Jagdeva

**Jagdeva Jagdevid of Jagdevaia**, also known as **Jagdeva the Great**, was a mighty human general who carved his own personal realm of Jagdevaia from the many waring states in the jungles of Koiturland.

## History

### Birth

Jagdeva's was born in the county of Maaristan as the youngest of two twin, narrowly following his brother Khazera out of the womb. The first sign that Jagdeva was remarkable would occur when a snake found its way into the crib in which he and his brother lay. The young Jagdeva, unaware of the danger that the snake posed, grabbed it by its neck and held on thigh until the creature no longer drew breath. When his mother came to check on her children she almost had a heart attack seeing Jagdeva play with the dead snake like a rattler and suckling on its venom sacks.

### Blessing of the Garuda

The two boys grew up as princes amongst their nephews in the court of their grandfather Jagdev. Jagdeva quickly turned out to be strong, charming, and clever while Khazera, who was destined to one day rule Maaristan, was none of these things. Jagdeva's talents drove the vain Khazera to jealousy and as they turned ten Khazera came up with a plan to dispose of Jagdeva once and for all. He invited his brother to explored the dangerous jungles around their home, which the brave Jagdeva accepted without a second guess. Together they went deeper and deeper into the jungle, avoiding many of the dangers that tried to trap them. Eventually they found a dark cave. Khazera said that he was a bit afraid and asked Jagdeva if he could go first and that he would follow after him. The cocky Jagdeva was all to eager to show his brother how much more brave he was than him and accepted. Jagdeva descended down the darkness of the cave, cutting away at the plants that grasped at his throat. Eventually he began to notice that he didn't hear any footsteps behind him. He asked his brother if he was still there, but no answer. Then he turned around and saw that his brother had disappeared. However before Jagdeva could make his way back out of the cave he slipped and rolled down deeper into the abyss.

Now Jagdeva no longer knew which way he came from or which way he was going, so he decided to just go into one direction and hope for the best. Eventually after a few hours he saw a light, and found his way into a small grove under the blue sky. Jagdeva was in chock, for this was the first time in his life that he had ever seen above the canopy of the jungle. So amazed by this sight was he that he didn't notice the garuda land next to him. The birdman began to speak with a booming voice "Human! You have found your way into this mighty grove by your own strength! As the legacy foretold I am too deliver you a message from the lord in the sky above the sky!". His eyes then turned gold and his voice turned elegant and soft "Jagdeva. You have overcome every challenge thrown at you with dignity and grace and I see the making of greatness in you. If you are to live up to this greatness, I will promise that you will be worshipped by your people. NOW GO AND DON"T DISSAPOINT ME CHILD!" Jagdeva fell to his knees, bowing before the garuda and promising both him and the high god that he would do his best to not disappoint them. The garuda then asked if Jagdeva wanted him to fly him back home, which he gladly accepted.

At dusk Jagdeva returned back to the palace, much to the surprise of his family and the disappointment of Khazera, who had told his family that Jagdeva had fallen down a deep hole in the forest. His father was relieved that his son was save, but as punishment for sneaking out into the jungle the brothers had to clean the elephant stables until it shined again.

### Slaying the beast

When Jagdeva was eighteen his father, now thakur of Maaristan, kicked him out for getting caught in bed with one of the palace maids by his brother Khazera. Jagdeva, now a prince in exile, travelled around the kingdoms of Koiturland. Amongst his travels he made many friends, who where sympathetic to the young prince, and rarely found himself sleeping out in the jungle. One day he stumbled upon the small town of Vulshahar. As he rode into town on his elephant he saw that the villagers of Vulshahar were miserable and he stopped a woman passing by. She explained that it was almost Kataee-seejan, the day upon which the most beautiful girl of the town was sacrificed to the naga living on top of the mountain. Jagdeva got distracted after she said most beautiful girl, but decided that he had to bring a stop to this. He found out who the girl was and introduced himself as a traveling paladin to the family. He asked if he could stay and if he could escort their daughter to her faith. The family gladly accepted. Once night fell and the family went to sleep Jagdeva sneaked out again and broke into a temple of Tarnesian were he stole the Blade of the unclean, a cursed blade which rots away anything it slashes.

