"While travelling to the lands of distant Cathay, I first passed through the strange land of Ind. What wonders I’ve seen! Fabulous temples, great white beasts with trunks and tusks, and that walk on four legs, birds of every colour, and the cuisine... It takes my breath away just thinking about it. Anyway, while in Ind, my company had the misfortune of being attacked by an odd race of creatures. I believe they are somehow related to our own Beastmen, as they combined the features and form of both Man and beast. But these vile creatures were different. They had the heads of great cats - larger versions than the ones stalking the night streets of our grand Empire - mounted on a naked Human body. Stranger still, while we fought for our lives, our native guides just dropped prostrate to the ground, ignoring our cries for help, unmindful of the beasts as they tore through us and our guides alike. Luckily, through my own skill with the sword and the pistol-fire from my companions, we beat back the rude host, sending them scurrying into the woods. After, I flogged our guides, remonstrating them for their cowardice, as any master should. Weeks later, I learned that these creatures are something akin to holy spirits to the natives, and that if we injured any, we should be on the lookout for an attack. Thankfully, I ended their service when we returned to town. It’s odd though, I’ve been experiencing stomach distress... probably caused by this infernal fare they pass for food."
The Kingdoms of Ind,[5a][27a] more often called simply Ind and sometimes the "Land of a Thousand Gods",[4b][6b] is a great peninsula located in the Far Eastern lands of the Known World, south of the Mountains of Mourn, to the southwest of the Celestial Empire of Grand Cathay and to the west of the Hinterlands of Khuresh. The individual kingdoms are said to be very powerful.[6a]
History[]
The closest to the Old World of the three Human-populated lands of the Far East is Ind.[13a] Exotic spices, jade and other treasures lure the adventurous to this sweltering realm, although few return. Some fall prey to bestial creatures on the route to Ind, others are captured and sacrificed by bloodthirsty cults. However, travellers that do return report that the rulers of Ind are wealthy and generous, living in opulent palaces surrounded by slaves and servants, and are great patrons of the arts and Ind's many golden temples.[6b]
A deeply spiritual land, its people may seem strangely content to outsiders, but it is just their odd way of dealing with the horrors of life and should not distract the traveller from the perils of this place. A favoured destination for spice merchants from all across the Known World, who eagerly travel there to buy rare and valued herbs, it can be difficult to understand the customs of the locals. In fact, doing something as simple as crossing a bridge the wrong way, or eating meat can stir up the ire of the locals in some places, bringing down swift retribution upon the confused traveller. The gods of Ind are also a puzzling lot, and travellers are advised to smile politely and nod, as a local offers up prayers to his mouse or weevil deity, all the while content in the knowledge that Sigmar could crush them had he half a mind.[13a]
Many are the tales of wonder told by spice merchants returned from the lands to the east of the Old World, but few such yarns can be as bizarre as the accounts of the creatures said to reside in the verdant rainforests of central Ind. The lands of Ind are rich and fertile, and ruled by aristocratic overlords from their gorgeous palaces. Yet the people are poor and superstitious, and revere a staggering array of deities and spirits, leaving offerings and saying prayers to them ceaselessly as they go about their day.[5a]
South of Ind lie the Isles of the Monkey King, where the most sought-after spices are harvested to be exported by the Sea Elves and then bought by the richest merchants of the Old World in Marienburg.[12h] There's no clear relation between those islands and the Monkey King that seized power in Cathay in 2377 IC.[18a] Other notable products brought to the Old World from Ind include tulwars (long and generously curved blades designed for slashing opponents, of which the best crafted feature intricate designs along the length of the blade, recounting the history of the previous owners[16c]) and the so-called Scrivener's Candles, unusual magic items in that some of the most prestigious universities in the Empire use several of these rare candles. Huge, these items are a blend of rare wax from the giant bees of fabled Ind, mixed with the sweat of scholars. When they burn, a musky odour rises from the flames, and readers under its light see their intelligence boosted.[17a]
Notable Events[]
- -1163 to -1152 IC - Nagash declares war upon the Priest Kings of Nehekhara. Alongside other foul creatures, the Vampires lead Nagash's armies. The Priest Kings are united under King Alcadizaar the Conqueror, and his formidable leadership defeats Nagash's first assault. The Vampire W'soran stays with Nagash and dares his wrath, whilst the other Vampires flee to escape the Great Necromancer's anger.[10a] Maatmeses, the very fat and very corrupt chief justice of Lahmia, and Harakhte, the brilliant and sinister court vizier of Neferata, vanished out of history. Most believe they were killed by Nagash, but it is also possible they journeyed elsewhere and created their own lines. There are tales from the jungles of Ind and the Southlands about mad priests who tear out men's hearts to feed to their dark gods. Perhaps these are the children of Maatmeses and Harakhte...[15a]
