Conan the Barbarian 254

=Havoc in Hyperborea=

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last chronological appearance in first story of SSOC-39. Next chronological appearance in CB-92.

Minor Characters

 * Vammatar (Last appearance in first story of SSOC-39; next appearance ????). Witch Queen of Haloga
 * Thror Ironhand (Previous appearance, unnamed, in first story of SSOC-39; dies in this issue).
 * Kavula (First appearance; dies in this issue). Whip-master of Hyperboreans.
 * Erak (Previous appearance, unnamed, in first story of SSOC-39; dies in this issue). Aesir
 * Louhi (First appearance; no further appearances to date). Hyperboarean priestess.
 * Rann Njalsdatter (Previous appearnce in first story of SSOC-39; no further appearances to date).
 * Snorri (First appearance; no further appearances to date). Hyperborean.

Location

 * Hyperborea and Castle Haloga.

Time Frame

 * A few days.

Synopsis
Conan and his Aesir allies are taken to Castle Haloga as prisoners of Vammatar. Thror Ironhand attempts to escape but is killed by the zombie army. Conan is chosen by Vammatar to be her consort. The next day the remaining Aesir are placed in an arena to fight zombies to certain death, and Conan leaps in to help his allies. As the undead close in, including the deceased chief Njal, the castle comes under seige by Njal's daughter, Rann. As the Hyperboareans try to return the Aesir and Conan to their cages, Conan kills their guard Kavula and escapes with Gorm to the caverns beneath the castle. Meanwhile, Rann is startled by the zombie body of her father attacking, and only Conan's slap rouses her senses. Conan and Gorm had found a cache of magical swords and have brought them to the Aesir to turn the tide. In the melee, Conan sneaks out the back and flees into the forest, still chained.