[quote]Dwarapur.

To its inhabitants, it is the jewel of Ind, the center of the

world. Not too long ago, that world knew nothing of the city which claimed to be
its guiding light, an ivory tower standing alone in a sea of darkness. The decision
to open its gate to nations from all corners of the world did not come lightly-
indeed, under its old Rajah such an event would have been unthinkable. Yet all
things change- although what force caused Dwarapur to abandon its ideals would
remain a topic of debate for years to come. Perhaps it was a need, as the Maharajah
Wars took its toll on Dwarapur's allies in Ind. Perhaps it was a desire, the wish
of a new Rajah to break with tradition. Perhaps it was a more hidden force still,
for as Nal-Hesh keeps his ways hidden from Sokamel, man may scheme without alarming
his fellow.

Whatever the cause, change came to Dwarapur. Not in the form of soldiers and
generals thirsting for war and glory, but in the form of diplomats. To the common
man such things mean little, as their betters sign treaties and make alliances
without inviting them to partake of the political process, their voices unheard.
Yet to the few whoms influence reaches furthest, the arena of words can be more
deadly than any battleground. Reputations are made or shattered in politics, and a
single misspoken word or careless decision may lead to great ruin, not only for
oneself, but for an entire city.

By fickle mercy of the gods, or the cunning of the Dwarapurians, the so-called
"jewel of Ind" maintained its identity even as outsiders sought to bend it to their
will. The influence of these diplomats did diminish the great city- it caused
growth, adding the virtues of far-flung nations to its own. None would truly
dominate Dwarapur- and for this the city had its own Rajah to thank, the very man
who had risked his city's identity by inviting change. Playing off all sides to
their rivals, the Rajah had deftly made decisions which allowed him to absorb those
aspects of the city's suitors which he needed, without allowing them to cast aside
thousands of years of tradition.

Yet that is not to say change did not come to Dwarapur. Perhaps the greatest
influence came from the smallest among them- a single temple from the Gongxiang
mountains, the monks of the Crescent, had managed not only to gain a series of
audiences with the enlightened religious caste of the city- they had earned the
respect of those who stood at the head of Dwarapur's mightiest temples. Their god,
the Crescent Lord, was venerated by the city's populace with the same zeal reserved
for the four gods who had ruled Dwarapur's pantheon since time immemorial. Sokamel,
Nal-Hesh, Mymra and Lyr- all welcomed the Crescent Lord in their midst. Perhaps it
was only fitting that a god of Ascension rose to promince during this time of
change and prosperity.

History would have named the monks of the Crescent the victor had it not been for
the actions of the western Empire. In the final days of their work within the city,
the Imperial delegation had brought to light the presence of warpstone traces in
the mines held by Urvish Jali- an ally of the monks. While Jali was eventually
aquitted of all charges agains thim, his mine would henceforth belong to the Rajah
and Dwarapur itself. With their ally rendered powerless, the monks could not
achieve as much as they would have. Yet the change they had wrought in Dwarapur was
more profound than the achievement of others, a feat worthy of mention.

Where the monks had influenced the faith and soul of Dwarapurs people, the Empire
had influenced its military. Despite a political miscalculation within the Rajah's
throneroom and their unlawful arrest of Urvish Jali, the Imperial delegation had
managed to win the weapons contract, allowing the Empire to supply Dwarapur with
blackpowder weapons with great profit. Not only did this shape the way in which the
Dwarapurian army, the Sasastra, would fight its conflicts- it also presented an
opportunity for the Empire. The soldiers of the Sasastra would be trained by
Imperial officers, creating a strong alliance between the two militaries that would
last for years to come. Their alliance with the Sasastran captain Ednit Vhana only
served to improve the financial relation between Dwarapur and the Empire- Vhana's
leniency with ships coming from Imperial trade routes persuaded many merchant
houses to trade by sea, rather than use the far more costly overland routes through
the Mountains of Mourn.

Vhana's decrees was a setback for the ogres of the Tyrant's Hand, but still the
diplomats sent by overtyrant Goldtooth performed admirably. In particular their
work in legislating the trade of slaves and opium served the callous merchants of
the ogre tribes well and, more importantly, it was a harsh blow for Cathay from
where most of these goods were illegaly smuggled. Smugglers from southern Cathay
greatly benefited from the actions of the ogres, and the resultant econonimcal
decline in the Empire of the Celestial Dragon crippled the Dragon Emperor's plans
of extending his reach into the Mountains of Mourn. For now, the home of ogre
tribes living there would remain safe.

While the influence of the emmisaries sent by North Bretonnia was less keenly felt
throughout the city, it was in no way absent. Perhaps typical of that nation of
chivalry and virtue, rather than see to its own needs Folcard's men set to work
improving the quality of life for the common man. Shallyan priestesses funded
elaborate operations for the city's rat-catchers, ensuring a great decrease of the
vermin despite the love the Crescent Lord held for these creatures. In the end the
voice of reason prevailed over that of faith, condemning rats as vectors of disease
rather than hailing them as holy creatures. The North Bretonnians did great works
for the people besides cleaning out the rats, and the support of the commoner caste
ensured that Bretonnian products became quite popular. The noble caste of Dwarapur,
on the other hand, made its acquaintance with Bretonnian wines, ensuring a new
avenue of trade for Folcard's kingdom for as long as Kalyana Patil would encourage
the merchants in his pay to keep the wine flowing.

The Silver Tongues of Dhanamri's talons dug perhaps not as deep as those of their
rivals. Their movements were far more subtle- with their masterstroke being the
machinations of captain Cro, in setting the Imperial delegation against Urvish
Jali. By removing the ally of the crescent monks they ensured that the warpstone
within Jali's mines remained there, rather than be taken to the vaults of the
Gongxiang temple. And while the move did not bring the warpstone any closer to
Dhanamri, the Silver Tongues are patient, content to postpone their own victory if
it meant defeating an opponent. And their cult's presence within Dwarapur was
assured by the Mahk brothers- the lavish Dhanamrian burial ritual with which they
honored their brother would become quite popular, demanding an ever present number
of Dhanamrian priests in the jewel of Ind...[/quote]