The Swords of Lankhmar

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are aboard a grain ship bound for the port city of Kleg Nar. Currently, the Mingols have besieged the eight cities of the north who need support from Lankhmar lest the Mingols turn their attention there. A previous grain shipment vanished and, as such, the Overlord of Lankhmar employed the daring pair to make sure this shipment arrived. Soon, the pair discovered that rats had destroyed the last shipment and were set to pluck off each of the grain ships in this convoy but for the intervention of a strange German zoologist from a future earth who rode a two-headed rat-eating sea serpent. How predictable. While Fafhrd opted to remain in Kleg Nar, Mouser returned with the convoy to Lankhmar where he expected accolades. Instead, he found the primary plotters of rat attack had spun the story in their favor and now worked against Mouser. The grain convoy had been but a small part of a larger plan to usurp the Overlord and take control of Lankhmar!

Sadly, the Overlord is a dullard, a cowardly twit who is easily manipulated. After such brilliant and cunning villains seen in The Lord of Quarmall, this oafish buffoon is a real disappointment. Mouser’s infatuation with a girl who clearly has no interest in him and repeatedly plots his death is also silly. Fafhrd is sidelined for most of the novel, having to travel through a warzone on his way back to Lankhmar and only arriving at the climax of the plot. On the way, he fights a band of Mingols, falls for a woman who is invisible except for her bones, battles Ilthmart land pirates, consults with Ningauble the Wizard, rides through the sinking land, and catches a ride on Sheelba’s walking hut in the Great Salt Marsh to the gates of Lankhmar. It is all very exciting but has little to nothing to do with the main plot.

Whereas all previous adventures have been short stories, this is a novel with some well-developed support characters, a deep dive into the setting, and more detail of some of the beliefs of Nehwon. Most entertaining. Recommended.

Swords against Wizardry

This 4th book in the series sees the duo back in Nehwon and up to their old antics.  The first and third story are written mainly to link the other tales, but still prove entertaining.

In the Witch’s Tent (1968)

Having returned to Nehwon, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser consult a witch to divine the fate of their expedition.  While they await a result, a spear stabs through the tent.  They have been ambushed by a rival group who plan to go on the same expedition and want to eliminate the competition!  They are vastly outnumbered and all looks hopeless.  Fafhrd grabs the center post of the tent and yanks it from the ground.  The tent is built like an umbrella, the outerwalls being little more than drapes.  The tent is now in motion and Mouser deals with any threat that slips into the tent while Fafhrd flees through the dark streets of the town.  The pair miraculously escape, killing some of their foes in the process.

Stardock (1965)

In search of a fabled treasure in the Cold Wastes of the far north, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser arrive in the shadow of a tremendous range of mountains.  Towering above them all is Stardock, a titan among the mountains and rumored to be the path the gods took to the heavens, thus its name.  On this particular adventure, they are joined by a large cat named Hrissa.  The pair commence their climb of the mountain along the tougher of the known routes.  All along the way, they are troubled by dreams of a woman watching them and a flying beast that is like a giant bat.  When they reach the top, they find that the mountain is inhabited by an invisible race who are hostile to visitors.  In fact, the competing team that climbed the mountain is slaughtered by the invisible mountain residents.  Fafhrd and Mouser are whisked away by a pair of invisible princesses who make love to them to add fresh blood to the race of invisible folk.  Most of the story involves climbing the mountain and the various difficult legs of the ascent.  Though that sounds like it would be dreary, it was quite well written and exciting.  That was certainly the best part.  The invisible race felt hokey and proved to be a let down after such an epic telling of the climb.

The Two Best Thieves in Lankhmar (1968)

Having returned to Lankhmar, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser are loitering near the fencing district and note the various hoods and criminals in the area.  Each commends the other as being a particularly talented thief, and they agree that they are the 2 best in the city.  As it happens, each is in the district to sell the invisible gems that they were given by the invisible princesses of Stardock.  Each has secured his share in an ingenious way to avoid them being stolen and each has selected a different person to buy them.  The two part company.  Mouser meets with Ogo the Blind, a fence who only operates in the dark and uses his fingers to inspect jewels.  In this meeting, a lithe young woman serves as the Eye of Ogo and inspects the invisible gems in a gloomy room.  A brief sound makes Mouser look over his shoulder to see the vague outline of a hulking figure, presumably Ogo.  The Eye says to come back tomorrow for payment.  He departs with his gems.  Meanwhile, Fafhrd meets with Nemia of the Dusk, an older though still attractive woman.  The two lay arm in arm after making love and Nemia agrees to Fafhrd’s price for his gems.  Then there is a hiss!  Fafhrd turns to see a cat at the head of the bed.  He then hears a click!  Turning back to Nemia, he sees that she has placed a bracelet on his wrist, beside his ingenious container for his gems.  “A sign of my affection,” she tells him.  On the morrow, she will pay him for his gems.  Fafhrd and Mouser meet at the Silver Eel to celebrate their coming wealth.  However, each discovers that their gems are gone, having been stolen!  Enjoying one another’s company, Nemia and the Eye of Ogo chuckle at how they have stolen the invisible gems from Fafhrd and Mouser.  Each commends the other on their skills and declare themselves to be the two best thieves in Lankhmar.

