*Spoiler Warning* Conan the Barbarian, By Michael Stackpole Part 5

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Chapters 24-33

Khaler lashes out at Marique, he blames her for their escape. She is weak he claims, far weaker than her mother. The two argue, and then marique turns on the surviving soldiers and levitates the mask from Khaler's hand to hover over the edge of the cliff. Instead of acting shocked or angry, he smiles and tells her how proud of her he is. Now becalmed, she gives the mask back to her father. But this family moment dosen't change that the quarry has escaped, and at this moment is sailing south down the black coast.

The plan is for Conan to head to Asgalun, and from there to Khor Khalba. Meanwhile Artus is to take Tamara to Vendhya and from there overland to Hyrkania. Conan sets off, but before long Tamara comes ashore as well. She wishes to give something to Conan. The two spend the night together, but the next day sorcery befalls them and Tamara is kidnapped. Conan sets off alone, he knows exactly who facilitated this, Marique. He also knows that the place he will find Tamara is also the place he will find Khalar Zym, Khor Kalba.

He first goes to Asgalun, he is searching for the thief Ela Shan. He finds him in a fetid watering hole in the back alleys of Asgalun. He tells the man he has come to collect the life debt he is owed. He needs to get into Khor Khalba, and there is no lock that Ela Shan cannot break. Reluctantly Ela agrees, and the two begin the trek to Khor Khalba. After picking their way through the hills the spires of Khor Khalba rear against the nights sky.

Slowly they worm their way into its deepest rooms. Dispatching any of Khaler's minions they come across, all except one supernatural horror they are incapable of defeating. The many tentacled water dwelling, Watcher (Seriously?, its called the watcher and it lives in water. Where have I read that before?) Ela shan manages to blind it with cobra venom encrusted knives, but it dosen't kill the beast. It begins to pull the fortress down in its fury, while the two men rush upstairs.

It may be too late, as Khalar has now put the girls blood on the mask, thus gaining all of its power. Conan rushes in just as Khalar puts the mask on. They hurl invective at one another, and then steel clashes with steel. The fight begins to turn against Conan, Khaler Zym's powers are far greater than he imagined. Stones pulled loose by the blinded watcher separate them, and just in time for Conan to save Tamara from the vindictive Marique.

With the daughter dead, only the father remains. But he is now filled with rage at the barbarian, and seems unstoppable. But suddenly reinforcements arrive. When Tamara failed to return to the ship, Artus and the rest of the pirates set off looking for her and Conan, after finding clues in Asgalun they set off to Khor Kalba, and just in the nick of time to save the day.

With Khalar Zym defeated, and the mask shattered, and buried under the ruined fortress, Conan parts ways with Tamara and sets off on what is sure to be further adventures.

The End.

*Spoiler Warning* Conan the Barbarian, By Michael Stackpole Part 4

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You have been warned.

Chapters 19-23


Tamara is preparing to leave the monastery on her quest to find Conan. None too soon it seems as Fassir is brought word of an army approaching. He beseeches Tamara to go, and not to look back. Only finding Conan can she right the evils that are being committed. Only Conan can save the world. So reluctantly the girl departs on her long and lonely quest.

Some time later, the monasteries defenses having been breached, Khalar Zym approaches Fassir. They are acquaintances of old and have a past together. It seems in a former life, before finding religion, Fassir had slain dozens of men, women and children who were descendants of the Acheroneon kings of old. All but one. Tamara. And it is her that Khalar Zym needs to finally revive the mask. He needs but a drop of her blood to finish the task, and he aims to get it.

Conan has reached the Shaipur pass, he feels a strange lethargy come over him. Some sort of sorcerer's ward to keep him from entering the red wastes. It's not painful, so it just takes willpower to continue on. He has that in spades. But before he makes it too far into the desert a carriage comes hurtling past him. It's being pursued by a dozen or more men all bearing the sign of Acheron. Conan sets off in pursuit of them and after a running battle finally succeeds in dispatching the riders. He approaches the occupant of the carriage, a girl, who upon seeing him explains to him that it is now his destiny to escort her to Hyrkania.

