Sorcerous Societies of the Hyborian Age
), compiled from various sources.
The Black Ring of Stygia
Many Stygian sorcerers are loosely organized in a brotherhood known as the Black Ring, whose seat of power is Kheshatta, the City of Magicians. In ancient days, Pteion, located in eastern Stygia, not far from the Taian border, was the former seat of the black magicians, but it was abandoned when the desert encroached upon it.
High-ranking members of the Black Ring are said to be able to kill with a touch, leaving a black handprint on the dead body.
The master of the Black Ring is Thoth-Amon, Prince of Magicians and High Priest of Set.
The Scarlet Circle of Khitai
Khitai is the stronghold of the world’s greatest wizards and masters of the eastern world. Its god-kings master the arcane mysteries of the Scarlet Circle, with its five elements: fire, bone, jade, blood and metal.
The supreme master of the Scarlet Circle is Yah Chieng of purple-towered Paikang, whose demons and sorceries are feared by all in the East. His greatest rival is Pra-Eun, the god-king of Kambuja.
The Black Seers of Yimsha
Mount Yimsha is one of the pre-eminent peaks in the Himelian Mountain region known as Ghulistan. It is the mountain stronghold of the Seers of the Black Circle, one of the oldest continuously existing groups of mages in the Hyborian Age world.
The Black Seers consist of a Master and several Adepts.
The White Hand of Hyperborea
Hyperborea is ruled by the White Hand, a coven of sorcerers not unlike the Black Ring of Stygia or the Scarlet Circle of Khitai. The White Hand "Witchmen" are the priests and priestesses of Louhi as well as accomplished sorcerers. Their magic focuses around the cold of their land and control of the dead. Hyperborean sorcerers are highly prized in the northern wilds, but they are little respected in Hyborian lands.
In addition to their sorcerous powers, the White Hand supports teams of assassins who travel for the Hand. These assassins wear black robes, capes and cowls and a white, flat mask which is transparent only to the wearer, giving them the appearance of having no face at all. They use a wooden baton tipped with two egg-sized metal spheres with which they strike nerve centers to immobilize, torment or kill their victims. These assassins are said to be extremely swift and skilled.