The Empire of Turan
”Yezdigerd, king of Turan, was the mightiest monarch in the world. In his palace in the great port city of Aghrapur was heaped the plunder of empires. His fleets of purple-sailed war galleys had made Vilayet an Hyrkanian lake. The dark-skinned people of Zamora paid him tribute, as did the eastern provinces of Koth. The Shemites bowed to his rule as far west as Shushan. His gilt-helmeted swordsmen had trampled hosts under their horses' hoofs, and walled cities went up in flames at his command." – Robert E. Howard: “The Devil In Iron”
Capital: Aghrapur (Turan)
Other Settlements: Yaralet, Shahpur, Akif, Sultanapur, Vezek, Khawarizm, Ghori, Zamboula, Shushan, Khorusun, Secunderam, Bhalkhan, Hirut, Babalsur, Makhachkala
Current Ruler: Yezdigerd is the current Grand Monarch of Turan. If he was regarded as the mightiest monarch in the world during Conan’s days as a mercenary, his power now must have waxed tremendously with Turan’s borders.
A Brief History of Turan
The people of Turan are an offshoot of a southern Hyrkanian tribe, and so of ancient Lemurian descent. They are nominally tall, slender, dark in complexion, with straight features and dark eyes and hair, though admixture with conquered aboriginals means regional ethnic variations abound.
Turan was founded approximately a thousand years before Conan’s time. An intrepid Hyrkanian tribe traveled south along the south of the Vilayet Sea, where they settled and founded a kingdom on the southwestern shores. From a tiny strip of a kingdom, Turan became an important centre of trade between east and west, plying trade from Kordava to Paikang in the purple-sailed galleys. The capital of Turan was Aghrapur, a city of barbaric splendour situated in the centre of the kingdom and one of the most glorious cities of the age. The sister cities of Sultanapur, Khawarizm and Khorusun were similarly grand.
During the reign of Yezdigerd, Turan’s borders exploded into a vast empire reaching as far north as Hyperborea, south to Zamboula, west to Shushan and east into Ghulistan. Koth, Brythunia, Zamora and the easternmost Shemite cities all pay tribute to Turan, and the borders of Stygia and Hyperborea are constantly harried by Turanian outriders. The fact that the Black Circle of Yimsha were known to be the power behind the high priests of Erlik may or may not be related to its dramatic expansion…
After Conan’s time, Turan’s expansion offered a grim prelude to a second, more savage invasion by the Hyrkanians: one branch from the north, another from the south. This massive horde engulfed Hyperborea, Zamora, Brythunia, Corinthia, and eastern Koth, devastating Stygia and eastern Shem. By the time they rampaged to Amazon, the Pictish invasion was in full force, and for an eon Picts and Hyrkanian snarled at each other across a ruined landscape. Then the Ice came, and not even the might of Turan could stand against wave after wave of Cimmerian hordes. The Cimmerians shattered Turan, sacking its glorious cities and sending its proud warriors reeling back to the east whence they came, and thus ended one of the greatest empires of the Hyborian Age.
Religion of Turan
Turan’s religion is shadowy and mysterious, and although very little is known about it, the presence of the Black Circle in the upper echelons of the priesthood indicate that religion is a potent influence on social and political matters.
The principle deity of the Turanians appears to be Erlik. Next to nothing is said about the figure in the Nemedian Chronicles, though he survives in the mythologies of the Turks, Altaians and other heirs of Turan. In Turkish shamanism, Erlik is a god of death and evil, the lord of the underworld and judge of the dead. In Siberian mythology, he was the first creation of Tengri. Among the Altaic peoples, Erlik was involved in the creation of humanity. In all these mythologies, Erlik is portrayed as a demonic force, frequently with black eyes and a pig's features with a muscular body. Whether this is a result of a new religion's persecution of Elrik in the latter Hyborian Age is unknown, though this dark perspective would certainly make sense with the involvement of the Black Seers.
The other Turanian deity, Tarim, is utterly lost to the mists of the Hyborian Age. Though his name is remembered in the Tarim River and Basin of Sinkiang, the details of the deity are unknown, though the fact that Tarim is a term for "farm" in modern Turkic may mean he was an agricultural or fertility god.
