Category:Kothian

KOTHIAN To the south the Hyborians have founded the kingdom of Koth, on the borders of those pastoral countries known as the Lands of Shem… – The Hyborian Age

Koth is the southernmost Hyborian kingdom. It is bordered to the south by a mass of sheer and barren hills which form an escarpment between southern Koth and the northern edge of Shem. These steep hills have but a few passes. The Shamla Pass in Khoraja is one. A single pass goes into Corinthia through the Karpash Mountains to the north at Zahmahn. Another pass is near Eruk, in Shem. At least two passes go through the mountains into Ophir. Koth is landlocked, so it has no ports. It is a fertile land, however. Western Koth is sub-humid prairie, meadowlands, forests, orchards and farms. It is described by Robert E. Howard as a land of blue lakes and rivers.

Description
Due to the population influx from Shem and Stygia, Kothians are the hyborian race least similar to the rest of the kingdoms. They tend to be olive- or dark-skinned and have black hair. Ruled by warring princes and barons, the Kothian culture is a strange brew of Shemite, Stygian, Acheronian and Hyborian ideas and ways. Currently, Koth is vassal to Aquilonia.

Clothing
City dwelling Kothians dress well, often wearing different sorts of aprons over their clothes depending on their trade. The women wear brightly coloured and embroidered dresses and shifts. The olive-skinned Kothic nobility wear velvet pantaloons and silk shirts of foreign manufacture, embroidered dresses of bright colours and embossed armour of artistic craftsmanship. The noblemen of Koth prefer pointed moustaches as well as perfumed and curled hair. Most sport beards, often in the ringleted fashion of the neighbouring Shemites. Conservative women dress with veils and full robes and cloaks.

Behavior and Notable Oddities
Although not as intensely feudal as Aquilonia or Nemedia, Koth does maintain itself through oaths of loyalty and allegiance. The Kothic Oath of Allegiance usually involves bringing women’s clothing and an arrow to the ceremony. Those swearing allegiance break the arrow and swear that their own weapons will be broken should their vow be broken; then the clothing is shown and those swearing allegiance promise that should they break their oath they will forever work at women’s tasks. These oaths are considered personal and are not transferable, meaning that if one party to the oath should die, the oath must be renewed by that party’s heirs to be considered binding.

Religion

 * Ishtar
 * Shamanism (Harangi Hillmen)

Government
Koth is ruled byt the mad tyrant king Strabonus, a man ‘penurious of his knights as of his coins’. Strabonus has also forced Ophir and Corinthia to pay tribute. It is whispered that the Emperor dabbles in forbidden magicks to fulfil his ambition: to restore the fallen empire of Acheron. In many ways, Koth is more dominated by its king than other Hyborian nations, probably because of Stygian and Acheronian influences; however, the king is hardly considered an irresistible force, as many of his aristocrats are highly rebellious. Still, the King of Koth is more despotic than either the Aquilonian or Nemedian kings. Beneath the king serves a council of nobles. Otherwise, the government of Koth is similar to that of Aquilonia

Koth has a collection of nearly 200 written laws passed down through the ages. The tendency in these laws is toward more and more humane punishments but capital punishment is still mandated for rape, a slave’s disobedience, crop destruction and sorcery.

Laws, in lands watched over by Ishtar, are a form of magic and the breaking of laws is tantamount to sacrilege. Thus the priests and priestesses of Ishtar work with the kings and queens of Koth, training people to follow the law as a religious duty.



Economy and Common Professions
Koth’s economy is founded on agriculture and manorialism. Wheat and barley are their primary crops and honey is a major part of their diet. In addition, cattle, water-buffalo and sheep make up most of the livestock. Mining also plays a part in Koth’s economy. Copper, lead, silver and iron mines are the property of the crown and administered by favored nobles. Part of Koth’s economy is based on slavery.

Another portion of Koth’s economy is based on the herding of long-horned cattle. Koth is also a major producer of iron. However, the bulk of Koth’s economy is based on international commerce and/or war – if special resources are needed in Koth, Koth’s first impulse is to attack the owner of said resources.

Common professions:
 * Herder
 * Knight
 * Merchant
 * Priest/priestess
 * Slaver
 * Soldier

Sex Roles and Marriage
Women do most of the cooking and growing while men tend to focus on caring for the animals. Otherwise, men and women of a class are treated fairly equally. Women tend to speak their minds freely in Koth to their peers.

Women are free to engage in trade and business and may own property. However, if married, a woman must guard against seeming free with other men or making fun of her husband to avoid divorce. A woman can choose which son gets her inheritance.

Slavery
''By Bel, god of all thieves, I'll show them how to steal wenches: I'll have her over the Zamorian border before dawn, and there'll be a caravan waiting to receive her. Three hundred pieces of silver, a count of Ophir promised me for a sleek young Brythunian of the better class. It took me weeks, wandering among the border cities as a beggar, to find one I knew would suit. And is she a pretty baggage!''' -The tower of the elephant

At the bottom of Koth's social ladder are the slaves, who live severe lives. Kothic masters have the power of life and death over their slaves. Slaves have absolutely no rights and no protections in Koth. Slavery is also p art of the economy and Kothic slavers trade all over the world in obtaining the human merchandise. Some Kothians believe they are so skilled at kidnapping that they travel to Zamora to vie for that trade with the natives there..

Influences

 * Byzantine Empire

More Information

 * Road of Kings, Conan RPG
 * Return to the Road of Kings, Conan RPG