SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

CURRENCY
The most common coin among adventuring types is the piece of silver, usually abbreviated sp. Large quantities of
money are paid as golden lunas (gl). There are 10 pieces of silver to one golden luna. Technically only Aquilonia mints
golden lunas; but they are common throughout the Hyborian nations and many other countries issue gold coins of
similar size and purity, which are regarded as equal in worth to the golden luna.
Pieces of silver are scored so as to allow them to be easily cut or broken into halves or quarters. This enables purchases
valued at less than 1 sp to be made. For items valued at less than sp, barter or buying in bulk are the only real
options.

MELEE WEAPONS
Type
Blades
Broadsword
Dagger
Great Sword
Sword
War Sword
Axes, Flails and Mauls
Axe
Battle Axe
Club
Flail
Great Axe
Maul
War Club
War Hammer
Pole Arms
Lance
Pike
Pole-axe
Spear
Staff

Damage

Weight

Cost

Notes

Str+d8
Str+d4
Str+d10
Str+d6
Str+d8

8
1
12
4
10

300
25
400
200
350

khopesh, scimitar
jambiya
Parry -1, 2 hands; great scimitar
saber
Parry 1, may be wielded 2 hands for +1 damage

Str+d6
Str+d8
Str+d4
Str+d6
Str+d10
Str+d10
Str+d8
Str+d6

2
10
2
8
15
20
12
8

200
300
5
200
500
400
200
250

Ignores Shield Parry and Cover bonus

AP 1, Parry 1, 2 hands
AP 2 vs. metal armor, AP 1, Parry 1, 2 hands
2 hands
AP 1 vs. metal armor; mace

Str+d8
Str+d8
Str+d8
Str+d6
Str+d4

10
25
15
5
8

300
400
250
100
10

AP 2 when charging, Reach 2, mounted combat only

Reach 2, 2 hands
Reach 1, 2 hands
Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands; or Reach 1, 1 hand
Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands

RANGED WEAPONS
Type
Axe, Throwing
Bow
Bow, Composite
Bow, Hyrkanian
Bow, Long
Crossbow
Knife/Dagger
Sling
Spear
Ammunition
Arrow

Range
3/6/12
12/24/48
12/24/48
15/30/60
15/30/60
15/30/60
3/6/12
4/8/16
3/6/12

Damage
Str+d6
2d6
2d6
2d6+1
2d6
2d6
Str+d4
Str+d4
Str+d6

ROF
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Cost
75
250
300
500
200
500
25
10
100

Weight
2
3
5
6
5
10
1
1
5

Min Str.
d6
d8
d8
d8
d6
d6

1/2

1/5

Notes

AP 1
AP 1
AP 2, 1 action to reload

javelin

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

Quarrel
Sling stone

ARMOR

Type
Chain/ lamellar/scale hauberk
Chain/lamellar/scale corselet
Hard leather bracers
Hard leather corselet
Hard leather greaves
Metal bracers
Metal cuirass
Metal greaves
Helmet, Open
Helmet, Full
Shields**
Shield, small
Shield, medium
Shield, large

1/5
1/10

2
1/20

Armor
+2
+2
+1
+1
+1
+3
+3
+3
+3
+3

Weight*
25
13
4
7
5
10
25
12
4
8

Cost
300
200
10
30
15
200
400
300
75
150

Notes
Covers torso, arms, legs
Covers torso
Covers arms
Covers torso
Covers legs
Covers arms
Covers torso
Covers legs
50% vs. head shot
Covers head

8
12
20

25
50
200

+1 Parry
+1 Parry, +2 Armor vs. ranged shots that hit
+2 Parry, +2 Armor vs. ranged shots that hit

*This is effective weight when worn. Most armor weighs quite a bit more when carried rather than worn
**Shields protect only against attacks from the front and left.

QUALITY OF MATERIAL

In Hyboria the science of metallurgy is still in its infancy and many cultures use primitive materials to build weapons
and other tools. The most common materials, in descending order of hardness, are: steel, iron, bronze, stone, bone,
wood. Iron weapons and armor are common only in the more civilized regions of Hyboria. In the other lands they are
rare and cost double.
The effects of having weapons of different grades of hardness are the following:
When a fighter rolls 1 on the Fighting Die, regardless of the Wild Die, and his opponent is using a weapon, shield or
armor of harder material, the fighters weapon breaks. The Game Master should not abuse this rule and use it only
when it fits the story.

THE RIDDLE OF STEEL

Steel, in truth high-carbon iron, is the magical metal of Beasts and Barbarians. Steel was produced in small quantities
at the height of the Empire by the priest smiths of Hulian, but the technique to smelt it is lost today, especially because
very few forges can achieve the necessary temperatures.
So, steel objects are prized relics and treasures.
A weapon made of steel has AP 1, while armor gains +1 Armor and weighs 25% less. They are hard to come by, but as
a general guide, steel weapons and armor cost five times their standard cost.
AKBITANAN STEEL WEAPONS
The expertise of the Akbitanan smiths combines with a superb source of high-grade steel mined locally to the city to
produce weapons that have near-perfect balance, unsurpassed hardness and a strength and flexibility that renders
them almost indestructible. Akbitanan weapons can generally be found for sale only in Akbitana itself these weapons
are so famed that the smiths of that city have more than enough business without actively exporting their wares.
Akbitanan weapons have AP 2 and grants +1 Fighting. An Akbitanan weapon is almost priceless and costs ten times
the cost of the base weapon.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

