Swords at Center Stage

Deception and misdirection loom in the newest tales from Lankhmar and Alness

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

Affectionately known as the Twain, these rogues are two of the most legendary characters in all of fantasy.

While R. E. Howard, C. L. Moore, and Clark Ashton Smith laid the foundation in Weird Tales, Fritz Leiber codified the genre with the first appearance of his adventurers in “Two Sought Adventure”. Since then, sword and sorcery has often followed the adventures of a pair of contrasting rogues in colorful adventures. Leiber would write over thirty stories featuring the civilization-infatuated barbarian and the magically inclined thief.

Now Goodman Games’ sword and sorcery magazine, Tales from the Magician’s Skull, has published the first new adventure in over 20 years, authorized by Leiber’s estate—”Guilty Creatures.”

As this is the age of the remake and of the skinsuit imposter, the reader may have some trepidation over placing one of fantasy’s treasures into another writer’s hands. Said writer is Nathan Long, however, a veteran of the sword and sorcery scene, having written five novels for the Black Library’s beloved Gotrek and Felix series, a grimdark take on Leiber’s formula.

And with that, the stage is set.

Literally.

The Gray Mouser is rehearsing. Stage swashbuckling is a different sport than proper swordfighting, and the Mouser is caught up in the magic of the stage. And not without reason.

Times have been lean for Lankhmar’s most notable pair of thieves. The only available score left is to raid the Sorcerer’s Guild, and that tower is only left unwarded to an acting troupe hired for the guild’s celebration. A little misdirection and a lot of intimidation have forced Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser upon the stage.

And now it is time to bring down the house. But other schemers are using the play as cover for nefarious revenge. A play may be the thing to catch the conscience of a king, but the schemer wants blood instead. On the day of the performance, stage magic becomes sorcerous ritual, and the Gray Mouser and Fafhrd must escape from the ensorcelled and now animalistic actors and audience.

For once, the Twain make their saving throws against magic. In previous adventures, Fafhrd would have to save an enchanted Gray Mouser—or vice versa. Here, in the midst of magical traps and a menagerie of sorcerers and actors charmed bestial, the duo must rely on quick wits, quick swords, and the Mouser’s knowledge of magic to foil the ritual. For the schemer will leave no audience for his play.

“Guilty Creatures” exists in a middle ground between the early Gothic-influence adventures initially intended for Weird Tales and the lighter, more comedic tales written in the wake of Unknown’s passing. The Twain’s easy banter is present, but the immediacy of the peril keeps their attention. Yet for all the blood, adrenaline, and sorcery, the brooding fear of the unknown in the early tales is not here. The result is a timeless feel to the adventure, with no doubt copious discussion to be had on where in the timeline this close call should be placed.

Unlike recent versions of Captain Future, The Shadow, and Doc Savage, this is one pulp revival that sticks to what made the original great. At the same time, this does not fall into the realm of fanservice either. Hopefully, Long can write more adventures of the Twain.

Recommended for fans of sword and sorcery, the Twain, and those readers who enjoy small stakes fantasy.

Readers can find “Guilty Creatures” in Tales from the Magician’s Skull #6, along with a short history of the Twain, and RPG stat sheets for the foes in the story.

Mangos is the Mongoose, a skilled, boastful, and hotheaded swordsman, while Kat is the Meerkat, a beautiful yet mysterious woman who favors the oblique approach to her well-chosen blade. Together, they’ll take on any job to keep their purses full and their cups overflowing.

But this time, Mangos is alone, sent with a message by Kat into the war-wracked city of Alness, conquered and ground under heel by Rhygir.

Into a powder keg.

For a prince of the Alnessi hangs crucified in the city’s square, and the thunderous peals of rebellion resound.

For Kat, Mangos must determine if the dying man is a true prince. Even if that means defying Rhygir as the tyrant watches.

“I was told to give you a message…I don’t expect it matters anymore. Not here. Not now. But I promised to do my best to deliver it.”

In Jim Breyfogle’s “Thunder in the North”, skilled swordsman Mangos must rely solely on his wit and a silver tongue. A bared blade is a death sentence in Rhygir’s Alness. Mangos’s bluff and bluster shows how far he has come from a drunken youth in a tavern. His adventures and his time with Kat have matured him into a seasoned and observant warrior. And a diplomat, using schemes and words to cut and thrust where a blade cannot.

Yet he is still youthful enough to be swept up by the whirlwinds of history and emotion. With the prince Karn dying, Mangos’s mission is failed. Yet friendship and obligation carry him forward into an act of defiance that surprises even Mangos.

Karn was trying to speak. There was only a whisper of air in his lungs as he said, “It ends here.”

“No,” Mangos said. “It only starts. It is your sister’s turn.”

And with that, Kat’s barely concealed secret is finally revealed. All signs have been pointing to the Meerkat as an Alnessi princess, with a deal of fan speculation surrounding her title.

And in one moment worthy of Solomon Kane’s “Men shall die for this,” Mangos not only announces Kat’s secret, but casts the die for her. With this pivotal moment, The Tales of the Mongoose and the Meerkat are drawing to a close, with war declared.

Her footsteps shall thunder in the north when she reclaims her own.

And, knowing Kat, Rhygir will not see the killing blow until it is struck. And Mangos will be there at the end, wielding his sword against the treachery that ravages Alness.

“Thunder in the North” can be found in the Winter 2022 issue of Cirsova, alongside Vran the Chaos-Warped, the Wild Stars, and more.