Jebats

Jebats is a fictional ancient seafaring civilization used in fantasy settings, including literature and role-playing games. The term refers to both the people of the Jebat archipelago and the distinctive culture they developed around maritime life, trade, and shipbuilding.

Etymology: The name Jebats derives from the Jebat language, where the root meaning is associated with sea lanes and voyages. In many texts and game supplements, the term carries connotations of seamanship and resilience at sea.

Geography and polity: The Jebat homeland comprises a cluster of coral and volcanic islands centered on a sheltered bay. They organized into a loose federation of city-states, governed by a Council of Elders and a figure known as the High Steward, who presided over intercity affairs.

Economy and technology: The Jebats excelled in bronzeworking, sailmaking, and ship design. Their economy relied on long-distance trade routes, catch from rich fishing grounds, and exchange of salt and timber with adjacent cultures. They built sturdy, wood-hulled vessels suitable for both commerce and raiding.

Culture and religion: Seafaring life shaped their rituals, art, and music. The Jebats practiced ancestor veneration and worship of sea deities, with ceremonies conducted at harbors and on ships. Their script, used for monuments and pottery inscriptions, shows a blend of pictographic and alphabetic elements.

History and legacy: In the era commonly dated by fans as the Jebat Golden Age, they extended trade networks into neighboring regions and produced widely traded goods. Natural disasters and regional conflicts contributed to political fragmentation. In modern fantasy there exist ruins, inscriptions, and oral histories attributed to the Jebats.

Scholarly and cultural influence: Jebats appear in game sourcebooks, novels, and fan scholarship. Researchers discuss linguistic features of the script and reconstruct trade routes, while creators use Jebats to illustrate cross-cultural exchange in maritime worlds.