Iron Lotus

This is an NPC only Kingdom

Kingdom Summary

A kingdom of fear, decay, and death, where the underworld and the afterworlds of India have manifested on Earth. It is ruled with an iron fist by the dark goddess Kali, and her court of Hindu deva. The people constantly struggle in service to Kali, in order to be judged worthy of entering the walled City of Delights. It is rumored, even the King of Aether, Nul himself, will not tread upon Kali’s kingdom, out of fear of angering the Maharani-Goddess.

Dominant Races

Mages, Vampires, few Shifters

Politics & NPCs

The undisputed ruler of the Iron Lotus is the Maharani-Goddess Kali. Though not dissimilar to Dischordia in their use of titles, their titles are structured into castes which cannot be altered as they can in Dischordia. Kali is served directly by a Maharaja (High King) who handles a majority of the mundane state affairs. He, in turn, is served by Raja (Kings), who are served by Rajkumar, followed by Senapati, then Sardar, Mankari, and finally Sawai. Few of their nobility has been encountered, however.

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Allies

Lazarus Empire

Enemies

Dischordia, Jade Empire

Kingdom Views

Now is the time of the Kali Yuga, the final age of darkness. People are sinners without virtue, liars and hypocrites, and slaves to their passions. This is Kali’s age. She will protect the people of the Lotus, as a mother protects her children, and lead us from this darkness into the next Satya Yuga, the Golden Age.

Aether - Nul, the king of pettiness, wishes to destroy the toys of the gods because his were not allowed to play. He fears he will fail, and that Kali’s wrath will destroy him and his army of asura.

Aztlan - We have had little contact with the people of Aztlan, but our allies were once their allies, and perhaps will be again. They comprehend death, it's power, and it's importance in the turning of the wheel. There is room for a common understanding between us.

Diamond Congo - It remains to be seen if their King Ogun, the so-called “God of Iron,” is a fool whose reach exceeds his grasp, or if he is worthy of his claim to his kingdom and the mantle of iron. Perhaps we will find ourselves allies, if Maharani-Goddess Kali judges him worthy, of enemies if she finds his presumption disagreeable.

Dischordia - They epitomize the people of this age: Sinners without virtue, liars and hypocrites, and slaves to their passions. Not only do they not deny this, they revel in their debased state. Kali-Ma will surely purge them from the world before this age has ended.

Jade Empire - The Iron Lotus has never, and will never, see eye-to-eye with these sanctimonious hypocrites. They make grandiose claims of understanding the ways of heaven and balance, but they ignore the darkness in favor of the light. For all their vaunted talk of balance, they are, perhaps, the least balanced of all the kingdoms.

Jukurrpa - Primitive savages who cannot be faulted for their ways, they plant their seeds in frozen ground and expect them to grow in darkness. Their hope is admirable, but misplaced, and they plant out of season.

Lazarus' Empire - Our closest allies, Lazarus the twice-risen sacrifices his own transmigration and transcendence, and has bound himself into the suffering of the world, to end the suffering of the dead and release them back into the wheel. For this, he has our lasting admiration, and alliance.

Middle Kingdom - The value they place on knowledge and wisdom is redeeming, but, for all the attention they pay to the afterlife, they cling too tightly to their relics and items of power. Such material possessions weigh upon their souls and prevent them from moving on to their next life - perhaps this is their intent?

Ukhu Amarumaya - Our relationship with the followers of Supay has been mixed. They, like their Aztlan allies, are fellow followers of death. Unlike their Aztlan allies, however, they are enemies of Lazarus. They bear watching.

Umbral Realms

Low Umbra - Shroud 2 (Swar - Shroud 0)
Middle Umbra - Gauntlet 9
Dreaming - Mists 9 / Banality 8
High Umbra - Periphery 4 (Afterworlds - Periphery 0)

Historical Information

The Dance of Destruction

Legend says that, shortly after the Fall, the Maharani-Goddess Kali emerged from an immense Lotus flower of black iron in the Taj Mahal mausoleum. While the truth of this tale cannot be confirmed, there is no question that Kali has returned and protects her kingdom like a dark mother.

War of Aether

Stories tell that even Nul fears angering the Maharani-Goddess Kali. He left the Kingdom of the Iron Lotus untouched when he struck at the rest of the world. But not all feared the Lotus. Centuries of hostility resurfaced between the Lotus and the Jade Empire.

Court of Empires

Dischordia’s diplomatic relationship with the Iron Lotus was both brief and antagonistic. Scandal and accusations of theft tarnished the Lotus Ambassador’s visit. In response to the offense, the Voice of Balor banished the Iron Lotus from the Court of Empires. The disappearance of their ambassador under mysterious circumstances fueled suspicion and mistrust. The Iron Lotus suspected, but was unable to prove, that Dischordia was responsible.

War of Maelstrom's Rebuke

During the Court of Empires, diplomatic relations between Dischordia and Lazarus' Kingdom failed. Dischordian nobles learned of a dark ritual planned by the Prince Alyosha Buljiev. In response, Dischordia launched a coordinated attack on Buljiev's domain of Carpathia. Their attack, seen by Lazarus' Empire as unprovoked, precipitated the conflict. The hostility between the two kingdoms erupted into the War of Maelstrom's Rebuke.

The Sublime Cataclysm

As two powerful kingdoms waged their war, the other kingdoms watched and waited. No matter who would be victorious, their victory would alter the political landscape. Few could have suspected the true cost of the end of the war, or the impact it would have on their own kingdoms. In the war's final months, Lazarus' Legion marched on Dischordia and laid waste to their domains. In response, the Dischordian lords enacted a plan of unsurpassed devastation. None outside of Dischordia witnessed the ritual, but kingdoms the world over felt the impact.

Treaty of Maelstrom's Rebuke

The war ended one year, to the day, after the events which marked its beginning. Delegates from Dischordia and Lazarus met to solidify a treaty and bring the war to a close. Every kingdom sent diplomats to witness the signing, but each had ulterior motives. Each hoped to see their kingdom's goals reflected in the final document. The Treaty detailed terms of ceasefire, such as returning prisoners and withdrawing troops. Yet it also contained several initiatives which advanced specific agendas.