ANIMALS & TACK

Type
Camel
Camel, pack
Camel, racing
Horse
Horse, war
Horse, work
Saddle
Elaborate saddle
Horse barding (+3 Protection)

SLAVES

Type
Slave, female, beautiful
Slave, female, common
Slave, female, high-born, educated, beautiful
Slave, male, rebellious savage
Slave, male, work-shy criminal
Slave, male, hard-working and submissive

Cost
240
180
2250
300
750
225
10
50
1250

Cost
400
200
1000
30
50
100

Any slave bought to order costs double the standard price but the buyer can specify details such as nationality, hair
and eye colour and physique.
Slavery is not much practised in the Hyborian nations, though the serfs and peasants of these supposedly civilised
lands are virtually enslaved by their feudal overlords. Shem, Zamora and the lands beyond them practise slavery
openly and without compunction, keeping their slaves cowed with regular beatings.
The Hyrkanians are particularly keen to capture slaves, though at present the slave markets of Turan are glutted with
produce, so successful have the Hyrkanian slavers been. Assume all slave prices are one-tenth of normal in Turan.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

SKILLS
LANGUAGES

Hyboria feature characters and cultures who typically speak many different languages. Your hero knows his cultural or
national language plus an additional number of languages equal to half his Smarts die.
Additional languages may be purchased as Knowledge (Language) skill, 1 point for a language within your national
languages root family; 2 points for one outside.
Each time a hero increases in Rank they receive a free language. They must choose the language from any they have
recently been exposed to while adventuring.
The main Hyborian languages, grouped by root family, are:
HYBORIAN
Aquilonian
Argossean
Argot of the Border Kingdom
Corinthian
Nemedian
Ophirian
SHEMITISH
Kothic
Shemitish
BRYTHUNIAN
Brythunian
ZINGARAN
Zingaran

KHARI

Hyporborean

Khitan

Stygian
ATLANTEAN
Cimmerian
Nordheimr
Pictish
HYRKANIAN
Hyrkanian
Turanian
VILAYET
Ghulistani
Iranistani

BLACK KINGDOMS
Amazonian
Darfari
Keshani
Kushite
Puntian
Zembabwan
VENDHYAN
Kosalan
Meruvian
Vendhyan

ZAMORAN
Zamoran

There are also several ancient languages, which, while no longer spoken, are used in many arcane and diabolical
writings. They include: Ancient Stygian, Acheronian, Atlantean, Lemurian and Valusian.

LITERACY
Hyboria is a very illiterate world. So, as per the standard game rules, almost all the characters should have the Illiterate
Hindrance. Yet, this would cause a generic flattening of the heroes. Hence, the Hindrance is ignored and each player is
allowed to decide if his hero knows how to read and write or not (depending on the heros background). Illiterate
characters have an extra Skill point, to be spent on a Smarts based skill.
Characters can become literate during the game by spending a levelling option.

KNOWLEDGE

The following are the most useful areas of knowledge Skills in this setting.
Arcana. It covers the vast field of magic, the occult and the supernatural.
Battle. Useful for mass combats.
History. It covers the knowledge of the past.
Legends and Lore. From common folklore to knowledge of myths and fantastic creatures and places.
Religion. It covers all the religious matters. In some cases, it can also be used, with a penalty, to cover Arcana, Legends
and Lore matters.
Specific Area. Its focus can be the Hyborian Kingdoms, Nordheim, Southern Lands, Eastern Lands, or a specific city or
country.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

NEW HINDRANCES
IRASCIBLE (MINOR)

The hero cannot stand insults of any kind and is ready to react to them. Besides effects on role playing, he also suffers
2 to resisting Taunts or Smarts based Tricks. As partial compensation, a hero with the Berserk Edge can apply a 1 to
the Smarts roll to go into the berserk state.

FEAR OF MAGIC (MINOR/MAJOR)

Magic is always mistrusted in Hyboria, but the hero is a particular case: he truly dreads it. He tries in every way to
avoid the supernatural and even friendly magic. In case of the Major Hindrance, his revulsion also prevents him from
using magical objects, Lotus potions included. Whenever forced to face or use magic, the character must make a Fear
roll.

NEW EDGES
BACKGROUND EDGES
BRUTE

Requirements: Novice, Strength d6+, Vigor d6+

This Edge represents the bad side of barbarism (while Savage represents its good side). This hero has the strong, feral
attributes of a beast and looks with open disdain at the decadence of civilization. His philosophy is simple and clear:
the strong survive, the weak succumb.
In combat, he unleashes his primitive nature; this causes all melee attacks to be made at an additional +1 to damage
rolls.

FALLEN NOBLE

Requirements: Novice
A staple of heroic fantasy is the fallen noble, an important man or woman who has somehow lost his or her birthrights.
This is a reworked version of the Noble Edge, to be used with this type of background.
A Fallen Noble has +1 Charisma. He has a certain amount of social importance, but not as much as if he occupied his
rightful position. In addition, he can choose one of these three advantages.
Follower. A servant of some type accompanies the hero. He can be a faithful retainer, a sworn defender, a teacher or
whoever the character wishes. He is a Henchman and his stats are set by the Game Master. If the follower dies, he
isnt replaced. When the hero reaches the Veteran rank, he can promote the follower to Wild Card status by spending
advancement.
Bag of Gold. The hero has lost his privileges but he has saved some money, at least. He starts with three times the
standard amount of funds.
Heirloom. The hero owns a minor relic, decided by the Game Master.
If the Fallen Noble manages to regain his status, this Edge is replaced by the standard Noble Edge, but the character
maintains the follower, money, or heirloom he chose when taking this Edge.

