Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Scythians were nomadic Iranic people who originated in the steppes of Central Asia, possibly the Altai-Sayan region. They migrated westward during the 9th to 8th centuries BC to become the dominant power of the Pontic Steppe.
The Scythians conquered West Asia in the 7th century BC under the rule of their king Madyes. This period of dominance lasted for nearly thirty years until their leaders were assassinated in a bloody feast around the 2nd of May 625 BC.
The Golden Age of the Scythian kingdom occurred during the 4th century BC and was defined by unprecedented prosperity fueled by trade with Greek colonies on the northern Black Sea coast. This era produced elaborate tombs known as kurgans containing gold combs and artifacts of incredible craftsmanship.
The Pontic Scythian kingdom declined due to internal instability and external pressure from the Sarmatians, a related Iranic people from the east. The Sarmatians captured Scythian pastures and forced the Scythians to retreat to the fringes of their former territory by the 3rd century BC.
The Greeks and Romans perceived the Scythians as quintessential barbarians who were simultaneously feared and admired. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote extensively about them, blending fact with folklore to create a narrative of a people who lived in wagons and drank mare's milk.
The burial mounds of the Scythians are located in the steppes of Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan. These kurgans often contain the remains of kings and their retinues along with gold objects, weapons, and jewelry that reveal a society that valued beauty and status as much as martial prowess.