Appearing in "The Dweller in the Dark"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Queen Yaila (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Soldiers of Zahmahn and servants of Fatima (First appearance)
- Yulek (First appearance; dies)
- Unnamed sword-wielding eunuch (First appearance)
- Palace Guard (First appearance)
- Queen Fatima (First appearance; dies)
- Dweller in the Dark (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Races and Species:
Locations:
Events:
Synopsis for "The Dweller in the Dark"
Conan travels - against his last thought in the previous issue about Argos - east and arrives at the Corinthian city of Zahmahn. As he attempts to drink from a protected spring, he is surprised by Zahmahn soldiers. The Cimmerian kills the captain of the guards and is knocked out by another soldier in fear that the queen may question them as to who killed her favorite. The soldiers manage to get the best of the weary barbarian and drag him before their queen, the power-mad Fatima. Impressed by the barbarian, she takes him as her consort for several weeks until Conan makes the mistake of being nice to the slave girl Yaila. The insanely jealous, or maybe just insane, Fatima sentences the two to death in the sewers at the pleasure of the Dweller in the Darkness. Conan is chained next to Yaila upon an ancient wall as both hear something coming from down inside the darkened caverns. Conan manages to break free of the chains that hold him as a huge pink tentacle reaches around a corner.The Cimmerian and the girl travel down the sewer tunnel just as the Dweller, a giant octopus, slithers into view in a vast chamber beyond. The wretched creature, once human but now transformed into the thing, lashes out at Conan and Yaila. Conan attempts to rescue the girl who snatches up one of the veil creature's tentacles. Even the monster is spongy and hard to cut, Conan manages to slice one of the creature's eyes, blinding it. The monster, now in pain, begins lashing out as the Cimmerian and the girl attempt to find an escape.
Conan, carrying Yaila, scrambles up a tunnel in the ceiling. Breaking through a manhole, they find themselves in the throne room in the middle of Fatima and a group of guards. Fed up with the situation, Conan grabs the queen and threatens to throw her down the hole to the monster. Fatima promises Conan anything he wants if he lets her go. Not believing her for a second, Conan tosses her to the Dweller and listens, satisfied with the screams. Conan turns to face the guards, but is surprised when they cheer; they were fed up with Fatima themselves. Conan takes the opportunity to attempt to make himself king, but when he discovers that Zahmahn only allows queens, names Yaila as the next ruler and, having enough of queens, leaves town.
Appearing in "The Blood of the Dragon"
Featured Characters:
- Kalligor / Hydragon (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Roy Thomas (Host)
- Gil Kane (Host)
- Valannus (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Hydragon (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Varlet (First appearance)
- Baron (First appearance)
- Baron's daughter (Mentioned)
- King Numedides (Mentioned)
- Mitra (Invoked)
- Baron's son / Hydragon (First appearance)
- Asura (Mentioned)
- Ishtar (Invoked)
- Conan (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Hyboria
- Aquilonia
- Poitain (First appearance)
- Bossonian Marches (First appearance)
- Bridge of the Accursed (First appearance)
- Nemedia (Mentioned)
- Aquilonia
- France (Mentioned)
Events:
Synopsis for "The Blood of the Dragon"
A Tale of the Hyborean Age. Roy Thomas and Gil Kane not only write and illustrate the tale, but present it. The noble Kalligor emerges victorious from a joust, defeating Valanus and, after treating his valet like dirt, attends a dinner at his baron's estate. There, he graciously allows the baron's son to tackle the monstrous hydragon that is menacing a nearby village. When the son fails to return, Kalligor valiantly decides to kill the monster himself, knowing full well that the gracious baron would offer his daughter, and his realm, to Kalligor if he were to succeed. Kalligor finds the beast, and fatally poisons it. He is horrified to see the creature transform into the baron's son, and as a transformation overtakes him, he realizes that whoever kills the hydragon is cursed to actually become the hydragon.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- In Italic text inks (story pages) credited only to Diverse Hands by Kane (page 1), Palmer (pages 2, 3, 6, 7), Wrightson (pages 4, 5).
- The Blood of the Dragons! is part of Tales of the Hyborian Age!.
- Synopsis by YardIHS.
Trivia
- Though Rion's Pendant is depicted on the cover, it is the first issue where it doesn't appear on panel since its first appearance in Conan the Barbarian #1.
