Vandhyan

## The Empire of Vandhya

"The City of Ayodhya"

* Upper House: House of Council
* Lower House: House of the People

* Wheat
* Barley
* Dates
* Melons
* Cotton
* Sheep
* Pigs
* Water Buffalo
* Zebus
* Fish

Vendhya is a land of ancient gods and jewels. Its climate is tropical, with wide expanses of untamed jungle. The capital of Ayodhya is described a the most marvelous city in this exotic kingdom. Vendhya’s jungles provide a variety of interesting life. Elephants, Tigers, Panthers, Cheetahs, Gazelles and gorillas can be found there and beautifully colored birds fill the trees. Yaks and Oxen wander through the highlands of the north and some of these have been domesticated by the hill peoples to help with laboring tasks a moving around goods.

## **Description**

The peoples of Vendhya tend to often have olive skin tones, slender builds and straight black hair often thick in texture. They are also remarked for having large dark eyes. The Vendhyan women use make-up to enhance their eyes to further this effect.

The Himelian Mountains were pushed to their remarkable heights by this brutal crash of land mass against land mass. This hot land of humid jungles and plains was soon discovered by the pre-Hyborian peoples and they built great cities across the land. These magnificently ornate cities were served by water supply and drainage systems unmatched anywhere in the world. They carried on widespread trades and marked their wares with certain inscribed stone steals. Their organized city-states, numbering in the hundreds, sprung up throughout the entire peninsula during the 800 years their culture flourished greatly within the Vendhya landscapes.

Though around 2,000 years ago, this glorious realm begun to show a steady decline. Trade neworks slowly broke down even as agriculture was being disrupted by powerful monsoons that shifted the courses of life-giving rivers. A nomadic northern peoples, remnants of the Lemurians who called themselves Kshatriya, swept up the Himelian passes and conqured city-state after city-stae, spreading their savage domination across the Vendhyan peninsula.

Upon their swift chariots, the Kshatriya peoples, led by their King Orissa, quickly captured and destroyed the aboriginal cities. The fascinating culture of the aborigines was utterly destoryed by the King Orissa and his Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas, however, built up an exhaustive record of this civilization’s religious beliefs and practices. Originally passed along as an oral tradition for centuries, these beliefs and practices were compiled in four great books.

## **Clothing**

* The basic garment is an un-stitched length of filmy cloth wrapped around the lower part of the body, which women mostly wear a loose fitting blouse in addition to.
* Some women although uncommon wear large turbans, but almost all the men do. Men and women wear jewellery, such as rings,anklets and bracelets. Many adorn their turbans with feathers. The upper casts wear gold, silver and ivory ornaments especially the women, wear plenty of jewellery along with clothes in vivid colors.
* Red and Blue colors are worn by high classed women while the men where white or black. The lower Classed dress less colorful and fittingly to the professions tied to it.
* Warriors dress in functional yet ornamented clothing to mark their standing.
* Lower class peoples wear skin or more rough spun clothing. Untouchables or slaves wear little to no clothing.

## **Behavior and Characteristics**

* Spying is an ancient art in Vendhya but the price to pay is caught can be one’s life or even slavery.
* Slavery is a fact of life in Vendhya. Slaves can be of any caste and slavery is often used as a punishment.
* Women, except those whom are given to an ascetic life or born to the ruling caste, are obliged to marry by the priests of Vendhya, usually around the age of nine. Polygamy is permitted if such a practice can be afforded. A Kashatriya must marry a Kshatriya but may have pleasure slaves of lower castes. If a woman’s husband dies, it is considered honorable for her to immolate herself on her husband’s pyre but she is not required to do so.
* It is a mysterious, philosophical, religious culture but its mysteries and philosophies are geared around enjoying life. Vendhyan artwork exemplifies this love of life and much of their artwork and written literature is of an erotic nature. The highest form of art is dance.

