Themiskyra
The only polis in Kimmeria, Themiskyra was founded by Themis in the Silver Age after Apollon drove her from Delphi.
Most of the Amazons remain nomadic, riding across the steppes or stalking the woodlands, raiding the neighboring lands and warring with the Arimaspians. They have long cultivated a fearsome reputation.
The Amazons are a matriarchal society, keeping men around only for breeding and menial labor. Any who cause trouble are offered up in sacrifices. They have also been known to occasionally abduct men in raids for breeding purposes, although this is less common than legend implies.
Defences
Light defensive walls ward Themiskyra, along with numerous stone watchtowers at regular intervals. Unless an attack is expected, only a single archer guards each tower. However, in the event of danger, Amazons flood the walls, ready to pepper invaders with arrows.
However, the Amazons themselves owe their fame to their skill with horses and bows, and the greatest defense of Themiskyra comes from the agile harrying tactics its warriors employ. Mounted archers rain destruction on foes then vanish into the grasslands before any army can form up to retaliate.
The Amazons place particular emphasis on martial prowess. The first kill holds an almost mystical import to these women and they drink the blood of their first victim. They claim the heads of those they slay as proof of their valor, and the queen offers them commiserate booty. Amazons scalp the heads they claim, using an ox rib to scrape it free, then kneading the flesh until it becomes soft as a napkin. The warrior then fastens it to the bridle of her horse. The more such napkins a warrior has, the greater her prestige. Some of the most famed warriors even wear cloaks of claimed scalps.
This deliberately cultivated savagery gives the Amazons a reputation that invokes fear more effective than any defensive fortifications.
History
On settling in Kimmeria, Themis recruited women from Phlegra and Phoenikia, calling upon those weary of patriarchal oppression. According to legend, she claimed a mortal lover, Targitaus, and with him had three daughters. To these three, Themis offered a hoard of sacred gold gained from the Children of Gaia. When approached by the eldest and middle daughter, the gold burst into flame. Only Colaxa, the youngest, could claim the hoard, which became a symbol of the royal line of Themiskyra.
The gold remains a symbol of the mortal line, guarded above all else. The mortal queen visits it once a year and offers sacrifices in gratitude.
