Surhon was a city just east of Vanaheim during the Hyborian Age. The area, including the nearby valley was previously on Thuria's coast-land of Western Ocean during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age.
History
Pre-Cataclysmic Age[]
During the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, this location was on the coast-line of the continent.
After the pirate crew of Captain Ehestes Rhan plundered and sank the Valishka, a merchant ship from Auuroghan, full of riches) on the Nespian trade routes, Rhan intended to retire, but his greedy crew wanted to keep on plundering ships. As Rhan refused, the crew mutinied and clapped him in irons, accusing him of sorcery, as they had found a few occult tomes in his cabin (though Rhan denied any dabbling in black magic). Rhan was marooned on an isle west of Grebuhl, which he christened Zahrahn, with his books and the treasure (buried by the crew), until the crew would return. Studying and praying to eldritch entities, Rhan was visited in his dream by "the were-god" who embraced him passionately. Rhan subsequently died, but his seed sired the monstrous Children of Rhan, rapidly aging girls that eventually transform into massive feral creatures if taken away from their birthplace, and causing the weariness of men. A few months later, the crew led by Captain Lahrentz returned on Zahrahn, where they found Rhan's skeleton, his log, the buried treasure, but also a group of Children of Rhan under the form of white-haired girls, that they took in, intending to sell them as slaves for profit at Nespian. The Children of Rhan soon grew up to womanhood, slaughtered them, and shipwrecked three hundred miles afar.[1]
Hyborian Age[]
After the Great Cataclysm, the area around the shipwreck found itself above the ocean's level, becoming a valley in the eastern part of Vanaheim.
The city of Surhon came to be in the vicinity, and existed during the Age of Conan.
When Conan found himself in Zahrahn, he inadvertently slew an adult-looking child of Rhan, and found a younger-looking one, he assumed he had killed the mother, and took its apparent child to Vanaheim to find her family. As she grew overnight, Conan asked her where she came from and understood "Surhon" when she was trying to say "Zahrhan". He visited Surhon but fled after fighting with innkeepers, and was trailed by Kalah-Abeth-Khan, a jeweler from Surhon who had found a necklace matching the child's one nearby. He led them to the site of his discovery, and the three found Lahrentz's ship in a cavern, and leanred the awful truth behind the Children of Rhan.[1]Residents
- Kalah-Abeth-Khan - jeweler
Notes
- Zahran was an original location created in the story "The Children of Rhan" (Savage Sword of Conan #64 (May, 1981), written by Bruce Jones and penciled by John Buscema.
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Savage Sword of Conan #64 ; The Children of Rhan