Questers for Kuranes: Two Tales of Hero and Eldin

by Brian Lumley

  Gustau, Eric. Son of Thelred Gustau. His hobby was wine-making.

  Haag, Thasig. Watchman in the dungeons of Bhur-Esh, Thasig Haag was a slave, a Northman stolen as a youth.

  Harpy. Hideous, winged monster with the head of a woman and the body of a bird, said to carry off the souls of the dead.

  Hatr-ad the Adept. A wizard, formerly an apprentice to Imhlat the Great, and self-styled Mightiest Magician in All Theem’hdra.

  House of Cthulhu. Set on the island of Arlyeh, actually a temple or fortress of tall black towers, twined at impossible angles unknown and beyond the ken of man. Presumably identical with the modern day R’lyeh.

  Hreen Castle. Located in Thinhla, this castle with its domed turret was at one time the property of Hatr-ad the Adept.

  Hroon, Burial Catacombs of. A place not known for the delicate perfume of its air.

  Humquass. A fortress city located on Theem’hdra’s eastern strand, beyond the Steppes of Hrossa.

  Imhlat the Great. Teacher of wizardry, who wasted away in a gray rot from the moon. Teh Atht was once apprenticed to Imhlat, as was Hatr-ad.

  Kag, Gyriss. One of Mylakhrion’s familiars: a one-legged jackdaw of spiteful mien. Once he was a man and a slayer of wizards, but he made the error of attempting to kill one wizard too many.

  K’mool, Exior. An apprentice to Mylakhrion of Tharamoon, who is widely supposed to have usurped his master’s place as the King’s Wizard in the city of Humquass. Prior to this position, Exior K’mool served as an apprentice to the ill-fated sorcerer, Phaithor Ull.

  Leet, Azatta. A former apprentice to Mylakhrion many years (even centuries) before Exior K’mool, he became famous in his own right as a powerful wizard in old Chlangi.

  Lila. A lady of the evening, in Bhur-Esh, who did not appreciate the finer points about Kank Thad (if he had any).

  Lithatroll. The Numberless Rites of Lithatroll was a forgotten litany (except to a few wizards).

  Lords of the Morass. Another term for the Slug-Gods of the N’dola Pygmies.

  Loxzor. An accomplished Hrossak sorcerer of olden times; one of several opposed to Mylakhrion. Loxzor died of being eaten by a slime.

  Moaning Menhir. A monumental stone, carven with runes, which issues moaning noises only a wizard might interpret.

  Morgath. Warrior-king of Humquass. An intelligent man as well as a warrior.

  Mount of the Ancients. A holy place not far to the west of Klühn, congenial to the summoning of spirits.

  Mylakhrion’s Powder. Perhaps dried Zha-weed was one of the ingredients; no one knows. The merest pinch, taken as snuff, produces marvels galore.

  N’dola. A tribe of pygmies who dwelled in the Morass. They wore ornaments of solid gold, worshipped giant slugs (and made immense golden slug-idols). They filed their teeth, as do cannibals.

  Nen, Dhor. A wizard, formerly an apprentice to Imhlat the Great.

  Nest of the Fanged Hawk. The aeyries of the Fanged Hawk tend to be wizardly retreats. Regrettably (or mayhap not), this species did not survive the breakup of the primal continent.

  New Bhur-Esh. The city that was founded atop the lava flow which inundated the old city of Bhur-Esh.

  Nid, Hethica. Owner of a tavern in Bhur-Esh.

  Ninth Sathlatta. A magical rune, protective against all wizardly spells of evil intent. It was bequeathed to Teh Atht by his ancestor Mylakhrion the Great.

  Nirhath, Halls of. The school of wizardry wherein Imhlat the Teacher held his classes.

  N’tang Tapestries. Like the Necronomicon and the Pnakotic manuscripts, these tapestries conceal truths too hideous for mankind to learn.

  Noth, Dilquay. A pimp who is a good friend of Tharquest of Klühn. He keeps a disreputable house in Chlangi.

  Nuss, Veth. Veth Nuss the Mousy was a member of the High Court of Bhur-Esh.

  Org the Awful. A daemon.

  Ow-n-ow. Witch doctor of the N’dola pygmies, he was high priest to the sluggods.

  Rune of Power. Like the Ninth Sathlatta, this is a protective spell given to Teh Atht by Mylakhrion, his ancestor. This spell is even more efficacious than the Ninth Sathlatta, but may be defeated if one’s enemy is also conversant with the nature of the spell.

  Shildakor. A wizard of ancient Bhur-Esh. He cursed the cliffs named for him, that ghosts would ever inhabit their crevices and niches.

  Silver Decider. A silver arrow balanced within a rune-inscribed ring of iron. This wheel of fortune chooses the fate of a convicted murderer: north to the Ghost Cliffs of Shildakor, or south to the Square of the Sundering.