## **Religion**

The mystical religion of Asura, is revered throughout Vendhya; a religion born of complex rituals derived from four great books, the compilations of centuries of religion thought and practiced. The priestly class prize their intellectual acumen and they use that intelligence to further their own aims. The people believe in a cosmic order and in cause and effect that extends beyond the physical realm.

The priests taught that if these mysterious and shadowed rituals were performed incorrectly, the cosmic order would be disturbed and catastrophe would follow, for Asura kept a keen eye on how smoothly the world ran. Of course, the priests were the only ones that could perform these clamorous rituals properly, allowing them to rise as a class above even the Kshatiriyan rulers, at lest in spiritual matters.

Vendhyans believe in a heaven, a hell and the judgement of souls as well.

**Gods Worshiped:**

* Asura
* Gods of Vendhya

## **Government**

**Ruler:** Empress Devi Yasmina

**Government Type:** Hereditary Monarchy

The Vendha government is known to be organized and efficient. The people, other than the aboriginal ‘intouchable’ caste, as treated well. They have free medical care and all form the highest government official to the soldiers and the servants are paid regularly. Artisans, be they craftsmen or poets, are paid a stipend from the government so that they have the free time to devote to their art. Peeople who labour on public works are also paid by govenment instead of just strong-armed into it, as would be the case for the Aquilonian or Nemedian peoples. Even the poor are fed, for the towns and cities each have a large central building for storing communal grain. Few Vendhyans are selfish enough to store their own grain. Food is for all to enjoy, not for hoarding.

Vendhya is a stratified society with the the ruling caste;

* Brahma: On top, the nobility
* Kshatriyas or the warrior caste, who rule and serve in the armies
* Vaisyas or the craftsmen and townsmen, who provided the backbone of the Vendhyan manufacturing economy; and finally, the  Sudra, or peasants, the most populous caste.
* Harijans (or untouchables), technically outside the caste system, created for the conquered aboriginal peoples. They are left with the most dirty tasks such as cleaning up garbage and corpses and are treated with contempt and scorn by the higher castes.

Vertical mobility in Vendhyas caste system is impossible.

## **Economy**

Vendhya is largely self-sufficient. It boasts abundant mines of precious metals and a well-developed agricultural base, including textiles such as cotton and silk. Vendhyan steel is light and nearly unbreakable, so Vendhyan swords are in demand in the eastern nations. Vendhya trades with Iranistan and Turan, although Vendhyans never trade their best items. The best work of Vendhya’s artists, farmers and craftsmen go to Vendhyans. Anything left over is for trade.

A popular wine, both as an export and within the nation, is Shirakman Wine, a Vendhyan scented wine. It is unclear whether Shirakma is a region in Vendhya or the name of a vineyard, or even just the type of wine. In addition to wine, Vendhyan meals include warm tasty wheat bread served with barley, rice or peas. Vendhyans raise fruit such as dates and melons. Farmers raise cotton and keep herds of sheep, pigs, water buffalo and zebus. Fish is also popular in both the rural villages and the cities.

**Common professions:**

* Priests and Shamans
* Dancer
* Spy
* Farmer

## **Sex Roles and Marriage**

Living in a mainly patriarch society Women, except those given to an ascetic life or born to the ruling caste, are obliged to marry by the priests of Vendhya, usually around the age of nine. Polygamy is permitted if such a practice can be afforded. A Kshatriya must marry a Kshatriya but may have pleasure slaves of lower castes.

If a woman‘s husband dies, it is considered honorable for her to immolate herself on her husband’s pyre but she is not required to do so. Certain stones are set up in a shrine after a woman performs this ceremony and these stones are worshipped as holy.

## **Slavery**

Slavery is a fact of life in Vendhya. Slaves can be of any caste and slavery is often a punishment. In addition, people can be intimidated into slavery; they are simply scared into accepting slave status.

## **Other**

**Culture Reference:** Indian

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