- 1103 IC - Laithikir Fellheart shadows High Elf fleets around Cathay and Nippon and begins a century of merciless raids that see the Fellheart family rise to great power. With her charts, other Dark Elf fleets maraud with much success along the rich coasts of Ind and Cathay.[8b]
- 2087 IC - Lokhir Fellheart butchers the priests of the Temple of Gilgadresh and loots a statue made from Indan bloodsteel. Upon his return to Naggaroth, he has the metal forged into the deadliest pair of swords on the high seas - The Red Blades.[8c][8d]
Geography[]
A map of the Known World, including the Kingdoms of Ind
The territories of Ind are covered with dense forests interrupted just by the shores touched by the The Far Sea. Its climate is generally temperate.[26]
Notable Locations[]
- Caves of Fire - Leofric Carrard set off on the Grail Quest. He travelled far and wide, journeying to lost lands to discover mysteries of the far Ind were laid before him as he quested for the Grail in the Caves of Fire, and learned the secrets of the ancient beings who dwelt there.[23]
- City of Spires - According to Jacob Stackeldhorf, the City of Spires on the northwestern coast of Ind was founded by the High Elves of Ulthuan.[3a][7a]
- Eye of the Tiger - A deep cave located high in the Shambani foothills of Ind, said to contain the lost Stone of Simba. It has become the lair of the Bengal, a vicious tribe of tiger-headed Beastmen.[13a]
- Isles of the Monkey King - Isles rich with the more expensive spices.[12h]
- Temple of Gilgadresh - A holy place razed and looted by Lokhir Fellheart in 2087 IC.[8c][8d]
Society[]
Government[]
Taggee Agent from Ind
One of the Kingdoms of Ind is ruled by the Raja Shrimant Rao. Five years ago The Rose Tiger was stolen from the king, who has sent his best Taggee Agents to secure his jewel.[24a] It's unknown if all Indan monarchs bear the title of "Raja".
Magical Practices[]
The courts of Ind employ wizards in a similar manner to the Imperial nobility.[22a]
Religion[]
The people of Ind worship thousands of gods, including Gilgadresh,[23a] Brahmir,[4c] and She'ar Khawn.[24]
Foreign Relations[]
Grand Cathay[]
The Kingdoms of Ind represent a constant threat to the peace and stability of the empire of Grand Cathay, which lies to their north.[27a]
The Cathayan Dragon Li Dao, the Fire Dragon, guards the southern border of the Celestial Empire against invasions from Ind and Khuresh, all the while keeping one eye on the mischievous Monkey King in the nearby Mountains of Heaven.[27a]
Old World[]
A map of the Ivory Road and the Spice Route as they near the Mountains of Mourn.[11a]
The most famous trade route to the Far East is the Silver Road, also called the Ivory Road in the East. This route connects the nations of the Old World to distant Ind and Grand Cathay. Few caravans braving the long journey survive the hordes of the Hobgobla-Khan that prey upon them. But because a single trip can make a person wealthy enough to live the rest of their days as a lord, many brave the uncharted wilderness between the west and the distant Far East.[16a]
The Spice Route is a secondary branch that forks off the main Ivory Road at the Sentinels, travelling south to the trading settlement of Pigbarter at the mouth of the polluted River Ruin. This is by far the safer route, for once the traveller has made his way past the stinking sulphur pits of the Desolation of Azgorh, they find themselves in the wild and largely deserted homelands of the Gnoblar or "Hill Goblins," until they reach civilisation, or something approaching it. From Pigbarter the Spice Route heads eastwards into the lands of distant Ind. It snakes through the far north of Ind, at the tail of a great mountain range, where the monasteries of the Celestial Dragon Monks are to be found. Mystical but highly aggressive, these legendary warriors practice enlightenment through violence, and through strict meditation and training have even mastered the ability to breathe fire and run across water without breaking its surface.[4b]
Only one man, a Tilean explorer named Nigel Francisco, braved the Silver Road and followed the Spice Route southeast to explore this strange place, stranger even than the legends of Cathay. As proof of his journey, he brought back many treasures, among which were small pieces of ivory depicting animals or people. Calling these coins suvarna, he claimed Ind had no use for gold or metals, and instead traded with such ivory tokens and gemstones. It is believed there are still 25 suvarnas from this jounrey scattered among various owners in the Empire, but fakes and copies are widespread, reducing the overall value of these rare coins.[16d]
Indic traders for their part are seen navigating with their exotic ships, called Indic Dhows, which are as large as a cog but are generally more maneuverable. These vessels can carry a crew of fifteen men on board.[25a]
Bone candelabra hand-carved by the artisans of Ind are a luxury export of the region, a worthy addition to an Old World nobleman's collection, provided he can afford it.[28a]
Marienburg[]
"Oh no, sahib! Sahib Ree is a great artist! He is like the legendary Sorcerer of the Monkey Isle, who could give life to a rock with but a touch of his whisk. Scenes of romance and danger, horror and comedy abound in his most excellent museum. Yes, yes, yes! For only two guilders I, the unworthy Hadji, will guide you through Sahib Ree's wonders with most expert knowledge."
