The morning after the birthday feast, the war-room on the second floor of the Surat spice factory smelled of ink, sandalwood, and quiet power. Jai Vora, sixteen and already the unseen hand guiding five cities, spread fresh maps across the teak table. Surat, Agra, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur—each marked with the same red seal, each breathing in perfect rhythm.
Vikram Singh traced the Ahmedabad line with a finger. "Your engine runs smooth, Jai. Let's hear the heartbeat."
Jai's voice was calm steel. "Across the five facilities, 3,500 souls wear the Vora seal on their kurtas. Surat remains the forge—1,200 workers, 300 soldiers. The sister cities run leaner but identical: 700–800 workers each, 200 soldiers each. Every biryani tastes the same. Every bicycle rolls the same. Every pouch seals the same."
He tapped the maps. "From Surat's crucible, we sent one hundred to each city—trained soldiers to drill the ranks, trained artisans to shape the craft, trained minds to keep the ledgers singing. They arrived moons ago. The cities are no longer echoes. They are Surat reborn."
The Human Engine
Surat: 1,200 workers, 300 soldiers (the root).
Agra: 800 workers, 200 soldiers (the court).
Ahmedabad: 750 workers, 200 soldiers (the gateway).
Lucknow: 720 workers, 200 soldiers (the garden).
Jaipur: 730 workers, 200 soldiers (the jewel).
Total: 3,500 workers, 1,100 soldiers—all fed the same dal, taught the same oath, paid the same fair wage. Every city now had its own residential ring, bazaar, packaging hall, clinic, school. Children in Jaipur recited the same numbers as children in Surat. A bicycle mechanic in Lucknow could walk into Agra's workshop and start work without a word.
The Core Constellation
Jai unrolled a silk scroll. Ten names glowed in gold ink, their powers the spine of the empire.
Vikram Singh opened palace doors with a smile and sealed alliances with wine. Ram saw trade routes three seasons ahead, turning rivers into gold. Shashi could talk a camel into buying sand, his deals signed before the ink dried. Kali kept every crate, every wheel, every heartbeat in motion—nothing late, nothing lost. Kofi forged steel that sang; his bicycles carried kings, his tulwars guarded them. Amir led the soldiers with roar and grin, his blade a promise kept. Sarita balanced empires on an abacus; she knew the weight of every peppercorn from Cannanore to Kabul. Ravi and Manoj built the machines—conveyors that never jammed, presses that never faltered. Annu stood like a mountain; her strength lifted crates, her loyalty lifted spirits.
The shadows moved unseen: Maya commanded silence with a glance, her squad the empire's hidden teeth. Arjun, Rahil, Sanjay—each led their own pack of ghosts, blades in the dark. Dhruv ruled the rooftops, his spyglass catching whispers on the wind. Nishil trained them all, turning boys into legends with gravel and iron.
Jai folded the scroll. "The hundred seeds have taken root. The cities breathe with one lung. The EIC sees five factories. We see one empire."
Vikram raised his cup. "And when the harvest comes?"
Jai's smile was winter steel. "We'll bury them in saffron."
Outside, the Surat factory roared—1,200 workers, 300 soldiers, the heart that never slept. Across the north, four mirror cities answered in perfect time.
Follower Stats:
Ram Power 65 | Stamina 68 | Endurance 66 | Health 70 | Wisdom 85 | Agility 62 | Perception 78 | Luck 80 | Charm 38 | Strategy 88
Vikram Power 70 | Stamina 74 | Endurance 68 | Health 76 | Wisdom 82 | Agility 66 | Perception 80 | Luck 84 | Charm 42 | Tactics 90
Shashi Power 60 | Stamina 62 | Endurance 60 | Health 65 | Wisdom 82 | Agility 70 | Perception 75 | Luck 88 | Charm 45 | Trade 92
Kali Power 78 | Stamina 80 | Endurance 82 | Health 85 | Wisdom 70 | Agility 65 | Perception 72 | Luck 68 | Charm 35 | Logistics 90
Kofi Power 85 | Stamina 88 | Endurance 86 | Health 90 | Wisdom 65 | Agility 68 | Perception 70 | Luck 72 | Charm 38 | Blacksmithing 95
Amir Power 88 | Stamina 90 | Endurance 85 | Health 88 | Wisdom 68 | Agility 82 | Perception 80 | Luck 70 | Charm 40 | Bladework 94
Sarita Power 55 | Stamina 60 | Endurance 58 | Health 62 | Wisdom 90 | Agility 65 | Perception 85 | Luck 88 | Charm 42 | People Management 95
Ravi Power 75 | Stamina 78 | Endurance 76 | Health 80 | Wisdom 78 | Agility 70 | Perception 75 | Luck 82 | Charm 38 | Strength 85
Manoj Power 70 | Stamina 72 | Endurance 70 | Health 75 | Wisdom 80 | Agility 68 | Perception 78 | Luck 85 | Charm 40 | Engineering 88
Annu Power 82 | Stamina 85 | Endurance 88 | Health 86 | Wisdom 70 | Agility 72 | Perception 75 | Luck 68 | Charm 35 | Raw Strength 90
Maya Power 68 | Stamina 75 | Endurance 72 | Health 70 | Wisdom 82 | Agility 90 | Perception 94 | Luck 78 | Charm 45 | Stealth 95 | Bladework 92
Arjun Power 75 | Stamina 78 | Endurance 75 | Health 72 | Wisdom 78 | Agility 85 | Perception 88 | Luck 72 | Charm 38 | Stealth 90 | Leadership 88
Rahil Power 70 | Stamina 72 | Endurance 70 | Health 68 | Wisdom 80 | Agility 82 | Perception 85 | Luck 70 | Charm 35 | Poison 90 | Stealth 88
Sanjay Power 72 | Stamina 75 | Endurance 73 | Health 70 | Wisdom 75 | Agility 88 | Perception 90 | Luck 75 | Charm 40 | Climbing 94 | Stealth 92
Dhruv Power 70 | Stamina 78 | Endurance 75 | Health 72 | Wisdom 75 | Agility 90 | Perception 95 | Luck 88 | Charm 42 | Rooftop Mastery 92
Nishil Power 80 | Stamina 82 | Endurance 80 | Health 78 | Wisdom 85 | Agility 70 | Perception 82 | Luck 68 | Charm 38 | Training 95