  Slug-Gods. Giant omnivorous slugs who were worshipped as gods by the N’dola. Peculiarly, they absorbed the attitudes of their food (normally vegetation, but not always), gaining the ferocity of crocodiles or the timidity of rabbits, depending on which they had ingested most recently.

  Soquallin, Tarth. Also called Tarth the Hermit. A wizard, formerly an apprentice to Imhlat the Great.

  Square of the Sundering. Here, south of Bhur-Esh, felons are quartered between four great horses bred for the task.

  Tarqu, Nathor. A warlock of ancient Chlangi.

  Terrathagon. King of Chlangi, ere the Lamia Orbiquita appeared. Afterward he fled, together with all his retinue and his subjects.

  Thad, Kank. A Northman who was guilty of murder most foul in Bhur-Esh.

  Thamiel. Chief Seeker of Truth (i.e. judge) in the High Court of Bhur-Esh.

  Tharquest. A wanderer from Klühn, renowned for his various amorous adventures. Known variously as Tharquest the Wanderer and Tharquest the Rake.

  Theen. A member of King Vilthod’s Guard, he was struck an especially low blow by Kank Thad.

  Thom, Mellatiquel. A cousin-wizard of Mylakhrion, he fled to Yaht-Haal when certain magicks turned against him.

  Titi. A whore. Companion and partner of Dilquay Noth, old friend of Tharquest; aka Titi the Ample and Titi of a Thousand Delights.

  Ull, Phaithor. A sorcerer of Humquass who tried an ill-conceived thaumaturgical experiment and was transformed into green dust.

  Um, Phata. Prospecting partner of Eythor Dreen. He was the strong silent type, but a good friend.

  Vehm, Hath. A priest who guards the gate to the House of Cthulhu, that no one speak the runes that will set Cthulhu free. Brother of Voth Vehm.

  Vehm, Voth. A priest of the gods in the temples of the Silver City. Brother of Hath Vehm, who guards the House of Cthulhu.

  Vilthod. A king of Bhur-Esh. It is death to walk on the king’s grass.

  Wine of the Wizard. Mylakhrion’s Powder, brewed up in a measure of wine, such as he was wont to imbibe.

  Xthyll, Pool of. A legendary pool of depths unplumbed.

  Ye-namat. A wizard, formerly an apprentice to Imhlat the Great.

  Yhemney. Also known as Yhemni.

  Yoppaloth. Black Yoppaloth of Yhemnis was a sorcerer of no mean prowess, opposed to Mylakhrion. Being a Yhemni, he was, of course, black of skin, but was also known to be a black wizard as contrasted, say, with Teh Atht, a white wizard. Long afterward there was another Yoppaloth in Yhemnis. Rumor had it that there had been nine of them. Or was it always just the original Yoppaloth who had discovered a form of immortality (the elusive goal of all the wizards of Theem’hdra)?

  Zar-Thule the Conqueror. Also known as Reaver of Reavers, Seeker of Treasures, Sacker of Cities. In short, a pirate.

  Zar-weed. Smoking it can induce dreams that are more than dreams.

  Zothada. Daughter of the High Priest of the Temple of Ghatanothoa in Eyphra; one of Tharquest the Rake’s mistresses.

  The Compleat Khash, Volume I: Never a Backward Glance

  Adz, Gulla. Daughter of Stumpy Adz. “Built like a fortress,” according to Tarra Khash.

  Adz, Stumpy. An old one-eyed thief (one-handed, too), he lived in Chlangi and befriended Tarra Khash.

  Annoxin, Nud. Thinhla’s fattest, richest, and most loathsome jewel merchant.

  Arn, Amyr. A male of the Suhm-yi, mated to Lula Am. He is the last male Suhm-yi.


  Arn, Lula. A girl of the Suhm-yi, believed to be the last female of her race. Mated to Amyr Arn.

  Athar, Kon. A long-maned, boastful brute of a Northman, leader of a gang of cutthroats.

  Chud, Gumbat. A bully-boy out of Chlangi, he thought he had killed Tarra Khash.

  Cynonycteris. A type of bat that often infests mummy chambers and burial pits.

  Dramah. When fabled Mylakhrion was yet a youthful apprentice, there dwelt in the Nameless Desert a magician of no mean prowess.

  Dyzm, Hadj. Survivor of a caravan from Eyphra, which was ambushed in the foothills of the Mountains of Lohmi.

  Eys, Ulli. Suhm-yi maid, who truly was the last female of her race. She was held captive for many years by Gorgos, else she would have died with most of the Suhm-yi.

  Gorgos. Chief priest of the Secret Gods Sect. He was apparently a sorcerer from Shadarabar who sought immortality.

  Gylrath the Great. An ancient king, known mostly for his “great” gluttony and his gout. There is only desert now, where his city and the surrounding forest once lay.

