closing of both the North and the South Caravan Routes. As always,
the motives of the Serpent Queen in Sthiss Tor are a mystery.
The present Queen, Salmissra XCIX, appears to be a somewhat
more strong-minded ruler than have been many of her precursors
who were merely pawns in the control of various court
functionaries. Her age, of course, is indeterminate as a result of the use of
certain closely guarded herbal compounds reserved for her alone
which have the apparent capability of retarding or halting entirely
the more visible ravages of the aging process.
NOTE
From time immemorial there have been rumors, myths, legends,
folklore and a good deal of just plain nonsense circulated about the Nyissan
Queen. Many of these are too ludicrous or grotesque to bear repeating.
One story has her the same original Salmissra who is restored every so
many years to youth and beauty by feeding, vampire-like upon various
sacrificial victims. There is often gross speculation about her sex-life
one group contending she is a virgin, another contending that she is
driven by the drugs she uses into abnormal sexual voracity, yet a third
contending that as high priestess of snake cult she couples only with
serpents.
Quite obviously, most of this is too ridiculous to merit refutation.
These facts we know: The Nyissan Queen has never been observed to
have had children. The Nyissan Queen has never been observed to
have had a husband. From this we must conclude that she is required to
maintain the appearance at least of celibacy during her reign. Any
other speculation is sheer waste of time and quite certainly is no area of
investigation for any proper scholar.
* SO much for ‘prissy’.
Nyissa
COINAGE
Nyissan coins are triangular, and their weights are not exact
(Nyissans routinely shave the edges of coins)
GOLD
‘The Golden Queen’ a 5 oz. double triangle with a likeness of
Salmissra in each quarter worth about $625.00
‘Golden Half Queen’ 2′ oz. triangle worth about $312.50
‘Golden Quarter Queen’ I Y4oz., triangle worth about $I56.25
SILVER
Silver Queen – 5 oz., worth about $31.25
Silver Half Queen – 2 !’ oz., worth about $15.62
Silver Quarter Queen – IY4oz., worth about $7.81
COPPER
A large triangular piece worth about 50 cents
COSTUME
Nyissan city dwellers wear loose robes of lightweight silk
embroidered and decorated. In the country, shorter robes.
Nyissan men shave their heads.
Nyissan women wear elaborate and somewhat revealing gowns, lots
of jewelry and a serpent crown. The fabric of her gown is almost
transparent. Hair worn Egyptian-style. All body hair removed.
Armor – such as it is – chain-mail vest.
Weapons – short, poisoned knives, short bows with poisoned arrows.
Ceremonial swords and long-handled axes like Halberd.
COMMERCE
Nyissans are much into commerce. A great deal of profit is made in
slaves and in trade. They seem indifferent to the finer points of
haggling because the Angaraks pay so much for slaves (a form of life
insurance). Nyissans are deceitful and not above giving short-weight
and adulterating the product. They don’t trust each other much.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
Again a theocracy. Salmissra is not only Queen, but also is high
priestess. She is supreme, but the court functionaries wield a great
deal of power. Court is rather like a cross between Egyptian and
Chinese. Many functionaries are eunuchs. The Queen’s whim is law,
thus everyone tries to stay on her good side to protect himself. Very
political, very conniving, Byzantine.
Commoners are simply laborers, but slaves do all the heavy work.
(Slaves have their tongues removed.)
RANK
THE QUEEN
Supreme Queen and High Priestess.
THE HIGH PRIESTS
Pretty heavy in the temple but not so much at court.
THE HIGH CHAMBERLAIN
The Queen’s chief Advisor – depending on the Queen, this is the one
who more or less runs the country. Most Queens are preoccupied
with their own diversions and he has full rein. A few, however, have
been strong-minded enough to run things themselves.
ASSORTED FUNCTIONARIES OF THE COURT
These are, in effect, bureaucrats who handle various aspects of
government. Much jealousy and bickering and so forth.
MODES OF ADDRESS
The Queen -‘Eternal Salmissra’, ‘Beloved of Issa’
The High Priests -‘Most High’
The High Chamberlain -‘My Lord High Chamberlain’
Others at Court – My Lord this or that (Title)
Commoners – Called by name only
Slaves -‘You’ or ‘Slave’
Note on the Queen: The drug she takes to keep her perpetually young
is also a powerful aphrodisiac, and since she must dose with it daily,
the Queen is in a perpetual state of sexual arousal. (It also inhibits
prevents – pregnancy.) It is this that makes most Queens docile.