- —Indierswijk bawd, looking for a quick guilder.[12j]
Venk Kataswaran, "the Lascar", Indic owner of the Golden Lotus Dreaming House in Marienburg.[12e]
When the Marienburgers managed to stave off the Norse Raiders through war and trade, they explored with their new-found confidence the coasts of the Old World, making contact and trading with the cities and towns of Bretonnia, Estalia and Tilea. They even crossed the Sea of Claws to sign treaties of commerce with the ports of Albion, and ventured far to the south to bring back silks and spices from the distant lands of Araby and Ind.[12a]
Nowadays there's an Indic ghetto in Marienburg, located between Goudberg, Ostmuur and Rijkspoort. It is populated by spice merchants, petty magicians and house servants[12d] -- everyone in Goudberg has servants, even if it's just one or two to do the cleaning and cooking. The mansions of the Ten are staffed to the rafters with liveried servants, many drawn from the Cathayan, Nipponese, Indic and Kislevite ghettos under Goudberg's jurisdiction.[12i]
For instance, the van den Nijmenk family mansion's household staff comes almost entirely from the nearby Indic ghetto.[12b] Arkat Fooger, the only Dwarf on the Directorate of Marienburg, has become the de facto protector and patron for all the alien communities in Marienburg, from the Cathayans and Indics to the Bretonnians and even the Channel Rats, the waterborne relatives of the gypsies. Decades of careful work have given House Fooger extensive contacts and allies, ones whose power is often scoffed at by ethnic Wastelanders. Should push come to shove on the Directorate, Arkat Fooger might surprise them all with the resources he can bring to bear.[12b]
The city's calendar recognises -among many others- the Indic religious holidays, as the community from Ind has brought their gods with them, and their public celebrations lend an exotic air to the city's daily life. More open and tolerant than most of their Old World cousins, Marienburgers take it all in their stride. It's not at all unusual, for example, to pass a solemn procession of Shallyan penitents at one corner and have to wait for a parade of leaping and singing red-robed Indic monks at the next. Many Marienburgers take this religious stew as a sign of their city's vitality.[12c]
The Sea Elves of the enclave at Sith Rionnasc'namishathir are by far the world's greatest ocean travellers, and the carrying trade between the Old World, Cathay, Ind and the New World brings riches back to Ulthuan as well as Marienburg.[12f] Clan Ulliogtha, headed by the Exarch himself, is the largest and most important of Sith Rionnasc's clans. It owns the most ships of the eight clans and has important trade contacts in the Lustrian interior, the Southlands and Ind.[12g]
One notorious Indic living in Marienburg is Venk Kataswaran, the black-souled owner of the Golden Lotus Dreaming House, the most infamous drug den in all of Suiddock. He doesn't care a jot about any other living beings - he sees even his loyal assistants as useful tools, nothing more. His only goal is the acquisition of power and money, through magic and by blackmailing clients who have become addicts. He wants to seize control of the body-trade within the city, and thus become the leader of the Khaine cultists in Marienburg. And, most sinister of all, he is an important part of a slaver-ring operating in the city, involved in the trafficking of adults and children throughout the Old World. Some of the sleeping bodies in the Golden Lotus have been drugged against their will.[12e]
Araby[]
Traders from Araby deal directly with Ind and Cathay, which allows them to corner the market on spices, silk, and other finished goods in direct competition with the Empire, Bretonnia and Tilea.[16b]
High Elves[]
Overseas domains of the High Elves, at the height of their expansion.Note the incorrect swapped labels for Cathay and Khuresh.[3a]
According to Jacob Stackeldhorf, the City of Spires on the northwestern coast of Ind was founded by the High Elves of Ulthuan.[3a] Also, the Fortress of Dawn, Tor Elasor, the Tower of Stars and the Tower of the Sun are High Elf ports and fortresses that guard the sea routes through the Sea of Dread to the Kingdoms of Ind, Cathay and Nippon.[1a][7a] In particular, the Tower of the Sun is an alabaster fortress that watches over sea routes across the southern ocean, and acts as a staging post should the armies of Ulthuan need passage to the lands of Ind, Cathay and beyond.[20a]
