Conan the Barbarian Annual Vol 1 9

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous chronological appearance in CB-186; next chronological appearance in first story of SSOC-182).

Minor Characters

 * Yrlak Woon (First and only appearance to date). Chief of the Umiak tribe. Dies in this issue.

Locations

 * The ocean off Vanaheim and a frozen shore

Time Frame

 * A few days

Synopsis
Conan and his buccaneer crew attack and cripple a ship of human-sacrificing priests of the god Thogarh. Unfortunately, Conan's boat crashes into some rocks in the fog and only a handful of men survive to float in the freezing waters. They are rescued by the friendly Umiak tribe and brought to their castle carved directly into the frozen rock, decorated with extravagant whale bone and ivory and welcomed by Yrlak Woon, their chieftain. Conan's men want to take over the place, but Conan, honoring his host's hospitality, nixes their plans, so they drug Conan and plan to kill him that night. However, Conan shakes off the drug and confronts the men when they come to kill him, but as he is still woozy, they manage to push him out of a window and watch his body go under. They quickly search for him but find no sign and suspect he is dead. But Conan has latched on to an ice floe and finds himself a league and a half out to sea on an outcropping. He swims for shore in the icy cold but has no protection against the elements. He spies some mammoths and prepares to slaughter one when the bull of the herd attacks him. After a brutal fight, Conan manages to get onto the beast's back and stab it with his sword. Meanwhile, his crew kills Yrlak Woon and begins to take over the castle. The pirates carouse and terrorize the tribe until the drugs and alcohol take their toll and they begin to turn on each other. Conan makes his way across the icy shore and comes across the remains of the Thogarh worshipers who have managed to save their totem. The priests attack and Conan slays them, but the totem comes to life with the spirit of Thogarh, intending to get revenge against he who killed his priests. Conan plunges his sword into the statue's head as lightning strikes, returning the god to his plane. Conan finally makes his way back to the castle to find all dead but one of his men, who has been driven mad with an overdose of drugs. Conan leaves in silence.

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 22 - Reavers in the Borderland and Other Stories