Hyborian World

ARGOS:

Argos is the southern boundary of "civilized" Hyboria. Its seaport at Messantia is the nexus of many lucrative shipping lanes and a focal point for pirates.

ASGARD:

The eastern realm of Nordheim, Asgard is a freezing, foreboding place of icy mountains and wind-ravaged tundra. Its people, the AEsir, are divided into clans governed by warrior chieftains.

BARACHAN ISLES:

Home to the various pirate bands of the Western Sea, the Barachan Isles make up in colorful history what they lack in political stability.

BLACK KINGDOMS:

Collective name for this region of indistinct borders, ruled by the fluid and fickle allegiances of various tribal groups.

BORDER KINGDOM:

A bleak and blasted strip of land, the Border Kingdom is governed by a gallery of warlords, each claiming a small region of the country. Largely uninhabited and inhospitable.

BRYTHUNIA:

Relatively weak in the Hyborian pecking order, Brythunia is a cold and desolate place marked by the barren highlands of the northeast and the wide prairies and damp forested areas of the central region.

CIMMERIA:

Birthplace of Conan, Cimmeria is a somber and foreboding landscape of craggy peaks and sharp crevasses. Its people are organized in small clan units, and though they frequently feud amongst themselves, they'll band together to face any foreign invader.

CORINTHIA:

A vestige of the ancient, cursed kingdom of Acheron, Corinthia is a minor power nestled against the jagged Karpash Mountains, with an interior of grassy steppes.

DARFAR:

A sweltering, verdant jungle realm, Darfar is home to the cannibal cult of Yog, whose adherents are feared throughout the Hyborian World.

HYPERBOREA:

A sinister empire cloaked in a perpetual icy fog, Hyperborea is ruled by powerful magic users. Insular and mysterious, Hyperborean society is closed to all but the most unfortunate of travelers.

HYRKANIA:

Hyrkania is a vast and rolling prairie nation controlled by a loose affiliation of family groups. Its people are nomads, the finest horsemen and archers in the world. The famed adventuress Red Sonja is a Hyrkanian native.

ISLE OF THE BLACK ONE:

Lonely and desolate, the Isle of the Black One is dotted With the ancient ruins of a forgotten civilization.

ISLES OF PEARL:

Travelers rarely visit the Isles of Pearl, home to treasure and mystery, and somewhat more rarely return from their visit alive.

IRANISTAN:

An arid, rocky land, Iranistan is home to various desert tribes who govern in a tenuous confederacy. It is the avenue of some caravan traffic, but is rarely visited by outlanders.

KAMBUJA:

A city-state of Khitai, Kambuja is a strict and religious society controlled by a deified king. Though it remains virtually isolated from Western contact, sometrade is conducted with occasional caravans.

KESHAN:

Keshan is a quiet and primitive kingdom sheltered from intruders by impenetrable jungles and steep cliffs. Those who infiltrate are usually Yoggite cannibals from neighboring Darfar in search of food.

KHITAI:

Khitai is the mysterious Orient of the Hyborian World. It is a land of elaborate rituals and venerable magic, ruled by warlords who frequently fall to treachery and intrigue.

KOSALA:

Westernmost vassal state of Vendhya, Kosala is a semi-arid plateau marked with rocky hillocks. Residents of each city-state within Kosala adhere fanatically to their own distinct religious code, and contact with outsiders is limited.

KOTH:

For millennia, its rugged highlands have played host to caravans from every corner of the world, and Koth remains an important factor in Western trade and politics. Its religion has roots in evil Acheron, making Koth rife with dark forces.

KUSAN:

A satellite city-state of Khitai, Kusan maintains friendly relations with its neighbor Hyrkania as well as nearby Turan. Kusani weapons and textiles are highly prized and frequently purchased.

KUSH:

Perhaps the most famous of the southern kingdoms, Kush is a land of dense jungles and impenetrable mysteries, home to various tribes of fearsome warriors. Its capital, Meroe, is the largest of the southern shipping ports.

MERU:

Legendary oasis amidst the frigid peaks of the Himelias, Meru is warmed by volcanic activity and maintains a tropical climate. Its cities are built on the shores of the central lake, Sumero Tso, and its society is ruled by priests with the authority of gods.

MISTY ISLES:

Shrouded in fog and secrecy, this chain of islands is where many of Vendhya's exotic and powerful herbs are grown.

NEMEDIA:

An ancient and powerful player on the political landscape of the Hyborian World, Nemedia is known as a center of scholarly learning and religious diversity. It comprises fertile farmland bordered by mountains to the south and west.

NORDHEIM:

"Nordheim" is the collective name given to the frigid and desolate lands of Asgard and Vanaheim.

OPHIR:

Glittering Ophir is home to numerous gold mines, making it the wealthiest kingdom of the Hyborian World. It is a land of rolling meadows dotted with forests and bordered by mountains to the north and east. Ophireans are known for their generosity and the strength of their army.

PICTISH WILDERNESS:

Pictland is home to various distinct tribes of Stone Age primitives possessed of feral fighting ability and strong natural magic. The Picts' frequent raids terrorize their Aquilonian neighbors.

PUNT:

The richest of the southernrealms, Punt is blessed withnatural resources of gold andjewels. It is ruled by chiefs in dynastic succession, and its prosperity ensures a social stability far beyond that of its neighbors.

SHEM:

Center of the western world, Shem is a complex patchwork of warring city-states. These hostilities, however, are never permitted to interrupt trade and commerce. Shem is a land of fertile hills giving way to deserts in the east. The pirate queen Bêlit is a Shemite.

SOUTHERN ISLES:

Inhabited by a warrior clan of the Suba tribe, the Southern Isles are where the pirate queen Belit handpicked her crew.

SOUTHERN SEA:

The Southern Sea plays host to very little ship traffic, as the various harbors surrounding its shores are notoriously primitve.

STYGIA:

Settled first by an ancient race of serpent people, Stygia remains tainted and damned by their unholy presence. Steeped in black magic and haunted by demons, the country is ruled by priests of the snake god Set. Foreigners avoid it.

TURAN:

Prosperous despite its inhospitable terrain, Turan lies in the path of busy trade routes, both overland and seagoing. Its highly developed military system combined with its imperialistic policies make it a constant threat to its neighbors.

VANAHEIM:

The western half of Nordheim. Vanaheim is a harsh and wintry place populated by fearsome warriors divided along tribal lines. Its people, the Vanir, harbor long-standing feuds with their Æsir neighbors to the east and the Cimmerians to the south.

VENDHYA:

Enigmatic Vendhya, veiled from outsiders by the towering Himelian Mountains, is an ancient land of powerful deities and glittering treasures. It is a fertile, tropical paradise rich in natural resources, and its people produce some of the world's finest art.

VILAYET SEA:

A vast and tempestuous body of water, the Vilayet is an important marketplace for the Turanians who control its shipping lanes. It is also the scene of frequent pirate raids.

WESTERN OCEAN:

Vast and uncharted, the Western Ocean may mark the edge of the Hyborian World, or it may not. Most travelers stay close to shore, where they frequently fall prey to piratical raids.

ZAMORA:

An arid plain nestled between the Karpash Mountains to the west and the Kezankians to the east, Zamora is an important waystation on the great trade routes. Its culture is steeped in mystery, and the darkened alleys and illicit allure of its cities has been the death of many an unfortunate traveler.

ZEMBABWEI:

Zembabwei, remotest of the Black Kingdoms, is primarily jungle with broad grasslands at its southern reaches. It is a largely isolated society ruled by twin kings, who maintain order with an air force of cavalrymen astride giant trained birds.

ZINGARA:

Chief naval power of the Western Sea, Zingara virtually monopolizes the lucrative shipping lanes between the Pictish forests and the markets of Kush. It is a proud society, culturally and scientifically advanced.

AQUILONIA: