On the Royalty and Nobility:

Stygia's royal and noble castes are descended from the ancient, original inhabitants of Stygia. Stygian royalty and nobility are relatively tall people with black hair and fair skin the color of pale ivory, as were their ancient forebears, the black-hearted, sorcerous Giant-Kings. Many of their eyes still have a feral glitter in the dark. The royalty include the King of Stygia and his family. Beneath him are the ancient families descended of the Giant-Kings who once ruled these lands. These families betrayed their former culture and helped usher in the current culture. Many still keep man-serpents enshrined in their family tombs as protectors and avengers. These frightening families retain the records of Elder Stygia and learn the oldest and most horrible sorceries passed down through the generations since before the Great Cataclysm rocked the world.

Stygia's fearsome King Ctesphon IV is worshiped as a living god. Temples are built in his honor.

Nobles are permitted to hold government posts, where they glean their wealth from the tributes paid to the king. All Stygians give gifts to their grim gods and the ivory-skinned nobles represent these slithering gods in this dark land. The nobles all have great status in society. Priests of this caste are likely to be trained as sorcerers.

On the Aristocracy:

Below the royal and noble families, the haughty, ruling elite of aristocrats and the powerful middle class are dusky-skinned, hawk nosed men. Interestingly, it is this caste which most non-Stygians consider to be true Stygians. They are descended from the sorcerous priests and fell priest-kings of the wandering Khari who conquered Elder Stygia. Holding the reins of power in the government, the aristocracy leaves the nobles free to hang about the court at Luxur. Aristocrats pass their position down from father to son. Fertility is important in Stygia, so most aristocrats are married.

On Priests:

Holding the reins of power in the government and in the temples, the priests are drawn from the most able throughout society. The priests grown wealthy from donations to the gods, for all Stygians give gifts to Set and the other gods. Priests and nobles pass their positions down from father to son. Fertility is important in Stygia, so most priests and nobles are married. Most of Stygia's priests are of Set. Priests often specialize in some function or other. Some priests specialize in sacrifices, some in sorcery. Some priests function as diplomats and foreign dignitaries, other priest function as doctors. Almost the entire bureaucracy of Stygia is composed of priests. Part-time priests are appointed from the lower castes who function as porters, painters or scribes.

On Scribes:

Scribes are valued members of society as they are the record keepers and intellectuals of Stygia. Only about one in a hundred Stygians knows how to read and write. This gives the scribes and priests prestige and influence.

On Slavery:

Slavery has a slightly different context in Stygia than in Zingara or Zamora. A slave in Stygia is simply a person with reduced rights and dedicated to a certain task. People become slaves when in debt, because of punishment, due to voluntary action, when taken as a prisoner of war or when sent forth as payment of tribute. The period of enslavement is normally limited. Some slaves are personal servants. Other slaves serve estates and are transferred when the estate transfers. The children of slaves are also slaves, so one can be born into slavery, but they are not separated from their mothers under normal circumstances.

Debt slaves are Stygians who are sold into slavery by creditors because they cannot pay their debts. Also, some Stygians sell themselves into slavery to escape poverty; the economic security offered by such a situation outweighs the freedoms lost. These slaves can buy themselves out of their status at any time they can come up with the economic wealth to do so.

Convicted criminals can also be enslaved by the vizier. He also sets the term of enslavement, which can be life if the crime warrants such a term.

Some Stygians merely want protection and safety in an almost feudal sense and often pay a monthly stipend to a temple or powerful person to take them on as a servant or slave. Such contracts are usually worded thus: “I, (name), am your servant, with my children and my children's children. You will keep me and mine safe and shall guard me, keeping me sound and protecting me from all demons. In return I will pay you (a sum) of copper monthly until the completion of (number) years.”

Some Stygian slaves come from war conquests and the tribute of conquered peoples. When cities fall to the Stygians, the dusky-skinned conquerors bring back prisoners of war and make them slaves, branding them with the name of their new owner. The families of conquered soldiers are usually brought back as slaves along with the captured soldiers. Stygian soldiers may take slaves in this manner. Defeated cities must also send tribute to Luxur and slaves are usually part of this tribute. Stygia does not engage in many wars anymore, so this source of slaves for the nation is somewhat limited.

The most unfortunate slaves are those sent to work in the gold and copper mines of Stygia. Water is rationed strictly there and many die of exhaustion and dehydration. The luckiest slaves are those who work for the royal family or the nobility, for they have an easier life (often easier than free commoners) and have the opportunity to make themselves indispensably useful to their owners and can even rise to high governmental positions. Once they are set free they can even marry into their former owners' families.

The fiendish Stygians also capture foreign travelers and sell them into slavery. Since the travelers are in a foreign land and no one knows them, they have no one they can appeal to.

There are no huge slave markets in Stygian cities such as one finds in Turan or Shem. The trade in slaves is relatively small in Stygia. Virtually all slave transactions are between private parties and are not public auctions. Much of the 'trade' in slaves takes the form of gifts.

Stygians generally prefer male slaves because they can endure labour but the most cherished of all slaves are those who have special or rare skills. Female slaves are problematic because wives do not want them around for their husbands to sleep with. The status of children born of master/slave sexual unions is still hotly debated among the Stygians. Slaves are generally treated well and often live more secure lives than free commoners. They fill a wide range of positions – all the way from laborers to administrators. They perform non-clerical tasks for the temples, serve as watchmen and as soldiers. In many cases, they become like family and often receive inheritances from dead masters. Sometimes the children of slaves are adopted by the master family, effectively freeing the children from slavery. Masters who mistreat their slaves can have their slaves taken away from them.

Slaves are property. Escaped slaves are pursued and recaptured if at all possible. Escaped slaves must either escape to a foreign land or seek asylum at one of the temples. Escaping to a foreign land is problematic at best. To travel south means crossing huge expanses of desert just to reach Kush, where the Kushites may enslave them, or they may reach Darfar, where they could be eaten, or they may reach nothing but trackless savanna and jungle. Heading east is no help either, as there is even more desert to the east of the River Styx. Here they risk capture by the Turanians. Eventually the escaping slaves may reach Iranistan, although this would be an exceptional accomplishment. To the north lies Shem, notorious slavers. The most likely escape is to sea to live an uncertain life as a pirate. The second option involves dedicating oneself to the service of the temple, usually a temple of Set. By becoming a slave to the priests, no one else may touch or capture him.

On Social Mobility:

There is little social mobility in oppressed Stygia; people tend to marry within their own social group and continue the trade of their dusky-skinned parents. Although social mobility is rare, it is not impossible. If a peasant or farmer saved up money, he could send his son to a village school to learn a trade. Since these schools are run by priests or by artisans, these boys could potentially learn to read and write and thus become scribes. As a scribe, the boy could be placed on a government post, work his way up the governmental ladder into the nobility. It is an uncommon route, but certainly possible. Essentially, education is the key to social mobility. Once one begins to the move up the social ladder, one would do well to marry in the new class to cement the change. Thus, a slave might ascend through wealth and reputation to a position of power, but if he wishes to be assured of his new station, the slave should seek a wife in his new station. If his master allows him to marry, he is free and has moved up the social ladder. Also, joining the military is a method of ascent. The Stygians reward the valiant and successful with land and other honors.

The grim gods of Stygia:

Religion in Stygia is synonymous with the worship of Father Set, who reigns supreme. His pantheon, however, includes several hideous, half-bestial gods as subordinates. The gods and the myths often revolve around the need to reconcile opposites and opposed viewpoints, including feminine and masculine power and viewpoints. A monotheistic culture based on a single male god does not make much sense to the Stygians, despite Set's apparent ability to reproduce via masturbation or through copulation with his shadow.

Worship is usually done by raising ones arms. This outstretching of the arms is done before all images of the gods and before approaching the king,who is considered a living representative of Set and likewise worthy of worship.

Philosophy of Set's cult:

Many people equate religion to a philosophy of life. This is not so with Stygia and it's religion. Religion in Stygia is about maintaining and justifying the culture. The religion exist to offer creation stories to t each about living life and descriptions of the afterlife to overcome fears of death. Ultimately Stygian religion is about defining the culture and giving the people within the culture motivation to continue that culture. Stygian religion exist because it offer an explanation for how things in the world work and how people should behave. Stygian priests are not evangelists nor missionaries. They do not try to win converts or spread their religion. Their gods supervise aspects of their lives, that is all. The Stygian gods do not offer faith and forgiveness. Stygians do not believe in the literal truths of the Creation myths. Their religion is mostly one of symbolism, symbols used to help arrive at esoteric truths hidden behind the symbols. Many Stygians do not believe in the literal existence of their gods-for many,they too are symbols of hidden truths.

