Kingdoms of Ind
The Warhammer Fantasy version of India which is split up between multiple local rulers. This is also the least described Eastern Lands human nation. At least Nippon was prominent in the first editions when Games Workshop was trying to capitalize on 80s' Japanophilia, and Cathay was regularly described in other factions' backstories from Lizardmen to Tilea even before Total War. Here, however, we have as much information as on Border Princes (which were deliberately created as a sandbox for roleplayers), which is mildly disappointing.
With the third Total War: WARHAMMER game taking place in the Far East of the Warhammer world, there might be room for Ind to get a proper expansion and official army list. Definetely not at launch though, as the revealed map doesn't even include half of Cathay, so we probably have to wait for a map expansion or something.
History
Their first full mention are the infamous End Times, where they, unsurprisingly, were destroyed. The Skaven of Clan Pestilens had isolated the individual kingdoms the same way they did in Tilea and sent out the Blackclaws - a top-trained special unit of gutter runners to DOUBLE ensure its destruction. The Skaven were not the main benefactor for its destruction however, for the forces of Chaos also showed up and further wreck the place into irrelevance. In details, there were Beastmen attacking from the jungles, Dechala leading an uprising of Indic pleasure cults in the southern kingdoms, and Arbaal the Undefeated and Wulfrik the Wanderer came to claim the skulls of its thousands of local gods, and Galrauch was there too.
Geography
Ind is a tropical southwards peninsula located along the northern shores of a great ocean. It appears to be mostly desert, with tropical forests along the northwest and the southern tip. Further south is not-Sri Lanka, home to the Ulthuani outpost known as the Tower of the Sun.
Notable locations include:
- City of Spires - founded by High Elves
- Caves of Fire
- Mountains of Heaven
- Shambani Foothills - location of the Eye of the Tiger, a cave where the lost Stone of Simba was located in. It is now occupied by a Beastmen tribe known as the Bengal.
- Temple of Gilgadresh - Lokhir Fellheart slaughtered its guardian priests and looted a statue made from Indan bloodsteel to make the Red Blades, the deadliest weapons on the high seas.
- Unnamed kingdom - this monarchy is one of the Kingdoms of Ind, ruled by the Raja Shrimant Rao. After he noticed that the Rose Tiger gem was stolen, he sent the brutal Taggee agents to pursue and slay the thief.
Society
The peoples of Ind are known variously as "Indish" or "Indans". They are ruled by various monarchs. These rulers may be generous to visitors and are patrons of the arts and many lavish, golden temples, but they kept many slaves and servants to maintain their opulent palaces. Meanwhile, the people live in poverty, left to constant superstition.
The aristocratic rulers of Ind employ wizards somewhat like their counterparts in the Empire of Man and Cathay.
Religion
They have a thousand local gods, none of whom are of plot significance.
One of those gods, Brahmir, is represented by a wooden idol of four arms. His very presence scares the followers of the Chaos Gods, perhaps including the Beastmen.
Another god is She'ar Khawn, an eight-armed tiger god, whose large statues are in almost every temple in Ind. His weapons are a golden sword, a black mace, a barbed fan, a spear, and a crimson scroll, and he is worshipped with sacrifices of animals in squalid cages.
A third deity is Gilgadresh, who has a temple that was looted by Lokhir Fellheart.
The Indan people are a very superstitious lot, always worshipping their deities even when it may risk exposing themselves to the murderous Beastmen and Ogres. One wrong little move (like crossing a bridge the wrong way or even eating meat) could be enough to anger the locals in some parts of Ind, so travellers are advised to smile politely and nod while the locals pray to small deities such as a mouse or weevil.
Foreign relations
Although the monarchies of Ind were isolated from the rest of the world, they are constantly harrassed by various threats. They have spices, jade, slaves, fancy swords called Tulwars, blood steel, magic candles, and ivory. They trade the above stuff via the Silk Road.
Cathay
They have a complicated relationship with Cathay. The local Beastmen tribes are a threat to the Southern Provinces of Cathay and its ruler, Fire Dragon Li Dao.
High Elves
Among the few reliable allies for the Indan realms would be the High Elves, who are least likely to attack their people. The Elves have an outpost in a southerly island which the Everqueen passes through every ten years on her way to the Tower of the Sun. They also had founded the City of Spires at the northwestern coast. The sword of Finubar, the Phoenix King of the High Elves, was also from Ind.
Hostile relations and enemies
Vampiric and Chaos cults murder locals in secret.
Treacherous Arabyan merchants compete for Indan spices, silk, and other commodities against their Cathayan, Imperial, Bretonnian, and Tilean rivals at the locals' expense.
Their shores were raided by Dark Elves and the occasional Chaos-worshipping Northman, such as the murderous Scyla Anfingrimm.
Hidden in their jungles, the Greenskins and the Ogres prey on unfortunate peasants and anyone who wanders too far from safety.
Gallery
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Venk Kateswaran, a treacherous merchant, gang leader, and devotee of Khaine in Marienburg. -
A Beastman of Ind.
Links
This is NOT a stub, that's all there is to know.
| Regions and Areas of the Warhammer World | |
|---|---|
| Areas of The Old World: | The Empire of Man - Bretonnia - Albion - Estalia - Tilea - Kislev - Norsca - Border Princes - Worlds Edge Mountains - Karak Eight-Peaks |
| Areas of The New World: | Naggaroth - Lustria |
| Areas of The Eastern Lands: | Cathay - Nippon - Ogre Kingdoms - Dark Lands - Kingdoms of Ind - Khuresh - Eastern Steppes |
| Areas of The Southlands: | Nehekhara - Araby - Badlands - Marshes of Madness |
| Other Areas of the world: | Ulthuan - Athel Loren - Chaos Wastes - Skavenblight - Lost Isles of Elithis |
| Main bodies of Water: | The Great Ocean - The Far Sea - The Sea of Dread - Inner Sea of Ulthuan |