Trade of TuranTuran is at one of the busiest and most lucrative trade hubs in the world, the crossroads of the east and west. Treasures from Khitai, Vendhya, Kosala and the eastern cities of Hyrkania go through Turan’s many ports and caravans through to the Hyborian kingdoms, Stygia and beyond.
While slavery is a lucrative and powerful trade in Hyperborea, Zamora and the Shemite countries, in Turan slaves are plentiful and cheap: the major ports are “glutted” with Zamorians, Brythunians, Stygians, Kushites and Shemites, all at the tawdry price of three silver coins. Most slaves are used for household and labour-intensive duties, but an increasing number are put to patrol, guard and even military use: Hyborians in particular are prized for their hardiness and endurance.
Turan produces many commodities that are sold all across the world: fine silks, exquisite Turanian carpets, Vilayet pearls, and a variety of gems. Gold is so plentiful that many of their warriors gild their steel helms.
The Military of Turan
Turan’s military machine is a juggernaut, one that has crushed virtually all opposition in its expansion westward, and eastward. The Turanian army comes in three major varieties: native, regional and slave.
The iconic Turanian soldier is a warrior clad in form-fitting silvered mail corselets, gold spired helmets and a tiger skin cloak. Some are more heavily armed for battle, but all prize lightning-quick mobility over durability. These are the primary force employed by Yezdigerd’s generals, seeing action all across the empire and lording haughtily over the cowed citizenry.
Turan’s vast territory also has a considerable range of climates, some of which are unsuited to the steppe warfare they excel at. For military matters in the southern desert, Himelian mountains or Hyperborean tundra, the Turanians employ the conquered aboriginals for matters they deem unworthy for their elite warriors, and who are naturally acclimatized to the area anyway.
The newest, and potentially most formidable forms of Turanian soldiers are the increasing number of slave-soldiers. Turan’s slave trade has proven so productive that a powerful satrap can field an entire personal army composed of slaves. These slaves are organized into divisions not usually favoured by native Turanians, such as heavy infantry, spearmen and pikemen, and although they are heavily armoured and trained, they are generally fatalistic in their outlook on life as slaves.
Units
Native Turanian Units
These are the core Turanian units, composed of ethnic Turanians. They can be recruited in any settlement.
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Adhath Spearmen
““I am sorry.” She bowed her shapely dark head. “Pirates, storms, starvation – they are all kinder than the people of Turan.”” – Iron Shadows in the Moon
The very lowest echelon of Turanian society is the criminal – thieves, bandits, thugs, and those other undesirables who commit a crime not quite warranting a traditional death sentence. Generally unworthy to fight with honourable Turanian citizens, these men are usually given the lowly position of spearmen: they have terrible morale and skill, and although they are given adequate armour and weapons, they are used for little more than the first wave of infantry to tire out the enemy, before the native infantry close with their scimitars to finish them off. Considering most of these men are condemned men either way – they either fight, or are executed for treason – they fight as well as could be expected for their state of mind and skill.
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Azab Spearmen
“He knew there was a good chance that neither he nor any of his helmeted spearmen would ever ride through the gates of Secunderam again, for the tribes would all be up behind him now, but he was determined to carry out his orders…” – The People of the Black Circle
While all Hyrkanians are raised to be adept with the bow, a millennium of settlement along the Vilayet means that many farmers, fishermen and traders have lost the tradition over the generations. Nonetheless, the people of Turan are expected to give their hands and lives to the Grand Monarch if needed. Azabs are equipped with spears, shields and scale armour, steel and silk being so common that even serfs can be clad in this manner. However, unlike their Hyborian contemporaries they have next to no battle experience or training, the Turanians normally relying on their professional military or mercenaries: these troops should only be expected to support their betters, or as a shield against the first enemy charge.
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Bashibouzuk Warriors
“They looked at him with eyes grimly fatalistic. They were doomed and they knew it -had known it ever since the singing arrows of the ambushed Dagozai had driven them back from the pass of Shalizah. The men of the lower Zhaibar had too many reeking blood feuds among the crag-dwellers. They were too small a band to fight their way back through the hills to the villages of the border, without the guidance of the crafty Turanian.” – The People of the Black Circle
Formed of madmen, psychopaths, hermits and savage aboriginals, the Bashibouzuk are notoriously aggressive and violent soldiers who would be locked away in any other civilized army. However, the great extend of the Turanian Empire means that the Grand Monarch needs every soldier he can get, and even these disorganized, undisciplined brutes. Armed with spears and axes, they are used to harass and ambush enemy infantry when professional troops aren't available or necessary.