The Lords of Quarmall (1964)

Quarmall is an ancient realm that is ruled by powerful sorcerers.  At the moment, the ruler is Quarmall.  He has two sons – Hasjarl and Gwaay – who hope to succeed him.  Each son has soldiers and sorcerers but each opted to hire a champion.  As chance (?) would have it, Hasjarl hired Fafhrd and Gwaay hired Gray Mouser.  Neither is aware that the other is in Quarmall.  Not only are the sons plotting how to do away with one another, but also ridding themselves of their father to provide a vacant throne.  Obviously, neither Fafhrd nor Gray Mouser are particularly loyal to the brothers, always keeping an eye out for quick profit.  When Quarmall's death is announced, the clashes come.  There is a hilarious bit where Mouser tries a powerful spell that will disintegrate any sorcerer below the first rank who is within range; all of Gwaay's sorcerers assure him that they are 1st rank.  That proves not to be true.  While Mouser accidentally topples Gwaay's magical defenses, Fafhrd finds himself on the run from Hasjarl in order to save a lovely servant from torture.  The story is full of twists and turns, betrayals and surprises.  Can Fafhrd and Mouser escape the underground mazes of Quarmall; none have escaped before!

Most entertaining and highly recommended.

Swords Against Death

A short story collection from 1970 that comprises adventures of Fafhrd the towering Northern Barbarian and Gray Mouser the diminutive streetwise rogue.

The Circle Curse (1970)

In the wake of their fight in the Thieves Guild to avenge the deaths of their beloveds, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser determine to leave Lankhmar and never return. They have hardly ridden out the gate and into the salt marshes when a wizard confronts them. Sheelba of the Eyeless Face sits in a mobile hut, not unlike that of Baba Yaga, and tells the pair that they will return to Lankhmar. The two spend years traveling through the lands and encountering what the world has to offer. Then, they find themselves sleeping in a cave and are suddenly confronted by another wizard, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes. As Sheelba had said when they set out, Ningauble repeated. The two were destined to return to Lankhmar.

This is less of a story than filler or background information. The introduction of these important wizards who both use Fafhard and Gray Mouser as pawns in their inscrutable schemes is the main purpose. The travelogue of their adventures is little more than a sentence per country or region. Really, any of those throw away lines might have made a better foundation for a story than this.

The Jewels in the Forest (1939)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are bound for a secret keep that supposedly houses immense riches in diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Seemingly by accident, they discovered a 400 year old document that detailed the place. Determined to ransack the wealth, they had set out. En route, they rode into an ambush but easily drove off the amateurs. The structure proved to be a domed structure with smaller flanking domes and a towering monolith. Getting near it inspires fear. They again encounter their ambushers and this time defeat them. Within the structure, the fear is almost unbearable. They find skeletons that show they are not the first to dare to ransack it. Moreover, one of the dead has a manuscript that also details the place. Had the builder left many such manuscripts to lure robbers to their doom?

An extremely good story with action and suspense. The rumored giant who emerged to crush people is not quite what it seems and keeps one waiting for a monster. In Nehwon, gems can hold great magic and even sentience.

Thieves’ House (1943)

The guild master of the thieves wants to plunder a relic from an impregnable dungeon but he has no thief who could do it. However, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser could do it. He dispatched his most diplomatic thief to convince them to steal it and then, once done, to take it from them! This he does and arrives at the Thieves’ House just ahead of them. The jeweled skull and hands are deposited on the table before the guild master. Success.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser overcome the guards at the door and find their way to the guild master’s hall. He is dead and a woman rushes out a secret passage with the skull in hand. And now the other thieves are closing in. In their flight, the pair are separated. Fafhrd stumbles into a long forgotten basement in the vast catacombs where more jewel-encrusted skulls and hands await him.