Conan at scoffs at this. He explains he dosen't plan to run, but to stand and wait for Khaler to come for the girl. Then he aims to finish what he started years ago. He dosen't have to wait long before he and Tamara are beset by Zym's forces. Khaler's Daughter Marique summons a sand-lich to slay the barbarian. While Tamara engages the liches Conan dives straight at Khalar Zym. The two banter back and forth, and realization dawns on Khaler who this madman is. The same boy he let escape years ago. He calls up his archers, screaming at them to wound the girl and kill the Barbarian.

His foes however had enough time to lay a trap. They have laced the shaipur outpost with pots of oil, and left trails of the stuff spiderwebed out. Conan shouts to Tamara and they begin to run for the sheer cliff face over looking the sea. They light the oil and then as the fire is ripping through the outpost leap over the cliff into the sea. This was the plan all along, Conan had left Artus waiting on him, and the two swim to his ship the Hornet.

*Spoiler Warning* Conan the Barbarian, By Micheal Stackpole Part 3

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Chapters 12-19


We jump ahead many years after the sack of Venarium and journey many hundreds of leagues south to the coast of Zingara. A Coast which is fare more peaceful now that the Queen of the Black Coast, Belit as disappeared. Though her second in command Conan has now joined up with another ship, Captained by Artus. Today though, their quarry has decided to travel overland, so they will adapt to fight on land.

They fall on the caravan and swiftly win over the merchants guards. During their festivies Artus regales the crew of his first meeting with Conan. When the barbarian was nothing but a scrawny youth picking pockets in Zamora, though he was also the one who stole into the Elephant tower and slew the sorcerer Yara. During this tale telling, several men approach the pirates camp. They are Aquilonians, and their master is a man Conan has met before. A Man missing the nose that Conan took.

The men have come to hire Conan. They think he is a Vanir-man and will make an excellent addition to their master's forces. Conan knowing this to be a chance to find out more about the "Klarzin" who destroyed his village plays along. Allowing them to put him in chains as a "Show of good faith", He's put with a few other captives including one who claims to be a great thief. Ela Shaun. One who claims to have raided Yara's personal palace after the elephant tower fell. Conan dosen't think much of him.

some time later Conan is brought in front of Lucius, the man with no nose as he is torturing Ela shan. Conan attacks the nose-less man and frees the thief. He turns the tables on Lucias and extracts certain information about Klarzin, nay, Khalar Zym. He dwells in Khor Kalba, deep in the red wastes through the Shaipur pass. Conan plans to find him, and Ela Shan offers his help. Conan turns him down, however, the thief says if he changes his mind to seek him out in Asgalun.

Conan returns to the pirate band, he explains to Artus what he must do and why he must leave the group. Artus explains all he knows of Khalar Zym, and asks Conan what it is he is looking to accomplish. Revenge? To Crush the man? To Listen to the Lamentations of his Women? Conan says aye to both, but explains its not about revenge. Years ago he severed Khalar Zym's ear when he meant to cleave his skull, and he hates leaving a job unfinished.

Elsewhere, At a monastary. A girl named Tamara is in conversation with her master. He has seen a vision of a man, who undertakes the same journey that Tamara has trained for her whole life. He has seen the two quests become one, and wishes to prepare Tamara for the journey on which she will meet this man, this Barbarian, who the fate of the world rests on.

*Spoiler Warning* Conan the Barbarian, By Micheal Stackpole Part 2

Chapters 6-11

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The hardscrabble yet peaceful ideal of the Cimmerian village is doomed to be shattered. Today the World ends. While at first Corin thinks its just a raid by picts, which the Cimmerians repulse, it soon comes to be seen that this is a massacre. Ranked battalions of soldiers from all over the world are soon seen marching towards the Cimmerian village. Phalanxes from Aquilonia, Archers from Hyrkania, howling mad Picts, skin clad Kushites bearing wooden clubs. All bearing a badge sporting a tentacled face.

