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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1288 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Sep 2010 : 02:13:19
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Is there a cultural area equivalent to India in the Realms. I keep thinking Khazari, but that would not really account for India.
Semphar perhaps? All of Kara-Tur seems to be Far east asia and Burma/Thailand equivalent.
I am having trouble finding flags that would say... this area is like INdia. I also want an area where I can bring in the Indian Mythos from Deities and Demigods.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2010 : 04:13:35
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Hmmm. I seem to recall Steven Schend once suggesting that the Shaar represented a kind of "quasi-India" with huge platform cities on stilts above the tiger- and rakshasa-filled plains.
That's all I can remember at the moment.
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
735 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2010 : 07:47:43
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I always thought Durpar had a bit of an Indian flavour, mostly because of some of the names used.
The closest thing would be the land of Kuong, in the Jungle Lands (Malatra) of Kara-Tur; it has some Indian flavour (caste system, etc.), although there seems to be a bit of the Khmer thrown in for good measure. |
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bladeinAmn
Learned Scribe
199 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2010 : 05:34:32
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I use Halruaa, Nimbral, the big island south of Nimbral, and the biggest island at the west of Zakhara to provide my Realms desi flavour.
Alot of the Halruaan city names sound like city names in India. |
Edited by - bladeinAmn on 30 Sep 2010 05:50:56 |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2010 : 22:35:42
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| The Shining Lands, Durpar, Ra-khati, the Utter East (best for bringing the mythos), eastern Malatra (theoretically) and even Afjal in Zakhara have some Indianesque elements, but it's mixed with all other crap like the Celts. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2010 : 05:38:16
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The Mar of the Utter East are loosely based on Indians, but I theorize that they themselves are immigrants from further east, in the lower Malatra region, where the Hindu pantheon is worshiped (part of it, anyway).
The Larang Valleys high-lighted in the Ronin Challenge supplement have an early Indo-Aryan feel. It is the fallen city central to that adventure (Can't recall the name) that I feel was the most-likely original home of the Mar.
I have connected bits of Halruaan culture to the Mar through the deity Savras (a native Halruaan who went to the Utter East to study). That's not canon, but homebrew, but it seemed the most logical way to explain the Indianesque bits of culture in otherwise-Netherease Halruaa. Having a real third eye seems to be something that happens there, and Savras having one of those lends itself to that link.
Halruaan culture also borrows heavily from Zakhara, so their Airships have obviously aided them in their cultural diversity, allowing them to easily deal with the nations south and east of them. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 01 Oct 2010 05:49:20 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4257 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2010 : 07:44:56
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Personally, I think the Mar of the Utter East are a perfect fit. I know there isn't a great sub-continent or anything; but like Markus said, they are a very strong fit.
You could even view them as having been "colonized" just as India was by the invading Moonshae lot. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2010 : 16:01:40
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The lower portion of Malatra - that part of the continent cut-off the Kara-Tur map - is my 'Mar homeland'. Although I have it where they came from Tempat Larang (after it fell), the racial group they are part of (the Ang peple) expanded outward from Malatra into Kara-Tur and northern Zakhara, and eventually into Faerun (via the Zakharan jungles and the Utter East).
The two Ruined Kingdoms of Nog & Kadar, along with Sahu (from the CBoN) all have a bit of a 'dark India' feel, but I would say all three are some mixture of Mujhari (Zakharan) and Ang (Mar) blood.
I have also pasted (and adapted) the Mahasarpa campaign region to the west coast of the Malatran sub-continent (which I have dubed Jambu-Dweepam). That is an official WotC India-flavored adaption of their 3eOA rules and available as a free WE download. Strangely, the area central to Malatra - the RPGA setting Living Jungle region - has absolutely NO India/Hindu flavor (and it is placed incorrectly on the FRIA map).
As for Jambu-Dweepam (my homebrew), it is just like ancient India, made-up of dozens of small jungle Kingdoms based primarily around major rivers, and many of the Sultans are given to taking advise from 'Holy' little girls called Kumari. Between the 2e era and the end of the 3e, one particular little girl used her incredibly potent psionic abilities (a mainstay of that part of the world) to take control of most of the kingdoms and have herself crowned Empress. Think 'Child-like Empress' meets 'Fire-Starter'. 
Like I said, almost all of the above is homebrew, based on the scattered bits of lore (the Mar, Larang valleys, Nog & Kadar, the Malatra region and cultures, etc). In this case, the 'connect the dots' was easier simply because of the massive dearth of historic lore on this region and these peoples. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 05 Oct 2010 18:02:18 |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1288 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2010 : 19:39:18
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Yeah I have been sifting through all the maps and lore. I am definitely going to make the Utter East equivalent to the Indian Subcontinent.
Thanks for the information. It directed me to lots of my boxed sets. Ultimately I think the best place to set it up with a pantheon is the Utter East. I'll just have to take away places like Koenigheim and such.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2010 : 18:06:52
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You running 4e?
Simple... just say the Mar finally rebelled and kicked the others out.
You can even say that in 3e, or earlier, if you are so inclined, which leaves at least most of the history intact (what little there is).
I just added a linky to the above post, but I will repeat it here for folks - Mahasarpa - Its FREE - need I say more? 
I'll see if I can dig-up my FR adaption (map) of that when I finally go home tomorrow. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 05 Oct 2010 18:07:39 |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 10:39:31
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| Mahasarpa is interesting, it has the vale of Aaqa and the vanaras. |
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BARDOBARBAROS
Senior Scribe
Greece
581 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2010 : 22:41:55
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| I think it's Durpar... |
BARDOBARBAROS DOES NOT KILL.
HE DECAPITATES!!!
"The city changes, but the fools within it remain always the same" (Edwin Odesseiron- Baldur's gate 2) |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2010 : 20:52:53
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I think of Durpar more as an (ancient) Pakistan analogy. Think more like Kushan period then modern (with the nearby Utter East's mar culture filling-in for India). In fact, all of the Golden Waters region gives off a very Indo-European vibe, IMHO.
Western Ulgarth (Stony Waste) feels more like Afghanistan. Eastern Ulgarth is more reminiscent of the Greco-Bactrian peiod. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 19 Oct 2010 20:55:34 |
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Cultural analog to India?
