The southwestern part of Ekul, which lies in the shadows of the Iron Mountains, is a pleasant region, different from the
desert lands of other parts of Ekul. The Ironshadow River periodically floods the nearby fields and its rich mud makes the crops plentiful. King Eku of Ekul has kept the old imperial noble families in charge of the various minor cities and fiefdoms dotting the land, and this is probably the
main reason for the general prosperity of the region.
The city of Shan’Ammar, built by the mouth of the Ironshadow River, is a typical example. It lives off trade across the Brown Sea and enjoys self-sufficient agriculture and general peace.
At least, this was the situation until six months ago.
Tulim Shah, the old ruler of the city, had two sons: Ulesir, the eldest, from his legitimate wife, and Korras, from a mountain woman he met during a campaign against the periodically rebelling populations of the Iron Mountains. Tulim Shah was a just man and took his illegitimate son to live in his palace in Shan’Ammar — a decision he came to regret later.
Ulesir is a mild-tempered, even fearful man, very sophisticated and overly civilized, while Korras is a vengeful, hot-tempered warrior, with the blood of the Iron Mountains flowing strongly in his veins.
Tulim Shah died seven months ago, and Ulesir became the new ruler. Thirsting for power, Korras tried to challenge him, but Ulesir, despite his temper, was no fool. He foresaw his brother’s rebellion and had him arrested and locked in the palace’s dungeons the very day of his coronation.
Before being locked away, Korras promised in front of the whole court that he would one day kill his brother in a frightful way but, in chains as he was, his words troubled no one.
A month later, Korras somehow managed to escape. He reached his homeland, the Iron Mountains, and, at the head of a clan of Mountaineers (the local population), he started to ravage the lands of Shan’Ammar.
Korras’ men are increasing in number, because many tribes have joined his rebellion, and their raids are growing bolder and more dangerous every day. They have no mercy and torch everything they cannot steal. Korras claims he will stop only when he has torn Ulesir’s entrails out and taken his rightful place on the throne of Shan’Ammar.
In truth, Korras’ escape from prison was aided by the Keepers of the Black Flame, an order of evil monks that left Lhoban centuries ago and now dwell in a monastery deep in the Iron Mountains. They have a very peculiar reason (see below) to support Korras’ claim.
Besides not being a warrior himself, Ulesir Shah simply doesn’t have enough soldiers to stop Korras’ ravagers. If he doesn’t find enough troops very soon, he will lose this battle in a matter of months.
However, there is a way for Ulesir to gather new forces. His father was a far-sighted man and made an agreement with a powerful neighbor, Tokarim Shah, lord of the city of Teluk’Ammar, betrothing Ulesir to Tokarim’s daughter, Karmella.
Tokarim is an old Valk warrior, a faithful follower of King Ekul, who begrudgingly gave up the old Valk customs to become a more or less civilized man. He is more than ready to lend his soldiers to his son in- law after the wedding, but he wants Ulesir to come to Teluk’Ammar and marry Karmella with a traditional ceremony.
Teluk’Ammar is only a week’s journey from Shan’Ammar, but Ulesir is terrified at the mere thought of leaving the protection of his palace, fearing the rage of his bastard brother. So, until now, the marriage has been delayed using various excuses. In the meantime, Korras is ravaging the lands of Shan’Ammar, the people are growing desperate and Tokarim is losing his patience. Ulesir must definitely overcome
his fears and go to Teluk’Ammar if he wants to keep his crown (and his entrails, of course).
This is the situation when the scenario starts.
The Keepers’ Motivations. In the Keepers’ monastery, deep in the Iron Mountains, a supernatural fire burns, the Black
Flame, which is the center of the monks’ evil meditations.
Now the flame is faltering, and it will soon go out unless it is fed with the soul of the Divided Man, a creature that cyclically reincarnates.
The ritual must be performed every century, and the monks have been reading ancient texts and so on, to discover the identity of the actual Divided Man.
In particular, they have found out that the Divided Man of this particular century is actually two different individuals, Tulim Shah’s sons, Ulesir and his step brother Korras. The monks are only pretending to support Korras. They want to have him with them when they sacrifice Ulesir’s
soul, because only the vital essences of the two brothers combined will kept their unnatural Flame alight.
An Unwilling Bride. To further complicate things, Karmella, Ulesir’s wife-to-be, has no wish to marry a foreign man because she is in love with her cousin, Jirro, who loves her dearly too.
They will try in every way to avoid the wedding and to spend their lives together.
Tu as là, pour moi, tout ce qui fait sens dans un scénario de Conan : un roi trop civilisé qui fait appel à des gens qui le sont moins que lui pour faire face à une menace qui leur ressemble, un culte qui trame ses sombres machinations dans son coin, une princesse qui ne veut pas du rôle qu'on lui donne.