Though several thieves who appeared in Ill Met in Lankhmar return, their fates at grim. As with The Jewels in the Forest, gems are sources of power. A jewel-encrusted skull and hands are not things with which to trifle.

The Bleak Shore (1940)

While gambling in Lankhmar, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are confronted by a cadaverous man. He is Death. When Death dares one to sail to the bleak shore beyond the western sea, one does not decline. Like automatons, the pair set out. Some months later, a lone sailor returns from the ship the duo purchased. He tells a tale of woe. Of the 5 crewmen hired, he is the final survivor. When the ship arrived at the bleak shore, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser instructed to crew to sail home.

Picking up on the bleak shore, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser find some strange eggs that hatch metallic monsters with swords for arms. Can they overcome these creatures or is this their doom?

A weird story with awkward splits in the narrative. There is the opening where they meet Death and set out. This is followed by the tale, told by the sailor in some Lankhmar tavern, about the events of the voyage. His story concludes with the duo disembarking on a lonely beach. Then we switch back to the two heroes. Interesting story but it doesn’t flow well.

The Howling Tower (1941)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser cross a vast plain, an empty wasteland where they occasionally here wolves howling in the distance. They had hired a guide who claimed to know the way but he vanished one night. The howling grew louder. The next night, Fafhrd vanished. The Gray Mouser followed his comrade’s trail to an abandoned village where there was a tower. The only inhabitant was a terrified old man who spoke of the wolves who haunted him. However, he can end their howling for a while if he makes a sacrifice.

Fear is a huge factor in many of the stories. Characters are often overcome with paralyzing fear that they cannot understand. Fafhrd and Gray Mouser typically control their fear but they see those who have not.

The Sunken Land (1942)

Finally aboard a small boat that they have acquired, the pair are sailing back from the Bleak Shore and toward Lankhmar. They pass near a longship that might be from the cold northern lands of Fafhrd’s youth. In a sudden confrontation with the ship’s crew, Fafhrd is aboard the longship and watches the Gray Mouser vanish into the stormy sea on their little boat. Fafhrd is the sailor of the two and he fears his comrade will be doomed.

The crew of the longship are indeed from Fafhrd’s homeland and they have sworn a vow of silence until they discover the remains of the Sunken Land. Soon after, they come upon a desolate island with half-sunken buildings. Now speaking, their leader commands them to seek out the treasure of the place. The land is not abandoned and holds dangers these men are unprepared to face.

A story in the vein of Atlantis, the ship seeks the wealth of this advanced and lost civilization but instead discovers the source of its doom. As with the ancient manuscripts that lured treasure seekers to the murderous forest keep in Jewels in the Forest, the Sunken Land also provided clues for would-be pillagers to find their doom. More of an escape story than a warrior’s tale.

The Seven Black Priests (1953)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have arrived on the mainland but they are far afield on an unfamiliar coast. As they traverse a little-traveled path, a strange figure swoops down from above to attack them and tumbles down the cliff once they have killed him. Oddly, the man was dark-skinned as if he was from much further south. Soon after, they come upon a bizarre and hellish-looking hill that twinkles in spots. The twinkling proves to be a massive gem, which the pair take. No sooner have they taken it than more dark-skinned men attack. All efforts to flee the area are obstructed by the mysterious black priests and, more troubling still, Fafhrd’s continuing to circle back to the hellish-looking hill. The gem is bending wills.

Magical sentient gems, dark gods, inscrutable priesthoods, and building fear; yes, we are somewhere in Nehwon. Often, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser will acquire some treasure only to find they must discard it for their survival. It is almost a cliché at this point.

Claws from the Night (1951)

Gray Mouser and Fafhrd have returned to Lankhmar. There has been a strange series of jewel thefts by birds. Some women have been scarred by bird claws while their earrings, necklaces, or other jewelry is stolen. Mouser is hiding in the rafters of a wealthy merchant’s manor with his eye on a precious jewel the merchant is offering his lovely young wife. Before he can snatch the jewel with a fishing line, a bird swoops in through an open window and absconds with the gem. On the rooves of the city, Fafhrd has a hawk that he send to kill the thieving bird. No sooner does he have he gem in hand than anther bird snatches it from him! Fafhrd and Mouser race along the rooftops to determine where the bird is going and find it is destined for an abandoned temple. It is here that they will find the mystery of the late bird thefts and, with any luck, a fortune in jewelry.

One wonders if this could have been inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963). Has a forgotten goddess returned to wreak vengeance on a city that shuttered her temple or has a crazed sorcerous with an uncanny control over birds initiated a clever crime ring?

