IMBALAYOIMBALAYO
Real Name: Imbalayo
Identity/Class: Human, Darfar (Hyborian Era)
Occupation: General of the Kushite troups in Asgalun
Group Membership: His Kushite Cavalry
Affiliations: King Akhirom of Asgalun, Keluka the Swordsman
Enemies: Conan the Cimmerian, Mazdak, Othbaal
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: State-Town of Asgalun of Pelishtia in Shem, formerly Darfar
First Appearance: Hawks Over Shem;
(Marvel) Savage Sword of Conan#36 (December,
1978) {Edizione Italiana: Conan
La Spada Selvaggia#4 Comic Art (Dicembre 1986)}
Powers/Abilities: None. He was a normal human well trained in riding and swordfighting. He also was a leader of his mercenaries.
History:
(Savage Sword of Conan#36 (fb) - BTS) - Imbalayo saw Amra when he led his
pirates with Belìt.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36 (fb) - BTS) - Many years later Imbalayo gathered an army of mercenaries and was hired by Akhirom, king of Asgalun, to take the control of the State-Town. Imbalayo and his mercenaries, together with the mercenary Hyrkanian cavalry led by Mazdak and the Anaki troups led by Othbaal, conquered the town, and Akhirom deposed and killed his brother King Uriaz.
After conquering the town, Akhirom maintained his reign thanks to the three armies, but a strong competition arose between Imbalayo, Mazdak, and Othbaal.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36) - Imbalayo tried to eliminate one of his rivals and sent Keluka the Swordsman and other three men to assassinate the General Mazdak. The mission was foiled by Conan and Mazdak. The latter took a ring belonging to Keluka and shortly after helped Conan to kill Othbaal then put the ring near the cadaver to accuse Imbalayo.
Meanwhile Rufia fled from the Othbaal murder scene and was captured by King Akhirom. The King was near to madness and Rufia convinced him he was a god. The King claimed that the old Pteor's religion was blasphemous and that he was the only god in Asgalun. When the soldiers killed the old priest Abdashtarth the people present rebelled and Imbalayo with his cavalry had to assault the crowd and kill the rebels.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36 - BTS) - The Keluka's ring was found and the swordsman was accused of Othbaal's death. Imbalayo declared he knew nothing about him but the Anaki shouted in the streets that Imbalayo was the principal.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36) - Imbalayo was called by Akhirom. Imbalayo didn't fear any man but he was very cautious with Akhirom. Mad and bored, the King gave Rufia to Imbalayo. The Darfar was really happy to take the woman but after few minutes he met Zeriti, the sorceress, Akhirom's ex-concubine. Zeriti demanded the woman, and Imbalayo refused but when she menaced him to confirm the rumors that Imbalayo had had Othbaal killed, the Darfar unwittingly accepted.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36 - BTS) - After a little while the people rebelled. The revolt spread all over Asgalun.
(Savage Sword of Conan#36) - Imbalayo understood that all was lost and went to Zeriti's rooms to bring back Rufia with him. He found the two women. Zeriti had triggered an enchantment and attacked him with a knife but he stabbed her with his sword. A moment after Conan entered in the room. Imbalayo recognized Amra and Conan attacked him. Imbalayo defended himself and succeeded in breaking Conan's blade. Conan threw the half-sword at Imbalayo who dodged it, but Conan managed to pick Zeriti's knife. Imbalayo was performing the final attack when a cloud of smoke with the eye in the darkest part of it enveloped Imbalayo. The Darfar called Ajujo's name but soon his voice missed. The smoke-demon disappeared and Imbalayo's body became flaccid, on the floor, deprived of his bones and blood. Shortly later Mazdak saw his cadaver, he claimed himself the leader of the insurrection and conquered Asgalun.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, John Bushema and Alfredo Alcala.
Clarifications:
Imbalayo has no known connections to anyone else with a similar name.
Keluka has no known connections to
The Kushite Cavalry was composed by strong warriors armed with spears or sabres and round shields of rhino's skin. They also were accompanied by some detachements of infantry armed with spear and shield.
They intervened when the Shemite rebelled after the Anaki killed the archpriest of Pteor. They were SPIETATI and after they DISPERSERO the crowd they started to loot the houses and STUPRARE the women. Only Imbalayo's arrival stopped them.
Later, they were attacked in their quarters by the Anaki looking for Keluka and soughting revenge for Othbaal's murder. When in the night the Shemite insurrection spread all over Asgalun they were overpowered by the crowd.
--Savage Sword of Conan#36
Keluka was a skilled swordsman, part of the Imabalayo troups in Asgalun.
Imbalayo sent Keluka to kill Mazdak. Keluka took other three Kushites with him to ambush and kill the Hyrkanian general.
The night of the ambush, they saw Mazdak alone and followed him. Mazdak met Conan in an alley, both them wore a cloak of white silk. When the assassins found the two men, in the darkness they could not distunguish their objective so decided to kill them both. But Conan and Mazdak killed them all. Mazdak took Keluka's ring and hid the bodies in an abandoned well.
Later the Keluka's ring was put near Othbaal's dead body by Mazdak, with the purpose to encharge Imbalayo of the murder.
--Savage Sword of Conan#36
Images:
Savage Sword of Conan#36, p32, pan6 (Imbalayo, full
body)
Savage Sword of Conan#36, p38, pan5 (Imbalayo, head
shot)
Savage Sword of Conan#36, p23, pan1 (Kushite cavalry)
Other appearances: None
Last updated: 12/01/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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