Koth is the southernmost Hyborian kingdom. It is bordered to the south by a mass of sheer and barren hills which form an escarpment between southern Koth and the northern edge of Shem. These steep hills have but a few passes. The Shamla Pass in Khoraja is one. A single pass goes into Corinthia through the Karpash Mountains to the north at Zahmahn. Another pass is near Eruk, in Shem. At least two passes go through the mountains into Ophir. Koth is landlocked, so it has no ports. It is a fertile land, however. Western Koth is sub-humid prairie, meadowlands, forests, orchards and farms. It is a land of blue lakes and rivers.
Due to the population influx from Shem and Stygia, Kothians are the hyborian race least similar to the rest of the kingdoms. They tend to be olive- or dark-skinned and have black hair.
City dwelling Kothians dress well, often wearing different sorts of aprons over their clothes depending on their trade. The women wear brightly coloured and embroidered dresses and shifts. The olive-skinned Kothic nobility wear velvet pantaloons and silk shirts of foreign manufacture, embroidered dresses of bright colours and embossed armour of artistic craftsmanship. The noblemen of Koth prefer pointed moustaches as well as perfumed and curled hair. Most sport beards, often in the ringleted fashion of the neighbouring Shemites. Conservative women dress with veils and full robes and cloaks.
Ruled by warring princes and barons, the Kothian culture is a strange brew of Shemite, Stygian, Acheronian and Hyborian ideas and ways.
Although not as intensely feudal as Aquilonia or Nemedia, Koth does maintain itself through oaths of loyalty and allegiance. The Kothic Oath of Allegiance usually involves bringing women’s clothing and an arrow to the ceremony. Those swearing allegiance break the arrow and swear that their own weapons will be broken should their vow be broken; then the clothing is shown and those swearing allegiance promise that should they break their oath they will forever work at women’s tasks. These oaths are considered personal and are not transferable, meaning that if one party to the oath should die, the oath must be renewed by that party’s heirs to be considered binding.
Kothian cavalry, called knights, present the model of military organisation for most of the region. Any mounted warrior in arms is generally called a knight in Koth, regardless of blood line. Noble knights are part of the royal cavalry.
Kothians worship the unrestrained and orgiastic practices of the Shemites and their religion is centred around the fearsome goddess Ishtar, the daughter of Anu.
The sexual fulfilment of women is part of Ishtars divine mysteries. Her cult uses languid but orgiastic rites to stimulate the earth into becoming fertile and productive. As the Queen of Heaven, Ishtar rules the cosmos and the stars, for these things govern human behaviour. The Zodiac is her girdle and divination is an important aspect of her religion. Magic, often in the forms of charms or celestial horoscopes, is also worked by her priests and priestesses.
The Harangi Hillmen and the other hillmen of the Kothic Escarpment tend to be shamanistic. One shaman is said to have plucked out his eye and given it a full ritual burial so that it could continually gaze upon the spirit world.
Koth is ruled by a king.
In many ways, Koth is more dominated by its king than other Hyborian nations, probably because of Stygian and Acheronian influences; however, the king is hardly considered an irresistible force, as many of his aristocrats are highly rebellious. Beneath the king serves a council of nobles. Otherwise, the government of Koth is similar to that of Aquilonia (see Aquilonia).
Koth has a collection of nearly 200 written laws passed down through the ages. The tendency in these laws is toward more and more humane punishments but capital punishment is still mandated for rape, a slave’s disobedience, crop destruction and sorcery.
Laws, in lands watched over by Ishtar, are a form of magic and the breaking of laws is tantamount to sacrilege. Thus the priests and priestesses of Ishtar work with the kings and queens of Koth, training people to follow the law as a religious duty.