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Turanian Archers
“Kerim Shah had unslung the powerful Turanian bow that killed at five hundred paces…” – The People of the Black Circle
The archetypal Turanian soldier is a tall, dark warrior clad in a form-fitting silvered mail corselet, armed with a Turanian bow and scimitar. Although they are most at home on the saddle, there are many times when dismounting is more appropriate, such as sieges or in mountainous terrain. While they are no slouches with their swordplay, it is in their archery that the Turanians shine: with a killing range of five hundred paces they can be deadly to their foes from over a mile away. In heavy concentration these archers can be devastating: however, their arrows cannot penetrate plate armour, a weakness the Hyborians exploit as far as possible.
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Mighty Archers
“Only a Turanian could have made that shot. The bellowing of the horn ceased suddenly, and a high, thin scream shrilled in its place. The green-robed figure on the tower staggered, clutching at the long shaft which quivered in its bosom, and then pitched across the parapet. The great horn tumbled upon the battlement and hung precariously, and another robed figure rushed to seize it, shrieking in horror. Again the Turanian bow twanged, and again it was answered by a death-howl.” – The People of the Black Circle
The deadliest infantry available to the Turanians are those colloquially refered to as the Mighty Archers. They are the professional standing force of Turan's armies, their lives dedicated to warfare. In addition to superior scale and mail armour, they wear distinctive cloaks of tiger-skin and gold-spired helmets, making them a fearsome sight on the battlefield. When the enemy comes too close, these warriors have no qualms drawing their fine scimitars and cutting the enemy to shreds with cat-like agility and precision. Adept in both archery and swordsmanship, these soldiers are found all across the Turanian empire, as elite guardsmen and the core of a Turanian infantry division.
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Timariot Lancers
“They saw the glint of the sun on lance-tip and spired helmet. Three thousand mailed horsemen were driving before them a ragged band of turbaned riders, who fled snarling and striking like fleeing wolves. “Turanians,” muttered Conan. “Squadrons from Secunderam. What the devil are they doing here?”” – The People of the Black Circle
As Turan's borders expanded, it was becoming more and more difficult to allocate the military and local guards efficiently. Taking inspiration from the Hyborians, Yezdigerd introduced a prototypical feudal system: after showing exemplary bravery and competence, Turanian soldiers were given small land grants and revenues to own and operate called Timars. These soldiers were then given a status similar to Hyborian knights, and similar duties were expected of them. They were responsible for maintenence of the lands and property, as well as collecting taxes: in return, they worked as heavy cavalry for Turan. Although they also wield the mighty Turanian bow, Timariots swap their scimitars for lances, charging an enemy line, and loosing arrows as they retreat for a second charge, repeating until the enemy are beaten.
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Akinci Horse Archers
”The babel of a myriad tongues smote on the Cimmerian's ears as the restless pattern of the Zamboulan streets weaved about him – cleft now and then by a squad of clattering horsemen, the tall, supple warriors of Turan, with dark hawk-faces, clinking metal, and curved swords. The throng scampered from under their horses' hoofs, for they were the lords of Zamboula.” – The Man-eaters of Zamboula
The Akinci are the most numerous soldiers fielded by Turan, and the most likely seen by their enemies. Dating from the time of the Lemurians, the Akinci are usually led by prominent tribal chieftains, with vulture's wings affixed to their harnesses. The wings would spread when the chieftain rides into battle, and the friction of the feathers would produce and eerie and terrifying racket.
Composed of irregulars, bachelors and adventurers, these raiders are usually the first sent to engage the enemy. Lacking the finesse and training of professional troops, their experience and battle prowess are nonetheless formidable, and their primary role was to terrify and disorient their foes. In addition to their fierceness, they are also expert horsemen, able to torment pursuers on their fast unarmoured horses, but they still carry swords if a melee is unavoidable. The mobility of these raiders makes them ideal for reconnaissance, ambushes and as vanguards, having devastated lands as far as Hyperborea and Stygia.