FORMER GLADIATOR

Requirements: Novice, Agility d6+, Fighting d8+, Intimidation d6+

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

The hero is a veteran of the sun scorched arenas of Hyboria he doesn`t know the meaning of the words fair fight,
but he knows how to scare opponents to death. If he succeeds in an Intimidation test against an adjacent opponent, he
receives a free Fighting attack. This attack does not incur a Multiaction penalty.

SAVAGE

Requirements: Novice, Survival d8+

This hero was either born in the bitter mountains of north, or lived in the lush jungles of the south. Whatever his
origin, he is the typical noble savage, perfectly at ease in the nature. He perceives incoming danger by smelling the
air, climbs cliffs and tall trees with the agility of a monkey and instinctively recognizes the right herbs to cure wounds
and diseases.
While in a natural environment (so this Edge doesnt work in ruins, cities or underground), he has the two following
advantages when using the Healing, Notice and Climbing skills.
First, if his skill is lower than his controlling attribute, he can roll using the attribute value instead of the skill value (so
Agility instead of Climbing and Smarts instead of Healing and Notice). If the skill is equal or higher than the
controlling attribute, he gains +1 to the skill roll.
Second, he never suffers penalties for lack of equipment on these skills.

COMBAT EDGES
LOINCLOTH HERO/BIKINI HEROINE

Requirements: Wild Card, Novice, Agility d8+, Vigor d6+

Comics, movies and books always depict bare-chested barbarians fighting hordes of enemies without suffering the
slightest scratch. They also show scantily dressed amazons engaging in savage melees with bug-eyed creatures and
finishing their fight with no more than tousled hair.
This Edge allows you to emulate this cinematic way of fighting. So, a hero or heroine with this Edge can make a free
soak roll for each attack while unarmored. To get the bonus, a character must have no torso armor on (shields are
allowed). If he wants, he can wear bracers, greaves or a helm, but these are only cosmetic, granting no armor bonus.

LOINCLOTH GOD/BIKINI GODDESS

Requirements: Wild Card, Heroic, Dodge, Loincloth Hero/Bikini Heroine, Vigor d8+
While bare-chested, your hero is rarely threatened by minor attacks. As long as unarmored, the sheer power of his
cool, barbaric appearance raises his Wild Die by one step when soaking wounds (usually from d6 to d8). In addition,
once per session, he can add his Charisma, if positive, to a single Soak roll.

ONE HAND AND A HALF

Requirements: Seasoned, Agility d6+, Fighting d8+, Strength d6+

Your heroine has mastered the technique of fighting with a one-handed weapon using two hands. This versatile
fighting style allows her to strike harder blows or perform nimble defenses. When fighting with a one-handed weapon
at least of medium size (Str+d6 damage or greater), she can use it two handed. In this case, she cannot use a shield but
gains one of the two following benefits: +1 to damage rolls or +1 Parry. The character can switch from a bonus to the
other with a free action, but she must decide this at the beginning of her turn.

STRONG ARM

Requirements: Seasoned, Strength d6+, Shooting d6+ or Throwing d6+

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

Your character has an exceptionally powerful arm and this influences how far he can throw spears, sling projectiles,
daggers, and other muscle-propelled distance weapons. This Edge applies to every ranged weapon that deals damage
based on Strength, as a throwing axe or a sling. It doesnt work with fixed damage weapons, like bows.
It increases the range brackets of these weapons by 50% (round fractions down).
To keep the modified ranges consistent with the other weapons, first calculate Short range and then multiply it
by 2 and by 4 to obtain Medium and Long ranges. So, a throwing axe (Range: 3/6/12), used with this Edge will have
range brackets of 4/8/16, not 4/9/16.

TOOTH AND NAIL

Requirements: Veteran, Nerves of Steel

No matter how hard you punish this hero, each wound inflicted is only another reason to stand up and grin. The
character receives +1 to damage rolls for each Wound he currently has, up to +2.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

RELIGION
NAME
Ajujo

CULTURE
Black Kingdoms

Anu
Ashtoreth
Asura

Ophir
Shem
Vendhya,
Iranistan
Zamora, Shem

Bel
Bori
Crom
Dagon

DOMAINS
Combat, Luck,
Plague
Demi
Fertility, Strength
Demi
Fertility, Protection
Intermediate Healing, Illusion,
Knowledge, Serpents
Lesser
Chaos, Death,
Trickery
Demi
Strength, War
Demi
(none)
Lesser
Protection, Water,
Weather
Lesser
Death, Evil, Serpents

SEX
Male

Demi

ALIASES

Male
Female
Male
Unknown The Masked God
Male
Male
Male

The Grim Grey God

Male

Set (Stygia)

Female

Derketa (Black Kingdoms)

Intermediate Death, Knowledge,

Prophecy
Demi
Blood, Trickery

Male

The God of the Yellow

Hand of Death

Keshan
Zamboula,
Vendhya
Stygia

Demi (?)
Demi

Male
Male

Stygia, Nemedia

Demi
Lesser

Demi
Demi

Beast, Strength

Male

Gullah (Pictland)