The Price of Pain-Ease (1970)

Mouser and Fafhrd have stolen a cottage from a noble and had it carried to their favorite tavern, the Silver Eel. This also happens to be near the site where their beloveds, Vlanna and Ivrian, died. At first, the cottage is a luxury and a joy. Later, Mouser discovers that all the books on the shelves deal with death, most especially how to avoid dying. Soon, the pair are each haunted by their dead lovers, though neither tells the other of these ghostly visions. On the same day, each rides out to meet with one of the inscrutable wizards: Fafhrd sees Ningauble and Mouser consults Sheelba. Each wizard demands the mask of death from the Shadowlands in order to release them from their haunting. Thus, each rides out on a collision course with the other. On the way, each encounters their ghostly lover before arriving simultaneously at the castle of Death. However, the noble from whom they stole the cottage is also present and he means to end Death!

Nehwon is a strange world where one can ride into the land of the dead and do battle with Death himself. Strangely, this is not the same Death who appeared in The Bleak Shore. There are multiple Deaths it seems. Of note, the heroes swore themselves to service to the wizards in this adventure.

Bazaar of the Bizarre (1963)

Sheelba and Ningauble have called Mouser and Fafhrd to the Plaza of Dark Delights. Mouser arrived earlier than expected and spotted a new shop. Upon investigating, he finds the most astonishing goods. Impossible and wonderous things. Hanging through the shop in cages are the most beautiful women, all beckoning him to purchase them. Meanwhile, Fafhrd arrives on time and is summoned into an ally by Sheelba and Ningauble. They explain that the new shop is an illusion created by an invading alien race. One provides Fafhrd with a way to see through the illusions and the other offers a scarf to make him invisible. So armed, he enters the place to find worthless junk strewn through the place and cages containing huge spiders dangling from the ceiling. Inexplicably, Mouser doesn’t want to leave.

Strangely, Mouser or Fafhrd is often manipulated into doing things they would not do. Fafhrd was mind-controlled in The Bleak Shore, The Howling Tower, and The Seven Black Priests. Mouser is somewhat more in control, only having been so manipulated in The Bleak Shore and this story.

Many of the stories end with our heroes no richer – expect maybe in wisdom – than when they started. The treasure to be gained proves to be a curse. There is also the fact that many stories only hint at the threats they faced. Half the time, the duo walks away without understanding what they faced. I can see this conversation being inserted into several of these tales:

Fafhrd: “What the hell was that all about?”

Mouser: “I don’t know.” Shrugs.

Swords and Deviltry

Though I first discovered Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in the pages of Deities and Demigods back in the very early 80s (the Nehwon Mythos were one of three fictional mythologies included in the original version, Melnibone and Cthulhu being the others), it has taken until now (December 2015) for me to read Fritz Lieber. Like Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser star in short stories that were mostly published in magazines and only later compiled into books. Thus, this first book is composed of 3 stories. The first two serve as origin stories, one for each of them, and the third covers their meeting.

Snow Women: Fafhrd is a barbarian from the Cold Wastes. The place has a Viking feel to it. The women of Cold Corner hold great sway thanks to their magic. They gather in covens and can conjure ice and snow to target those they disfavor within a wide range. The peculiar magic does not readily convert to D&D rules, which grants it an even more magical quality. Fafhrd is utterly fascinated by civilization and wants to escape the Cold Wastes with an actress who is part of a traveling show. However, his mother, who is head of the coven of snow women, wants the actress dead and her son bent to her will. As Fafhrd tries to convince Vlana the actress that he should accompany her, there are others who desire her. Fafhrd must escape the icy curse that seeks to hold him back and strike down those who would take Vlana as an enslaved concubine.

The story is really quite good and paints a full and deep picture of Fafhrd’s homeland. Of course, from how it is described, I am amazed that all the men hadn’t fled to the warmer lands of the south and left the women to cast their frigid spells. The women are powerful, cold, and vindictive. Part of that probably reflects the presence of the show, which is mostly barely clothed southern women dancing around for the men’s enjoyment. Yeah, the strip club has come to town and all the wives are pissed.

