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History

Age of Acheron[]

Three thousand years before the birth of Conan, at the end of the Age of Acheron, circa 13,000 BC, at the time the empires of Stygia and Acheron were at their high point, Thugran Khotan was the ruler of the city of Kuthchemes,[1] and an Acheronian archmage.[2] He supervised the customary human sacrifices to Set, offering hundred of lives to his deity.[citation needed]

As the Acheronian wizard Kheperu had Queen Xaltana entombed, and was plotting with her successor King Bafomai to slay Xaltana's brother, Xaltotun, priest of Set, Thugra Khotan fled to Stygian-ruled Kuthchemes rather than having to choose sides.[2]

In the final steps of the Fall of Acheron, during which the Hyborians ravaged and ultimately destroyed Acheron, Old Stygia joined the conflict on Acheron's side, too late. Furious, the Kothians overran all of Shem, and sacked Kuthchemes.[4]

Kuthchemes fell to the Hyborians. Thugra Khotan was unable to save his people, including his lover Bas-Tet who was slain in the fall of the city. In the final moments of the city, Thugra Khotan willingly swallowed a mysterious poison. Its effects locked him in a death-like sleep. His priests sealed the body in the tomb the sorcerer-king had already prepared for himself.[citation needed] The Hyborian invaders slew Thugra Khotan's devotees but failed to enter the tomb, and consequently left the ruined cityn[1] and pushed the Stygians back beyond the Styx.[4]

Hyborian Age[]

Thanks to his magic, Thugra Khotan was preserved for the following three thousands years, into the Age of Conan., he regularly appeared in her dreams to torment her.[1] It was said that his endgame were the uplands of the Hyborians.[5]

After hearing the oracle of Mitra, Yasmela met Conan whom she promoted as the commander of her army, and marched the day southwards to confront Natohk. Eventually the armies of Natohk and Yasmela faced each other in battle.[1] Her forces included Conan, the mercenary Red Sonja, and the sorcerer Zula. While the Khorajan cavalry fell victim to a magical version of landmine field,[citation needed] Khotan had left his army to go personally abduct Yasmela who was left unprotected in her tent, leaving his troops unsupervised in the process.[1] As the battle raged, Zula used the Darkhold against Natohk.[6] Weakened and cut-off from his army, the sorcerer found himself facing Conan in single combat. Conan hurled Thugra Khotan, who died of the blow or from the sting of a black scorpion he was holding as a weapon the instant before.[1]

Attributes

Powers

Able to cast spells and perform magic, including illusions.[1]

Weaknesses

Thugra Khotan had a lust for women, which drove him.[1]

Notes

  • Thugra Khotan was created by Robert E. Howard in the story "Black Colossus" (June, 1933), adapted in Savage Sword of Conan #2, written by Roy Thomas and penciled by John Buscema, in a straightforward adaptation of the original tale.
    • In #249 (June-October, 1991) Roy Thomas retold the story in a considerably expanded and revised version, adding Sonja, Zula, and the Darkhold to the plot. The spells of Zula were used to explain why Natohk could not simply escape his final duel, being effectively locked in place by magic.
    • Roy Thomas revisited Thungra Khotan's backstory in Savage Sword of Conan #229.
    • In both the original story and its adaptations, Natohk is accompanied by an ape-like demon only known as "Natohk's emissary."

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Savage Sword of Conan #2 ; Black Colossus
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Savage Sword of Conan #229 ; Assault on Acheron
  3. 3.0 3.1 Conan the Barbarian #246
  4. 4.0 4.1 Giant-Size Conan #1 ; Acheron: A revisionary theory
  5. Conan the barbarian #246
  6. Conan the Barbarian #249
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