Female

The Black Mother

Nebethet

Shem, Koth,
Khauran, Khoraja
Pictland, Black
Kingdoms
Ghanata (Darfar),
Picts
Black Kingdoms,
Picts
Vendhya,
Ghulistan
Western
Kingdoms
Punt

Darkness, Prophecy
Beast, Illusion,
Knowledge
Animal, Knowledge,
War
Knowledge, Magic,
Protection
Earth, Healing,
Fertility, Seduction
Beast, Chaos,
Strength
Air, Law, Strength

Nergal

Shem

Pteor

Shem

Damballah
Derketo
Erlik
Golden
Peacock
Gwahlur
Hanuman
Harakht,
Hawk-God of
Ibis
Ishtar
Jhebbal Sag
Jhil
Jullah
Kali
Mitra

Hyperborea
Cimmeria
Shem, Black
Kingdoms
Zembabwei, Black
Kingdoms
Stygia, Shem,
Black Kingdoms
Turan, Hyrkania

STATUS
Demi

Shem

Demi

Lesser

Lesser

Healing, Seduction

Death, Fertility,
Healing, War
Intermediate Good, Healing,
Protection, Sun
Demi
Death, Luck,
Prophecy
Lesser
Destruction, Plague,
War
Lesser
Air, Fertility,
Strength

Unknown

The King of Darkness

Lord of the Black Throne

Male
Male
Female
Male

Earth-Mother, ShubNiggurath
Lord of Beasts

Male

Male
Female

The Ivory Goddess

Male
Male

Adonis

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

Set

Stygia, Shem,
Black Kingdoms

Intermediate Death, Evil, Magic,

Serpents, Weather

Male

Wiccana
Xotli
Yajur
Yama
Ymir

Brythunia
Atlantis
Kosala
Meru
Nordheim

Demi
Demi
Demi
Demi
Demi

Female
Unknown
Unknown The God of Yota-Pong
Male
King of Devils
Male
The Frost Giant

Yog

Darfar, Zuagirs

Demi

Yun
Zath

Khitai
Zamora

Lesser
Demi

Healing, Plant
Blood, Evil
Death, Prophecy
Evil, Fire
Destruction,
Strength, War
Bats, Blood,
Darkness
Guardian, Plant
Darkness, Spiders

Father Set, The Great

Serpent, Damballah (Black
Kingdoms)
Nature Goddess

Unknown The Lord of Empty Abodes

Male?
Unknown Omm, The Spider-God of
Yezud

GODS AND DEMONS

ASURA
Most Vendhyans worship Asura, who teaches that life is illusory and the only final truth comes after death, in the light
of the soul. The cult devotes itself to "penetrating the veil of illusion of life".
Asuras doctrines reveal that all beings reincarnate, and that the purpose of life is the paying of the karmic debt against
the soul. Each evil act extends the cycle of reincarnation; each good act shortens it. Those who suffer earned their trials
in previous lives; they are not to be pitied.
The Priesthood
Some priests of Asura wander the land as beggar-priests, while others are members of the upper caste of Vendhyan
society, the Brahma, who are scholars and rulers. All participate in rituals of meditation and purification, including
ritual baths in the holy rivers of Vendhya.
The priests command the lowest caste, the Untouchables, during cremation ceremonies, where the dead are burned to
dust on great funeral pyres, their ashes blessed and spread on the winds. Anyone not properly cremated may rise as
undead.

BEL
Bel, god of thieves, appears in some versions of the Shemitish myth-cycle, and his rather peripheral episodes are
thought to be later additions to the myth.
Bel is worshipped, however; the Zuagir nomads and the thieves of Asgalun point to his exploits to prove that their
nefarious acts are blessed by the gods.
According to legend, in the time of the Elder Gods, Bel used his dark powers to conjure up an army of undead thieves,
with which to plunder the wealth of all nations. In desperation, the people of Shem called on the goddess Ashtoreth for

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

help. In the ensuing battle, the goddess severed Bel's sixth arm. Thereafter, Bel was driven into exile in present-day
Zamora.
The Priesthood
Bel is worshipped, or at least paid lip service, by all who "earn" their living as thieves, outlaws and beggars.
The priesthood of Bel is independent in each major city or region, to prevent the frequent actions against one thieves'
guild or temple from spilling over and affecting others. In areas with a single strong thieves' guild, the temple or shrine
to Bel is usually connected to the guild hall via underground tunnels. In large cities with competing guilds, such as
Arenjun, the temple is in an underground location and is recognized as neutral ground by all sides.

CROM

To maintain their benefits, priests of Bel may never buy or trade for anything. Should they slip, Bel can only be
appeased by a sacrifice of stolen goods ten times the value of the item purchased.
Priests of Bel speak their own secret language.
Crom, the grim Lord of the Mound, lives atop a great mountain, sending forth dooms and death, caring little for
mankind save to breathe into man's soul the power to strive and slay. He is the chief god of the Cimmerians.
The Cimmerians believe in a gloomy afterlife in which the souls of the dead will wander Crom's grey realm aimlessly.
It is useless to call upon Crom for aid "because he is a gloomy, savage god, and he hates weaklings".
The Priesthood
Crom has few followers and no priests. Crom does not care to share his divine power with mortals. It is enough that he
breathes life into mortals when they are born.
Cimmerian religious ceremonies are minimal at best (prayers and supplications are useless, for it is better not to
disturb this god lest he be resentful). Certainly ritual human sacrifice is not practiced -- for no Cimmerian would
passively allow himself to be served up on an altar.

