Podcasts about cimmerian

EPISODE 195: An American Original! – No apologies, no half-measures, all fire. (ft. Joe Buttice) Episode Description: This week, Jason is joined by Joe Buttice (Reel Spoilers) to lock and load a ranking of five films tied to the myth, the man, the cigar-smoking cinema warlord: John Milius. Whether writing frontier survival epics or directing operatic war fantasies, Milius brought a thunderous, unapologetic voice to American film. Strap in for manifest destiny, surfboard theology, Cimmerian steel, and teenage guerrilla warfare. Films Ranked: Jeremiah Johnson (1972, writer) – The loner as legend in a snow-covered survivalist western. Dillinger (1973) – Milius's directorial debut, mixing gangster cool with mythic Americana. Big Wednesday (1978) – A lyrical, wave-soaked ode to brotherhood and the end of an era. Conan the Barbarian (1982) – Barbarism, Nietzsche, and epic vengeance in the Hyborian Age. Red Dawn (1984) – Wolverines! Teenage insurgents defend America in a Cold War fever dream. IN THIS EPISODE: Joe defends Red Dawn as both fantasy and prophecy Jason meditates on Big Wednesday as the most personal of war films The complicated politics, masculine myth-making, and the man behind the bombast    

"The Phoenix on the Sword" is a Conan the Cimmerian novelette by Robert E. Howard, first published in the December 1932 edition of Weird Tales. "A soul-searing story of a fearsome monster spawned in darkness before the first man crawled out of the slimy sea."

A Time WarpBy FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.What follows is a diversion from the central storyline, but it is crucial to understanding why certain members of the supporting cast are behaving the way they are.808 BCE near Halab in what is today's Northern Syria:For me, Cael Nyilas, it was a return to last night's horrifying scene that engulfed me. The screams of dying horses and moribund men crying the pantheon of life's final regrets. Blood, piss, voided bowels and the stench of comingled sweat and leather filled my nostrils. The true cacophony of battle was all about. The battle shock faded into an innocuous background distraction.In my heart of hearts, I felt at ease, even content. We were cut off and surrounded yet hardly hopeless. Men, my brothers-in-arms and the younger noble sons of Assur and Nineveh combined to put a press of shields, armor and flesh encircling us. Those 'pampered' aristocrats stank with fear and well they should. Death was still possible before their relief arrived.I hurt, Shara (my deity?), I was wounded, but it meant nothing. I laughed; a primitive version of 'atheists and foxholes' passing through my mind. This body had lived through much worse. The closest man, her deceased husband's cousin, and I lifted the shattered wooden chariot off the person our circle was centered on. My arm was extended to her.She was glorious, fierce and half-drunk with battle lust. I could feel her talon-like fingers through the leather and 'parzillu' scales guarding my bicep. She half jumped and was half pulled to her feet. Her kinsman presented her 'misplaced' sword, hilt first. In her eyes, I saw the burning intensity of the Shamash (Sun God, consort of Aya?) at the height of the Burning Season.Her martial mirth exceeded any other noise as it passed her lips."You took your time getting here," Shammuramat taunted me, not a true reproach. "I was so bored, I decide to take a nap in the shade of my conveniently overturned chariot." She defied all fortunes that conspired toward her demise; her own breed of madness."You looked so peaceful in your sleep, I didn't want to wake you," I bantered back. Her 'kinsman' scowled at my familiarity with his monarch. My champions, more like brothers to me than any kin born of my blood, had carved a gory swath to her stranded bodyguard. Mounted on Median steeds, we had pressed back the entourages of two Aramean kings bent on her violent passing.A barricade of overturned, or unattended chariots gave us space to dismount and perform our very visible rescue mission. All the pieces were right where she wanted them; everything unfolding according to her plan. Focus the enemy in the center with her person and the banner of Assur while the rest of her chariots and all of her cavalry swept through an unguarded wadi and fell upon them from behind.Brilliant. Somewhat less brilliant when faced with the desperate energy of our enemies, but her victory was already a certainty. The allied Western Kings were sure my command was attempting to snatch the Queen back to the safety of her infantry. Those hardy, foot-bound souls were still holding their own against the greater mass of the enemy footmen.The children of rebellious nobles bent every bit of their remaining energy, squandered their last reserves to ensure Shammuramat didn't escape. If the positons were reversed, they would have eagerly abandoned their troops and sought safety to the rear. The idea of Shammuramat being overwrought with terror was absurd.Our opponents' bellows for our blood turned into wails of despair. The charging, plumaged steeds of Assyria had appeared behind them. Our enemies had nothing left to slow the new arrivals down, much less stop them. For those who dared defy Shammuramat, Queen of all the Akkadians, the slaughter was just beginning."Come 'Alal' (that was me); I promised 'Atarshumki' I would kick his head over his own city walls before sunset and I always keep my promises," she shoved one of my horse-holders aside and took one of my steeds. 'Alal' was not the name my father gave me. It meant destroyer and it was blasphemy to lay claim to it."Killing kings will cost you extra," was my impious response.Assyrians nobility barely tolerated mercenaries most of the time. My men and I didn't care. I hadn't taken up the killing business to make friends and my troops felt the same way. What mattered to us was that their coin was good and delivered on time. That was a good thing because whores and merchants were loath to advance 'our kind' anything on credit."I'll meet you half way," she grinned manically at me while my fighters and I raced for our mounts. (Saving the junior nobility wasn't what she were paying us for.) "I'll let you take any prince you capture as a hostage." I nodded. My men cheered hungrily, despite the choking dust. As long as I didn't get too greedy, the Kings would pay for their sons. Now we had to capture the bastards."Tūbātu," I reminded them. 'Goodwill'. It was a polite way of saying 'stop your chariot, rest your arms and your mother won't have to come begging for your corpse'. It was best to let opposing nobility keep their dignity in our business. Today's enemy might be tomorrow's paymaster.I blinked and things changed.Planting followed harvest and harvest followed planting. It had long ago become a blur. Shammuramat had grown older. Her first son became king when he was of age. I had long exceeded my welcome and my desire to stay. I was fixed to this small patch of the greater world by a rare emotion, empathy.It had come out of nowhere. We were campaigning against the Scythians raiding over the Zagros Mountains and followed them into Urartu. Night had fallen and I walked the camp as was my habit; being killed a few times in your sleep will make you err on the side of caution. Shammuramat was gazing out over the river Arkas."I though all the scouts have returned," I asked as I stepped to her side. A cool, early autumn breeze blew down the valley, tossing a few loose locks of her greying hair. She always had one patch shorn short which made her left-side braids prone to unwind."They have. We head back for Nineveh with the dawn," she murmured, her mind elsewhere."Do you ever dream of home?" she asked me out of the blue."No. I don't dream anymore. I rarely sleep and if I did, I would hope to dream of something less boring," I snorted in amusement. She had never talked about her home, to anyone as far as I knew."You will be going to Lydia when winter comes," she stated tensely."King Gyges needs someone with experience beating Cimmerians," I answered. The true reason was that I was no longer welcome on the Assyrian payroll because I insisted on recruiting only non-Assyrians into the ranks of my ferociously effective little band of one hundred; never more and rarely less."Shemtsu is a fool," she grumbled."That is unfair," I countered. My willingness to argue with her was one of my charms in her eyes. "He is an excellent Treasurer and he makes sure your vassals pay their tribute on time and in its full amount."The silence was hurtful to me because Shammuramat was never one to obfuscate her thoughts, especially around me. It was one of her charms, to my way of thinking."Salmu Eretu, the northern night sky has no answers for what ails you. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to start out cold before it bakes us." I called her 'Black Cloud' in Akkadian.I had first used that name twenty years ago to insult her, highlighting her tempestuous nature. In the Assyrian court, having just received recognition for my quick thinking, Shammuramat had belittled my accomplishment, throwing my body between her, her unborn child (the man who was now not-so-gently ushering me to the border) and a Kassite noble and his retainer bent on killing them both.Had my deed not been witnessed by half a dozen reliable sources, I wouldn't even have received that tawdry token."He sought glory without risk," she spat out her insult in a Hittite tongue alien to this court. Unfortunately for us both, I had worked for a Babylonian family for a few generations and they had been kind enough to turn me from an illiterate commoner to a man of some education.Ironically, they even taught me my native cuneiform long after my birthplace was barely a memory."Well aren't you a black cloud on an otherwise waste of a day," I replied somewhat bitterly. Her eyes widened, then narrowed and then I heard her laugh for the first time."Should I tell them what you said?" she mocked me and my predicament."But of course," I grunted in Akkadian. I'd screwed up. My inner thoughts were 'please not decapitation, please not decapitation' because getting my head on straight after that was a real bitch."You've been nothing but a black cloud bent on turning the choking dust at my feet into a grasping, muddy morass. Why stop now?" I announced loudly. If you are going to die, die well. Having died too many times to count, remembering my last words were all I had left to look forward to.The guards, familiar with the Queen's temper and stunned into inaction by me clearly embracing a long, messy death, stood around uselessly. Had I been allowed a weapon in the royal presence, I might have thought which one to kill first."I gift you, a lowborn man of the South (Sumerian), with honors and you respond by insulting my wife?" King, Shamshi Adad V growled as he rose from his throne."Husband," she stood to join him. I thought it was a pity she rarely smiled. "You asked that I too give a gift to my savior and the savior of our son (all unborn babies were sons back then until roughly half had the audacity to gender switch while exiting the womb). I have chosen." I was expecting my life for the moment and a day's head start to the border."It is your choice to make," the King allowed."From this day, until my passing, this man may always speak his mind in our lands," she demanded. She had a habit of fatally correcting anyone who saw her as less than co-ruler. The hesitation was deafening."As you will," Shamshi Adad V acquiesced to yet another of his wife's odd 'requests'. From that day forth we had been fast friends. She never asked about my immortality, where I was from, or how I ended up with my elite band of professional killers. I returned the favor. It was an unspoken understanding that in a few years, or decades, she would die and I would leave, not necessarily in that order. We had shared more years than I had given to any one person in quite some time."There is nothing left for me but ash," she declared with morbid certainty."Should any of us expect any better?" I did my best to offer words of comfort she would accept."Oh no," her noise was too bitter to be a laugh. "I had my own 'Life beyond Death' and it was stolen from me, along with my birthright.""We are chasing the thieves?" I asked."Yes and no," her face grew grim once more. "These were not the ones I was looking for. They share some bonds with some of the Scythian tribes who live on the far side of the Sea of Death (the Black Sea). These raiders weren't from those tribes.""Why are you turning back?" I questioned. "You know your Assyrians are loyal. They will follow wherever you lead. Your son won't begrudge you these few hundred. I'll come too.""Why?" she turned and looked into my eyes. She still had that blazing fire in her eyes. She was teasing me. If she asked, I too would follow and my men would follow me."The Scythians have been raiding the Lands of the Two Rivers from, well, before I graduated from 'spear for hire' to a 'seeker of a mastery of war'. The rich plunder of their camps will provide plenty of incentive for my men plus we can sell the horses when we come back," I stated."I do not have the years left to spend on such a campaign," she sighed. I had never heard a hint of defeat in her speech before. It was unsettling and rather tragic."I have squandered my years in marriage, being Queen and raising my boys. I tried to make Assyria my new family and I am revealed to be a fool. You had it right. We will always be outlanders. No matter how brave, loyal, just and smart, we would never be allowed in their sanctimonious circle," she said. "You. I should have ridden off with you after my first born was acknowledged (the present King Adad-nirari the 3rd).""We could have gathered up some more fighters, ridden over shattered Phrygia, to the narrows (Bosporus) and into the lands of the Thracians. There is a legend of a great river that pours out from the western shore of the Death Sea. What I seek is up that river.""How many would we face?" I grew equally serious."One," she coughed. "Me." My confusion was obvious. "I am not asking you to fight me, Alal. I want you to come back for me.""I can't. That is not how it works," I stated."How does it work then?" she looked into my eyes. The fire was there, but banked and waning. I didn't say anything. "I have never seen, or heard of you entering a temple.""Your men go. You do not stop them, but you have given up any pretense of worship," she pressed. "Do you not believe that anything exists beyond your senses?""I believe," I sighed. "I believe people are fools for giving offering, pledging their fidelity, pleading for mercy, or extending thanks to any deity. Those Shar-an (gnats) do as they will, unless it is to punish us for treating them like the spoiled children they are."Shammuramat regained her long-stilled laughter."I have always felt a kinship with you through our mutual bitterness.""Bitterness comes with familiarity," I snorted in amusement. Lovers had passion. We shared a simmering anger that came from being irredeemably wronged."I was born Baraqu, the first son of a potter in some city that no longer matters. I was a failure as a potter and an embarrassment to my house and my clan," I began a story I hadn't told another soul in, I couldn't recall. "In those days, the Priest-Kings declared wars and demanded each clan of the city give forth a certain number of males to fight. My family volunteered me and two rowdy cousins.Outside the gates, my clan elder gave each of us a cowhide shield and a spear with a small spindle of copper at the tip so we wouldn't think it was a staff. We marched, I forget which city we were fighting that time. Three days later we found the enemy behind a deep irrigation ditch that had dried out for the season. Our orders were simple, 'There they are. Attack!'My elder was at the back of our mob, making sure none of us ran away. My older cousin made it across the ditch first, but was speared twice; once in the right kidney, I can still remember my first sight of blood, and once, piercing the shield and lodging in his ribcage. My second cousin and I were pushed from behind into the fighting. I stabbed at one shield, doing no harm.Then my surviving cousin's morale broke and he tried to claw his way back into our ranks. He was stabbed in the back, his dying body tangling with mine and bearing us both to the ground. I saw this howling mad face over me. He was a commoner, like me, driven to violence by the terror of battle. His shoddily crafted spear plunged first into my right lung. The second stab found my heart. I died.From there, my spirit fell down toward the wretched dank caverns where all pitiful lowborn dregs are doomed to end up without hope of parole. Instead of endless misery, the Goddess Sarrat Irkalli appeared before me, barring my descent. With icy claws, she trisected my soul. I cannot begin to describe that agony. She snatched up my tattered bits and dragged me back into the world.Sarrat Irkalli is Goddess of the Netherworld, whispered a word that penetrated my brain through the left ear of my cooling corpse. It was an utterance so catastrophic to the fabric of the Veil I dare not repeat it even now.Baraqu? she blew a dark wind upon the first bit of my essence and it flew away.Cael, she whispered to the second portion and off it went in another direction. You are Baraqu no more. The second name was meaningless to me at the time but my name. Do you know that if you have your true name, your spirit can not find its way to your reward, no matter how foul, or pleasing? To the third part of my soul. I name you Alal, he who stands witness to the end of all he desires; their destroyer. Powerful yet powerless.}With that, she left me. My body was stiff from being dead so long. The next few hours were extremely painful. The Sun had set and the Moon was not in evidence. Jackals barked and hyenas laughed as they fought and feasted on the dead. I pushed the body of my cousin off me then crawled down into the ditch to hide. Hardly the reaction of a hero.""Not the actions of the man I know," Shammuramat smirked. "So, your name is Baraqu.""Was and I never much liked the name," I countered. "The priests gave it to me because right before my naming ceremony, a bolt of lightning from a spring storm struck the temple of Shara. So they named me Baraqu, which means 'struck by lightning'.""That sound likes a good name," the Queen Dowager regarded me."That is the noble meaning. The common meaning is less eloquent, it means 'idiot'."Another deep laugh from my treasured compatriot. So few had ever mattered so much to me."Struck by lightning, stricken dumb," she guffawed. "Still not the 'you' I know.""What does the other name mean?""I have no idea. In all my travels I have never found a people familiar with it," I shrugged. She looked out over the low waves lapping against the stony shore."No explanation?" she grudgingly inquired. She had wanted me to continue."No. I have never again come face to face with Sarrat Irkalli, been visited by a messenger, divine, or demonic, received an omen, or any otherworldly presence of any kind," I shrugged. I was long past any resentment. "After the battle I made my way back home, we'd lost, and resumed my life for a few years. My father took the excuse of me 'letting' my kinsmen die to place my younger brother over me.I didn't care. I always hated being a potter, so I ended up being a piddling nuisance all the time and a drunken brawler whenever I had wrangled some beer. I was always the first choice of my clan to send into battle. Despite my lack of training, I began surviving more battles than I died in. At some point, the priests began getting suspicious that I was still hanging around my great-grandnephew's house, so my house Elder suggested I leave the city.I was given a nice copper-headed mace that I had taken in a recent skirmish. Tradition dictated I offer it to the Elder, so he could give it back to me as a sign of my value to the clan. He had taken it for his own. Now he was giving it back out of fear that it held some part of my taint. I had no idea how to live on my own. Two days out, I was robbed and murdered for the first, but not last, time. That inaugural event, I got really angry and hunted those two farmers down.I got my mace back. I also relieved them of an onager, three slaves and a few ingots of silver. I guessed they had been rather successful robbers until they met me."

Cáel' as the new Amazon Teen IdolBy FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels."I've missed you too," Aya bumped foreheads with me. I was 'a Son of the White Stallion' who 'ran with the herds of Epona'. I was so proud of her. She had woven together a Magyar myth with an Amazon naming convention. Epona, the Celtic Horse Goddess and Aya's matron divinity, was worshiped with the sacrifice of foals, Amazons offered up fillies (female baby horsies) whose spirits ran with the Goddess in the Spirit World.When the pre-Christian Magyars went to war, they sacrificed a white stallion to entreat their deities to grant them victory. No one was about to slit my throat, or cut my heart out. I was made sacred, a spirit stud in Epona's vast herd of mares. How freakishly accurate."I love you for your brains, you know that, don't you?" I whispered to Aya."Yes. You are saving up your other love for Mommy," she kinda/sorta teased me. Out of the semi-circle of children, three stood out. More accurately, they were dwarfed by their companions. I took the group's indecision as an offer to advance."Hi," I addressed the smallest three members of the audience. "Are you the Fatal Squirts?""They are not allowed that name," Sophia interceded. "No Amazon child deserves an acknowledgement before their trial." I half-turned and nodded her way."(Cough, cough). "Excuse me, please." If she spoke Phoenician, I was boned for being obviously disrespectful of her authority and would have to take whatever punishment Sophia felt I deserved.Otherwise, I was getting away with binding 'leads to death' to 'blood-death wound' in that ancient and highly extinct tongue: 'fatal, squirts' indeed. Her hand fell on my shoulder."I have heard you laugh at death," Sophia remarked. If I was on Zoosk, all you would have to do was type in 'Preference: Amazon Male Who Dares Talk Back', and there was my smiling mug, all alone, staring back at you."Before I confess to anything, do you consider that an asset, or liability," I grinned."I withhold judgment," was her reply."I don't mean to 'laugh at death'. It is because all the other choices suck and, perhaps I've been called stubborn, bull-headed and 'not having even a passing acquaintance with common sense' a time, or two," I shrugged with my lovely burden curled around my left arm."No names, our tradition and my command," Sophia laid down the law. Sigh. I put Aya down. She didn't cause me a hint of trouble because she knew my heart. I unbuckled and handed her my two guns (my Glock-22, and 38). I motioned one of the mini-Amazons forward. She shuffled up to Aya's side and received my two tomahawks.Not only was no one leaving, the rest of the camp started coming down to see what was about to transpire. In my short stint at Havenstone, I had developed a reputation as an exciting fun-guy/irrepressible troublemaker."I feel your decision is founded on misinformation, or your rendering to be unjust," I told Sophia."Explain," Sophia requested.I hadn't disarmed for my sake, or hers. I gave up my weapons to affirm my desire to talk. I placed myself at my sister's mercy, thus expressing my trust in her. Amazons are not savages, just violently inclined.Later, Pamela would remind me that my behavior was precisely what Isharans were supposed to do, seek peace."Aya has taken a position as intern with Executive Services at Havenstone," I explained. "She held my position and served effectively for four days with good work reviews from the head of the department herself," I added."She has served in a caste, been assigned duties by members of that caste, performed errands and accomplished all that was asked of her. Doesn't that create an allowance for Aya, as she has been considered for a caste?" I was fishing for an excuse based on my instincts for these people."She has never been selected, chosen and been anointed to a caste, so her preliminary experience does not qualify," Sophia said after a few seconds of introspection. "Next?""She has charged forth into battle on my behest." The archery range."You were not an acknowledged member of the Host when that happened. Next?""She's tried to kill me," I tossed out there."What?" many exclaimed."No!" Aya gasped."When did this occur?" Sophia's eyes twinkled."At the archery range. She shot at me twice," I responded."She was practicing," was the counter. "Next?""Not next," I smiled. "I didn't have permission from anyone to step beyond the shooting line.In doing so, I accepted all calls to combat. Both Leona and Aya shot at me. Aya shot twice and came close once. Leona only hit me after I gave myself up to protect three Amazon children."Pause."Okay. Aya has served in combat, no matter how one-sided, " Sophia began."I was armed for part of the fight," I interrupted hurriedly. Aya's first arrow."Accepted. You were a viable combatant before that as witnessed by other Amazons in earlier encounters. She and another Amazon shot at you without any other claiming traditional ownership of you," Sophia nodded. The Leader had given me a 'bye' on my intern status."Aya may bear an honorific," Sophia loudly proclaimed her change in course. To Amazons, screwing up was a distant third to not owning up to what you did and not learning from your mistakes. Besides, I could tell Sophia was warming up to me, as a male and an Amazon."My war band?" Aya chirped."You do not have a war band, Aya Epona, but whatever name you use among yourselves is not a matter I will concern myself with," Sophia stated firmly. "Fifty days, Cáel." That was the end of it. Sophia turned and began walking uphill, conflict successfully resolved.The Fatal Squirts had emerged with a semi-official status, I had emerged without a new series of wounds and I had wrangled forth a small down payment for all the love and loyalty Aya had showered on me."Best Daddy in the World!" Aya shouted. "Mamitu! Mamitu!" Destiny.Amazons weren't huge believers in luck. They put their faith in training, planning, experience and diligence. For them, victory was a matter of destiny. Let the sloppy, treacherous Greeks invoke 'Nike', Victory, or 'Tyche', Luck for tossing them a positive outcome in battle. My side weren't thankful for the win they deserved.They acknowledged Mamitu had, through foresight, prepared the Host for what had to be done. For Aya, it was destiny that had put me in her path; she and her sisters trained for the hostage scenario multiple times, so she was a logical choice for my training. She had been training with the bow when I was giving her the inner strength and confidence to hit the target.Training, not mutual good fortune, put her at the range to make that shot. Whatever part luck played, that bolt that had saved my life and paved the way for Aya's rise to leadership had been a part of her training as well. Amazons didn't deny luck, nor did the put any trust in it."Hi, so who are the rest of you?" I addressed the Fatal Squirts while rearming."I am Mosa Oya," the tomahawk holder identified herself."I am, " the third member got out before we were propelled back into that 'never too distant' No-Man's Land. A girl, a stranger in her early teens, came up and shoved Aya hard."You are nothing special," the older girl growled at my buddy. My 'daughter' barely avoided sprawling in the dust.The intensity was palatable. Aya had no chance of beating this girl. Not only did her opponent have every physical advantage, she had three buddies as well, correction: two buddies and a twin sister. Amazons built lifetime bonds around these foursomes. Aya and company backed down, despite her obvious shame. She had just won an honorific as a child, unheard of before this. It was Amazon tactical thinking, not fear, that ruled Aya's mind. I was so proud of her."What's your name?" I inquired congenially of the newcomer. She flashed me a look of anger laced with teenage hormones, then turned and stormed away, actually, she only started to storm away. Her behavior had played right into my hands. I was an adult. She wasn't a full-fledged member of the Host, nor was she a child anymore. I had asked her a question and she had been disrespectful to me. Her bad. Still, I doubted anyone expected my leg sweep.The bully hit the ground hard, no rolling with the blow for her. My foot smashing down on her diaphragm drove the fight right out of her. I wasn't done. The twin rushed in, my thunderbolt left sent her flying back from whence she came. Amazons despise child abuse as cruel and socially cancerous, yet no one else was rushing in to stop me.Even her other two friends were obeying both basic Amazon battle philosophy and conduct. Two young teens versus me was stupid, and I wasn't alone. I had four Squirts plus two other women close by who saw nothing wrong with a cooperative pummeling. I lifted my foot a centimeter from the girl's chest."Let's try this again," I spoke softly. "I am Cáel Ishara. You have disparaged my house by putting your back to me after I, an adult, politely addressed you. In fifteen seconds your sin will pass beyond your ability to address and your actions will be viewed as your family's unwarranted insult. My sisters will seek vengeance against your sisters with the added advantage that your sisters won't know what's going on. Now, what's your name?"See, I could have gone straight to Step Two, the House on House vengeance. Me kicking her ass was merciful because after five, or six members of her house were jumped, one at a time by three, or four, of mine, those ladies were going to be truly curious why their youngster had been so fucking rude in front of so many fucking Amazons to the HEAD of a fucking First House.'Honorific' Aya still had no status except that of a child. Dumb Bunny was passed her 12th year test, so she was of her House, thus the insult. Despite my 'fantasy' assumption of the role of grunt, everyone knew that Cáel Cabbage-head was Cáel Ishara, Head of House Ishara. I was the only accepted male Amazon in existence, the only possessor of a 'five o'clock shadow' in camp, I was armed and I was so armed while walking among their children.She could not have possibly mistaken me for another. Her eyes showed that truism too. Her wrathful 'how dare that male!' morphed into 'oh fuck, my older sisters are going to be tossed down stairwells, jacked up in parking garages and they were going to be caught totally flat-footed when it happens, and it is all my (the girl's) fault'.In theory, Saint Marie could deny my feud (we were at war), or warn the girl's house of my request, but why would she? The crime couldn't have been more obvious and the Amazons were way past making harmful shit up about me."Zarana, Zarana of House Inara," she gasped.I switched foot placement, pivoted, reached down to arm-clasp my left with her left and ended with me pulling her effortlessly to a standing position."A pleasure to meet you Zarana Inara. I am Cáel Ishara, but you may call me Cáel if you wish," I gave her my award winning smile. "No one will ever doubt your courage in my presence," I added.'Lead with the left jab, then catch them with the right hook'. As true in interpersonal relationships as in boxing. I had beaten her handily seconds ago and now I was applauding her bravery. Again, I wasn't a Head of House calling attention to her virtue, but I was."Your sister shares your warrior's heart.""I, I, I don't know what came over me, " she started to give me a respectful head-nod. I hooked a finger under her chin to stop her."Are you going to reconsider your approach for dealing with a male Amazon, Zarana of Inara?" I bridged the awkward moment. Bing! I had turned a humiliation into a learning moment."Yes," she smiled at me. "Yes Cáel Ish, Cáel.""I swear by the All-Mighty, if I find this one crawling into your sleeping bag, I'm going to be very disappointed in you," Delilah ambushed me. Wa-ha?"Oh, come on!" I protested. "She's thirteen.""Fourteen," the other twin, bleeding lip and all, puffed herself up."Not helping, " I looked at the twin."Vaski," she supplied. What?"Vaski? Really? That was Grandmother's name, it is Magyar-Finnish," I wondered."We are almost related," she conjured the improbable out of the impossible."No you are not, young lady," Delilah serpentined her way to the front of the crowd. "You are not family now and you can't attempt to be for four more years.""Who would you be?" Zarana challenged Delilah. Man, those two kids were spunky."An honored guest," Priya provided. "I hope another lesson in manners will not be necessary.""I'll do my best," I volunteered. Priya had been addressing the twins; not me. Taking the hit was a bit of comedy to diffuse the moment."Some of you need to eat," a camp counselor stated. Another crisis down and the sky wasn't even dark yet."Cáel!" and here we went again. Thank you, Ishara, it was Europa, the strange one, meaning the one I understood the most.(Night and Day)This place kept getting more and more wonderful. There was one safe road that rolled out of the camp's front gate (there was no wall, the gate was ceremonial) and disappeared off toward the closest state road. Scheduled trips were made to the closest blip on the census data where they bought stuff (irrelevant) and were 'seen' by the locals (the important thing).If anyone investigated, there was a legitimate summer camp 'out there'. The counselors weren't friendly, but they worked with 'troubled' kids, so keeping the small talk to a minimum was excusable. Sure, they only saw women, usually the same ones each trip during a given summer. The camp held nearly a thousand people, so the all-female thing was dismissed as a quirk.That was the second layer of deception. We had already learned that the first layer was the idea of a camp for girls in the foster care system. The third layer was all the visible 'props'. This went beyond the typical craft centers, juvenile obstacle courses, and a dozen other distractions. (The only 'real' one was the stables. Amazons loved riding horses and being assigned to tend to their care was a high honor.)Thirty meters inside the gate was a bridged gulch. After dark, the bridge supports were removed turning a clear shot into the center of camp into a waiting death trap. If there was any doubt, the gulch, so comforting and protective, was a blast zone as well, designation: The Barbecue Pit. I couldn't find it, but I was sure there was an altar somewhere to the matron goddess for this summer camp, the Goddess Paranoia.The sleeping quarters for everyone? More props. Campers would go in, mill around for ten minutes, then curl up on their bed, the ones that warmed up to 98 degrees in the shape of human bodies. Then the campers went down the shafts beneath their bunks and dutifully shuffled along the one meter high underground tunnels to their mesa-based domiciles. Again, once in the cliff-side barracks, they had two chimneys, a tunnel back to the dorm building and a cleverly designed, nearly invisible front exit to choose from.Pamela took it in stride, Delilah was a bit peeved by the 'excessive' security. Virginia, we'd already dragged her through her dorm tunnel to her cave to sleep it off. For me, the tunnel's dimensions made it a tight fit. Amazons can be pretty strong, but they don't have shoulders as wide as mine, nor are they normally over a meter/eight (six feet for us Yankees).I would have complained, except I had a sneaking suspicion that Pamela had a trowel to give me so I could 'widen up' a twenty to forty meter stretch of tunnel the moment I opened my mouth. As the last portion of the instructional tour, we were directed to get our grub before it was gone because the sadistic chefs loved to watch the eight year old workhouse orphans fight over who got to lick the pot instead of starving.Not really. The victuals were actually very good. I had hopes of more bonding time with my Epona ladies, yet no sooner had I cleaned my tin plate and dinnerware, I found someone else who craved my attention, Sophia. She was hot for my touch and by that I meant she wanted to punch and kick me around for a bit, all in the name of fun."Since you are my guest, I will let you choose our weapons," Sophia decided."I choose hyperbole," I gracefully flowed from sitting with one leg down and the other bent to standing."Specify.""Caber tossing with real Sequoia. I'll wait for the ladies of Girl Scout Troop 666 to go get some, they have to be authentic; no substitutes accepted," I explained."That's not hyperbole," Sophia snorted. "Hyperbole would be, 'I want to use the biggest spears ever used by Amazons, or Goddesses'.""My hyperbole wasn't the caber tossing, it was us 'waiting' for a set of circumstances we both knew wouldn't happen," I countered. Sophia nodded.

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8888 Written by: Billith, Doctor Cimmerian, HarryBlank, Placeholder McD Support the Patreon to see Exploring videos early and vote on new ones!: http://bit.ly/1U9QkPh Join the Discord!: https://discord.gg/beRYZgbbgP Support the Series with official Merch!: https://t.co/aH0HApXp7v Follow me on Twitter for updates!: https://twitter.com/TES_Mangg Listen on Podcasts: https://anchor.fm/theexploringseries Exploring SCP Foundation Playlist: https://bit.ly/2whu8NA Exploring Dungeons and Dragons Playlist: https://bit.ly/348IZZu Exploring Warhammer 40k Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DoFZgu Exploring Celtic Mythology Playlist: https://bit.ly/2rTuHLm Exploring Norse Mythology Playlist: http://bit.ly/2EAHTda Exploring Elder Scrolls Playlist: http://bit.ly/2fgqQoY Exploring Star Wars Playlist: http://bit.ly/2lNtlN0 Exploring Middle-Earth Playlist: http://bit.ly/2cGNcty Exploring the Cthulhu Mythos Playlist: http://bit.ly/25OI9jY Exploring History Playlist: https://bit.ly/2w7XMqM Video Game Stories Playlist: https://bit.ly/3hhgbqK My Gaming Channel: youtube.com/user/ManggsLPs Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVm52MbXb7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6It2y6sgUA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEX2cpDdPU Content relating to the SCP Foundation, including the SCP Foundation logo, is licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0 and all concepts originate from http://www.scp-wiki.net and its authors. This video, being derived from this content, is hereby also released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0.

(SCP- 1075): https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-1075  Intro/Outro music: Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3805-ghost-story  License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  Thumbs up to all our listeners, the community of the SCP Foundation and the entry's creator/poster:Doctor Cimmerian. Without, we wouldn't have this discussion. So thank you all! (Doctor Cimmerian): https://www.wikidot.com/user:info/doctor-cimmerian  (The SCP Foundation): http://www.scp-wiki.net/ Comment below or send us an email at aldenterigamortis@gmail.com   Also check out the title cards for each episode: http://crazonstudios.tumblr.com/  And if you want to show your support, consider becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/aldenterigamortis

Dave is back in Derry & Toms to talk about some stories that were as formative for him as they were for me back in our teens... The Robert E Howard Conan stories, The Phoenix on the Sword and The Scarlet Citadel. Dave also gives us an update on the latest SÖNUS news and we delve into some of the murkier aspects of the pulp of the time. But mostly we enjoy the head smashing and the surprisingly textured and erudite version of the Cimmerian in those first two stories. Although this is our first Conan focused episode, Phil and I did look at The Tower of the Elephant way back in the early days in our first Happy Birthday Michael Moorcock episode back in December 2019. How time flies...

Send us a Text Message.The Summer of Action arrives in the Hyborian Age! Brother Brian joins us, as we discuss the Riddle of Steel, the Wheel of Pain, the Tree of Woe, the Mountain of Power, and other elements related to the film adventures of Conan the Cimmerian.Do you want to live forever? If you do, you may as well listen to a really lengthy podcast episode featuring Conan the Barbarian (1982), Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Conan the Barbarian (2011). Let us tell you of the days of high adventure!

Geek-O-Rama meets John C. Hocking and Alex Boucher… In which the sexier half of the middle aged crew chats to John C Hocking about his new book, Conan City of the Dead, the world famous Cimmerian, Robert E. Howard, Sword and Sorcery and pul adventure, and Alex Boucher, author of Three And A Half Minutes of Fame about what it was really like to be part of the underground as a gigging musician in the nineties, boy bands, the music business and why fame is vastly overrated… Tune in, turn it up and geek out. This one's a doozy…

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8888 Written by: Billith, Doctor Cimmerian, HarryBlank, Placeholder McD Support the Patreon to see Exploring videos early and vote on new ones!: http://bit.ly/1U9QkPh Join the Discord!: https://discord.gg/beRYZgbbgP Support the Series with official Merch!: https://t.co/aH0HApXp7v Follow me on Twitter for updates!: https://twitter.com/TES_Mangg Listen on Podcasts: https://anchor.fm/theexploringseries Exploring SCP Foundation Playlist: https://bit.ly/2whu8NA Exploring Dungeons and Dragons Playlist: https://bit.ly/348IZZu Exploring Warhammer 40k Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DoFZgu Exploring Celtic Mythology Playlist: https://bit.ly/2rTuHLm Exploring Norse Mythology Playlist: http://bit.ly/2EAHTda Exploring Elder Scrolls Playlist: http://bit.ly/2fgqQoY Exploring Star Wars Playlist: http://bit.ly/2lNtlN0 Exploring Middle-Earth Playlist: http://bit.ly/2cGNcty Exploring the Cthulhu Mythos Playlist: http://bit.ly/25OI9jY Exploring History Playlist: https://bit.ly/2w7XMqM Video Game Stories Playlist: https://bit.ly/3hhgbqK My Gaming Channel: youtube.com/user/ManggsLPs Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVm52MbXb7s Content relating to the SCP Foundation, including the SCP Foundation logo, is licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0 and all concepts originate from http://www.scp-wiki.net and its authors. This video, being derived from this content, is hereby also released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theexploringseries/support

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8888 Written by: Billith, Doctor Cimmerian, HarryBlank, Placeholder McD Support the Patreon to see Exploring videos early and vote on new ones!: http://bit.ly/1U9QkPh Join the Discord!: https://discord.gg/beRYZgbbgP Support the Series with official Merch!: https://t.co/aH0HApXp7v Follow me on Twitter for updates!: https://twitter.com/TES_Mangg Listen on Podcasts: https://anchor.fm/theexploringseries Exploring SCP Foundation Playlist: https://bit.ly/2whu8NA Exploring Dungeons and Dragons Playlist: https://bit.ly/348IZZu Exploring Warhammer 40k Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DoFZgu Exploring Celtic Mythology Playlist: https://bit.ly/2rTuHLm Exploring Norse Mythology Playlist: http://bit.ly/2EAHTda Exploring Elder Scrolls Playlist: http://bit.ly/2fgqQoY Exploring Star Wars Playlist: http://bit.ly/2lNtlN0 Exploring Middle-Earth Playlist: http://bit.ly/2cGNcty Exploring the Cthulhu Mythos Playlist: http://bit.ly/25OI9jY Exploring History Playlist: https://bit.ly/2w7XMqM Video Game Stories Playlist: https://bit.ly/3hhgbqK My Gaming Channel: youtube.com/user/ManggsLPs Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6It2y6sgUA Content relating to the SCP Foundation, including the SCP Foundation logo, is licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0 and all concepts originate from http://www.scp-wiki.net and its authors. This video, being derived from this content, is hereby also released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theexploringseries/support

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8888 Written by: Billith, Doctor Cimmerian, HarryBlank, Placeholder McD Support the Patreon to see Exploring videos early and vote on new ones!: http://bit.ly/1U9QkPh Join the Discord!: https://discord.gg/beRYZgbbgP Support the Series with official Merch!: https://t.co/aH0HApXp7v Follow me on Twitter for updates!: https://twitter.com/TES_Mangg Listen on Podcasts: https://anchor.fm/theexploringseries Exploring SCP Foundation Playlist: https://bit.ly/2whu8NA Exploring Dungeons and Dragons Playlist: https://bit.ly/348IZZu Exploring Warhammer 40k Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DoFZgu Exploring Celtic Mythology Playlist: https://bit.ly/2rTuHLm Exploring Norse Mythology Playlist: http://bit.ly/2EAHTda Exploring Elder Scrolls Playlist: http://bit.ly/2fgqQoY Exploring Star Wars Playlist: http://bit.ly/2lNtlN0 Exploring Middle-Earth Playlist: http://bit.ly/2cGNcty Exploring the Cthulhu Mythos Playlist: http://bit.ly/25OI9jY Exploring History Playlist: https://bit.ly/2w7XMqM Video Game Stories Playlist: https://bit.ly/3hhgbqK My Gaming Channel: youtube.com/user/ManggsLPs Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEX2cpDdPU Content relating to the SCP Foundation, including the SCP Foundation logo, is licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0 and all concepts originate from http://www.scp-wiki.net and its authors. This video, being derived from this content, is hereby also released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theexploringseries/support

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-8888 Written by: Billith, Doctor Cimmerian, HarryBlank, Placeholder McD Support the Patreon to see Exploring videos early and vote on new ones!: http://bit.ly/1U9QkPh Join the Discord!: https://discord.gg/beRYZgbbgP Support the Series with official Merch!: https://t.co/aH0HApXp7v Follow me on Twitter for updates!: https://twitter.com/TES_Mangg Listen on Podcasts: https://anchor.fm/theexploringseries Exploring SCP Foundation Playlist: https://bit.ly/2whu8NA Exploring Dungeons and Dragons Playlist: https://bit.ly/348IZZu Exploring Warhammer 40k Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DoFZgu Exploring Celtic Mythology Playlist: https://bit.ly/2rTuHLm Exploring Norse Mythology Playlist: http://bit.ly/2EAHTda Exploring Elder Scrolls Playlist: http://bit.ly/2fgqQoY Exploring Star Wars Playlist: http://bit.ly/2lNtlN0 Exploring Middle-Earth Playlist: http://bit.ly/2cGNcty Exploring the Cthulhu Mythos Playlist: http://bit.ly/25OI9jY Exploring History Playlist: https://bit.ly/2w7XMqM Video Game Stories Playlist: https://bit.ly/3hhgbqK My Gaming Channel: youtube.com/user/ManggsLPs Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEX2cpDdPU Content relating to the SCP Foundation, including the SCP Foundation logo, is licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0 and all concepts originate from http://www.scp-wiki.net and its authors. This video, being derived from this content, is hereby also released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theexploringseries/support

It's easy for some people to laugh at Conan the Barbarian, John Milius's 1982 film about Robert E. Howard's most famous creation: it seems like the cinematic equivalent of middle-schoolers playing Dungeons and Dragons. But this is an honest (as in “unpretentious”) film with ideas: the pagan existentialism of Thulsa Doom, the theology of Subatai, and the difference between soldiers and warriors are all offered for the viewer's consideration. It's also oddly countercultural and conservative in its point of view. Join Dan and Tim for an appreciation of a wildly entertaining film that launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and features one of the greatest movie soundtracks. We know the poetry of Khitai and the philosophy of Sung—so give it a listen! Interested in reading the source material? Check out Robert E. Howard's The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, the first collection of Conan stories Howard wrote in the 1930s for Weird Tales magazine. You may also want to check out Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story to hear Arnold talk of how much he and James Earl Jones enjoyed working with each other. Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Incredible bumper music by John Deley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

It's easy for some people to laugh at Conan the Barbarian, John Milius's 1982 film about Robert E. Howard's most famous creation: it seems like the cinematic equivalent of middle-schoolers playing Dungeons and Dragons. But this is an honest (as in “unpretentious”) film with ideas: the pagan existentialism of Thulsa Doom, the theology of Subatai, and the difference between soldiers and warriors are all offered for the viewer's consideration. It's also oddly countercultural and conservative in its point of view. Join Dan and Tim for an appreciation of a wildly entertaining film that launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and features one of the greatest movie soundtracks. We know the poetry of Khitai and the philosophy of Sung—so give it a listen! Interested in reading the source material? Check out Robert E. Howard's The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, the first collection of Conan stories Howard wrote in the 1930s for Weird Tales magazine. You may also want to check out Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story to hear Arnold talk of how much he and James Earl Jones enjoyed working with each other. Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Incredible bumper music by John Deley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's easy for some people to laugh at Conan the Barbarian, John Milius's 1982 film about Robert E. Howard's most famous creation: it seems like the cinematic equivalent of middle-schoolers playing Dungeons and Dragons. But this is an honest (as in “unpretentious”) film with ideas: the pagan existentialism of Thulsa Doom, the theology of Subatai, and the difference between soldiers and warriors are all offered for the viewer's consideration. It's also oddly countercultural and conservative in its point of view. Join Dan and Tim for an appreciation of a wildly entertaining film that launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and features one of the greatest movie soundtracks. We know the poetry of Khitai and the philosophy of Sung—so give it a listen! Interested in reading the source material? Check out Robert E. Howard's The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, the first collection of Conan stories Howard wrote in the 1930s for Weird Tales magazine. You may also want to check out Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story to hear Arnold talk of how much he and James Earl Jones enjoyed working with each other. Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Incredible bumper music by John Deley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

The Rogues sit down once more with Conan scribe Jim Zub to discuss the future of everyone's favorite Cimmerian, including a deep dive into the relaunch of the legendary Savage Sword of Conan comic series.

Tracklisting: 01. Four Tet - Loved 02. Cloudcage - Moonlit Pathway 03. Alex Keeper - Circles 04. Finding Mero - Need You 05. Farves, Catching Shapes, Arkangel - Lines (Kozua Remix) 06. A.M.R, Fractures - Mirrorball (Chill Mix) 07. BT - Kia Ora (AK Remix) 08. Otherwish - After All This Time 09. Beatrice Dupont, Ash Nova - With You 10. VEHA, Teesalu - Faded and Pale 11. Cimmerian, Luciano F - Interconnect 12. BirØ - LØst It All 13. DJ Poolboi - The Joy You Once Felt 14. Alex Baker, Hanging Valleys - Lights (Hessian Remix) 15. Heard Right - All For Nothing 16. Daww - Ready For You 17. Babsy. - Everywhere (Lipless Remix)

This week, we get the rare opportunity to look at two takes on the same story, as we examine Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics' adaptation of Robert E. Howard's "The Slithering Shadow." We also review Savage Dragon #267 from Image Comics, Red Sonja #7 from Dynamite Entertainment, and Charred Remains #2 from Mad Cave Studios. Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) REVIEWS STEPHEN RED SONJA #7 Writer: Torunn Gronbekk Artist: Walter Geovani Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Cover Price: $3.99 Release Date: January 24, 2024 In this issue: The source of "His Master's Voice" stands revealed, and now Sonja is face-to-face with the greatest threat Hyboria has ever known. Will the She-Devil kneel before [REDACTED]? Don't bet on it! [rating:4/5] MATTHEW SAVAGE DRAGON #267 Writer: Erik Larsen Artist: Erik Larsen Publisher: Image Comics Cover Price: $9.99 Release Date: January 17, 2024 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE ONGOING SAVAGE DRAGON SERIES! Savage Dragon's adopted daughter Angel gets married to Frank Darling, Jr. at long last! Paul Dragon gives away the bride! Malcolm Dragon is the best man! Maxine is the maid of honor! But no superhero wedding is complete without a looming menace hellbent on making the happy occasion a living nightmare! [rating:4/5] RODRIGO CHARRED REMAINS #2 Writer: Anthony Cleveland Artist: Andrea Mutti Publisher: Mad Cave Studios Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: January 31, 2024 Vic's dreams of the Fire Man are becoming more and more real, but he refuses to admit to Amy what he saw in the flames. Meanwhile, Amy is searching for her friend who was nearly lost to the blaze, but there's something Patricia Lefeu isn't saying about Hope's House. Secrets spread nearly as quickly as fire in this town... [rating: 4/5] DISCUSSION CONAN: Xuthal of the Dusk "The Slithering Shadow" is one of the original short stories starring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in the September 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine. "The Slithering Shadow" is the original title, but the story is also known as "Xuthal of the Dusk" in further publications. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age, and concerns Conan discovering a lost city in a remote desert while encountering a Lovecraftian demon known as Thog. The story was republished in the collections The Sword of Conan (Gnome Press, 1952) and Conan the Adventurer (Lancer Books, 1966). It has more recently been published in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle (Gollancz, 2000) as "The Slithering Shadow" and in Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (Wandering Star, 2002) and The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (Del Rey, 2003) as "Xuthal of the Dusk." The story was adapted by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala in Savage Sword of Conan #20, then by Fred Van Lente and Guiu Vilanova in Conan the Avenger #13-15 (2015). CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

This week, we get the rare opportunity to look at two takes on the same story, as we examine Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics' adaptation of Robert E. Howard's "The Slithering Shadow." We also review Savage Dragon #267 from Image Comics, Red Sonja #7 from Dynamite Entertainment, and Charred Remains #2 from Mad Cave Studios. Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) REVIEWS STEPHEN RED SONJA #7 Writer: Torunn Gronbekk Artist: Walter Geovani Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Cover Price: $3.99 Release Date: January 24, 2024 In this issue: The source of "His Master's Voice" stands revealed, and now Sonja is face-to-face with the greatest threat Hyboria has ever known. Will the She-Devil kneel before [REDACTED]? Don't bet on it! [rating:4/5] MATTHEW SAVAGE DRAGON #267 Writer: Erik Larsen Artist: Erik Larsen Publisher: Image Comics Cover Price: $9.99 Release Date: January 17, 2024 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE ONGOING SAVAGE DRAGON SERIES! Savage Dragon's adopted daughter Angel gets married to Frank Darling, Jr. at long last! Paul Dragon gives away the bride! Malcolm Dragon is the best man! Maxine is the maid of honor! But no superhero wedding is complete without a looming menace hellbent on making the happy occasion a living nightmare! [rating:4/5] RODRIGO CHARRED REMAINS #2 Writer: Anthony Cleveland Artist: Andrea Mutti Publisher: Mad Cave Studios Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: January 31, 2024 Vic's dreams of the Fire Man are becoming more and more real, but he refuses to admit to Amy what he saw in the flames. Meanwhile, Amy is searching for her friend who was nearly lost to the blaze, but there's something Patricia Lefeu isn't saying about Hope's House. Secrets spread nearly as quickly as fire in this town... [rating: 4/5] DISCUSSION CONAN: Xuthal of the Dusk "The Slithering Shadow" is one of the original short stories starring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in the September 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine. "The Slithering Shadow" is the original title, but the story is also known as "Xuthal of the Dusk" in further publications. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age, and concerns Conan discovering a lost city in a remote desert while encountering a Lovecraftian demon known as Thog. The story was republished in the collections The Sword of Conan (Gnome Press, 1952) and Conan the Adventurer (Lancer Books, 1966). It has more recently been published in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle (Gollancz, 2000) as "The Slithering Shadow" and in Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (Wandering Star, 2002) and The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (Del Rey, 2003) as "Xuthal of the Dusk." The story was adapted by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala in Savage Sword of Conan #20, then by Fred Van Lente and Guiu Vilanova in Conan the Avenger #13-15 (2015). CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