The Unholy Grail: The apprentice of Glavas Rho the White Wizard returned from a quest only to find the still-smoldering remains of his master’s cottage. He found that only a charred corpse remained of the gentle and wise Glavas Rho. In a fury, he followed the hoof marks and found proof that the duke had done this. He would have his revenge. Like the youthful fool that he was, he confronted the duke directly and would have paid with his life but for a timely distraction. Holding his rage at a simmer, he hid himself in a dark cave where evil magicks were empowered. Here he laid a curse upon the duke. But now he was betrayed, unwittingly, by Ivrian, the duke’s daughter. This time, the duke would make sure the apprentice of Glavas Rho would die, and die horribly. Fastened to a rack, his limbs were slowly stretched but, thanks to his magical knowledge, he was able to channel his pain through the medium of Ivrian and into the duke.

Less exciting than Snow Women, this gives a further look into the peculiar magic of Nehwon. Mouser actually uses a voodoo doll to afflict the duke but he also had a spell to hide himself and, of course, the almost inexplicable magic that transferred his death to the duke through nothing more than eye contact with Ivrian who had a hand on the duke’s arm. Wow, that’s some weird and powerful magic. The story also explains the name of Gray Mouser. The white wizard repeatedly said that Mouse, as he called him, was more of a mouser (i.e. a cat) and he was as likely to use black magic as white, thus being gray.

Ill Met in Lankhmar: Two members of the Thieves’ Guild, Fissif and Slevyas, trekked through the streets of Lankhmar with their haul of jewels from their evening heist. Happily on their way back to the guild house, they were set upon by a nimble little man on the one hand and a giant northerner on the other. No sooner had Fissif and Slevyas been dispatched than Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser gazed warily at one another. Neither had expected the other. However, they came to an almost instant agreement and felt a strange camaraderie. Then the bravos arrived. The thieves had had an escort, a trio from the Slayers Guild. Fafhrd and Mouser dispatched them with ease then went on their merry way with a fortune in jewels. After Fafhrd collected Vlana, the trio made their way to Mouser’s abode to celebrate. Despite the rundown appearance from outside, Mouser had a sumptuous apartment within, where he had made Ivrian as comfortable as a duke’s daughter should be.

Vlana was angry that Fafhrd hadn’t killed the two thieves. The entire reason she had agreed to team with Fafhrd was that he promised to aid her revenge against the Thieves’ Guild. After sufficient prompting by Vlana with an assist from Ivrian, Fafhrd and Mouser conceded to ‘reconnoiter’ the guild house for an eventual attack upon it. Dressed as beggars, they infiltrated the guild with surprising ease and even spied a sorcerer performing foul magic. They noted a rat-like creature that they had seen during their ambush of the two thieves earlier that night! The sorcerer dispatched his rat with some foul smoky tentacle creation. The two ducked away only to be summoned by none other than the guildmaster, Krovas. Mouser spun a clever lie that prevented their immediate beating but the arrival of Fissif and Slevyas exposed them. To battle! The pair managed to create just enough confusion to allow them to escape to the rooftop. After losing pursuers in a sooty cloud, the two returned to Mouser’s abode to find Vlana and Ivrian dead, slain by the sorcerer’s smoky creation. It had been meant for them. The jewels, which had been left in the women’s care, were gone.

After turning the rundown building into a funeral pyre for their beloved, the pair raced back to the guild house and visited their rage upon the sorcerer. Though he had conjured yet another smoke beast, they hacked their way through and killed both sorcerer and his rat. All other doors within the guild had been closed as the thieves hid from the sorcerer’s fearful magic. Fafhrd and Mouser left Lankhmar by the nearest gate.

Yet again, the unusual magic of Nehwon looms large. Of particular interest, in Snow Women, Vlana had killed a man by throwing her silver dagger; it had struck him in the eye. Fafhrd took that dagger from her corpse and hurled it at the sorcerer. Where previously tossed weapons had been caught by the smoky tentacles that filled the room, this dagger swept them away and struck him in the eye. Oooh! Magic Dagger! To my shock and dismay, they left it behind even though they collected the thrown weapons that had been blocked. Gah!

So far, it would appear that Fritz Lieber doesn’t think much of women. The Snow Women were cold and villainous, using magic to control their men. Vlana is manipulative and a bit unstable. Ivrian is a trembling and delicate princess who can barely deal with the stress of meeting new people – she has not ventured from the abode since they arrived in Lankhmar 4 months ago. Ivrian’s mother – who died prior to the events of The Unholy Grail – was described as a sadistic shrew who made both her life and the duke’s life a living hell. Then again, our heroes are a pair of thieves and are unlikely to encounter women of the best character. The men look pretty villainous too.

In all, the three stories made for a very engaging read and have gotten me hooked on Nehwon. I’ve ordered the next book in the series and should have more to say about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser before long.