Then morning came and after a great farewell ceremony the two made their way up the mountain to lair of the naga. On the way there they began to learn to know each other and Jagdeva explained his plan to her. She promised him that if he would pull it off she would marry him. The reached the cave in which the naga lay, and they walked in. On their way they noticed the bodies of the girls who had entered before them. Each and everyone was wrinkled and dried up, as if the life had been sucked out of them. When the naga noticed them approach she hissed "What is this? Only the fairest in the land is allowed to enter my domain!". Jagdeva, being cocky as ever said "Well are you in luck, for I am the fairest in the land!". The naga, shocked at this brazen response demanded that he gave her the girl. "If you want her, foul naga, you have to fight me for her!" Jagdeva answered her and he charged the giant snake. The naga quickly dodged out of the way and tried to retaliate with a bite, but Jagdeva rolled away. He once again charged at her, this time going for the tail, but the naga used this to her advantage and smashed him against the wall. He simply laughed and stood up again, ready to charge. Such the fought, until eventually the naga got a bite of into his arm. Two holes filed with poison were dug into his flesh, and the naga smiled "Its over human, my poison will strike you down. Just. About. now.". But to the surprise of all three of them Jagdeva was still standing and even more so feeling fine. The naga was in a mild panic. How could it be? How could a human survive her poison? But before she could answer her own question she was struck by the Blade of the unclean. The flesh around the wound rotted away as every disease known to man filled her body. The magic of the blade even rotted her soul away, and with a explosion of light the naga disappeared. Where the foul snake had stood moments before the light blue spirit of a woman stood now instead. "Thank you brave knight, for finally freeing me from the curse laid upon me all those years ago." she said, and then faded away.

Jagdeva and his new bride returned to Vulshahar to the cheers of the townspeople and the two got married the very next morning in the temple of Tarnesian. As he walked out of the temple Jagdeva heard the high priest mumble about a stolen sword, and he walked away laughing.

### Rise to glory

Jagdeva's wife lived happily married with Jagdeva for twelve years. Life in Vulshahar had been peacefull ever since the death of the naga. Jagdeva had been offered a job as advisor at the court of the damapati of Vulshahar, giving them enough wealth to life in comfort whenever he was home. Which was rare as he still often travelled out of town to visit friends. On one quiet morning she was cleaning the front lawn when none other than her husband Jagdeva came racing from around the corner. When he arrived he was in a great panic and in a hurry. Distraught, he told his wife that she had to grab anything she needed for travel and come with him. But before she could ask Jagdeva what was going on the answer presented itself. From around the same corner that Jagdeva had come a great mob of angry villagers came storming and shouting Jagdeva's name. The shouted that Jagdeva had to pay for impregnating the damapati's elven wife. Apparently Jagdeva had a secret affair with the elf which quickly broke out when a half-elf boy was born that looked a bit too much like Jagdeva. Before his own wife had a chance to object he pulled her up on the back of his elephant and together the stampeded into the jungle.

Now twice exiled, Jagdeva began to ponder what to do next. Seeing no other way out, he decided that the only way to life in peace was to carve out a realm of his own. Desperately he send out a letter to all the allies and friends he made over the years to come to his camp in the jungle and join him in conquest. For a month he waited, with his wife desperate to leave this godsforsaken place but Jagdeva stubbornly stayed, swearing that they could come every day. Then one day he woke up to a great host standing at the ready before his tent. Confused and still half asleep, he asked what was going on. Then his friend Kaa stepped forward. Jagdeva had met Kaa in the streets of Gurudesh. There Kaa was a simple street urchin that tried to rob the recently exiled princeling. Thinking this was a easy job, Kaa quickly found himself thrown on the ground by Jagdeva. Jagdeva then took the defeated Kaa to a tea house and began to talk with him. Learning more about his life, the princeling became impressed with Kaa, and he gave him the name of a noble Maagistani house that had recently gone extinct to take as his own and a written note from himself as "proof". With this new house name and proof Kaa had worked his way up to general in the army of Gurudesh and when he received Jagdeva's letter he took to work to raise an army for his old friend. Many recruits were eager to join Kaa and fight side-by-side with the famous "Naga slayer" and with a large war host he arrived to the rendezvous.