Set is not 'right', just strong:

Unlike Mitra's cult, which had to contend with rival religions when it swept through the Hyborian world. Set's cult has been around for thousands of years without any real competition in its sandy homeland. Set's cult, unlike Mitra's, does not bother teaching it is the only true church and that all the others are fundamentally flawed. Set's cult simply does not care. Few Stygians are well-traveled enough to even know about other religions, so Set's cult does not need to compare itself to other religions. The cult does teach that their gods are stronger and that proof can be found in victory over foreign regiments but that is about as far as it goes. They do not claim other religions are flawed or have false teachings. Just that their gods are weaker, much like minor Stygian gods in comparison to Set.

Cultural Justification:

Like other religions, one of the main purposes of Set's cult is to ensure the continuation of their culture and to teach a certain kind of behavior. Do this, and all is well; do that and you anger the gods and bring ill to yourself. It is a simple equation that serves virtually all the world's religions and Set's is no different. The people of Stygia are expected to behave in certain cultural ways. Failure to so act may well cause one to end up on the sacrificial block. Ceremonies intended to strengthen the people's trust in the culture are required by law and priests always charge for these services. Survival of the Stygian culture is paramount and those who buck the system too much will be removed from that system one way or the other. Stygians generally are not fanatical about their gods; they are afraid of their god's priests.

An 'Evil' Religion?

Another aspect of the Stygian religion is that, while it is regarded as an 'evil' religion by outsiders, it does not actively attempt to smite 'good'. The Stygian people, including the busy priests, are too concerned about their day-to-day needs to worry about the smiting of other religions. They will defend their homeland to be sure but they are not out to rid the world of all that is 'good'. Quite the contrary, actually. They see Set and his grim menagerie of gods as 'good' for them and their cultural needs. They see many of the actions the Mitrans portray as evil, such as human sacrifice, as an offering to their gods for the good of the people, to make life easier and better here and now as well as in the afterlife. Virtually all religions have an element of sacrifice to them, be it a symbolic cannibalism of body and blood or a very real sacrifice of someone's body and blood for the 'good' of all. The Stygian religion is no different in that respect.

While the Set cult is one of the world's darker religions, that does not mean it or its priests will do stupid things to rid the world of a supposed 'good' god. The banishment of the cult of Ibis, for example, was done for political reasons, not because Ibis is 'good' or morally opposed to Set. When the Set cult as a whole acts against any one thing, be it a person, a religion or a nation, it is not a religious crusade. It will act because it will bring power, wealth and prestige to the king, the cult or Stygia a a whole. The Stygian religion is harsh, pervasive and oppressive, but ti certainly is not given to acting stupidly or out of religious fanaticism. Likewise, the cult of Set is not out to smash the religion of Mitra. Mitra does not exist in Set's pantheon of gods and so has no interest for Set or the cult. On the other hand, the Mitran religion does treat Set as a sort of adversary for Mitra, but the Stygians do not reciprocate the symbolism. The mysterious Stygian religion is more about preserving a certain culture then it is about smiting other religions, even if foreign religions are supposedly 'good' and Set is supposedly 'evil'.

Religious Intolerance to Achieve Secular Power:

The Set cult does suppress powerful cults because it does not want to lose hold of its power over the people. If the king of Stygia suddenly had two or three religions pressuring him to make various decisions, the power of each individual religion would be lessened. By maintaining a religious monopoly on the culture and upon the king, the cult of Set makes sure its desires are equated with the desires of the king. The cult of Set does not practice religious intolerance because its god is more 'right' than other gods but because the practice of religious intolerance promotes the cult's secular power. It bears repeating that the cult of Set is not out to destroy so-called 'good' religions – unless that religion is actively present in Stygia and attempting to undermine the direct political, religious, social and economic stranglehold of power it holds. The cult of Stygia is not out to work all kinds of mischief in the world. If it did that, the world might unite and destroy Stygia, which would undermine one of the fundamental purposes of the religion – the continuation of the Stygian culture.

The Hideous, Half-Bestial Pantheon of Set:

There are many different gods in Stygia, though all are subordinated to Set:
* Set, the First Serpent, the head of the pantheon
* Ahephi, Protector of the Lungs, baboon god who helps with mummification
* Bast, daughter of Set, cat goddess of fire and evil curses
* Bat, Set’s Prophet, cow goddess of divinations who sees the future
* Bes, the Musician Dwarf, Protector of Children
* Derketo, Set’s Whore, The Sable Queen, goddess of passionate lust, sexual ecstasy and pleasure; her temples are especially known for their prostitutes and sacred orgies
* Djehuty, Set’s Scribe and god of knowledge, patron of scholars, scribes, alchemists, and physicians
* Ehtum, Lord of the Sunset, patron of painters
* Hap-i, Lord of Papyrus and Lotus
* Harakht, Lord of Eclipses, the Hawk God, patron of the sun, royalty, and victory
* Hathor, the Fire of Set’s Eye, goddess of femininity, transformations, and poisons
* Heqat, frog-goddess of midwives
* Ibis, the banished god of alchemy; his cult is forbidden in Stygia and these days survives in Nemedia
* Idris, the Defender of Set, the Eye of Divine Vengeance, protector of Stygia
* Imsety, Protector of the Heart, who helps with mummification
* Ishiti, the Demon-Goddess of Time, who guards the pyramids
* Kebb, the Great Cackler, god of the earth’s bounty
* Khepra, the Rising Sun, god of renewal
* Khnemu, the Source of the Styx
* Maahes the Lion, Son of Bast, God of Storms
* Min Koptos, The Noble Phallus of Man, god of male fertility
* Montu, Raging Slayer of the Sun’s Enemies, god of war and fighting madness
* Nefertem, God of Perfume and Black Lotus
* Neith, the She-Male Arbitrator, goddess of war and home
* Nekhebet, the Right Eye of Set, defender of the homeland
* Nephthys, the Lady of the House, Barren Wife of Set, goddess of the sandy desert
* Nuit, the Insatiable Sky
* Qebsneuef, Protector of the Intestines, falcon god who helps with mummification
* Satet, She Who Bathes Set
* Selkhet, the Gruesome Lady of the Beautiful Tent, protector of the embalmer’s tent and goddess of the dead
* Seshet, Set’s Librarian and Architect, the Painted Lady, goddess of geometry and architects
* Shu, the Withered One Who Holds Up the Sky
* Sobek, the Crocodile God
* Tef Maauti Nu, the Water of the Sky, goddess of rain
* Th’mumathph, Protector of the Stomach, jackal god who helps with mummification
* Tawerat, the Hippopotamus Concubine of Set, protector of pregnant concubines and midwives
* Usir, the Reborn Phoenix God, Activator of Set’s Eyes, god of fertile ground and vegetation
* Yinepu, the Still-Born Jackal-headed God, god of the dead

The Royal Cults:

The kings of Stygia have a religious cult during their life and after their death, with rituals similar to those of the various gods, complete with statues and offerings. These cults are mostly supported by part-time priests drawn from the local population. The statues of the kings must be cared for and the people of Stygia must be taught to continue to revere the kings of old as gods. An example of a royal cult is the Cult of Akivasha.

The Cult of Akivasha:

The name of this ancient, evil, beautiful princess, the daughter of Tuthamon, who reveled in purple feasts amid the black halls of ancient Luxur is still heard throughout the Hyborian lands in song and legend as a beautiful symbol of eternal life. Ten thousand years ago, she loved life and all the meanings of life, and to win life she courted death. She could not bear to think of growing old and shriveled and worn, and dying at last as hags die. Using dark rites, she 'wooed Darkness like a lover' and his gift was eternal life. According to the cult she ascended into the heavens to live as a goddess of youth.

Known Kings of Stygia:

Records of Stygia's kings are scanty. Although the Nemedian scribes have often tried to get access to Stygia's records, the Serpent Kingdom holds its secrets in a death-grip. Still, some information has been revealed:

Tuthamon
10,000 years ago The earliest known king is Tuthamon, who is the father of Akivasha. His rule is stated by Akivasha as being 10,000 years ago. This may be an exaggeration on the part of Akivasha because it places his rule prior to the arrival of the Khari and the formation of the Stygian society. Alternatively, Tuthamon may be a king of Elder Stygia, one of the Giant-Kings. Modern Stygians are tight-lipped on the subject.

Tuthamon XVIII
Unknown; probably after the Khari conquered Elder Stygia. Established codified laws concerning aid to foreign foes of Set and Stygia. He may or may not be the same king who fathered Akivasha; most likely he is a later king who simply borrowed his name for continuity during the shift from Giant-King to Khari rulership.

Rahotep
Unknown. Wizard-king; remembered for his sphinx out in the desert and for his abominable practices during his rule.

Tuthothomes XX
Around the period where Kuthchemes was sacked by Hyborians. Withdrew Stygia's northern border to the Styx.

Ctesphon I
Unknown.
Existence implied by the numbering of later kings called Ctesphon II, III and IV. He likely ruled and died before Conan was born. He was probably Mentupherra's father and Ctesphon II and III's grandfather. He most certainly was descended from the original inhabitants of Elder Stygia and had ivory skin. During his reign the magicians of Stygia all enjoyed high rank and the Cult of Set was at a peak of political and economic power, a level of power that would later be broken with the ascension of Thoth-Amon, who caused later kings to throw down all the magicians from their places of power in favor of the powerful Lord of the Black Ring.

Mentupherra
Unknown period; ruled Stygia when Belit was a child until about a year before Belit's death. Father of Ctesphon II. Raided Asgalun, defeated Atrahasis and put Nim-Karrak on the throne of Asgalun. Exiled Thoth-Amon, who fled to Zingara. During Conan's youth and early manhood, Mentupherra was the ruler of Stygia. Mentupherra defeated Asgalun and captured Belit's father. Mentupherra's rule caused Thoth-Amon to flee to Zingara under unknown circumstances. He was a strong king and retained the title of High Priest of the Cult of Set for himself as one of his many titles, even though he had no sorcerous training or knowledge. Magicians and sorcerers served in high places during his reign. He had no particular fear of them and would put them to death if they stepped out of line. He was the most powerful secular king Stygia had in many generations. He was killed in a Taian revolt at Rasht just over a year before Belit died. The Speaker of Set in Mentupherra's court was Tothaphis.

Ctesphon II
About 1 year of rule, ending a few months before Belit's death. Died around 20 years old. Wizardly advisors dominated him and his rule. Killed by Belit; kicked out of a window. Mentupherra's slender son took the throne as Ctesphon II. Thoth-Amon returned to Stygia, taking residence in Kheshatta and gathering power and influence. Ctesphon II was a young, cowardly ruler, terrified of everything. Scrawny and without power, he was completely dominated by his viziers, the Speaker of Set (Hath-Horeb) and just about every courtier around him. The Speaker of Set took the traditional High Priest of the Cult of Set for himself. The sorcerers of Stygia had so much power they began to get lazy and comfortable, taking advantage of every cultural system in Stygia. Ctesphon II had every prisoner in Stygia sacrificed to Set when he ascended the throne, as have virtually all kings of Stygia, which spelled the end of Belit's father. Belit killed Ctesphon II, who was immediately succeeded by his older sister, Neftha, who ruled as King Ctesphon III. He ruled for less than one year and was much less ambitious than his father. He knew more aracane knowledge than his father and corresponded with Thoth-Amon.

Ctesphon III
Took control of Stygia during the Conan's years as Amra Female, the sister of King Ctesphon II. She had an alias of Neftha when she posed as a slave girl during the reign of her brother. She dabbles in the occult. Gave Thoth-Amon a place in her court as an advisor. Ivory-skinned Ctesphon III gave Thoth-Amon the post of Speaker of Set and cast down all the magicians from their high places, giving Thoth-Amon the title of High Priest of the Cult of Set. She is one of the few women to rule Stygia as king. Under her rule, Thoth-Amon used the Serpent Ring of Set to become the de facto ruler of Stygia. Later, her children from her uncle became the next rulers. During her rule Thoth-Amon culled the weak, lazy and complacent from the Cult of Set.

Ctesphon IV
Ruler of Stygia, Lord of the Serpent Throne, High Priest of the Cult of Set and the House of the Black Ring During his reign, Thoth-Amon lost his Serpent Ring and was broken, enslaved and sent to Aquilonia as a slave. Thoth-Amon regained his ring and has since returned to Stygia. King Ctesphon IV, knowing full well the terrors Thoth-Amon wields, restored him to his former ranks and titles, except for High Priest of the Cult, which Ctesphon IV retained for his own use. He reconquered the Taia province.

Prince Menophis
Vizier of Western Stygia, Left Eye of King Ctesphon IV, Lord Procurer for Greater Stygia, Hand of Set, Judge of Magicians in the House of the Black Circle, Overseer of all Divine Offices, Overseer of all Works of the King in Every Place, King's Envoy, Overseer of Recruits of the Lord of the Land of Set, Master of the Secrets of the Palace, Fan-Bearer on the Right of the King, Seal Bearer of King Ctesphon IV.

Prince Bessu Besek
Vizier of Southern Stygia, Right Eye of King Ctesphon IV, Cohort to the King, Priest of Monuments, Lord of the King's Largess, Overseer of the Royal Harem, Chooser of the Slain, Foremost of the King's Courtiers, Overseer of all Overseers of Scribes of the King, True Royal Scribe, Mouth Who Appears in the Entire Land, Overseer of the Generals of the Lord of the Land of Set, Master of the Secrets of the Palace, Fan-Bearer on the Left of the King

Stygia - Serpent of the South, Darlage

Compiled from, Conan: Stygia - Serpent of the South, by: Vincent N Darlage