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Mighty Horse Archers
“Through the shadowy gorges and defiles that night there rang the hoofs of galloping horses, and the starlight glimmered on helmets and curved blades, until the ghoulish shapes that haunt the crags stared into the darkness from ravine and boulder and wondered what things were afoot. A band of these sat gaunt horses in the black pit-mouth of a gorge as the hurrying hoofs swept past. Their leader, a well-built man in a helmet and gilt-braided cloak, held up his hand warningly, until the riders had sped on.” – The People of the Black Circle
While Turanians have evolved into competent infantrymen, generations of life in the saddle means that they are natural equestrians. Thus, Turanian archers are the deadliest horse archers of the Hyborian Age outside their more savage brethren in Hyrkania. Unlike the Hyrkanians, however, the Turanians wear heavier mail to deal with the Immortals of Iranistan and Hyborian knights, and so can last longer in a protracted melee at the expense of speed. To advertise their elite status, Mighty Archers also wear cloaks of tiger-skin, usually from tigers slain by their own arrows.
Ghulams
“In the glutted slave markets of Aghrapur, Sultanapur, Khawarizm, Shahpur, and Khorusun, women were sold for three small silver coins – blonde Brythunians, tawny Stygians, dark-haired Zamorians, ebon Kushites, olive-skinned Shemites.” – The Devil in Iron
Although the Turanians are deadly archers, swordsmen and horsemen, they are not proficient in other areas of warfare. One way of addressing this divide was in the recruitment of slaves into the military, equipping them with weapons and armour heavier than the usual Turanian gear. These slave soldiers, called Ghulams, are disciplined and fearless warriors, and trained in the ways of war. Because they are slaves, they also have little upkeep save the most basic of amenities, making them very cost-effective compared to mercenaries and professional military: however, the technology and economic structure needed to produce slave armies is extremely expensive and time-consuming, and so only an advanced and rich city can field such troops.
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Ghulam Guardsmen
The first form of Ghulam are assigned to simple guard duty, patrolling the corridors of treasuries, temples, palaces and gaols. Armed in somewhat heavier mail than most Turanians, they are equipped with the highly versatile halberd, and with some training can be used in anti-cavalry and infantry roles.
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Ghulam Spearmen
Ghulam Spearmen are normally drawn from aboriginal slaves such as the Zaporoskans, their experience with simple weapons and lack of eloquence with more complicated ones making them well suited to spears. They are also trained in the spearwall formation in imitation to the deadly Hyborian pikemen, and although their spears are not as long or robust, they are still highly effective in stopping a cavalry charge.
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Ghulam Swordsmen
Ghulams trained in the use of swords are trained by master Turanian swordsmen, for the specific purpose of flanking and tackling enemy infantry. Although they are only marginally better swordsmen than Mighty Archers, the minimal upkeep and superior armour make them worthwhile investments.
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Ghulam Axemen
One of the most noticeable weaknesses of the Turanian army is a lack of heavy infantry and armour-piercing weaponry: even the Mighty Archers struggle against a heavily armoured knight with their scimitars. One measure taken to surmount this is in training Ghulams in the use of heavy axes. Drawn from the strongest slaves, usually Hyperboreans, Stygians and Kushites, these soldiers are designed to crush plate armour and crack skulls: while clad in the typical Ghulam suit of armour, they are designed purely with offense in mind, and so are best used to break lines and storm castles.
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Ghulam Infantry
Some would say the ultimate soldier would be one that obeys any orders without question: Ghulam infantry probably come closest to that ideal. Supremely heavily armoured in comparison to native Turanians and armed with heavy axes, these soldiers are used in many support roles, but primarily as assault infantry, and their supreme loyalty and discipline give even Hyborian men-at-arms a cause for concern. Unfortunately, their high skill and status means that they are also rare in comparison to most slave troops.
Allies, Satraps and Protectorates
“Now the Lemurians enter history again as Hyrkanians. Through the centuries they have pushed steadily westward, and now a tribe skirts the southern end of the great inland sea – Vilayet – and establishes the kingdom of Turan on the southwestern shore. Between the inland sea and the eastern borders of the native kingdoms lie vast expanses of steppes and in the extreme north and extreme south, deserts. The non-Hyrkanian dwellers of these territories are scattered and pastoral, unclassified in the north, Shemitish in the south, aboriginal, with a thin strain of Hyborian blood from wandering conquerors.” – The Hyborian Age
As an empire, Turan has absorbed many ethnicities and cultures. Some have merged into the Turanian stock, others wiped out by force, but others retain a degree of identity within the empire as protectorates, satraps or allies.
