Conan the Adventurer 13

=Into the Citadel of Sin=

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance CA-12; next appearance CA-14).

Minor Characters

 * Daedikaron and Tros (Previously appeared in CA-12; both die in thie issue).
 * Shimata-Kawa and Welyn (Previous appearance for both in CA-12; next appearance for both in CA-14).
 * Moru and Andamo (Previous appearance for both in CA-4; next appearance for both in CA-14).
 * Ixastophanis (Previous appearance CA-2; next appearance CA-14).
 * The Patriarch (First appearance; previous chronological appearance in this issue's backup story; next appearance CA-14). High priest of Tolometh.
 * Little Shadow (First appearance; previous chronological appearance in this issue's backup story; next appearance CA-14). The Patriarch's eerie hand puppet.

Location

 * The Desert and Citadel of Yondo.

Time Frame

 * A few hours.

Synopsis
Conan, Shimata-Kawa, Welyn, Daedikaron, and Tros trek closer to the Citadel of Yondo and its powerful Patriarch. They soon encounter Moru and Ixastophanis locked in deadly combat with a sand creature. Conan and Shimata-Kawa assist the two new Seekers and all the participants soon begin bickering about Talisman shards. Meanwhile, Andamo, the seventh and final Seeker, has allied himself with the red-skinned Patriarch and his hand puppet, Little Shadow. The uniting of Andamo's shard with the Patriarch's created the Desert of Yondo, and now the scheming pair has Welyn's shard as well. Little Shadow sings a song about Tolometh suggesting Tolometh was a demonic god and the Talisman itself alien in origin, and that the black god will return. Andamo is ignorant of the subtleties. Outside, the party enters the citadel and finds their path blocked by a pool of green liquid. Tros sticks his hand in and it is severed, revealing Tros's insides to be metal, but that discovery is muted by the monstrous beasts who rise to the surface Tros, revealed to be a synthetic being created by Daedikaron, is torn apart, and his helmeted head used to pierce and kill his creator. The remaining Seekers and Conan get ready for war...

Major Characters

 * Welyn (Previous chronological appearance in CA-12; next chronological appearance in CA-5).

Minor Characters

 * The Patriarch (First chronological appearance; next appearance in the main story of this issue).
 * Little Shadow (First appearance; previous chronological appearance in this issue's (First chronological appearance; next appearance in the main story of this issue).

Location
Potrebia, a city in Brythunia.

Time Frame
Several hours.

Synopsis
Weyla follows her vision to Potrebia, a city in Brythunia and encounters the Patriarch of Tolometh. The Patriarch gives her a doll that looks like a barbarian and she attempts to steal his shard of the Talisman of Tolometh from him. Unfortunately, her drugged wine doesn't have the affect she desires, and instead he curses her with tiny imps that cling to her body and torment her. She is forced to wear robes to cover her curse and await the coming of the foretold barbarian.