening, Arch-Chief Akulu, a Xhagan Warlord, organized his own multi-ethnic army to conquer all the regions of the realm establishing one government.  Making his hometown its official capital.  From then, his line, while challenged from time to time, was never defeated away from the Throne.  

With the Grand Arch Chief ruling, several elder councils would help him govern the lands.  The members of this council can come from any tribe, royalty or not as long as they show the necessary aptitude.  All regions are required to be represented in this realm council.  Under this realm-wide government are the 400+ national rulers called Arch Chiefs that govern several more tribes under them ruled by Chiefs.  A Chief also can be either male or female as it is never an issue among the Bemu.