Xhalantu

The Xhalantu are a widespread and diverse people occupying much of the vast grassland and savannah regions of southern and eastern Idiri.

They are primarily known as cattle-herding pastoralists, but from this basic subsistence and trade with the other peoples of Idiri a variety of complex societies have come into being. Xhalantu have a reputation for being fierce and skilled in both combat and hunting, but as among other Idiri societies much of their warfare is highly ritualized and meant to keep casualties to a minimum. But they have historically expanded aggressively across the continent, such that they are now the predominant people of southern Idiri.

The two most significant political affiliations of the Xhalantu are the lands of Niyone and Ulamba. Niyone exists more as a confederacy of tribes under the leadership of a body of prominent chieftans (both male and female), while Ulamba has a more centralized kingship though tribal identity remains of primary importance to most individuals and families.

Appearance

Xhalantu differ widely from one region to the next. They tend to be taller in the northern part of their range and shorter in the south, though this is only a rough generalization. Their skin tones may be anywhere from dark caramel to ruddy brown to coffee-colored, and their eyes are likewise a rich range of browns.