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History

Origins and early years[]

According to legend, ten thousand years before the Age of Conan (which would set it circa 20,000 BC, during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age and about 1,500 years before the Age of Kull, see notes), Akivasha was an evil and beautiful princess who reveled in "purple feasts" in the black halls of Luxur. She became a vampire at some point, stating that because she loved life, she had courted death and darkness and won life.

At some point during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, the early days of Old Stygia, the Age of Acheron, or the Hyborian Age (see notes), she moved from Luxur to the Forbidden Temple of Set, one of the Black Pyramids near Khemi, that served of hall of the dead (notably harboring the 13,000 BC high priest Ptah-Mekri).

The legend of the princess Akivasha, The Woman Who Never Died, was widespread in the Hyborian world, with false inclusions, such as Akivasha being lifted away from Earth by the gods themselves. She also became a symbol of eternal youth and beauty to lovers and poets.[1]

Hyborian Age of Conan[]

When King Conan of Aquilonia infiltrated Khemi, on the trail of the Stygian wizard Thutothmes and the stolen Heart of Ahriman, he stole the garb of a priest, followed a procession and entered the Forbidden Temple. Akivasha stumbled upon him and sensing he was neither Stygian nor a priest, pretended to lead him to Thutothmes, guided him to her chamber. Conan soon realized that she was Akivasha. She asked for his love and blood, offering to turn him as an immortal, but Conan rejected her as she began to fang him. She intended to feast upon him anyway, but Conan managed to flee, stumbling upon the hall of the dead and a gathering presided by Thutothmes. After recovering the Heart of Ahriman, Conan exited the Temple, guided by the resurrected form of Ptah-Mekri, the light of the Heart causing Akivasha and other monsters to recoil into darkness.[1]

Attributes

Powers

Vampirism: Akivasha was a vampire[1][2] and presumably possessed all of the various attributes commonly associated with vampires, including:

Notes

Trivia

  • Despite being described as having "ivory skin" (stated to be an indication that she belonged to an ancient Stygian noble family, though could be a hint at her vampiric nature), Akivasha was depicted by colorist Michael Kelleher with the same dusky skin tone as other Stygians in the colorization of "Conan the Conqueror: The Sacred Son of Set" (Savage Sword of Conan #10; February, 1976) in Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #1 (2020).

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Savage Sword of Conan #10 ; Conan the Conqueror: The Sacred Son of Set
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Vampires: The Marvel Undead #1 ; Vampires' Appendix: Akivasha's entry
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #1
  4. Vampires: The Marvel Undead #1 ; Vampires' profile
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