DAMBALLAH

In the Black Kingdoms, Set is known and worshipped under the name Damballah.
Nowhere except Stygia is worship of the snake-god as prominent as in Zembabwei, where one of its twin kings is the
high priest of Damballah.
Deep in the trackless jungles of the south, in the forbidden city of Old Zembabwei which is closed to foreigners, the
altars of Damballah run crimson with human sacrifice. It is whispered that on the night of sacrifice, the very moon
itself burns red with the blood of those who are offered up in pain and torment to the Old Serpent.
The Priesthood
The priests of Damballah are tribal witch-doctors and shamans. They are in essence worshipping a guise of Set, but are
granted somewhat different powers. There is some enmity between the followers of Damballah and the snake-priests
of Stygia as to their god's true nature and methods of worship.
The current high priest of Damballah is Nenaunir, one of Zembabwei's twin kings. He is said to rule three million
black savages from his Skull Throne. His brother Mbega opposes the cult of the Slithering God and supports the
worship of Zembabwei's ancestor spirits.

DERKETO

A prominent goddess worshiped widely throughout Hyboria, Derketo's followers have varying belief systems. Most
often though, she is considered a god of fertility and sex. Her worship is centered in its origin state of Shem, but has
spread to the southern nations including Stygia and Kush. Her symbol is universally the fish, which gives life and
sustenance to all.
In Stygia, Derketo's temples serve as lavish brothels for the wealthy. Any Stygian city worth the title has at least one
grand temple to the goddess where her priestesses ply their trade in order to earn wealth for the temple. Initiation to
the order includes serving as a concubine to either a Stygian noble or high ranking member of Set's cult. The leaders of

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

Set's cult, however, frown on the practices. Their hand is stayed against her by the nobles and merchants of the land.
Her holidays include wild drunken orgies during both the equinox and harvest period of the year.
In Shem she is associated with the river Styx for its life providing properties. In Kush she is regarded as the dark queen
of the dead, Derketa.
Derketo is also a seductress deity, a temptress who epitomises the essence of independent womanhood and a willing
descent into uninhibited sexuality. The rites are among the most orgiastic of Stygia's religions. The dancers and
priestesses of Derketo are also temple prostitutes, finding sex is the best way to capture and hold onto male
worshippers. The exotic techniques taught in the temples of Derketo are extremely intense and debased. Her sacred
prostitutes are considered the embodiment of Derketo herself.
Men and women pray to her for fertility and sexual virility. Derketo does not listen to men unless the man making the
plea visits her cult and partakes of her prostitutes. All young women in most Stygian cities, especially Luxur, are
required to go to the Temple of Derketo to learn about sexuality and freedom.
The Stygians have great temples to Derketo in Luxur. Derketo is also part of the Shemite pantheon and is worshipped
in Zembabwei where she is the consort of Dagon, the underworld god.
The Orgy Festival of Derketo
The orgy festival of Derketo begins with an exhibitionist show of dancers, priests and priestesses engaged in various
sexual acts. The finale involves those in the audience joining in what becomes a mass, public orgy. Similar to the
worship of Pteor in Shem, even bestiality is typically part of the show. Unlike Shem's orgies, necrophilia is included.
For the three days of the festival, some cities release participants of any marital obligations in regards to fidelity. The
priests of Set often bring out various snakes for sexual use.

ERLIK

The Hyrkanian god Erlik is a figure shrouded in mystery and legend. Even though he is the supreme deity of the
Hyrkanians and their younger kin, the Turanians, very little is known about Erlik.
According to Hyrkanian myth, Erlik was the first man on earth, but he was not given a soul by the Creator. When
Erlik tried to create life by himself, he was banished into the depths of the earth, where he claims the dead ("those that
lack breath") for his own.
Erlik is also known under the title "the God of the Yellow Hand of Death".
Erlik would be a minor god were it not for the prophet known as Living Tarim. Tarim brought Erlik worship from a
remote region known as Pathenia to a group of Hyrkanian tribes who, with the strength of their religious fervor, swept
down and founded the Turanian empire.
Erlik is a harsh god, who believes in the tempering of the soul through trials and deprivation. His tenets, as revealed by
Tarim, forbid fornication, the consumption of alcohol and usury. However, even most of his priests ignore these
precepts.
The Priesthood
Clerics of Erlik (and Living Tarim) who follow the strict codes of the Revelations of Tarim are able to master terrible
necromancy. Among their powers is the ability to sink into the earth and command undead. Priests of Erlik must
always be male.

