JARABESHT
JARABESHT
Official Name: Jarabesht
Continent: Unrevealed, somewhere in the Northern Planes;
Hyborian era
Population: Unrevealed; I'd guess perhaps 100 or more citizens
Capital City: Inapplicable?
Government: Formerly ruled by the Lord High Protector (Antoine de Glasse; although it is possible he was advisor to an unseen ruler)
Major Languages: Unrevealed
Monetary Unit: Crowns
Major Resources: Farming, at least
Defense: The Lord High Protector and his limited magics, his Leathermen, armored soldiers, and any warriors who could be enlisted to fight
Local Relations: Unrevealed
Extraterrestrial Relations: Formerly preyed upon by the Blood-children of Ovada (and thus, indirectly by Ovada, as well)
Places of Interest: Unidentified tavern, presumably the castle (or other dwelling) of the Lord High Protector
Domestic Super Humans: Formerly the Lord High Protector
Non-Human Population: Formerly infiltrated by the Bloodchildren of Ovada
Prominent Citizens: Formerly Akif, Lord High Protector; unidentified accoster/brawl-instigator, barkeep, bowman, and various other tavern-goers (including the guy who landed on and broke Conan's drink)
Superhuman Residents: Formerly Lord High Protector and his Leathermen
Visitors: Bloodchildren of Ovada, Conan, Siobahn Lauchline
Domestic Crime: Thorun and his two sons
International Crime: None specified
First Appearance: Conan the Savage#5 (December, 1995)
History:
(Conan
the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - Jarabesht was a city in the Northern
Planes. It was contained within massive walls that could be sealed to
prevent unwanted entrance.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) <months before Conan's return> - Someone in Jarabesht offered Conan 500 crowns each for the heads of Thorun and his two sons, or 1000 crowns each if they were still alive to meet the headsman's axe.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - Cast from her godly realm and crashing to Earth nearly dead during a great storm, the immense demon-goddess Ovada cast her essence into her life's blood, which poured into a nearby stream, and those who consumed the contaminated waters were transformed into demonic beings possessed by a fraction of her essence.(Conan the Savage#5 (fb)) - The next night, one of Ovada's blood-children was found in Jarabesht. Some of Jarabesht's people caught the creature emptying some vile brew into the city wells.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - The people of Jarabesht put the creature to the sword.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb)) - Soon after, those who drank the tainted water became demonic blood-children as well. They spread rapidly, hunting in packs and forcing others to take "the taint," further swelling their filthy ranks. Soon the city belonged to the blood-children. The people were besieged from within.
(Conan
the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - The Lord High Protector ordered the wells sealed
and guarded, and rainwater was collected and rationed. 
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb)) - Without their corrupted wellsprings, the demons numbers stopped growing, and they became easy prey for the warriors.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - Those they captured alive were taken to the Lord High Protector to study and "read their vittles."
Jarabesht was shuttered and barred, and "foreign devils" were prohibited from entering by order of the Lord High Protector.
An army of thousands of demons was sweeping down from the mountains, laying waste to all before them and corrupting all they found.
The Jarabesht warrior Akif's scouts reported the demon army to be not 5 days ride from Jarabesht, and Akif put the city on alert; every man, woman, and child was ready to fight to the bitter end.
(Conan the Savage#5) - As Conan returned to Jarabesht to claim the bounty for slaying Thorun and his sons, Akif stopped the city's bowman from firing on Conan as he demanded entrance into the city. Akif took Conan to a bar, where he told him of the blood-children of Ovada (though he knew them only as demons).
Mid-story, Akif was amused as a local accosted Siobahn Lauchline, leading to a battle of her against several local allies. Quickly resuming his story upon deciding the warrior-priestess would easily win, Akif told Conan of the approaching army of demons.
Appreciating that this was not Conan's fight, Akif nonetheless told him he could use a warrior of his mettle; there would be no bounty, as Akif could only offer his gratitude in return. Due to his past friendship with Akif -- though he claimed it was because he felt he was going soft hunting fat saddlerats -- Conan agree to help him, though he suggested they drink on the matter at another tavern, as their current service was poor due to the escalating fight between Lauchline and the others.(Conan the Savage#5) - De Glasse met Conan, Akif, Siobahn Lauchline, and numerous others outside of a Jarabesht tavern, introducing himself as the Lord High Protector of this fair city, and introducing the Leathermen as well. De Glasse asked their time and indulgence, appealing both to their public spirit and offering to make them all richer beyond their wildest dreams of avarice.
