KOSALA
KOSALA (Medium Kingdom)
-- The Kosalans are an ancient race, decadent but not
grown soft. They are devoted to the worship of the god Yajur and their
armies are an arm of their religious organization. The Kosalans are
aided
by ancient magics and a fanatical if untrained populace ever willing to
fight and die in battle. Kosala from of old is tied with Vendhya
through
intermarriage and treaty and can expect no invasions from that quarter.
NATIONAL HISTORY
Listen, O Lord of the noble blood, and thy heritage will unfold before
thee. In the dawn of time, before the rise of Vendhya, when Anshan was
but a mud-thatched village, and the Hyrkanians picthed their tents in
the far east while warring with Khitai tirelessly, Kosala lived on the
earth.
In that time we were a beautiful people, olive skinned, slender, and
well formed. In our youth we Kosalans were fierce and warlike, but
centuries made us wiser, more relaxed, capable of enjoying life as man
was meant to do. Then, still long ago, a brown people invaded from the
south, crushing our high walls and burning our fair cities. Many fled
west, into Tiazitia, and many more went farther, never to be
seen again. But we stayed, and in time rose to dominance as the
ruling caste of our now-hybrid people.
Years and years passed, and we fought against, then married with the
Vendhyans; to the west Anshan of Iranistan grew to its current golden
splendor, and the Hyrkanians migrated west, occasionally raiding our
outposts. Our own two cultures have much intermarried, and today
Kosalans, save for we rulers, are a large, handsome, golden-skinned
race. We of the nobility remain as before. Many years ago we moved our
capitol to Yota-Pong, and our seaport to the Kosalan Bay. Here and
wherever Kosalans wander, we devoutly worship the god Yajur and
dedicate all our works to that name. Now listen as I reveal further the
knowledge of the land.