Hyrkanians
The eastern shore of the Vilayet is still populated by Hyrkanian tribes who live apart from Turan, but are willing to fight for money and goods. These units can be recruited from Khorosun, Babalsur and Makhachkala in Turan, and also from other Hyrkanian provinces.
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Hyrkanian Spearmen
”The Hyrkanians are dark and generally tall and slender, though a squat slant-eyed type is more and more common among them, resulting from mixture with a curious race of intelligent, though stunted, aborigines, conquered by them among the mountains east of Vilayet, on their westward drift.” – The Hyborian Age
The Turanians retain a certain camaraderie with their mother race the Hyrkanians, and the westernmost tribes sometimes ally with the empire in exchange for pay or to crush their tribal enemies. The captives of those defeated enemies are usually enslaved, and occasionally put to work as lowly spearmen to soften up the enemy for the archers.
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Hyrkanian Tribal Archers
““Give me a bow,” requested Conan. “It's not my idea of a manly weapon, but I learned archery among the Hyrkanians, and it will go hard if I can't feather a man or so on yonder deck.”” – Queen of the Black Coast
Many archers in the Hyborian Age have a reputation for deadliness: the Bossonians, Shemites, Stygians and Hyrkanians all have a claim to fame as the mightiest archers. However, of all those bowmen the undoubted masters in terms of accuracy at range are the Hyrkanians. The Hyrkanians' skill at archery is the stuff of legend: the recurved composite bows being honed over millenia of crafting and evolution to create a bow of unparalleled strength and accuracy. Commonly made of wood, horn and sinew, a Hyrkanian bow can take a year to construct and season for use. Each tribe has its own bowyer, who makes the bows for every member of the tribe, reserving the very strongest for the Khans and veteran warriors.
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Hyrkanian Lancers
”The Hyrkanians were not convinced; three more invasions burst upon the Zamorian borders, and the Lands of Shem, and were hurled back by the Aquilonians, though the Turanian armies grew larger as hordes of steel-clad riders rode out of the east, skirting the southern extremity of the inland sea. – The Hyborian Age
All Hyrkanians are armed with the Hyrkanian recurve bow, but when it comes to melee weapons the Hyrkanians employ a variety of killing implements. One is the lance: with the Hyrkanian invention of the stirrup and saddle, the first truly effective cavalry charge was born, and so it became a fixture of the Hyrkanian tribal army. A typical tactic of Hyrkanian lancers would be to shower the enemy with arrows on the approach before switching to lance for the charge, then back to the bow in the retreat before repeating the charge. This was tiring on the horsemen, but very damaging and wearing on the enemy.
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Hyrkanian Tribal Horsemen
”… A new enemy appeared in the east, as the Hyrkanians made their first real thrust at the western world. Reinforced by adventurers from east of Vilayet, the riders of Turan swept over Zamora, devastated eastern Corinthia, and were met on the plains of Brythunia by the Aquilonians…” – The Hyborian Age
The great terror from the east has had many incarnations on earth: the Scythians, Turks, Mongols and Timurids striking against the west with their armies of mounted archers. They are all but echoes of their primal ancestors, the mighty Hyrkanians, who eventually devastated the Hyborian Age when united under the banner of a great general. In the time of Conan, the Hyrkanians were still largely warring among themselves, but individual tribes would sometimes unite with their brothers in Turan for conquest and plunder. They fulfill much the same role as Turanian Akinci, but are cheaper and more lightly armoured.
Himelians
Turan's eastern boundaries currently lie at the foothills of the Himelians, having conquered the Ghulistan cities of Secunderam, Bhalkhan and Hirut: while Yezdigerd has not yet taken the capital Khorbul nor broken through to Vendhya, a number of Himelian hill tribes are willing to work for the Turanians. These units can be recruited in Secunderam, Bhalkhan and Hirut, as well as the independent settlements in the Himelian mountains.
