Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-24577079-20141203031648/@comment-4206034-20141204001733

On a different topic, I think the influence of Hinduism is being underrated. A major reason for why the religion did not manage to spread was because of the arrival of Islam, which subsequently led to the Islamisation of India. Hinduism around the time when Muhammad started preaching was beginning to expand out northward (the mountain range in Afghanistan is called the Hindu Kush for a reason), and without Islam entering the picture could have actually become the dominant religion in central Asia. Perhaps in this world if they are going to be Mongols, they might actually be Hindu - that would be interesting to see. I can't remember which, but some tribes in central Asia were already Hindu by the 5th century.

Hinduism would also continue to hold dear in what is today Malaysia and Indonesia, as the Empire which existed in South India in around the 1100s also controlled these regions, being a naval power. It is probable they would come into a lot of contact with China as both powers advance technologically.

As for Erickson, he could perhaps be the leader of a group hoping to escape religious strike, or an analogue of his character sailing west from Europe to do so. What would make things really interesting would be if he ended up staying a while new religion in his own (imagine capitalism as a religion lol).

Just some thoughts.