GWAHLUR
In the mythology of Keshan, the jungled land south of Stygia, Gwahlur is known and worshipped as the king of
darkness, a demonic creature that revels in destruction and death. It is said that in the birth of the world, the other
gods wrenched the teeth from the awful jaws of Gwahlur, and commanded them to be hidden.
The center of Gwahlur worship is Alkmeenon, a hidden city which is taboo to all Keshians except the priests of that
land. Beneath the ruined palace of Alkmeenon, there exists a series of caverns, each with a hideous idol of a god or
demon (images, perhaps, of Gwahlur, or of the gods that cooperated to steal his teeth). Only priests know how to
unlock the bronze gates leading to these tunnels. During ceremonies, the priests make their way into each chamber

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

and chant before each idol before moving into the next chamber. Darkness, which seems to consume and eat
torchlight, hides the true size of each cave.
The worship of Gwahlur was brought to Keshan by the Shemites who founded the city of Alkmeenon. It is thus
probable that cults or servants of Gwahlur still exist in Shem.
The Priesthood
Much secrecy and superstition surround the myths of Gwahlur. Evidence seems to suggest that the priests of Keshia
are not in fact priests of Gwahlur, but worship other gods of the jungle, such as Dagon, Derketa and Damballah. These
gods might have tasked the priesthood to guard the sacred gems known as the Teeth of Gwahlur, and to perform
rituals that keep Gwahlur chained or imprisoned somewhere. As such, the true might of Gwahlur can only be guessed
at.
The black priests of Keshan dress in leopardskin tunics, their heads decorated with ostrich plumes. They use
invocations spoken in the ancient tongue of Alkmeenon, handed down from generation to generation of high priests.
The former high priest, Gorulga, was killed by bestial corpse-eaters during an expedition to Alkmeenon.

HANUMAN

One "civilized" animal cult is that of Hanuman the ape-god, worshipped in Zamboula. Hanuman's priests are feared
rather than loved, but worship of the ape-god is still supreme in Zamboula (much to the chagrin of the rival priests of
Set and Erlik).
Hanuman's temple stands alone in the midst of a broad, marble-paved square in Zamboula, surrounded by a marble
wall. The great bronze doors of the temple have stood open for centuries. In the day men and women come timidly
into the shrine and place offerings to the ape-god on the black altar, but at night the people shun the temple of
Hanuman as hares shun the lair of a serpent.
Hanuman worship is thought to have come from Vendhya. The dark ape-god is probably worshipped in Kosala and
other remote parts of the East as well.
The Priesthood
Hanuman has few, but powerful priests, who practice human sacrifice. One unusual ritual of the cult is the Dance of
the Cobras, in which a young girl is made to dance between four live cobras, dodging their venomous fangs until,
inevitably, she tires and falls to her death.
The current high priest of Hanuman in Zamboula is Totrasmek, who is reputedly a mongrel -- probably part
Hyborian, part Shemite. He plays a very active part in the politics of Zamboula, having spun his slimy webs of power
throughout the city for years.

IBIS

Ibis is a lesser Stygian god, opposed to Set. The priests of Ibis were driven from Stygia ages ago by the snakeworshippers of Set.
Ibis is a god of knowledge, learning and magic. Priests of Ibis are scholars, sages, doctors and diviners.
Ibis is not generous with his knowledge, but neither is he covetous of it. For those who work long and hard at research
and science, he is a faithful source of information. His worshippers claim that Ibis is omniscient.
It is said that Ibis maintains a set of three great books in which all knowledge is recorded. These books are locked away
at the heart of a great crypt.
The Priesthood
The priests of Ibis sometimes ally with the priests of Mitra against their common enemy, the snake-worshipping cult
of Set.
The wizard-priest Karanthes is sometimes referred to as "the last priest of Ibis".

ISHTAR

Ishtar, the ancient Mother Goddess, is worshipped in rich temples and at lavish shrines with rituals of blood sacrifice
and orgiastic frenzy performed before sensuously carved idols of ivory.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

For those who serve her, Ishtar bestows bountiful harvests and many children in exchange for sacrifice. The voluptous
temple prostitutes which are found in Ishtar's temples are well known even outside the lands where the goddess is
worshipped.
Ishtar is worshipped in Shem, Ophir, Argos, Koth, Khoraja, Khauran and Zamora, and has small cults elsewhere. She
is also known under such diverse names as Ishnigarrab, Shupnikkurat and Shub-Niggurath.
Unlike Mitra worship, which uses the altar only as a focus, Shemites believe that their gods actually inhabit their
omnipresent brass idols. These idols are caricatures: the swollen breasts and belly of Ishtar appear repulsive to the
more refined worshippers of Mitra.
The Priesthood
Ishtar has both male and female priests. Their ceremonies include the blood sacrifice of animals.

JHEBBAL SAG
All animals, including man, once worshipped Jhebbal Sag, the Lord of Beasts, and spoke the same language. Now,
most have forgotten, and only the largest, smartest and strongest animals remember the earliest days.
Those who remember are bound together, however, and can be controlled by one who serves Jhebbal Sag and knows
the language of the animals.
In most cases the only men to remember the ancient language of Jhebbal Sag are those who are descended from his
loins. According to legend, there are groves throughout Pictland and the Black Kingdoms where the old Beast Lord
sometimes still visits and takes his pleasure among the females of the animal kingdom. Sometimes he mates with a
pantheress, doe, or a woman. And from these matings come a steady supply of exceptional creatures who are brothers
in spirit as well as blood. By demonstrating the power of the Call of Jhebbal Sag, the priests of Jhebbal Sag prove to be
of the old god's blood.
A god of all beasts who lurk in the wild places, and men who act as beasts, fang and claw are the laws of Jhebbal Sag.
The satisfaction of his primordial needs are his goals. For millions of years he has loped through his wild lands in the
form of one great beast or another; for such is his pleasure. When man came he added them to his stable. From him
they learned to rip and tear one another like beasts.
Jhebbal Sag is the leader of the animal gods (including Jullah the black gorilla-god and Jhil, the nighted god of ravens)
and all of the other animal totems serve him.
Jhebbal Sag is worshipped almost universally in the Black Kingdoms, as well as among the tribes of the Pictish
Wilderness.
The Priesthood
Priests of Jhebbal Sag are usually shamans or witch doctors of a tribe. They hear the whisper of the Beast-Lord on the
wind, bring meat to his altars in sacrifice, and bring women to his sacred groves.
In addition to being able to summon and speak with the animals who serve the Lord of Beasts, the priests of Jhebbal
Sag also learn the secret of the magical Symbol of Jhebbal Sag, an ancient, mystic sign which even the wildest animal is
cowed before, and draws not near.
Ajaga, Beast-King of Abombi, was a priest of Jhebbal Sag.

