INDIAN CIVILIZATION FOR AOM 2

Indian Culture
The Indian people descend from Indo-European nomadic tribes that migrated into a southern asia region delineated by the rivers Indo and Ganges. Indian mythology is indissociable from the several religious beliefs that have flourished in this area, the most important among them are Brahmanism and Hinduism, as well as a Buddhist system imported from China. The several different regional idioms that exist in the area often serve as an obstacle for cultural contact, but still the Indian arts, music and literature play a crucial role in definining the culture of this people. Like in everything else, the philosophical context of their mythology and folklore is very important to make it more understandable. From region to region of India, cultural details might differ, but everywhere it is true that no deity is a complete being in and of itself, for in Indian religion most "gods" are often a different facet or representation of a single, complex entity. Indian mythology also places great importance in native animals such as the tiger, the elephant and the peacock. Most of these are associated with specific deities, frequently as their symbols or sacred mounts.

Indians in AoM
The Indians begin the game with a Palace, their civilization's Town Center, and a few villagers. Once they reach the Middle Age, they can create a Rajah, a melee combat unit with a special aura that makes allied units fight faster and inflict more damage for a short period of time. If the Rajah is killed, the effect of this aura is immediately dispelled. The Indians gather favor primarily by praying at Temples, but can also build up to six statues of their deities that automatically gain favor, once they reach the Feudal Age. Priests are ranged units with a healing effect that can be created at temples. They are weak versus myth and military units, but excel versus villagers and siege weapons. The Indians can build strong Stone Walls and Sentry Towers that can eventually be upgraded to Palace Walls and Palace Towers. Their navy isn't very strong, but they do have excellent cavalry with good speed and hack armor. A special scout unit called the Guide can be trained at the Palace for a low cost. It can cross forests, and works well as a reconaissance unit.

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MAJOR GODS

Brahma. God of creation and one third of the Trimurti along with Vishnu and Shiva, he was self-born in the lotus that bloomed in the beginning of the universe and fathered all beings from his pure mind.
Focus: Villagers and Economy.
God Power: Brahmastra, target an enemy unit or building to strike it with a mystical bolt that immediately destroys the target and leaves a scorch-marked crater in its place. Does splash damage.
Bonus:
- Buildings have increased hit points and cost less to build.
- Markets and traders cost 25% less to create.
- Villagers have increased pierce armor.
- Villagers work 50% faster
- Technologies are researched faster.
Myth Tech: Kchatriyas. Villagers are created faster and have increased hit points. Walls have increased hit points as well. Commercial trades have double the income. Villagers mine for gold faster.

Shiva. God of destruction and one third of the Trimurti, along with Brahma and Vishnu, he personificates the dark aspects of all things, and is considered the deity of the moon, vampires, and demons.
Focus: Military Units.
God Power: Guardian, target a building or unit to summon the Nandi Bull, a buffalo unit with a special charge attack that excels versus military units and will protect the target at all costs.
Bonus:
- Military buildings have increased hit points and are created faster.
- Sentry towers have increased line of sight.
- Infantry and cavalry units cost 25% less to create.
- Infantry have increased hack armor.
- Naval units cost less to create and are created faster.
- All military and myth units can cross forests.
Myth Tech: Sacred Cow. Military buildings cost 50% less to build. Sentry Towers gain a ranged attack. Walls are stronger and are built faster. Archers have increased hack and pierce armor.

Vishnu. Supreme deity of all that is and one third of the Trimurti, he was born from his own essence and is regarded as a pure light piercing the universe. Vishnu reincarnated twelve times, each in a different avatar.
Focus: Temples and Favor.
God Power: Avatar, target a Rajah to turn him into an Avatar, a melee combat unit with excellent armor, as well as a ranged attack that damages whole groups of enemy units. Weak versus myth units.
Bonus:
- Can train a unique unit, the Uluka, a tiny owl that cannot attack but is good for scouting.
- Villagers can gather favor faster by building more statues.
- Temples have increased hit points.
- Temples cost 25% to build and are built faster.
Myth Tech: Hymns of the Devas. Archers and Rajahs have increased hack armor and attack range. Myth units and villagers are created faster. Temples gather favor 25% faster.

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MINOR GODS

Dark Age

Ganesha. God of good fortune. His improvements aid your cavalry.
- Ganesha decreases the creation time of cavalry units.
God Power: Good Karma, target anywhere on the map to make allied villagers collect resources, build or move faster for a limited period of time.
Myth Unit: Airavata, albino elephant with an area damage attack and excellent hack armor, excels versus infantry and buildings but weak versus archers.
Myth Techs:
- Divine Mount, increases the speed and attack of cavalry.
- Tusk of Ganesha, increases the pierce armor of cavalry.

Kali. Goddess of death and destruction. Her improvements aid your infantry.
- Kali increases the hack and pierce armor of infantry.
God Power: Hunger, target an enemy unit or group of units to suspend them in mid-air and strip them of their bones as a sacrifice to the goddess. Raises favor by 50% but only works on military units.
Myth Unit: Baital, a humanoid vampire bat that can fly and has a special attack where it swoops down to kill a single enemy unit. Slowly regenerates health when not fighting.
Myth Unit: Rakshasa, feline warrior wielding a scimitar that excels versus cavalry. Good hack armor.
Myth Techs:
- Cannibalism, increases the attack and speed of infantry.
- Ravana's Blade, increases the hit points of infantry and cavalry.
- Skull Necklace, decreases the creation cost of infantry.

