Item Biography
"Lair of the Beast-Men!"
Reprints Conan the Barbarian (1970) #2.
Conan is lost, wandering the snow-bound land of Aesgaard and battles a giant snow-beast, one that wears clothes and bears weapons. Before he can ponder this, he sees a woman who bolts at his approach. She is the bait of a trap, and Conan finds he is captive of the Beast-Men.
He is taken to their underground city and put with the rest of the human slaves. There, he befriends Kiord, who tells him that generation upon generation have led their lives underground, working for the Beast-Men, building their city and war machines.
When Conan shows insubordination, he is consigned to fight in the pit for the pleasure of the Beast-Men, but he fights free and inspires the slaves to arise.
"The Tower of the Elephant!"
Reprints Conan the Barbarian (1970) #4.
Conan tries his hand as a thief in Zamora, in its city of Arenjun, reknown for its legion of thieves. He learns of a great jewel, the Heart of the Elephant, kept in the Elephant Tower by the wizard Yara.
Yara is greatly feared by all, but the temptation is too great, and Conan makes his attempt. The traps are many and deadly, but soon Conan is inside. He finds riches to stagger the imagination, but that's not the least of it.
Captive in the tower is an ancient and alien being with the head of an elephant, Yag-Kosha. The last of his race and a mystic, he first taught the wizard Yara his lore before being betrayed.
Now imprisoned, Yara tortures Yag-Kosha to obtain the secret to the Heart of the Elephant. Yag-Kosha implores Conan to end his misery, and in so doing, gains his revenge on Yara. Conan departs empty handed.