Every tenth year, the court of the Everqueen goes forth upon a seaborne pilgrimage to the hidden Tower of the Sun south of the equator. The Queen alone can hold back the slow encroachment of the gravid orb Morrslieb that occurs with every eclipse. With her goes the Royal Fleet of Ulthuan, carrying an immense host of her finest troops, a score of Moon Dragons flying alongside. The Royal Warhost fights its way through the bizarre denizens of the Land of a Thousand Gods, battling against tribes of tiger-headed warriors, prides of winged lions and troops of six-armed monkey warriors who resent the Elves' intrusion into their domain. Upon reaching the Tower, the Everqueen gives up her own moonblood in a great ritual that ensures Morrslieb is held at bay for another decade.[21a]
Dark Elves[]
The Indish coasts have been raided mercilessly by the Druchii Corsairs since at least 1103 IC, when Laithikir Fellheart shadowed Asur fleets around Cathay and Nippon and began a century of merciless raids that see the Fellheart family rise to great power. With her charts, other Dark Elf fleets marauded with much success along the rich coasts of Ind and Cathay.[8b]
Other famous Corsairs who raided cities of Ind were Duriath Helbane, the ambitious commander of the Black Ark Temple of Spite[8a], and Lokhir Fellheart, who in 2087 butchered the priests of the Temple of Gilgadresh and looted a statue made from Indan bloodsteel. Upon his return to Naggaroth, he had the metal forged into the deadliest pair of swords on the high seas - The Red Blades.[8c][8d] Kouran Darkhand also earned renown and infamy as a Black Guard Master in the armies of Malekith as they fought in the Empire, Bretonnia and Ind before becoming Captain of the Black Guard.[8e]
Ogres[]
The Swamp Eater, Skraggleguts, Boulderbellies, Treehammers and Death Toll Ogre tribes are settled along the Spice Route to Ind, between the River Ruin, the Mountains of Mourn and the Haunted Forest that covers the coast opposite to the Dragon Isles.[11a]
An Ogre Maneater that fought extensively in the jungles of Ind might go into battle decorated with gold jewellery and wielding a finely crafted curved sword.[4a]
Also, the Butcher known as Bannaga, travelled extensively through Cathay and Ind.[4c]
Vampires[]
There are tales from the jungles of Ind and the Southlands about mad priests who tear out men's hearts to feed to their dark gods. Perhaps these are the children of Maatmeses or Harakhte -- the two lost First Children of Lahmia[15a], which were not heard of again after the betrayal of Nagash in -1152 IC.[10a]
Chaos[]
Beastmen appear to live in the central and southwestern regions of Ind.[2b] Travellers from the east bring stories of man-shaped beasts as equally removed from humanity as the creatures of the Drakwald Forest. Spice merchants from Ind have spun tales of creatures with heads of the hunting cats they call tigers, which dwell in the dense jungles at the interior of their land.[2c] At least one vicious tribe of tiger-headed Beastmen has taken the cave of the Eye of the Tiger as their lair.[13a] The people of Ind regard these as noble but fickle beings, as likely to fight off attackers of an Indish village as raze it to the ground. These creatures are rarely seen, and their motives are unfathomable, yet cautionary tales are told up and down the Kingdoms of Ind, and offerings of meat and rice to keep them at bay are made at roadside shrines wherever the path passes through, or near the shadowy forest, in the hope of appeasing them.[2c][5a]
Nevertheless, at least one of the thousand Indish gods, known as Brahmir and depicted with four arms, holds a particular horror for the worshippers of the Dark Gods.[4c]
The Kingdoms of Ind have also been raided by Northmen such as Scyla Anfingrimm, who was once the bane of the coastlands from frozen Norsca to exotic Ind.[9a]
Skaven[]
Early in the history of the Skaven, Clan Eshin stole away to the Far East. Eshin was thought to have been lost for hundreds of years, but the Clan mysteriously returned to Skavenblight to offer its allegiance to the Lords of Decay. The time spent exploring the lands of Nippon, Ind, and Cathay had served Eshin well, for the clan had gained significant training in the arts of stealth and assassination. It is not clear what their situation is in the Kingdoms of Ind, as most of what is known of this Clan refers to Cathay and Nippon.[18a]
During the End Times, the Gutter Runners known as the Blackclaws uneasily cooperated with Clan Pestilens to plant diseased contrivances to help destroy Ind, Tilea and Lustria.[19a]
Notable Indics[]
- Shrimant Rao - One of the Raja of the Kingdoms of Ind.
- Tenzin Norlay - Globetrotting mountaineer and practitioner of grey magic
Sources[]
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- 1a: pg. 167
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- 3a: pg. 49
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- 5: Warhammer: Lustria (6th Edition)
- 5a: pg. 41
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- 7a: pg. 13
- 8: Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves (7th Edition)
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- 9a: pg. 76
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