MITRA

Mitra, the primary god of the Hyborians, is a benevolent god, believed to be all-pervasive and without form, although
he is often pictured as a tall man with wide-set, piercing eyes, curly hair and a patriarchal beard. Mitra takes no living
sacrifices, although the temple takes extensive tithes in money and services.
Mitra is worshipped in Aquilonia, Argos, Corinthia, Nemedia, Ophir and Zingara.
According to Mitraic belief, each person is called to a virtuous life. It is the obligation of each individual to follow the
tenets of the faith of Mitra, which include truthfulness, honor and trustworthiness. In Mitras tenets, telling a lie or
betraying a friend are mortal sins.
Mitra holds his priests to even more strict behavior. Priests of Mitra must remain celibate and must abstain from all
alcohol and mind-altering drugs.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

One of Mitras most potent aspects is as the Defender, protecting Hyborians from evil sorcery, most specifically from
his ancient enemy, the serpent-god Set.
The Priesthood
In addition to performing their service to the deity, priests of Mitra act as keepers of ancient lore and wisdom. Above
all, they seek to oppose the evils of the priesthood of Set.
Priests of Mitra must tithe 1/4th of their income to one of the god's temples. The greatest temples are found in
Nemedia and Aquilonia.

NEBETHET
Nebethet, the Ivory Goddess of Punt, is worshipped primarily there, although some Shemitish scholars equate her with
Derketo. She is also known as the Queen of Darkness and Mistress of the Night.
Her traditional image is of a voluptuous woman with the head of a skull, although recent visitors to the shrine report
that the original statue has been replaced by one appearing more human.
The Shrine of Nebethet is a round, domed temple located leagues east of Kassali. The white marble shrine is designed
to look like a giant silver skull. The people of Punt come to her for advice, since she is supposedly all-knowing and
gives spoken omens through her image.
Nebethet is dual in nature, worshipped as the bringer of both darkness and light. In her dark aspect, she brings death
and must be placated with sacrifice. In her beneficial aspect, she is worshipped as a bringer of wealth, materialized by
the ivory and gold which the Puntish people have been blessed with in abundant quantities.
The Priesthood
According to the holy laws of Punt, the temple of Nebethet must remain uninhabited by mortal men and women.
Therefore, the priests of Nebethet only visit the temple to offer sacrifice and receive omens from the goddess, often
accompanied by the king of Punt. The darkness-shrouded chambers of the temple are supposedly guarded by
inhuman creatures.
The priests of Nebethet have shaven heads and dress in purple robes. They have good relations with the priests of
Keshan. Priests of Nebethet must always be male.
The high priest of Nebethet is Zaramba.

SET
Set, the ancient serpent god, is master of darkness and the beasts that hunt by night, lord of the red desert, and ruler of
the sunken cities and the black gulfs between the stars. Sometimes known as Yig, he commands hordes of hissing
serpents, and he wracks the cities and the spirits of men with shrieking, violent winds.
For a million years or more, Set the Old Serpent has been worshipped by reptilian serpent people, whose empires once
spanned the jungles of the pre-human Thurian continent. Theirs was a world of dinosaurs, ancient demons and
sorcery beyond that now known to men. Primitive humans, in reality no more than apes, were kept as slave races.
Only on remote continents did bestial humans survive unmolested, slowly learning the use of flint knives and firehardened spears and making the mystic transition from beast to man.
The reign of Set and the serpent people was overthrown by these early humans, but the cult of the snake-worshippers
survived in black jungles.
The serpent-people returned to rule mankind once again, under the leadership of the undead sorcerer Thulsa Doom,
but were defeated by King Kull of Valusia. The serpentmen were once again banished to the steaming jungles of the
South.
Then, the Cataclysm destroyed Valusia and the Seven Kingdoms of Thuria. 5,000 years later, when the dark empires of
Acheron and Old Stygia dominated the world, the altars of Set were once again soaked with the blood of evil sacrifice.
Today the black-robed cult of Set controls Stygia, and has many secret outposts in other lands.
The tenets of Set worship are difficult and sheathed in many layers of dogma. Principally, the temples profess that Set
is the most potent of gods, advocate of the strong, devourer of the weak, a powerful friend and a terrible enemy, and
that it is the fate of mankind to serve.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

Sets greatest opponent is Mitra, the god of the Hyborians. According to the priests, Mitra is perhaps as powerful as
Set, but lacks the strength of heart to use his power to rule. Thus, Mitra is ever doomed to failure; no matter how many
times he succeeds, Set need only prevail once.
The Priesthood
Sets followers are a dark and scorned lot who (outside of Stygia) work under cover of darkness and keep themselves
cloaked in treachery and deceit. Their seat of power is Stygia, where serpent-men are revered as demi-gods. The king
who holds court in Luxur is in reality merely a puppet of the snake-worshipping priests.
Priests of Set, like most Stygian clergy, are clean-shaven and bald-headed. Due to the priesthood's exalted position, it is
death for any Stygian commoner to even touch a priest of Set. Set's cult especially favors red-haired people, seeing this
color as a sign of the god's favor.
Initiates who have learned some of the inner knowledge have reported that Set also offers eternal life in the tomb to
those who serve him faithfully.