Now Jagdeva had an army and he was eager for a fight. He marched his unit upon the closest town, but to his disappointment it surrendered before he even set a foot in the town. He already had what he wanted, but with so many man thirsting for a fight he knew he would be in trouble if he called it a day here. So they continued to march, taking all capable man of the towns that surrendered and fighting the tiny kingdoms that refused to. Before he knew it he was in control of the Horn of Chaya. Yet he was still not satisfied and his army was still to large to actually handle. Worst for Jagdeva was that even more man had joined the war host of the legendary Naga slayer and more of his old friends had found their way to his side after receiving his letter. And as such Jagdeva kept throwing his army against as many foes as possible, conquering more and more of the jungle of Koiturland until Jagdeva founded a kingdom which he humbly named Jagdevaia.

### Return of the Raja

With his army of loyal followers Jagdeva finally marched upon his homeland of Maaristan, ready to claim his birth right. His troops met the Maaristani soldiers in the field, who despite being outnumbered 40 to 1 still put up an impressive defence. Jagdeva fought alongside his man, and he slayed the last of the great Maaristani war elephants. The beast took a look at who slayed him, and when he saw the now adult Jagdeva it still recognized him from all those years ago when a young man was punished with cleaning its stables. Jagdeva saw the sadness in the noble warbeast's dying eyes, and a single bitter tear rolled over his own cheek. Jagdeva then shouted at the general to surrender, that this senseless slaughter had to stop, but the general refused and his man fought on until the last man was slaughtered.

Stricken by rage and grief, he personally charged at the palace in which he had spent his youth, ready to strike down his vile twin brother. He and his retinue marched into the throne room, but to their surprise they only saw a young boy sitting on the throne. Jagdeva demanded to know where the thakur of Maaristan was. The terrified boy replied that he was thakur Aadithya of house Jagdevid. Jagdeva began to lower his cursed blade, asking what happened to Khazera Jagdevid. The boy explained that his uncle, the previous thakur, found Khazera to be such a disappointment that he was planning on giving the crown to his second son. But when his second son died (the boy was too young to know the real story yet) the crown passed back on to Khazera until he himself was born. When the boy was five years old his uncle had died, and he had became thakur. Khazera was banished from the palace shortly after for incompetence.

Jagdeva shook his head. He had never thought that his father was planning on designating him, his second born, as his successor. Oh if only he had known, than maybe al this grief could have been avoided. Jagdeva sheathed his blade, and told his own part of the story while reflecting on his actions. Aadithya was amazed that Jagdeva managed to come back, and asked him what he wanted. Jagdeva decided that the boy could keep Maaristan, as long as he payed him tribute, but that he did want to see the family catacombs. The thakur allowed him to enter, and Jagdeva walked up to his father's body, wrapped and preserved in a meditative position. He then kneeled before him, and told his father how sorry he was for everything he had done, begging for forgiveness. The stillness of the catacombs gave no reply, but it gave Jagdeva solace to be surrounded by his ancestors again. He then went on to his grandfather, kneeling before him and sounding his respect. This went on for many generations, but as he kneeled he began to notice that their bodies were getting smaller and smaller. He then came up to a distant ancestor which only came up to his hips and Jagdeva began to wonder why he was so small. Then he saw something in the body's hands: a golden Aquila! An Aquila? Small ancestors? He then began to put two and two together and realized what this must mean: He was descendant of an the Imperial line! He came running out, Aquila in hand, to proclaimed the news to his followers. They believed him without a second thought, such a military genius must be the descended of an dwarven Kaiser, and he had the Aquila to proof it. As such the hailed him as Jagdeva the Great, and once again swore their loyalty to the true ruler of Koiturland.

Jagdeva the Great had one final request for Aadithya: To tell him where his brother had gone. The boy sighted and said to look for him in the plaza. There a large clay pot stood, and inside was an naked bearded man. Both he and Jagdeva needed a second to recognize each other and stood there in silence. The man was first to break the silence. "Ja... Jagdeva? Is that you?" he asked. "Yes, its me Khazera" Jagdeva replied. He then turned away with a smile on his face, knowing that his brother had gotten exactly what he deserved.