Here we move three arguments from social media to the podcast. 1. Given Deutsch's universal explainer hypothesis, does it make sense to say that men commit more crimes due to testosterone? Are humans only 'approximately' Universal Explainers? 2. Can anything in reality be simulated? What exactly does it mean to be simulated? 3. Is “heat death” a bummer? What would Conan the Cimmerian say? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support

Synopsis: Faced with a series of disloyal vassals, Sargon conquers the remaining Neo-Hittite kingdoms and absorbs them into his empire. The Cimmerian invasion of Anatolia leads to the deaths of two powerful kings. In their absence, the preservation of peace and stability falls to local rulers such as Azatiwadas of Quwe. “I am Azatiwadas, the Sun God's man, servant of Tarhunzas, whom Awariku, king of Adanawa, made great. Tarhunzas made me mother and father to Adanawa, and I caused Adanawa to prosper. I extended the plain of Adanawa on the one hand towards the west and on the other hand toward the east, and in my days Adanawa had all good things, plentiness, and luxury. I filled the Paharean granaries, and I made horse upon horse, and I made army upon army, and I made shield upon shield, all with the help of Tarhunzas and the gods.” – Bilingual (Luwian/Phoenician) inscription of Azatiwadas, late 8th/early 7th century BC, recovered from the stone gates of his fortress at Azatiwadaya (Karatape-Aslantas, Turkiye).  Information on the Neo-Hittite fortress of Azatiwadaya (Karatepe-Aslantas, Turkiye): https://www.hittitemonuments.com/karatepe/ Map of the Iron Age Near East: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Near_East.jpg Map of Iron Age Anatolia: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Anatolia.jpg Map of Iron Age Northern Syria: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Syria.jpg Map of Iron Age Southern Syria and Canaan: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Canaan.jpg List of Regional Kings: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C30_Kings_List.pdf Episode Images: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C30_Images.pdf References and Further Reading: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C30_References.pdf Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Synopsis: Rusa of Urartu wins early victories against Assyrian armies, but his intrigues in the Zagros kingdom of Mannea earn him Sargon's wrath. After a crushing defeat by Cimmerian invaders, Rusa's unable to prevent Sargon's destruction of his kingdom. “I caused there to be lamentation in the wide land Urartu and in all the mountains, and I made Rusa, their king, use flint blades, razors (and) scalpels to slash himself in mourning for as long as he lived. I made Musasir part of the territory of Assyria and assigned it to the authority of a eunuch of mine, the palace herald. The awesome splendor of the god Assur, my lord, overwhelmed Rusa, the Urartian, and so with his own iron dagger he stabbed himself in the heart like a pig and put an end to his life.” – The Annals of Sargon II Map of the Iron Age Near East: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Near_East.jpg Map of the Iron Age Zagros Mountains: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/Map_Zagros_Enhanced.jpg Episode Images: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C29_Images.pdf References and Further Reading: https://audio.ancientworldpodcast.com/C29_References.pdf Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final episode of season two of Conan And Friends we feature Robert E. Howard's essay outlining the history of the world he built around Conan: "The Hyborean Age."Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we feature the final part of the novella "Red Nails," Howard's last story and published in Weird Tales magazine in 1936. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we feature part three of the novella "Red Nails," Howard's last story and published in Weird Tales magazine in 1936. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we feature part two of the novella "Red Nails," Howard's last story and published in Weird Tales magazine in 1936. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we feature part one of the novella "Red Nails," Howard's last story and published in Weird Tales magazine in 1936. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length story "Shadows in Zamboula," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1935. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part two of the story "Beyond the Black River," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1935. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part one of the story "Beyond the Black River," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1935. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part two of the story "Jewels of Gwahlur," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1935. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part one of the story "Jewels of Gwahlur," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1935. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length story "A Witch Shall Be Born," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back, Cromrades! Here we revisit the Robert E. Howard story "Jewels of Gwahlur," another yarn in the Hyborian Age of Conan the Cimmerian. While it isn't our favorite Conan story, there are some interesting facets to discuss. One ThingsJon: Legacy DC Characters, and the ending of Irredeemable. Josh: Dragon Quest!Luke: The Last House on Needless Street, by Katriana Ward. Questions? Comments

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part two of "The People of the Black Circle," which was published over three issues in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present part one of "The People of the Black Circle," which was published over three issues in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books or via Amazon at www.getconan.com. If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "The Devil in Iron," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "Queen of the Black Coast," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "Shadows in the Moonlight," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "Gods of the North," which has the distinction of being rejected as a Conan story by Weird Tales magazine. This podcast features the original Conan version as written by Howard, using the title of the story he later adapted for The Fantasy Fan magazine.Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.If you like pulp fiction with cliffhanger episodes, exciting characters, and a complex world of sword & sorcery, don't forget to check out The Thieves Guild podcast, written by Nebula-nominated author Jake Kerr. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday. You can check it out here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "Rogues in the House," published in Weird Tales magazine in 1934. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories from your favorite bookstore here, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetime. This week we present the full length tale "The Pool of the Black One," published in Weird Tales magazine in 1933. Conan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is part two of "The Slithering Shadow." Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is part one of "The Slithering Shadow." Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is part two of "Black Colossus." Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is part one of "Black Colossus." Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is "The Tower of the Elephant." Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Conan And Friends we feature all the Conan stories written in Robert E. Howard's lifetimeConan the Barbarian is a legendary fictional character known for his unparalleled strength, indomitable spirit, and savage warrior skills. Created by writer Robert E. Howard, Conan roams the ancient and treacherous Hyborian Age, a fictional prehistoric era. With his rippling muscles, wild mane of hair, and fierce eyes, Conan embodies the archetype of the muscle-bound warrior. Born in the harsh Cimmerian lands, he endures a life of constant struggle, battling his way through a myriad of dangerous quests, fierce battles, and encounters with sorcery. Conan's tales are marked by his unwavering determination, cunning intellect, and primal instincts, making him an iconic symbol of heroism in the history of sword and sorcery.We'll be presenting the works of Conan in the reading order recommended by scholars. This episode is "The Scarlet Citadel" part two. Conan And Friends is brought to you by In Shambles Productions. This episode was produced by audiodrama.ai.You can find the definitive edition of Conan stories on Amazon, available in ebook and paperback from our friends at Broadsword Books.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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