Acheron was a country of the Hyborian Age more than 3000 years before Conan.
Geography
It was an empire which included lands of southern Nemedia and Brythunia, most of Corinthia, most of Ophir, parts of western Koth and the western lands of Shem, northern Argos, and eastern Aquilonia.
History and politics
The people of Acheron were not Hyborians, but stem ultimately from a mysterious continent n the eastern ocean (perhaps Mu?), who had established an empire in later Khitai. These did enslave the Lemurians who managed to escape the cataclysm. The Lemurians were finally able (perhaps with aid and support from Vendhya?) to overthrow this evil empire. The survivors of the master race fled westwards, establishing Stygia and its daughter-kingdom Acheron. When the Hyborians who founded the western kingdoms arrived, they found a developed and complex civilization, with standing armies, long-standing urbanism, and strong religion, that overcame them and enslaved them, though not without effort. Perhaps also with aid and support from Vendhya? In "The Phoenix on the Sword", It is said that "the power of the Upas-tree" was used in this. The latex of this existing tree is highly poisonous and used by the local populace to poison their spears and arrows. This tree lives in east-India (Vendhya). "Asura"(the name of Vendhya's god) is the Indian version of the Persian "Ahura" as in Ahura mazda, god of Zoroastrianism - and father of the god Mithra. Before the conquest, the Hyborians worshipped "Borri",the name of an old Nordic deity. Icelandic 19th century scholar Finnur Magnusson wanted to see a connection between the name "Borri" and "Borz", the name of a mountain in Persia, land of Ahura mazda and Mithra.
Other dividing factors were that the people of Acheron revered Set rather than Mitra, and were in league with Stygia. The wizards of Acheron practiced foul necromancy, thaumaturgy of the evilest kind, grisly magic taught them by devils. Many barbarians, both men and women, died screaming on the altar. Their heads were piled to make a pyramid in the great square in Python, the capital city, when the kings returned from the west with their spoils and naked captives. When the barbarians finally made their bloody war on their southern enemies, Acheron was destroyed by the forces of Aquilonia and Nemedia mainly.
Population and culture
The ancient culture of Acheron was very developed, Python, the capital, namely was said to have been filled with beautiful, tall, purple, towers, but little more than haunted ruins now remain. It was similar to Stygian culture, which was also made up of closely related ethnic Lemurians and it was very entrenched with similar sorceries and likewise also in league with dark powers. The descendants of the people of Acheron are more plentiful than people suppose, dwelling in the fastness of the hills, in communities in the great cities, and scattered as priests, menials, secretaries, and scribes.
Stories set in Acheron
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Characters from Acheron
- Xaltotun- High priest of Set.
- Bel-Hissar- King of Acheron.
- Naka- Diver for pearls.
References
- The Hour of the Dragon [wikisource]
- Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Two (1934) — Untitled Synopsis (The Hour of the Dragon)