#empire of pearls

[empireofpearls-if]

Embark on a captivating journey as you assume the identity of Birbal, a brilliant prodigy, and immerse yourself in the enigmatic realm of the Mughal Empire. Behold a world thrown into chaos following the demise of Emperor Humayun, as a mere 14-year-old Akbar inherits the illustrious throne. Your choices shall shape the destiny of this young monarch, as you aid him in becoming the legendary emperor he's destined to be, or plunge the empire into turmoil by orchestrating a web of subversion and deceit. The power to shape an empire lies within your hands.

Amidst a cast of colorful characters, tread cautiously as you determine which souls can be deemed trustworthy, while remaining ever vigilant for those who may, with a swift and treacherous strike, plunge a dagger deep into your unsuspecting back. In this enthralling tale of loyalty and betrayal, the art of discerning friend from foe becomes your most vital survival skill. Make allies, face challenges and uncover hidden secrets. Just as internal conflict reaches a boiling point, the walls of the royal palace begin to tremble, beckoning you take a stance. Whose side will you embrace?

Empire of Pearls: A Mughal Tale is an interactive story inspired by historical events. It is set at the beginning of Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar's reign as the youngest-ever Mughal Emperor where you play as his most trusted advisor and friend, Birbal. This reimagined work is entirely text-based and your choices help shape Birbal's personality, skills, relationship with others, and of course the fate of the Empire.

Content warning: This game explores dark themes such as abuse, bullying, manipulation, use of drugs and alcohol, blood, gore, violence etc. and is strictly rated 18+. Besides that more in depth warnings will be provided before each chapter and certain trigger points can be turned off completely at the start of the game.

Demo | Character Appearances | Tags | FAQ |

Play as male or female and choose your real name and sexuality.

Customize your appearance and personality.

Choose one of three different backgrounds that will impact your reputation and relationships:

A noble possessing a remarkable talent, invited to join the court by Emperor Humayun himself; a child of a maid serving a powerful military commander, hired on the recommendation of the commander or a street urchin caught stealing from the royal palace, rewarded with a place in the elite circle owing to the incredible feat.

Romance any of the five different love interests or not. Friendship is always an option.

Be a part of an elite group of courtiers serving none other than Emperor Akbar and shape the fate of the Empire.

Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (he/him) 💕 : The newly crowned young emperor. Friendly and affable, the ruler has a tendency to be a bit impulsive at times. Despite his age he has been preparing for this role for years and doesn't seem at all nervous to be the new monarch. Akbar can be a powerful friend and an equally dangerous foe. How he perceives you vary depending on your background. A year younger than Birbal.

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Bairam Khan (he/him): A military commander and the most trusted ally of the throne until the death of Emperor Humayun. Since then he has been promoted to commander-in-chief, if that wasn't all he also happens to be Akbar's guardian, chief mentor and advisor. Bairam knows his way around the empire but can you actually trust this man?

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Ruqaiya Sultan Begum (she/her) 💕: An aloof but fiercely loyal woman and Akbar's first wife. Being cousins, neither of them ever saw each other as anything but friends. But Ruqaiya also hides a big secret, one that has her loathing herself. Will you able to form a deep enough connection to assist her in embracing her true self and breaking free from her constraints? A year younger than Birbal.

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Salima Sultan Begum (she/her): A strong and intelligible woman and Akbar's second wife. She feels heavily undervalued and undermined by the court which causes her to constantly act out and push the boundaries of what is acceptable for a woman. Though she sees Akbar as a friend, anything more than that with anyone is unfathomable to her. Two years younger than Birbal.

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Mahira Khan Mughal (she/her) 💕: A softspoken and timid young woman sold as a political pawn by her own father to become Akbar's third wife. Mahira longs for companionship and understanding which she can't find in the palace but you can fill that void in her life by secretly courting her or by providing the friendship she desperately craves. Two years younger than Birbal.

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Arslan Khan (he/him)💕: The son of Bairam Khan and another young prodigy, seemingly possessing supernatural powers and later becoming known as the legendary Mulla Do-Pyaza. With a mixture of rivalry and occasional bullying, he views Birbal as a formidable adversary. Arslan, driven by an insatiable desire for his father's approval, harbors a volatile temper that ignites at the mere mention of insults hurled towards his family. Peering beyond the myth, can you uncover the man within? A year older than Birbal.

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Nadeem/Nadia Mirza (opposite gender of Birbal) 💕: Birbal's betrothed and distant cousin of Akbar. A noble with a secret lover, N only accepted the marriage offer because it was arranged by commander-in-chief Bairam Khan himself and it was made obvious that refusal would not bear good consequences for their family. Can you form a connection with your betrothed despite the rocky start? Two years older than Birbal.

[syneester]

some requests from Instagram

[pearls-gone-wild]

Some very important facts in my life right now:

I'm currently visiting NYC with my kidlets, aged 8 and 10.

We are staying about three blocks away from the Empire State Building.

There is currently a giant inflatable dragon wrapped around the Empire State Building.

Kidlets are delighted by the dragon.

Kidlets are rather more delighted by the dragon than might be expected.

Yes, you might say, it's a dragon wrapped around a famous skyscraper, where's the surprise in that?

No surprise.

It's just that they're extremely excited.

They're reading Terry Pratchett 's Guards! Guards!

A book that features a giant dragon swooping off the tallest tower in the great city of Anhk Morpork.

They are quoting the book constantly

"The shape that looked like a large pair of wings unfurling was, in fact, a large pair of wings unfurling."

All the time

"Dragons don’t have friends! The nearest they can get to the idea is an enemy who is still alive!"

Little girls, wandering through the tourist attractions of midtown Manhattan, like

"A people united can never be ignited!"

With such enthusiasm

"This is going to be the world's first democratically killed dragon! One man, one stab!

I love them so much, I'm so proud, I picked the right partner, we made the best possible kids

(It's a promo for HBO's Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon)

[sprinklesharkie]

maybe i have a problem

[woozynewt]

Empires SMP Pearl !! She’s so criminally underrated and I loved her design so!

My friends made this get 200+ comments on TikTok.. Lord save us

[millastaria]

tiny saint pearl! 🌿✨

[saym0-0]

this is them. 2 me.

original under the cut vv

[gremnda]

Familiar 🌻

[inkyfinch333]

(*crashes through a nearby wall like the fucking cool aid man*)

HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN GONE?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ZINE WENT LIVE A MONTH AGO??? WHAT YEAR IS IT?!?!?

Here's my contributions for @empiropediazine !! I had an absolute blast working on this project, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. Even if I am uploading these pieces a whole month late, damn

[xkaru-karux]

PEARL. PLEASE DRAW PEARL. I love how people draw her so much!!! If you can do E!Pearl thats even better(theres not enough of her) But any is fine!!!

my farmer queen <3

[figmasefield]

Pearl is my absolute favorite on hermitcraft and I recently started watching empires season 1

Digital - 3 hours

[empireofpearls-if]

Introducing A New RO

Hamza/Hira (gender-selectable)

They are temporarily filling in as a stable hand for the royal palace, in place of their father who recently fell sick. Not really popular among their peers as they're fully unfit for the job and frequently make mistakes, even the horses seem to dislike them. But they don't really take it to heart. Incredibly grateful to still hold the job, they are trying their best and are very eager to please, even if that means shameless and equally meaningless flirting. Despite the effort, they very much stick out like a sore thump even among other workers, nevermind the nobles and royals. It's ok though, they don't mind being the butt of the joke now and again. Same age as Birbal.

Check the pinned post for appearance.

[strobbylemonade]

to the many faces and reflections of pearl

song: kyu kurarin by iyowa

[aresonist]

lizzies im not sure i posted pt 2

[ellalily]

Soldier, poet, king.

For @cinnacrafts, happy holidays!!! You had an epic list of prompts, and it was a bit of a struggle trying to pick just one idea. (Or, technically, three😅) But I had a lot of fun working on this project, and I hope you like!

For @hermbi-discord's yearly gift exchange:D

(Tumblr crunched the quality a bit, tap on them to see properly)

[belovedgamers]

Found you.

My gift for @djpurple3 in the @mcyt-summer-of-yuri exchange!

Goddess Pearl finding an amnesiac and now-human-again Lizzie… my heart ;-;