History
Pre-Cataclysmic Age[]
Presumably during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, this location was an unnamed islet in the Western Ocean, west of Grebuhl. (see notes).
After the pirate crew of Captain Ehestes Rhan plundered and sank the Valishka, a merchant ship from Auuroghan, sailing with large riches composted of beautiful Valishkian jewels) on the Nespian trade routes, Rhan intended to use his fortune to retire. On August 5th, rendered greedy, the crew demanded to keep on plundering the ships of the Nespian trade routes. As Rhan refused, the crew mutinied and clapped him in irons, accusing him of sorcery over it, as they had found a few occult tomes in his cabin (though Rhan denied any dabbling in black magic).
On August 12th, Rhan was marooned on an isle west of Grebuhl, which he christened Zahrahn. He was let there with his books (which they mockingly tossed on the beach) and the treasure (which they buried), until the crew would return from their thirst of plunder. He found food in abundance, but soon decided to avenge himself and teach them to respect the Ancients
Until August 16th, Rhan studied the teachings of Set and Mhur, and prayed to the Dark Ones, and to the Great Goat Gods and their brethren. By the next day and those, Rhan became aware that a terrible creature (seemingly mentioned in Rhan book of incantation as "the were-god") lived on the isle, seeing its eyes glowing in the jungle.
By September 3rd, Rhan witnessed the hideous creature, and on September 13th, the last entry of his log, Rhan mentioned that the monster, that he had finally perceived as a female, came to him in his dreams, embracing 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.
Later, on May 6th, 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 an enormous profit. They loaded the ship with provisions and left the isle by May 10th. The Children of Rhan soon grew up to womanhood, were married to the crew, slaughtered them, and shipwrecked three hundred miles afar, on the coast which would become a valley in Vanaheim.[1]
Hyborian Age[]
After the Great Cataclysm, the area around Zahrahn found itself above the ocean's level, seemingly in the northern part (see notes) of the Pictish Wilderness. The Picts shunned the place.[1]Residents
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.
- The previous month, Bruce Jones also created the kingdom of Zarhan (in Savage Land's Pangea) in "A New Dawn... a New World!", in Ka-Zar the Savage Vol 1 1 (April, 1981). The relation between the two, if any, is unrevealed.
- The era of those events are never detailed in names or dates, but it is safe to assume that they are set in the Pre-Cataclysmic Age (100,000 BC-18,000 BC), before the Great Cataclysm which would be the cause of the geological changes mentioned (the ocean in a valley of Vanaheim, the isle of Zahrahn in the ravines of Pictish Wilderness, which is attested as being fully formed after the Lesser Cataclysm, circa 17,500 BC). The other possibilities could that those geological changes occurred during the Lesser Cataclysm, or even -more unlikely- afterwards).
- The isle of Zahrahn was stated to be set west of Grebuhl in the past. During the Hyborian Age, Zahrahn was set in the Pictish Wilderness; presumably up north (as Conan was headed to Vanaheim, and stated that Surhon, in a valley of Vanaheim (which was the ocean's coast as at the time) was located three hundred miles from Zahrahn.[1]
- The Valishka was stated to be sailing from Auuroghan, and was seemingly set on the Nespian trade routes. It can be assumed as a fair guess that all locations mentioned in the context of Captain Rhan's misadventures (Auuroghan, Grebuhl, and Zahrahn) are set on the Nespian trade routes (or in its vicinity), and are set on the Western Ocean, possibly in Thuria.
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Savage Sword of Conan #64 ; The Children of Rhan