Kingdoms of Ind

South of Cathay and thousands of leagues to the south-east of the Old World are the Kingdoms of Ind. Lying within a huge peninsula with good ports, the lands are protected by the ocean and high mountains on their northern borders. Throughout the country are dense, dark forests that are home to many varieties of sometimes dangerous creatures. Well-developed agricultural systems radiate from the great rivers, sustaining many towns, cities, and a large population. Additional wealth is generated from jewels mined in the hills and exotic spices grown in the ferociously hot and occasionally very wet climate. Until now, trade routes for these commodities have led primarily to Araby and Cathay, but merchants from the Old World – particularly the bolder ones from Marienburg – are trying to establish a direct connection. Elven travellers of differing types have also long visited Ind’s shores, ostensibly for trade but some have suggested their true purpose is more sinister.

The lands have several independent kingdoms, whose Maharajahs jostle continually with one another for power. Alliances are continually in flux, with peace and a rough balance of power usually emerging after years of turmoil, only to be followed by another ruler seeking to dominate the peninsula. Their conflicts are made infinitely more complex by Ind being the Land of a Thousand Deities. Across the different regions multiple deities are revered and they make many interventions in human affairs. Their power, which Old World travellers often conflate wrongly with their own lands’ magic, is felt deeply by Ind’s peoples. Furthermore, Ind’s society has a rigid class system, with the lands’ great wealth concentrated amongst the aristocracies of the various kingdoms. The ruling elite channel much of their wealth into vast displays of opulence, often in the form of palaces and temples for their deities. The arts and crafts of Ind are also highly renowned and those with money dress, reside, and travel in extravagant style. Similarly, Ind’s culinary culture has a great reputation; in the waterside taverns of Marienburg you may hear of magnificent banquets with strange meats, vegetables, and spices.

The endless squabbling amongst the kingdoms often leads to war. The nobility proceed upon their campaigns in chariots, for they can afford the finest pairs of the many horses imported from Araby. But some prefer elephants, a terrifying foe particularly when used in numbers. The less wealthy warriors go on foot, or horseback if they are tasked with reconnaissance. The rank-and-file carry longbows and swords, having been summoned in great numbers from their kingdom’s towns and villages. Additionally, Ind armies are well-known for the employment of espionage and subversion against their enemies’ commanders. The Maharajahs’ forces are accompanied by their Purohitas, powerful priests who harness the energy of the deities in pursuit of victory. They can also seek direct help from the deities who, from their world, project battlefield assistance. However, the deities can be fickle, and if the tide of battle shifts unfavourably they may suddenly withdraw their forces.