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Himelian Javelins
”Not even Conan could spy, in that darkness, an ambush set by Zhaibar tribesmen. As they swept past the black mouth of a gorge that opened into the Pass, a javelin swished through the air and thudded home behind the stallion's straining shoulder. The great beast let out his life in a shuddering sob and stumbled, going headlong in mid-stride...” – The People of the Black Circle
The Himelians are a mighty range of mountains in the east, forming a natural border between Vendhya and Turan, as well as providing ready-made fortifications for the kingdom of Ghulistan. The hill tribes of this treacherous region are practically feral, savage even in comparison to other barbarians: indeed, the Zhaibari are unique in being successful in ambushing Conan himself.
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Himelian Horse Archers
”Behind Kerim Shah filed a group of lean Irakzai on gaunt horses. They glared like wolves, fingering bows and knives, but rendered uncertain because of the narrowness of the path and the perilous proximity of the abyss that yawned beneath them.” – The People of the Black Circle
The Himelian hill-tribes, like most easterners, excel in horse archery. However, the harsh and dangerous terrain of the Himelians would challenge even the hardiest Hyrkanian or Vendhyan horseman, which the Himelians take in their stride. This familiarity with the hills and mountains make them ideally suited to patrolling and fighting in the region, especially considering the hostile tribes that lurk in the shadows of the peaks.
The Eastern Desert
The Turanians are primarily steppe horse-archers: the harsh desert to the southwest of the Vilayet is not familiar territory for them. However, the aboriginals of the region akin to the Shemites were born there, and thus they are employed by the Turanians in lieu of their professional military. These units can be recruited in Zamboula and Fort Ghori, as well as the independent desert regions.
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Desert Archers
“Without checking their headlong pace, the desert men lifted their bows, drew and loosed. A cloud of arrows sang across the square, over the seething heads of the multitudes, and sank feather-deep…” – A Witch Shall Be Born
The desert is a harsh place, and the inhabitants are ruthless and cunning. They are also pragmatic, and will happily offer their bows and swords to anyone with coin and oppurtunity for plunder.
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Desert Nomad Horsemen
“... the countries of these barbarians are divided into the western meadowlands which stretch to the distant ocean, and in which rise the cities of the town-dwellers, and the eastern deserts, where the lean nomads hold sway; there is incessant warfare between the dwellers of the cities and the dwellers of the desert.” – A Witch Shall Be Born
The savage nomads of the Eastern Desert are kin of the Shemites, possibly a branch of the original Sons of Shem. Like their western cousins, the desert nomads are quite mercenary in nature, and are often found in the armies of other nations.
The Northern Vilayet
North of Yaralet, the temperate steppes give way to colder terrain, tundra and finally vast icescapes populated by a mysterious and unclassified aboriginal race. Possibly akin to the Zhemri, or the remnants of Hyborian migrants, these folk have adopted a steppe culture similar to the Hyrkanians, but with a greater resistance to the cold. These units can be recruited in Shahpur, Akif and Yaralet in Turan, and the independent regions further north.
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Vilayet Tribal Archers
The peoples of the northern Vilayet face a daily struggle to survive, either from the predations of Hyperborean and Turanian slavers, the elements, or inter-tribal warfare. As such, these hardy folk are easily persuaded to join an army for protection from their enemies. Although they are hardly on the level of Hyrkanians in archer, their knowledge and comfort in the cold tundra makes them useful in those climates.
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Vilayet Horsemen
The origins of the Vilayet peoples are lost to prehistory, but they have evolved a primitive culture akin to the Hyrkanians, with horsemen and archers their primary warriors. The formative noble warriors of this culture are usually mounted, wielding short lances and wearing leather lamellar armour over their hides and furs.
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Vilayet Horse Archers
Although neither Hyrkanian or Shemite, the Vilayet culture have their own form of horse archer. They may not be a match for other horse archers, but their awareness of the snow and ice assists them against their southern enemies, as well as slavers from civilized nations.
Well, there it is! I'm taking a break from modding for a while (darned conjunctivitis in my right eye, every blink is piercing agony:inquisitive: ) so this will be the last major update for a bit. There are still a few units for Turan not here yet: Solaks (General's bodyguard), Sipahis, various elephants and the dreaded Janizaries (Howard's spelling) still to come. Till then, feel free to comment/criticize my poor Turkish/etc.:2thumbsup:
