King (Pharaoh): The King of Stygia is the supreme judge of all disputes and the ruler of all the people of Stygia. He is the commander of the army and the representative of the gods on earth. The King of Stygia is usually styled Ruler of Stygia, Lord of the Serpent Throne, High Priest of the Cult of Set and the House of the Black Ring. The current King of Stygia is Ctesphon IV. He is an ivory-skinned giant descended from the old race of Elder Stygians. See Conan: Stygia – Serpent of the South for King Ctesphon IV's statistics.
Vizier of Western Stygia: The viziers are the eyes and ears of the king, to whom all things must be reported. The actual list of titles belonging to a vizier varies depending on his duties and the whim of the king. The full title of the current Vizier (Prince Menophis) is Vizier of Western Stygia, Left Eye of King Ctesphon IV, Lord Procurer for Greater Stygia, Hand of Set, Judge of Magicians in the House of the Black Circle, Overseer of all Divine Offices, Overseer of all Works of the King in Every Place, King's Envoy, Overseer of Recruits of the Lord of the Land of Set, Master of the Secrets of the Palace, Fan-Bearer on the Right of the King, Seal Bearer of King Ctesphon IV, Prince Menophis.
Vizier of Southern Stygia: The viziers are the eyes and ears of the king, to whom all things must be reported. The actual list of titles belonging to a vizier varies depending on his duties and the whim of the king. The full title of the current Vizier (Prince Bessu Besek) is Vizier of Southern Stygia, Right Eye of King Ctesphon IV, Cohort to the King, Priest of Monuments, Lord of the King's Largess, Overseer of the Royal Harem, Chooser of the Slain, Foremost of the King's Courtiers, Overseer of all Overseers of Scribes of the King, True Royal Scribe, Mouth Who Appears in the Entire Land, Overseer of the Generals of the Lord of the Land of Set, Master of the Secrets of the Palace, Fan-Bearer on the Left of the King, Prince Bessu Besek.
Speaker of Set: Another high ranking title is the Speaker of Set, who is one of the most politically influential and powerful sorcerers from Set's House of Life. Thoth-Amon currently serves as the Speaker of Set in the court of Ctesphon IV. This would be the position of Thoth-amon, the Keeper of All Set's Mysteries and the Speaker of Set (Thoth-amon's statistics can be found in Conan: Stygia – Serpent of the South).
Central Administrators and Noble Families: The most gifted and influential of the nobles and dignitaries, chosen by the king, serve as his central administrators. They are usually given impressive titles, such as Master of the King's Surplus, a title for an influential scribe reaching this tier. Only nobles are permitted to hold government posts, where they glean their wealth from tributes paid to the king. These families are descended of the Giant-Kings who once ruled the lands of Stygia. These families betrayed their former culture and helped usher in the current culture. Many still keep man-serpents enshrined in their family tombs as protectors and avengers. These frightening families retain the records of Elder Stygia and learn the oldest and most horrible sorceries passed down through the generations since before the Great Cataclysm rocked the world. Stygian royalty and nobility are relatively tall people with black hair and fair skin the colour of pale ivory, as were their ancient forebears, the black-hearted, sorcerous Giant-Kings. Many of their eyes still glitter feral in the dark. These central administrators live almost like kings themselves, in huge houses approaching the size of palaces and vast quantities of quality servants. These are almost always high level characters, although a few influential mid-level nobles rise to this station.
Arch-Clergy of Set: This includes Hem Netjer (High Priests of the Temple), Åst Priests (Priests of the Shrine), Årit Priests (Priests of Deeds), Sem Priests and Kher-Heb priests (priests of rituals). Priests can have more than one rank. For example, a priest can be the Second Prophet of Set at Luxur, Sem Priest of the Royal Necropolis and High Priest of Bast at Khemi. Priests can also hold rankings outside of the temple. A priest could be High Priest of Harackht, Master of the King's Horses and Overseer of the Cattle of the temple of Set. Each title confers a +2 bonus to Reputation, so many priests actively seek multiple titles and rankings. See Conan: Stygia – Serpent of the South for more details on these rankings.
Arch-Clergy of lesser patron gods: The Hem Netjer (High Priests of the Temple), Åst Priests (Priests of the Shrine), Årit Priests (Priests of Deeds), Sem Priests and Kher-Heb priests (priests of rituals) of any god other than Set falls into this category. See Conan: Stygia – Serpent of the South for more details on these rankings and for more details on the lesser gods of Stygia.
Governors: These dignitaries live like wealthy landowners. Of course, most of them are wealthy landowners. Skilled scribes often can make their way to this tier of government. These characters are usually mid- or high-level non-noble characters, or low level nobles.
Army Officers: To become a military leader in Stygia, one must train as a scribe to be able to read orders.
Town Officials: These positions are filled by lesser nobles who have no chance at inheriting or earning a central position in the government or by greater scribes who have proved their skill.
High Priests of Set: This category refers to full-time priests in charge of lesser priests and acolytes. Priests can have more than one rank. For example, a priest can be the Second Prophet of Set at Luxur, Sem Priest of the Royal Necropolis and High Priest of Bast at Khemi. Priests can also hold rankings outside of the temple. A priest could be High Priest of Harackht, Master of the King's Horses and Overseer of the Cattle of the temple of Set. Each title confers a +2 bonus to Reputation, so many priests actively seek multiple titles and rankings. This category includes Menhu Priests, Am-asi Priest, Am-khent Priests, Priests of Agriculture, Umet Priests and all the other sorts of priests found in a Stygian temple (see Conan: Stygia – Serpent of the South for a more detailed list).
High Priests of Lesser Patron Gods: Similar to the prior category, save these are the high priests of the other Stygian gods.
Priests of Set: This refers to any priest of Set not in a higher category, including Phyle priests, who hold this status during the period they serve as a priest.
Priests of Lesser Patron Gods: This refers to any priest of one of the other Stygian gods not in a higher category, including Phyle priests, who hold this status during the period they serve as a priest.
Common Scribes: Common scribes function as clerks, record-keepers, tax collectors, supply distributors and accountants. Exceptional scribes can move into the next level of government and oversee the common scribes. Being even a 'common' scribe is still a respectful title and higher in status than a non-literate overseer of a farm. These are primarily scholars, although any class can take the training.
Actual order of precedence:
King (Pharaoh)
Heir to the Throne of Stygia
Vizier of Western Stygia
Vizier of Southern Stygia
Speaker of Set
Families descended from the Giant-Kings
Central Administrators and Noble Families
Arch-Clergy of Set
Heirs to the Noble Families
Arch-Clergy of Lesser Patron Gods
High Priests of Set
Regional Governors
High Priests of Lesser Patron Gods
Army officers
Town officials
Priests of Set
Priests of Lesser Patron Gods
Common Scribes
