Wait a minute, Zimbabwan Wyvern Riders?

[Jotenbjorn]

I just got my own copy of Hyboria's Finest (I know, it's old) and the Zimbabwan wyvern riders jumped out. Is this from a story? It seems very un-Conan.

 

[Supplement Four]

I agree. I've got that book, too, but haven't read it all the way through.

I need to run a Conan game again...I'm in the middle of Dragonlance right now, though.



Hey...I really dig your avatar. Where'd you get it and who is it?

 

[Strom]

From Vincent Darlage back in'05 :

VincentDarlage Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:16 pm

That comes from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's short story "Red Moon of Zembabwei" as found in the Ace/Lancer volume Conan of Aquilonia. The copy I have even has a Boris-painted cover featuring King Conan, Conn and a wyvern.

The short story was written in 1977, which was the year AD&D was introduced and about 3 years after the basic game concepts were introduced. I don't know for sure, but I doubt de Camp or Carter played D&D, so I don't think it was D&D influenced. Real-life ruins in RL Zimbabwe feature winged reptiles in some artwork, so that is probably where de Camp and Carter got their inspiration.

 

[Jotenbjorn]

Damnit. I have to decide whether or not to include them now. I'm thinking no, because introducing a flying mount completely changes the feel of the game.

 

[Majestic7]

It is a bit too high fantasy for Conan imho... but at least make them demons disguised as men or the like, so player characters can't just punch them from their saddles and steal a flying warhorse?

 

[LucaCherstich]

I think it is "high" or "low" fantasy according to how you play them.
Remember that Zembabwei is a remote and exotic location inhabited by strange black Dagon-worshippers...

...I feel you can have a good S&S story if you play the wyvern-riders properly (few beasts, exotic cult, a secret society of special elite warriors used in special times) and not as numerous as the Dragons in Dragonlance.

Maybe your adventurers could meet a small group of 1-3 wyverns an a special moment of the game....but the core of Zembabwean encounters should be with black, spear-wielding barbarians.

Conan is NOT high-fantasy but it is neither low-fantasy...it is Sword &
Sorcery!

Powerful monsters exists (Demons, Aberrations, etc...) but it's all about how you play them and make them worth remembering.

The FEELING of things as the Wyvern-riders is everything!

 

[The King]

There were wyverns (and their riders) in the Conan video game (can't remember the name but it was an action game - not the Age of Conan).