Corin sends Conan to fetch something from his shop, and the boy runs through the woods as fast as he can. He is found and knocked down by a Kushite, but he slices the mans belly and gets back up and is off running again. He gets back in time to watch his father confront the leader of the invaders. The man claims to have invaded their land, because they possess a piece of the mask that is also his armies symbol. Either hand it over and join his forces, or die. Corin chooses death, and with that Khalers men drag him to the forge.

Conan leaps from the room he was in, slicing off one of Khaler's men's noses and Khaler's ear. But shear weight of men force him down to the ground. He gets to be an audience as they torture his father. Corin says nothing, though they drip molten iron onto his flesh. Eventually Khaler's sorcerer finds the object they seek, hidden in Corin's shop. Now comes the pain. Instead of simply dispatching the Cimmerians, Khaler plans to take Conan with him, as it will cause Corin the most pain. And Khaler likes to cause pain to those who attempt to thwart him. But Corin with his last act makes it possible for Conan to escape. The boy kills another of Khalers men on his way out of the village, and then begins the journey to find his Grandfather.

Several weeks pass, Conan is now living with Connaught. Being told more about the outside world, about how some people are always nosing about where they have no business. He also tells the boy what he knows of Acheron. A place so evil, if you swing a cat your liable to hit a necromancer or three. The story goes that Acheron's rise was checked only by men from the north. Who began to fight back against the evil. Eventually more lands joined them in their fight and Acheron was broken. The mask of Acheron, was broken into pieces and given to the leaders of every contingent. That was the object that Khaler Zym was after.

More time passes, and under the watch of Connaught Conan become a mighty warrior, He also becomes a Man. Three years pass, the name of Klarzim (?) is nearly forgotten. But one day a messenger comes to their hut. It seems the Aqulonians have fortified their trading post of Venarium, turning it into a redoubt. An insult that cannot be tolerated, and the Cimmerians, all of them are to go and attack it. That night Venarium died screaming under the light of the moon.

*Spoiler Warning* Conan the Barbarian, By Michael Stackpole Part 1

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If you don't want to know what happens read no further



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Last Chance, if you don't want spoilers turn back now.




Conan the Barbarian, by Micheal Stackpole.
Chapters 1-5



We find ourselves transported to the land of Cimemria, high in the hills, ground covered with hardpacked snow. The boys are practicing swordplay while Corin makes his young son Conan fetch wood. Anger at his father is fleeting though, as he knows the man's strength should be respected. Many also respected Corin's young son, though he be only a boy, for he was Born on the Battlefield. He also had lofty ideals to hold himself up too. His grandfather Connaught was a great warrior and had wandered far afield into the world and told of many exotic locales. Conan dreamed of one day seeing them, but for now he must check traps and fetch wood. Such was the lot of a boy, even one born in such special circumstance.

After finishing his chores and finding several rabbits in his traps he sets off back to the hut he shares with his father. He knows it must soon be time for supper as he can no longer hear the clanging of Corin's blacksmith hammer. As Conan spoons food into his mouth his father expounds on the lessons a boy need learn to become a man. That the sword is as like to slay its owner as its opponent. That learning just one weapon is a sure way to die. many other such platitudes roll from the mouth of Corin, and Conan absorbs them all.

Over the next weeks Corin regales Conan with tales of the boys mother. How she died fighting the Vanirman to protect her unborn child. How she chose to name the boy Conan, and how she expected great things from him. He also begins to teach Conan the ways of the blacksmith. How to smelt and temper iron, how to make steel, how to quench a blade to keep it from being too brittle. Soon Conan knows enough to make his own sword, forged with his own hands. No armed, Corin beings to teach his son how to use the sword.