Sarasvati. Goddess of knowledge. Her improvements aid technology and villagers.
- Sarasvati decreases the research time of technologies.
God Power: Deva Shrine, target an area of the map to raise a special temple that causes all allied villagers within its aura range to become Devas, myth units with a powerful ranged attack.
Myth Unit: Naga, giant cobra with a special attack that causes a bitten enemy unit to slowly lose health over time and eventually die. Weak versus archers.
Myth Techs:
- Peacock Plumes, Sarasvati decreases the creation cost of villagers.
- Sea of Milk, Sarasvati increases the speed at which villagers harvest resources.
- Vedic Science, Sarasvati decreases the research cost of technologies.
- White Lillies, Sarasvati increases the pierce armor of villagers.

Middle Age

Agni. Goddess of fire. Her improvements aid your Rajahs.
- Agni increases the speed and pierce armor of Rajahs.
God Power: Teleport, target a single unit to teleport it anywhere on the visible map.
Myth Unit: Ashura, demi-god with a ranged magical attack that causes enemy units to temporarily slow down their movements and sustain damage when hit. Poor speed and armor.
Myth Techs:
- Maidens, increase the hit points and speed of Ashuras.
- Parvati's Inspiration, turns Ashuras into Ascetic Ashuras, with increased hack armor.
- Rudra's Bow, increases the line of sight and aura effect of Rajahs.
- Wheel of Life, decreases creation cost of Rajahs by 25%.

Durga. Goddess of courage. Her improvements aid your infantry and siege weapons.
- Durga decreases the creation cost of siege weapons.
God Power: Sunder, target an enemy building to cause great damage and sometimes demolish it if its hit points are low enough. Can also affect nearby buildings.
Myth Unit: Mahisashur, scimitar-wielding demon that is very fast and excel versus infantry.
Myth Techs:
- Charging Lion, increases the speed and attack of infantry.
- Spear of Durga, increases the pierce armor of infantry and siege weapons.
- War Dances, decreases the upgrade cost of infantry units.

Indra. God of the weather and war. His improvements aid your myth units.
- Indra increases the pierce armor of myth units.
God Power: Landslide, target an area of the map to cause an earthquake and bury enemy buildings under layers of rubble, damaging them and rendering the surrounding area impossible to build on.
Myth Unit: Vritra, gigantic serpent that coils around a single enemy unit and kills it by biting. Good hack and pierce, but poor speed. Weak versus cavalry.
Myth Unit: Airavata, albino elephant with an area damage attack and excellent hack armor, excels versus infantry and buildings but weak versus archers.
Myth Techs:
- Melody of the Gandharvas, increases the speed and attack range of myth units.
- Parvani's Song, increases the attack of myth units.
- Vajra Scepter, increases the hit points and favor gain rate of temples.

Feudal Age

Devi. Goddess of strenght. Her improvements aid your buildings.
- Devi increases the hit points of buildings.
God Power: Barrier, target a building to render it invulnerable to all enemy attacks.
Myth Unit: Idol, animated four-armed statue that fights with several scimitars at once, and has an area damage attack where it stomps the ground to create a shockwave. Excels versus infantry.
Myth Techs:
- Chakras, increases the rate at which villagers lumber for food by 25%.
- Divine Mother, turns Idols into Temple Idols, with increased speed and hack armor.
- Inner Shakti, decreases the creation time of buildings.

Ganga. Goddess of the River Ganges. Her improvements aid your temples.
- Ganga increases the favor gain rate of temples.
God Power: Monsoon, target on allied farms to make them yield 50% more food and temporarily increase the rate at which villagers harvest for food. If targeted on enemy farms, it will damage them slightly.
Myth Unit: Makkara, large aquatic pachiderm that attacks by ramming into ships and has a special attack where it flings any land units it can reach into the air with its trunk.
Myth Techs:
- Dharma, increases the hit points of temples.
- Floating Candles, decreases the creation cost and speed of priests.

Lakshmi. Goddess of wealth and beauty. Her improvements aid your archers.
- Lakshmi increases the hack armor of archers.
God Power: Harmony, target anywhere on the map to create a divine melody that causes all attacking enemy units to temporarily cease their attack and retreat.
Myth Unit: Apsara, celestial damsel that creates a healing aura for allied units by dancing. Good pierce armor, weak versus infantry and cavalry. Mostly for use as a support unit.
Myth Unit: Garuda Bird, a large bird with a special attack where it bombards the enemy with boulders it collects in its claws. Strong versus buildings and siege weapons.
Myth Techs:
- Festival of Lights, turns Apsaras into Celestial Apsaras, with increased aura range.
- Perfection, increases the speed and line of sight of archers.
- Sacred Lotus, decreases the upgrade cost of archers and myth units.

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