Shemite

Starting Languages

When a player selects a culture, they automatically gain ability in the primary language associated with that culture. This language represents the common tongue or dominant language spoken in that cultural region. Each culture provides a pool of additional languages that players can choose from. This pool should include languages associated with neighboring regions, historical influences, or significant trade partners of that culture. The number of additional languages in the pool can vary based on the diversity and historical context of the culture. For example, a culture with extensive trade routes or a history of conquest might have a larger pool. You may select an additional language from this pool for each point of edge you have in Intellect, and another for each additional point you gain as you level up in your adventures.

Starting Arms & Armor

Players are afforded their starting weapons, clothing, & tool proficiencies by the age associated with their homeland. So Stone Age cultures and Dark Age cultures might both grant ability with a mace for example, but only the Dark Age culture would grant ability with guns, for example. Over the course of your adventures you may choose to use your progression to gain proficiency in a different age's tools.

Shem, Land of the Shemites

Shem is divided into broad regions: the western coastal areas are barely fertile and provide some meager agriculture, and the vast eastern expanse of desert, teeming to where the border is meaningless. To the north are the mountain ranges that separate it from Argos, and its southern border is made of the mighty Styx river, separating it from Stygia.
The center of Shem is largely grassy plains, and here are vast herds of sheep, goats, and as one goes to the east the land grows scarcer and less overgrown, until it is eventually nothing but desert as far as one rides, an immense expanse upon which are dotted independent cities and ancient ruins, still and empty, cloaked in mystery and horror.
One of Shem’s most notable cities is Akbitana, southwest of Khoraja in the mountain ranges. This city’s famous smiths use volcanic ore to create the finest steel and weapons in all the Hyborian kingdoms.

The Shemitish People

The Shemitish people are largely divided into two groups: “meadow” and “desert” Shemites, with the meadow people on the more fertile western and central reaches and river coasts and the desert folk inhabiting the eastern desert teeming to where the border is meaningless.
Most Shemites — desert and meadow — are tribal in nature, with strong ties to family and dynastic rule of the few cities within the country. Though they are no more or less honest as a people than any other, they are famed for covetousness and duplicity, called liars and merciless killers by others. One of the most famous weapons of their people is the Shemite composite bow, with which they can kill at a range of five hundred yards. Shemite mercenaries are famed throughout the Hyborian lands, and command a high price for their services.
The desert Shemites are primarily nomadic, and travel in groups rather than constructing cities. In the deserts and plains of Shem, oases tend to be just as important as towns. However, as a major crossroads of landward trade, even the deserts of Shem boast several population centers to cater to merchants and caravans. Shem has been both empire and subject, once a vassal state to Stygia but no longer.

Religion

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. Gods are the subordinate lover gods of the goddesses. In many of these religions, male consorts are killed and reborn each year, coinciding with annual growing and harvest cycles. Many Shemite rituals involve enactments of this sacrifice and rebirth in caricatured, symbolic manners that often include human sacrifice and sexual rituals. Indeed, even coming before these awesome and feared gods, humanity must show humility, which often requires that worshippers approach on their hands and knees in the nude.
(Note: Their gods include: Adonis, male fertility god. Ishtar, female fertility god. Anu, The Sky-god. Derketo, Rival of Ishtar and Bel, God of Thieves.)

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 slave blocks. Dancing girls, servants, labourers, 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 themselves are also sometimes taken as slaves – the founders of Gazal in the deserts of the Black Kingdoms use Shemite slaves. Also, the Black Corsairs often raid the coasts of Shem for plunder and slaves.

Homeland Traits

Starting Arms & Armor: Bronze Ages
Automatic Languages: Shemite, Trade Tongue
Favoured Tropes: Nomad
Bonus Languages: Stygian, Ophirean, Kothic, Argossean, Hyrkanian