Category:Shemite



SHEMITE ''Through the grazing-lands moved the herds of cattle and squat, broad riders with cylindrical helmets and curled blue-black beards, with bows in their hands. This was the shore of the lands of Shem, where there was no law save as each city-state could enforce on its own. Far to the eastward, Conan knew, the meadowlands gave way to the desert, where there were no cities and the nomadic tribes roamed unhindered.– The Hour of the Dragon'' Shem is a non-Hyborian land of decadent despots in the west and fierce nomads in the east. This influential nation of over fifteen million people is a powerful commercial engine, drawing in wealth through overland trade via the well-travelled caravan routes that crisscross the arid deserts and pastoral meadowlands. Trade is the life of Shem and the debauched city-states seem to specialize in their manufacture of goods, living off the unending camel trains. The luxuriant kingdoms are constantly at war with each other, each trying to steal domination of various trade routes, trying to destroy competition in search of ever elusive monopolies in some good or another.

Description
Western trading kingdoms are the homes of the meadow Shemites, who are generally of medium height with hook noses, dark eyes and blue-black hair. Some families have Stygian blood, however and these people are gigantic, broadly and strongly built, with the same sort of facial features as the shorter Shemites.

The history of Shem begins with the nomadic savages known to the early people of the age as the Sons of Shem. Where they came from and who they were is unknown but it is known that they appeared to the east of Stygia. For centuries the Stygians preyed upon the Sons of Shem, driving them from the east into the west, through Stygia, which at that time bordered Acheron, not having yet been driven south of the Styx. The Sons of Shem settled in the pastoral meadowlands they found in the west, lands claimed by Stygia at that time.

Slowly, inexorably, the Sons of Shem became more and more civilized from their contact with Stygia and Koth. They were eventually oppressed by Kothians, after Acheron fell, and it took them centuries to become free, with the help of Argos. Sadly, various city kings fought for the right to become a sole ruler of the nation. Thus it is today. Shem remains an unstable collection of squabbling city-states and nomadic tribes.

Clothing
The standard dress for a nomad man is a white, girdled khilat, a robe with full open sleeves, linen, cotton or silken breeches and a flowing head-dress that falls to the shoulders and is banded about the temples with a triple circlet of braided camel-hair called a keffiyeh. The amount of embroidery on the khilat or keffiyeh indicates the relative position and wealth of the wearer. Cloaks are made of camel hair. Shemites also wear turbans wrapped around spired helmets. Wealthy Shemites wear heavily embroidered clothing.

The women wear chadors, or full-body robes that include hoods and veils.

Make-up: In Shem, women use eye shadow made of finely ground malachite, a green-blue mineral. Kohl is used as eyeliner. Kohl is a ground up mineral compound mixed with olive oil. It gives a dark line and is used by both men and women on the desert to control the sun’s glare. Lip colors and rouge come from berries and cherries mixed with oil and a red mineral. Henna is used for body-art for ceremonies or important occasions; henna stays on the body about twenty or thirty days. Black henna is used on the feet and red henna is used on the hands and fingernails.

Thwab: An ankle-length Shemite gown worn by mountain nomads.

Ghutra: A headdress that serves the functions of hat, veil and shawl. Married women add a black cloth to wrap around their forehead. The cloth is known as an asaba.

Behavior and Notable Oddities
Rich or poor, Shemites are renowned as unrepentant liars and tellers of tall tales.

Treasures, riches and beautiful things cause the hearts and souls of the Shemites to soar. They live to accumulate wealth and beauty, surrounding themselves with jewelry and lovely slaves.

Most adventuring and wandering meadow Shemites are either merciless mercenaries or Pelishtim scholars.

The elite warriors of the meadow Shemites call themselves asshuri and they do not refer to themselves as Shemites. They are members of whatever tribe or region they belong to. They are not Shemite asshuri but the asshuri of Nippr or the asshuri of Eruk.


 * Eastern Shemites are not controlled by fear or guilt. Nomadic Shemites are more worried about shame.
 * The center of nomadic Shemite society is the clan.
 * The hospitality of Shemite nomads is legendary.
 * The concept of vengeance is important to the nomads.
 * The weaker warriors plead to sheiks and other powerful men for patronage.

Religion

 * Adonis
 * Anu
 * Ashtoreth
 * Bel
 * Derketo
 * Ishtar

The polytheistic Shemites have a penchant for gods and goddesses. Each city state worships some obscene fertility god or goddess as its patron, trusting that their horrible, squat brass idols actually hold the essence and presence of those gods and goddesses. Most of these fertility deities are Earth Mothers of the sort common to agricultural communities.

The eastern Shemites in particular pay homage to Fate and several of their gods and goddesses are deities of fate and destiny.

