Author's Notes
Mataraaj
Here, the inspiration is obvious: India. But, there is also a lot of inspiration from Lord if Light, by Roger Zelazny.
But, I needed some twist. So, I added a delicate power struggle, where many rajas, all of about similar power, try to pick sides for their personal gain, creating an ever-shifting battlefield.
The base for that conflict, a female maharaja, came from Terry Pratchett's Equal Rites, and creates a nice cultural clash to work with.
The gods are very much inspired by Hindu gods. They are perfect for the setting, so I went all in on them.