Nubia

Nubia is a landlocked country of jungle and savannah, mixing features of central and eastern Gondwana. Wild herds roam its grasslands and forests, and giant crocodiles haunt the banks of the River Styx. Nubians are remarkably tall, rarely under six feet and often near seven, with ebony skin and close-cropped hair. They wear loincloths with loose robes or tunics, necklaces of hammered copper plates or discs, and silk or dyed cotton headdresses in the Qaddani style.

They are simple hunter-gatherers who roam in small bands, peaceable by nature, yet their skill with spear, javelin and bow is legendary. The great chieftain, to whom lesser chiefs swear loyalty, bargains with foreign powers to supply volunteer mercenaries in exchange for goods, above all metal, since only copper is mined at home. As a result its warriors carry the world's best arms, even Atlantean steel. Qaddan is the main buyer and uses them chiefly against Turan; Sheba and Tharshesh put squads aboard ships carrying costly cargo, and wizards, explorers and rebels hire them too. Employers must also re-equip them and feed and house them from recruitment until their return home.

Their units include spear-and-club infantry, the best mercenaries anywhere, archers said to rival Hesperia's Amazons, war elephants, and copper-plated chariots drawn by onagers. Ebony and ivory statuettes fetch very high prices as far off as Sheba and Atlantis. Each band honors the Old God Eloah in its own way, shamanism and some witchcraft flourish, and Qaddani cults are gaining ground in the north. Nubians value personal glory above religion, are tolerant of other faiths, and have refused or even turned on employers who force conversions.