The Shemites also believe in a just afterlife, a type of resurrection or reincarnation. The souls of evil men, according to the Shemites, are imprisoned in the bodies of apes as punishment for their wickedness.

Lofty white ziggurats are reared to their gods, for to the Shemites, the gods are quite real, not just some illusions conjured by man’s mind to explain the mysteries of the world.

The pantheon of Shemites is so huge, that it would be impossible to describe inside this section. Instead, refer to the: Gods of Shem

The nomads are generally not as fervent about their religion as their meadow kin. Clan customs and concepts of honor have a higher impact on ethics and morality than religion. Still, they do have their religious beliefs. In addition to the gods listed above, their religion is still highly animistic. Spirits and gods abound, especially at night, living in sacred caves, rock formations, oases, dunes and palm groves.

Angels are known as serpents of fire and are considered beings of light. They are represented by lightning and are considered messengers between heaven and earth.

The nomads also believe in a host of demons known as Se’irim. Azazel is the chief of the Se’irim, the hairy demons of the desert. These demons mostly lurk in and around the ruins of fallen civilizations and cities. They bring about disease and ill-luck.

Government
Meadow Shemites:


 * Ruler: multiple Kings of various Shemite city states


 * Shemite city-states are essentially theocracies. Although there is a hereditary aristocracy and a king, the temples are in charge of the city-states. There is no separation between religious and secular power.


 * The kings of Shem claim a religious and a historical right to rule. Not only are they the representative of their patron gods on Earth, they are also the sons of kings, part of a lineage stretching back to the Great Cataclysm.


 * Kingship is hereditary among the Meadow Shemites and Pelishtim. The king is most often from the warrior class, for he must be able to defend the city, enforce the laws, maintain the social order and lead wars. He must also take part in the religious ceremonies of the city-state. Thus he is a warrior and a priest.


 * The king of a Shemite city-state is advised by a council of elders and by the priests.

Nomadic Shemites:


 * Ruler: Sheikhs, rulers of various tribes


 * The nomad tribes of Shem are essentially republics governed by opinion and tradition. No one can decree sovereign law to the nomads. No one can even enforce popular opinion.


 * If a clan feels honor bound to act differently than the rest of the tribe, they are allowed to do so.


 * Honor and revenge are the highest laws and the highest forms of government. By placing such importance on honor, the individual nomad is compelled to uphold the name and respect of his family, clan and tribe.


 * The council of elders determine how water resources are used and distributed, and other various things of daily life.

Economy and Common Professions
The coastline of Shem has few natural harbors, making the overland routes extremely important. Those lush city-states that do control harbors have additional power but also need to defend their power more often from jealous rivals. The Pelishtim hold the best and most powerful harbors. Their constant need to defend their sea trade and overland trails have turned them into noted warriors.

Meadow Shemite merchants are known as the dam-gar. Some are employees of the temples.

Common tools for trade in Shem are clay tokens. They come in various shapes and assorted sizes, each representing different objects. A cone shape may represent a goat, for example.

Shem is a powerful commercial engine, drawing in wealth through overland trade via the well-travelled caravan routes that crisscross the arid deserts and pastoral meadowlands. Trade is the life of Shem and the debauched city-states seem to specialize in their manufacture of goods, living off of the unending camel trains.

Common professions (Meadow Shemite):
 * slaver
 * trader
 * priest

The nomads have a redistributive economy that is handled by the sheiks and councils. Those in need are cared for and given what they need. Wealth is held in the form of jewelry, wives and livestock. Nomads do not own land. The primary standard of trade is the camel, probably the most valuable form of property a nomad will ever own.

Nomads often sell slaves to the city-states in return for weaponry, grain, camels and other items difficult to manufacture in a nomadic culture and lifestyle.

Common professions (Nomad Shemite):
 * raider

Sex Roles and Marriage
Meadow Shemites:


 * Women have important rights in Shem, although they are hardly treated as the equivalent of men by the culture. Women are considered part of the fruits of war, a sexual reward for the soldiers who fight so gallantly, so women must be considered less than men for this to be so.


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


 * Even if they are but slaves, if they give birth to a free Meadow Shemite’s children, they are given several protections by the law, such as care by the man’s father or brother should the man die. However, a woman’s only power is often only the sway her personality may have within her family.


 * Virtually any woman is vulnerable to sexual slavery, for any woman can be captured in war or sold by their husband or father to pay off debts. The vulnerability of women to be captured in war as concubine slaves makes women in Shem dependent upon the armed might of the city-state for their protection.


 * In general, a woman’s place in Meadow Shemite society is in the home. Her duty is to bear children, keep the home in order and obey her spouse.

Nomad Shemites:


 * Among the nomad tribes, women play a central role and are full partners in the household. They help to build and dismantle tents, care for the flocks, raise any crops, perform any needed weaving and make or repair clothing. Most women do chores during the day, such as milking animals, caring for young children, spinning wool, weaving cloth, tending flocks, cooking, drawing water and mending tents and clothing. They are usually old and worn out by forty.


 * Some Shemite tribes have matrilineal inheritance. Women can marry more than once and are not secluded for the most part. The advice of women are sought in clan councils and many are authors of clan poetry.


 * Women of the nomad tribes enjoy more freedom and power than Meadow Shemite women. They are protected by a strict code of honor held by the men. They can move about freely and can talk to other men without fear or shame. Some rare few who show the aptitude can even become raiders and warriors.

Slavery
The Shemites are well-known as slavers, roving the Black Coast in slave ships, trading and raiding for ‘human trade goods’ to sell on the block in Shem. Virtually all Shemite cities and markets have a slave block.

Two girls for a horse. Good price? Depends on the horse…

Dancing girls, servants, laborers, gladiators, eunuchs and pleasure girls are common.

Hyborian women dread slavery in Shem, where the depraved desires of the decadent Shemites shame and humiliate them.

The Shemites justify slavery by claiming their gods have given them victory over an obviously inferior people. Children who disobey their parents risk being sold into slavery. A Shemite in debt can often settle that debt by selling his children and his wife into slavery for specified period of time. He can even sell himself into slavery to settle his debt. Other slaves are those captured in war or dispossessed farmers. Of these, if the slave is Shemite, the slavery term is temporary; if the slave is from outside Shem, he is treated forever as a slave – or, worse, no different than a domesticated animal.

Most slaves come to the cities via the nomads. Among the Pelishtim, most slaves can free themselves through service, usually in three years.

Masters of slaves are free to punish slaves however they wish. Cutting off an ear is a common punishment for slaves who try to escape. Slaves can hold property, borrow money, marry free citizens, business transactions and buy their own freedom.

Influences
Architectural influences: Pre-Islamic Arabs, Bedouin tribes.

MEADOW SHEMITE

Architectural influences: Canaanites (western meadowland Shemites), the central cities are different and similar Mesopotamian kingdoms; Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians.

Land and property are sources of wealth and social prestige in western Shem. Shem has a thriving industry in both agriculture and trade. The Shemite city-states are characterized by white ziggurats and gleaming towers. Near the central ziggurat the king and the nobles live in grand palaces complete with spacious gardens and open courtyards. The wealthy citizens have white-washed, two story houses with around a dozen rooms and servant quarters. The buildings of the wealthy are white-washed inside and out to present affluence and an appearance of cleanliness. Some actually have mausoleums on the grounds. The homes of the middle classes, still clustered tightly amid the web of thin alleys, are usually one story with a central court amid several rooms.

The common people, slaves mostly, live in small mud-brick houses packed together as tightly as possible in a hodgepodge. Narrow lanes serve as streets. Craftsmen who practice the same trade live and work on the same street. These streets are lined with shops and stalls for these craftsmen, serving as a type of bazaar for that particular type of good.

''Tip: Use regular stone T2 and T3 to make a ziggurat as a center for your base, then surround it with a walled of market hub for your trading needs. The meadow Shemite architecture is fairly simple to pull off, yet you will be able to make good looking structures in various sizes. The Aquilonian pieces is also a possibility for a more wealthy look on your more important structures. Meadow Shemites are also merchants of the sea, especially as slave traders, so it would not be impossible to make a ship style of base if your character have traveled to the exiled lands by free will.''

NOMAD SHEMITE

The nomadic Shemites dwelling in the eastern deserts eschew permanent settlement, preferring portable shelters that allow them the flexibility that their nomadic way of life requires. Many of the tribes forbid its members to sow plants, build permanent houses or to drink wine, as it is considered symbols of civilization beneath their dignity. Civilization is seen as a weakness or a decadence and to fall into decadence.

Their residence units of the nomads are composed exclusively of tents ( buyuut ; sing. bayt). Some tribes use simpler tiny stone dwellings as means for transhumance, which they move between. These are rectangular in shape and consists of two—or occasionally three—sections. One section is the women's domain, kitchen, and storeroom. The other section is almost exclusively the domain of men and visitors—where hospitality is extended to guests, clients, and kinsmen alike.

''Tip: Use the nomad and stygian tents, or black hand tents, available through the GoT server mod. Along with these make a center from T1-T2 pieces that you surround with tents to make it look like a bigger one.''

More Information
RPGS:
 * Return to the road of Kings (Shem, p 172 - 183).
 * Faith and Fervor (Shem’s Polytheism, p 68-79).
 * Shem - Gateway to the South
 * Hyboria’s Finest - Nobles, Scholars, Soldiers (Shem, p 37-38.)
 * Hyborias Fiercest - Barbarians, Borderers & Nomads (Shem, p 32-33.)