They are too busy satisfying their lusts to have time for government.
Part of the duties of court functionaries are to service the Queen. She
also keeps a stable of slaves for this purpose. Other drugs make
them unnaturally potent.
Note on Drugs: The antidotes to the various poisons are usually
addictive. Thus most Nyissans are addicts – euphoric and
sometimes half-asleep. These addictions are what hold down the Nyissan
birth-rate. The men are too doped-up to be much interested in sex.
Nyissan women frequently turn to slaves for satisfaction, and
lesbianism is quite common.
MANNERS
‘Elaborately formal. No open hostility. Hissing is considered a sign of
,,,respect.
HOLIDAYS
Erastide – Not all that important in Nyissa
Day of the Serpent – Issa’s Birthday
Day of Salmissra – Traditional birthday of the Queen
Festival of the Poison Ones – The day when Salmissra kisses a cobra
(a special drug she takes makes her odor pleasing to the snake so
that he will not bite).
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
Lots of snake-stuff – snake handling, etc. Day of the Serpent – a
naked group-grope in the temple in company with a lot of
nonvenomous snakes. Pet snakes are household gods. Etc., etc.
POPULATION
About 2 million Nyissans. 250,000 in Sthiss Tor.
THE ANGARAK KINGDOMS
NOTE
Because their history is so completely interwoven, it would be largely
impractical and repetitious to deal with each of the Angarak Kingdoms
separately. Indeed, while there are slight cultural differences between
Nadraks, Thulls and Murgos, they are hardly more than those
differences one might distinguish between the inhabitants of Tol Rane, Tol
Honeth and Tol Vordue in Tolnedra. Further, because of the unity of
their policy it is perhaps useful to consider these kingdoms as little
more than administrative districts of one single national entity
GEOGRAPHY
The Angarak Kingdoms, consisting of Car og Nadrak, Mishrak ac
Thull and Cthol Murgos, lie along the eastern edge of the continent.
The most notable features of the kingdoms are the vast stretches of
inhospitable mountains, barren steppes and dreary wastelands.
While their lands are rich in mineral wealth, the Angaraks have
never fully exploited those riches.
Car Og Nadrak
The northern-most of the kingdoms is covered with vast forests in its
central and north central portions and with the inevitable and
towering mountains to the west and north. To the east and south,
moor-lands stretch to the shores of the Eastern Sea. Two major
rivers, the Cordu and the Drak on Du flow generally southeasterly
joining at Yar Turak in the central moors to form the Greater River
Cordu which empties into the sea at the site of the twin cities of Yar
Marak and Thull Zelik, the eastern termini of the North Caravan
Route. The only other population center of any significance in
kil a, l-jaulctr,, ib line fortified
city of Yar Gorak on the northwest border with Drasnia. It is
generally believed that to the northeast lies the land bridge to the endless
reaches of Mallorea, although the Nadraks refuse to confirm this.
The evidence of this bridge and the possibility of another caravan
route across it, while largely presumptive, is borne out by the fact
that vessels observed in the ports at Yar Marak and in Thull Zelik in
Mishrak ac Thull are coastal scows incapable (or so observers from
Cherek have informed us) of sustained ocean voyages. Our friends
from Cherek further advise us that the Angaraks are woefully poor
seamen and would be unable to sustain any significant transoceanic
commerce. Thus, since Mallorean trade articles – silks, spices and
jewelry for the most part – appear regularly in the inventories of
Nadrak merchants, it must be assumed that there exists some
dependable route to the east.
Mishrak Ac Thull
This is the central Angarak Kingdom. Again, its western boundary
with Algaria is mountainous and the eastern foothills are
treecovered, a southern continuation of the vast forests of Nadrak. Aside
from the northern River Cordu, which forms the northeastern
boundary with Gar og Nadrak, the land of the Thulls is drained only
by the River Mardu, and their capital of Thull Mardu is located on
an island in that river some hundred leagues inland. Extensive
grasslands lie to the north of the River Mardu, and significant cattle
herds are grazed in that area of late. (Probably developed as a result