Savage Sword of Conan 39

=Legions of the Dead=

Creators

 * Writer: Roy Thomas
 * Penciller: Sal Buscema
 * Inker: Tony DeZuniga
 * Letterer:

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last chronological appearance in flashback of CB-69. Next chronological appearance in flashback of CB-254).

Minor Characters

 * Njal (First appearance; dies in this issue; body appears in CB-254). Aesir chieftan.
 * Rann Njalsdatter (First appearance; next appearance in CB-254). Njal's daughter.
 * Egil (First appeance; dies in this issue). Aesir.
 * Gorm (First appearance; next appearance CB-254). Aesir
 * Thror Ironhand, Eriak (First appearance for both; names revealed in flashback of CTB-254; next chronological appearances in flashback of CB-254).). Aesir.
 * Vammatar (First appearance; next appearance CB-254). Witch Queen of Haloga

Location

 * Border of Aesgaard and Hyperborea. Fortress of Haloga.

Time Frame

 * A few days.

Synopsis
Conan joins a group of Aesir and goes hunting with Njal, their chieftan. Upon return, the tribe goes after a group of scouts sent to a nearby fortress to see what happened to them. The scouts are being tortured to death by the Witchmen of the fortress. Njal returns to camp to decide what to do next, but Conan sneaks away and steals inside the fortress to find Njal's kidnapped daughter. He breaks her out and returns to the tribe, pausing only to light the fortress on fire. The Hyperboreans follow the tribe as it retreats and the Aesir discover to their horror their pursuers are the zombies of their comrades and charred remains of Hyperboreans. The undead slaughter the living, but Conan manages to unseat Vammatar and steal her horse, taking Rann with him, but the zombies pull him to the ground, only sparing his life when Vammatar commands he be taken as a slave. Rann, however, escapes.

Reprinted

 * Conan Saga 40