Turanian

## The Turan Empire

The City of, Aghrapur Within the Turan Empire

**Less Common Gods**

* Ishtar
* Ormazd
* Ahriman

**Other Exports**

* Grapes
* Olive Oil
* Nuts
* Sesame
* Barley
* Wheat
* Tobacco
* Coffee
* Chestnuts
* Rice
* Sugar
* Spies

Turan is perhaps the wealthiest nation of the Hyborian Age right under the Vandhyan within Vandhya. The Turanian Empire is built upon the foundation of a large Hykanian force that swept out of the east on their horses, swinging around the Vilayet and finding that great inland sea to their liking.

Their Empire is vast, especially during the years of Conan’s reign in Aquilonia, extending even to the borders of Zamora, Shem and Stygia. Growing their empire is indeed a pastime for the Turanian Kings. Now Ruled by King Yezdigerd, the Turanian Empire shows no sign of slowing it growth, although the Zuagirs, Kozaks and other races hinder its destiny within the West.

## **Description**

* Turanians are dark, tall and slender with naturally light-yellow skin that is darkened by the sun and wind to a deep brown. When it comes to hair and eye color brown, dark brown, black and rarely light brown is often seen. Their men wear mustaches often and beards are often seen as well.
* Lemurians, having escaped their sunken homeland, have been enslaved in ages past. Thousands of years later, they overthrow their masters and slowly started to build a semi civilization, creating Hykanian Tribes. The Turanian Empire is built upon the foundation of a large Hyrkanian force that swept out of the east on their horses.. They conquered the indigenous aboriginal people that lived in the region near the Vilayet Sea.

## **Clothing**

Men typically have facial hair and where turbans, sashes and loose-fitting trousers. The warriors wear Gold-speared helmets, white silk shirts, sleeveless mail, baggy trousers and tiger-skin cloaks. One type of clothing is a talismanic shirt, which is a tunic or shirt decorated with holy images and symbols. Talismanic shirts are believed to offer good luck or even work as armor.

Women are often veiled. In more conservative circles, usually the upper classes, the women favors the Khalat, a long costume that conceals the entire body.

Slaves or performers usually wear little more then belted tunics or Gomleks. Some wear vests or halter-tops and slim belts with two strips of silk depending from the center in-front and back. Most slaves in Turan are foreign, so they do not wear veils, although Turanian dancing girls do.

## **Behavior and Characteristics**

* Turanians believe that their civilization is superior because of this they also believe that their ways of doing things is the only way to advance in society. They teach particular protocols to be practiced in court, in the baths, in the street and in almost every aspect of their lives.
* Turanians are proud people, pleased with the imperialism of their leaders and the wealth brought to them in tribute from subjugated people.
* Slaves can rise to become rules and then might fall again, just to rise once more.
* There are three attributes that define the ruling class of Turanians; The Turanian must claim loyalty to the king and Turan, show knowledge of the culture, language and the Turanian Way as well as practice the warship of Turanian gods. Without these attributes, a person is simply considered to be a subject of the Turanian Empire. These attributes can be gained - or lost - by virtually anyone.

## **Religion**

**Deities:**

* Erlik and Tarim
* Ishtar
* Ormazd
* Other Hyrkanian Gods

The people of Turan worship what is known as the ‘living Tarim’ and Erlik. Erlik is known as a harsh god, who believes in the tempering of the soul through trials and deprivation. His tenets, as realvaled by Tarim, forbid fornication, the consumption of alcohol and usury.

Any follower of Erlik call foreign gods ‘Thutala’ or his minion.

Turanians living near Koth or Shem have added Ishtar to their gods, calling her Yenagra. She has alabaster skin and is otherwise warshipped as the Kothic Ishtar, though a little more restrained in terms of warship.

Some Turanians warship Ahriman and other bizarre deities, such as Ormazd, a bright god who battles the devil. Ahriman.

## **Government**

**Ruler:** King Yezdigerd, also titled as 'Grand Sultan'

**Government Type:** Hereditary Monarchy, Imperialism

The top ring of Turanian social ladder is the ruling class. The ruling class are effectively the vessels of the King, their job is to enlarge, protect and exploit the resources of Turan in their Kings name. The ruling class includes the clergy, the nobility, the administrators and the military.

Under the Ruling Class is the three productive classes.

The first being the farmers. Farmers comprise the main bulk of Turan’s Citizens. The average farm is large enough for subsistence farming but since a portion of each crop must be sold to pay taxes, a farmer’s wife would often make crafts to supplement their income. Farms in Turan are rarely isolated entities. Usually farmers congregate into villages and all of it peoples farm around the village.

The second of these classes are the craftsmen. Craftsmen often live in towns and sometimes even in the cities. A town known for it particular craft will be home to craftsmen who are skilled in that product. This allows for superior products and promotes the trade engine for which Turan is famous for.

The third, and last of the productive classes are the merchants. Merchants tend to be found in the cities and often specialize within the cities. Merchants who specialize in foreign trade tend to congregate in Aghrapur, while merchants who specialize in selling crop attend to live in other cities.

Outside of these basic social classes, is another group; Mainly the slaves. Slaves are not a considered part of the social structure of Turan although they are very present within their Society

## **Economy and common Professions**

Turan attends to build its wealth by trading goods from distant realms and extracting tribute from its subjects, though fear and other means. Built along the gorgeous shores of the Vilayet Sea, most of Turan’s internal trade goes via ships protected by Turan’s purple-sailed war galleys. Mule trains haul goods along caravan trials into the interior and south of the Vilayet, connecting with with routes from Iranistan, Vandhya and Khitai. Trade to the west crosses the Kharamun Desert to Zamboula, Turan’s caravan crossroads.

These caravans are often loaded with figs, grapes, olive oil, nuts, sesame, dates, barley, wheat, tobacco, coffee, tea, dried fruit, chestnuts, rice, sugar and spies. Trade in dried fruit, both domestic and international, is vital to Turan; dried fruit serves as a sweetener in most Hyborian Age kingdoms due to the high price of cane sugar. Trade good's of Turan also include human goods.

## **Sex Roles and Marriage**

Turanian society is patriarchal and patrilineal meaning; for the most part men hold higher positions than women. However, the women have far more freedom and power than women do in other patriarchal cultures such as the Hyborian Kingdoms to the west. In Turan women enjoy power, influence, and economic opportunities and can be involved in the military as well as own their own businesses.

## **Slavery**

The human trade is far-reaching. Many peoples of the Brythunian, Nemedian, Stygian, Shemite, Zamorian, Darfari and Kushite all find themselves on the slave blocks of Turan. Slaves not only perform labor the Turnians feel is beneath them but also work as spies for the Turanians and as pawns in their games of power and intrigue. The slave market of Turan are described as ‘glutted’. Demand for slaves in Turan is high but the supply is so plentiful that slaves are not expensive. Turanians are regarded as harsh masters, though many salves escape into the steppe, joining the Kozaki in order to lash back at their former overlords.