(Conan the Savage#5 (fb) - BTS) - Conan, Akif, Siobahn and numerous other accepted De Glass's offer to help destroy the source of the demons plaguing Jarabesht.
(Conan the Savage#6 - BTS) - Conan and Siobahn slew Ovada and her Bloodchildren, after which Conan gave Siobahn a ride on his horse back towards Jarabesht to claim the bounty the Lord High Protector had promised them, and to drink many drinks in the name of an old friend (Akif).
Comments: Created by Ian Edginton and Alcatena.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Jarabesht has no known connections to:
This guy took an uninvited interest in Siobahn -- "Hello my pretty pretty, you look game for some sport -- how about it, eh?" -- and refused to back off when advised to by her "Remove your paw from my back, cur, or make ready to lose it!"
In response, she stiff-armed him across the room, causing him to land on and break a tavern table.
Enraged, he vowed to torture her until she begged for mercy, and he was backed up by some friends (or just some other tavern attendees who wished to get in on the fight and/or torture).
Siobahn took him and his allies out.
In fact, he wasn't seen in a single panel thereafter, suggesting Siobahn may have taken him out immediately thereafter.
--Conan the Savage#5
On hands and knees, he hid behind a table to protect himself from the violent barfight involving Siobahn Lauchline against several others.
Despite this, when Conan ordered another ale, he assured Conan one would be coming right away.
--Conan the Savage#5
Following the Lord High Protector's order to keep the gate sealed and to not let anyone in to prevent further influx of the Bloodchildren of Ovada, he denied Conan entry.
With a large, mounted, multiple crossbow, he warned Conan to "Begone, or die where you stand!"
Akif called the bowman off and admitted his old friend Conan.
He wore an armored tunic and helmet, with likely chain or scale mail over his legs, arms, and face.
--Conan the Savage#5
These guys enjoyed some ale at a table at the local tavern until Siobahn stiff-armed the man accosting her across the tavern.
The accoster fell onto their table, which shattered under the impact.
Things escalated, as the angered tavern-goers presumably joined the fight against Siobahn, though she defeated all attackers.
Other tavern-goers can be seen in some of the above images, as well as the guy below...
Some of these may have accepted the Lord High Protector's offer to earn wealth by aiding him against the Bloodchildren of Ovada.
Any of those who went were presumably slain -- either by the Bloodchildren or by the fall from the Lord High Protector's ship -- as Conan and Siobahn were the only confirmed survivors.
--Conan the Savage#5
Apparently swept up in the struggle involving Siobahn Lauchline, he had the misfortune of landing on top of Conan's table, shattering not only that, but Conan's mug as well. He complained about his aching head, after which a frustrated Conan finished him off by hitting him in the head with handle that had broken off his mug.
He may have accepted the Lord High Protector's offer to earn wealth by aiding him against the Bloodchildren of Ovada.
If he did go, he was presumably slain -- either by the Bloodchildren or by the fall from the Lord High Protector's ship -- as Conan and Siobahn were the only confirmed survivors.
--Conan the Savage#5
images: (without ads)
Conan
the Savage#5, pg. 10, panel 1 (city);
panel 4 (bowman);
pg. 11, panel 2 (streets);
pg. 12, panel 3 (Ovada spawn tainting Jarabesht's water supply);
panel 4 (Ovada spawn besieging Jarabesht);
pg. 14, panel 2 (barfight, broken table #1)
panel 3 (accoster);
pg. 15, panel 3 (barfight, Conan's table broken)
pg. 16, panel 3 (barfight, overturned table);
pg. 17, panel 3 (barfight, central)
Appearances:
Conan the Savage#5 (December, 1995) - Ian Edginton (writer), Alcatena (artist), Mike Lackey (editor)
Conan the Savage#6 (January, 1996) - Ian Edginton (writer), Alcatena (artist), Mike Lackey (editor)
Last updated: 03/22/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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