YAMA
According to Meruvian legend, the valley known as the Cup of the Gods was once the Roof of the World: a flat, icy
plain that ran from the tops of the Himelias to the tops of the Talakmas.
The Meruvian legend continues: "Then Yama, the king of the demons, determined to create this valley for us, his
chosen people, to dwell in. By a mighty spell, he caused the land to sink. The ground shook with the sound of ten
thousand thunders, molten rock poured from cracks in the earth, mountains crumbled, and forests went up in flame."
When this enormous upheaval was over, the land between the mountain chains was a deep valley, warmed by the heat
of the ground, and plants and beasts of the warm countries came to dwell in it. "Then Yama created the first Meruvians
and placed them in the valley, to inhabit forever."
Yama is the patron god of Meru, and the Meruvian king is his ever-reincarnating son. Priests of Yama are all-powerful
and serve as officials, advisors and judges.
The Priesthood
Meruvian law is simple: obey the priests. The priests are the source of all law (as the spokesmen for mighty Yama), and
their word is by definition the will of Yama.
The Meruvians give full obedience to the priests. This is partially due to the belief that the priests are born into their lot
due to their spiritual purity, but also because of the threat of the vengeance of Yama.
The head of the government (and of the priesthood) is the Rimpoche (god-king) Jalung Thongpa, Terror of Men and
Shadow of Heaven, the ever-reincarnating son of Yama. When Jalung Thongpa dies, the priests scour Meru for the
child born at the time of the previous Rimpoche's death; this child, no matter how deformed or unfit, is declared
Jalung Thongpa's reincarnated form.
The High Priest, or Grand Shaman, is usually a gaunt man with shaven head, scarlet robes, wielding a carven staff of
ebony. Lesser priests also have shaved heads, slanted eyes and wear red robes.
Tanzong Tengri is the current high priest of Yama in Shamballah.

YOG
Yog, the Lord of Empty Abodes.
Yog worship dates back to the Khari invasion. Ryborian scholars speculate that Yog may be a demon of the Elder
Night, like those worshipped by ancient Atlantis.
Yog's doctrine is simple. Worshippers may only eat meat, never plants of any kind. They must consume human flesh
at least once per month, and those who fail are considered ritually unclean until they have done so.
In Darfar itself, bodies for the cannibalistic rituals conic from raiding other tribes. Outside of Darfar, however, the
Yoggites band together and take what they can get. Where there are many Darfar slaves, wandering bands hunt and
kill anyone who leaves shelter at night.
Although most city residents fear the Yoggite ceremonies, they permit the Yoggites to practice their religion, as
without this concession they are rebellious and violent.

SAVAGE WORLDS CONAN

For proper sacrificial power, the victims are clubbed unconscious and thrown into fire-pits. Dead sacrifices are
considered inferior, as are those who have been cut, so the Yoggites do not use knives or swords. One adult can feed as
many as thirty or forty Yoggites, as only a token consumption is required to meet Yog's requirements.
For obeying these strictures, Yog promises strength in battle and victory over the worshipper's foes. Such promises
might hold more weight were Darfar slaves uncommon in the southern lands. Even so, Yoggites are devout enough to
practice their religion wherever they go.
At each full moon, the worshippers of Yog dig a pit, into which their priests pour certain oils and set alight with a flung
torch. The Darfari identify the bright flame with that of the moon overhead. They believe that, once each month, they
must "eat the moon". Bathed in the fire-pit's glow, any captive, in their eyes, becomes the earthly essence of the moon.
Eating outsiders' flesh is said to make the Yoggites immune to weapons.
The Priesthood
Yog is worshipped by two different groups: the man-eaters of jungled Darfar, and the desert-dwelling Zuagirs.
Yoggites: a tribe of green robed nomadic raiders that live in the Southern desert. They swear by the god, Yog, and ride
horses.

ZATH

The most famous of the Zamoran divinities is Zath, the spider-god of Yezud. Zath's worshippers believe that the great
spider-god walks the earth, and must be served by humankind. Indeed, the giant spiders which have occasionally been
seen in the hills near Yezud are testaments to Zath's power.
In the temple of Yezud, the priests of Zath worship an enormous statue of the spider god. It is said that eight huge
gems form its eyes.
Zath is a god of darkness, spiders and poison. Priests of Zath are assassins, madmen and spies.
The Priesthood
Priests of Zath do not drink alcohol or fornicate, and those laymen in the service of the temple must also abide by
these strictures. Even more guarded are the temple virgins, who dance for the spider-god on holy days.
There are rumors of extensive caverns beneath the temple of Yezud, where hundreds of giant spiders reside, fed cattle
(and occasionally humans) by the priests of Zath. The cattle come from enforced tithes demanded from the steadings
which surround Yezud; it is said that the priests would lose these spiders on the countryside if the king did not permit
them their grisly worship.
Feridun is the current high priest of Zath in Yezud.