Aquilonian

Starting Place (multiplayer): Tarantia
Possible Classes: Rogue, Priest, Soldier

Aquilonians are tall, but under 6 feet in height. Those living in rural and wildernss areas are lean and rangy. Although the same is true of some city-dwellers, many are noticeably overweight. "See yet the fat merchants of Tarantia that have taken the last of my coin" (Aquilonian lyric). The complexion of an Aquilonian varies with the area he is from. "...then there assebled his war host. The wire-thewed tawny lions of the north (Gundermen) and the brown-skinned warrios of the southern hills raised their spears..." (Fragment found in an Aquilonian tomb).

Aquilonia has organized trade and currency. The regular coin is a luna. The currency is clearly strong, since the luna is used as a common coin throughout the continent. The country does not have a standing army, but a small force controlled by the king and levied troops from the various provinces. The army is mainly mounted knights, with Gundermen spearmen and Bossonian archers forming the bulk of the foot. The Black Dragons are elite Aquilonian troops under the king?s command. The Black Legion are troops that comprise the king?s personal bodyguard.

Religiously, the worship of Mitra is the semi-official state religion. Other temples exist, including secret ones for the worship of Asura. Priests of Asura are recently in the favour of the king for they have been a valuable help against the Nemedian invaders. The Gundermen originally worshipped Bori, but after their association with the Aquilonians, adopted the teachings of Mitra.

Cimmerians have a notorious reputation as formidable opponents, noted for their wild savagery and physical prowess. The people are usually dark-haired, gray- or blue-eyed, and tall, an average height of 6 feet. Their complexions are brown from blood and the elements. As a rule, they seldom venture far from their homeland.

The Cimmerians never developed a government. The land is divided into a number of semi-nomadic tribes, most notably into north and south branches.The northerners are a mountain people, possibly hardier and fiercer than the southern lowland tribes. The people live as hunter-gatherers with a mixture of skilled crafts, particularly in blacksmithing and metal work. They do not make permanent settlements. As a people, they do not practice human sacrifice.

Since horses are rare, Cimmerians fight on foot. Their tactics are probably similar to those of the Gauls in the time of ancient Rome, except of greater ferocity. Young men are expected to be fit for raiding and war by approximately the age of 15.

Apparently, devotion to Crom and a group of lesser gods is a near universal trait of the Cimmerians. Perhaps their living conditions explain their attachment to this gloomy god.

Stygian

Starting Place (multiplayer): Khemi
Possible Classes: Rogue, Priest, Mage

Contemporary Stygians are a mysterious people whose society is strictly organized in a class system dependant, by and large, upon physical types. The royalty and the most ancient nobles are relatively tall people with black hair and fair skin. Below these, the ruling elite of aristocrats and a powerful middle class are dusky-skinned, hawk-nosed men, haughty of mien. The lowest classes are peasants and slaves of hybrid stock, a mixture of Kushite, Shemite, Hyborian, and Stygian ancestry.

Stygian society is dominated by the priesthood. The chief god of the Stygians is Set, the Serpent God, whose influence has stretched from the lands of Stygia into nearly all other lands.

Rarely will a Stygian venture from his own lands. Even more rarely will an outsider enter his, as it is death for one who is not a Stygian to enter a Stygian city. Any wanderers found inside Stygian territory are killed. This may be done unceremoniously, or it may involve a sacrificial ritual. The Stygians have never been known to allow captured trespassers to live. The only exception to this rule is the harbor-city of Khemi, where foreign merchants are allowed entry during the day, but must return to their ships at night.

The Stygians have developed an economy based on nomadic herding, fishing, and harvesting the palm date; major industries include the production of sorcerous charms and amulets, as well as drugs and pharmeceuticals for both medicinal and magical use. Silk and steel arms are also manufactured here and are sought after for trade by the merchants who travel the numerous caravan routes across the nation.