Conan the Adventurer 8

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance CA-7; next appearance SSOC-180).

Minor Characters

 * Avoosl Wuthoqquan (First appearance; dies in this issue). A Kalandorian moneylender.
 * A beggar (First and only appearance to date).
 * Gnut (First appearance; dies in this issue). Avoosl's manservant.

Location

 * City of Kalandor, at the foot of the Zamorian Mountains.

Time Frame

 * One day.

Synopsis
As Conan enters Kalandor, a beggar prophesies that the passing moneylender Avoosl Wuthoqquan's love of material things will bring his doom. The beggar then tells Conan that Avoosl covets to gems in the possession of a nearby merchant, and suggests Avoosl might pay well for those items. Conan spends the day looking for food, but, finding none, decides to steal the emeralds and sell them. He sneaks into the merchant's tower and steals the precious stones, takingthem directly to Avoosl, who gladly gives Conan a large sum of money. As Conan leaves, Avvosl sends his manservant Gnut after Conan to retrieve the money and dispose of the barbarian. Almost immediately, the two gems glow with an eerie green light and float away, Avoosl in pursuit. Meanwhile, Gnut finds out the hard way the difficulties of sneaking up on Conan. Retreating from the body, Conan discovers Avoosl chasing the floating gems out of town. Conan follows to a small cave where Avoosl finds a huge hoard of gems. He doesn't notice how the two emeralds merge with tendrils to become almost like eyes. Avoosl rolls happily in his newfound treasure until the ground turns into quicksand and he starts to sink. Startled, Conan backs away but is ensared by a large tendril-like tongue. Avoosl and Conan are actually in some hideous monster's mouth and gullet. Avoosl is slowly devoured from below, and Conan chops at the tongue with his sword. He breaks free and runs for the cavern's opening, escaping just as the stalagtites close. Unfortunately, Conan is waylaid by Kalandor's thieves' guild, who don't care for freelancers. Robbed of his money, Conan decides to head deeper into Zamora.