  Han, Arenith. Seer and runecaster to Fregg.

  Izz, Ahorra. The Scarlet God of Scorpions. His toppled temple lies in the coastal forests east of Thinhla; the caverns beneath are repositories of forbidden treasure and ghastly horror.

  Na-dom. A gaunt crag which rears up from the crater sea, considered by the Suhm-yi as the Holiest of Holies. Also the treasure house of the Suhm-yi.

  Phant, Ilke. He and Bogga Tull were prospecting partners with Tarra Khash, collecting gold nuggets along the River Thand.

  Secret Gods. Who were they? Why, that is a secret. Not benevolent deities, you may be sure of that. And definitely not the unknown Ice-gods of Khrissa.

  Secret Gods Sect. The mysterious sect who constructed the Temple of the Secret Gods. Their priests wore yellow robes, and they seemed to know in some weird manner everything that happened in the city.

  Square of Justice. Here, in Klühn, convicted felons are locked in cages, suspended from a parapet for ten days, then dropped to their deaths.

  Swords of Power. Three rune-swords that were formerly the property of the greatest of all Suhm-yi sorcerers. Later they fell into the hands of Gorgos.

  Temple of the Secret Gods. Constructed over a five-year period in the city of Klühn, while its resident wizard (Teh Atht) was away on an expedition. Built by the mysterious Sect of the Secret Gods.

  Thad, Bejam. Kon Athar’s right-hand man.

  Thromb. Demons of the deep dark spaces between the stars, as told of in Suhm-yi legend. They are a group of Great Old Ones whom the Elder Gods penned in cauldrons of gravity in the hearts of collapsed stars.

  Tull, Bogga. He and Ilke Phant were prospecting partners with Tarra Khash, collecting gold nuggets along the River Thand.

  Unst, Fregg. Fregg Unst I: robber king of Chlangi; most often simply known as Fregg.

  The Compleat Khash, Volume II: Sorcery in Shad

  Ankh, Gys. A Hrossak outcast. One of Yoppaloth’s caravan of slavers. Quick with his whip, he offended the wrong man.

  Arena of Death. A sunken arena in Yhemnis, guarded by giant statues of all the dark gods and beings of a hundred alien pantheons. Not a good place to be under any circumstances but especially bad when doom was upon Theem’hdra.

  Climatic Capsule. A rune, or spell, of protection. Scientists might call it a forcefield. It creates a kind of ecosphere about the mage, keeping him comfortable.

  Curious Concretion. A curse or spell to turn anything to stone.

  Gemal, Cush. Caravan master of Yoppaloth’s slave caravan. A Yhemni, but a strange one. Tarra Khash would wonder: Could he be someone, or something, other than he seems . . .?

  Ghenz, Narqui. A renegade Hrossak; one of the lizard-riders in Yoppaloth’s caravan.

  Great Kraken. A phrase used to denote Great Cthulhu Himself.

  Haven’s Hollow. A picturesque, peaceful village in the foothills of the Eastern Range. Stumpy Adz and his daughter lived there for a time, after leaving doomed Chlangi.

  Instant Inversion. A minor spell that upends all in its realm of action.

  Keep-Ye-Out. A spell of protection against inimical visitors. It would have worked well even against a lamia, but hardly against a whole flock of lamias.

  Kraken. A legendary sea monster of northern seas. (Also, see Great Kraken.)

  Lizards. Generally (not always) refers to the giant riding animals used by Hrossaks. Only the Hrossaks knew how to control these formidable saurians.

  Moormish of the Wastes. A hermit wizard contemporary with Teh Atht. Somewhat similar to Tarth Soquallin, but a notorious grouch.

  Nindiss, Jezza. Sister of Loomar Nindiss. A virgin destined for Yoppaloth’s harem or worse. (Definitely worse!)

  Nindiss, Loomar. Brother of Jezza Nindiss, he is young but big and strong. A slave taken by Yoppaloth’s caravan. Befriended by Tarra Khash.

  One who flitted. One of Teh Atht’s three familiars.

  One who flowed. One of Teh Atht’s three familiars. Best described as a sentient oil.

  One who hopped. One of Teh Atht’s three familiars, also known as Hopper.

  Robos. Boyfriend of Gulla Adz.

  Rune of Liquescence. A spell to turn solids into liquids . . . useful against onyx automatons.

  Rune of Revitalization. Eldritch spell supposed to renew youth if utilized properly. The famous wizard, Azatta Leet, died after declaiming this spell without utter understanding.

  Self-Contained Coolness. A type of Climatic Capsule useful in warm weather (or in lava pits, for that matter).

  Shoggoths. One of the most frightening forms of life, which can exist as extended beings or as individual motes. Created and used as slaves by the star-headed Old Ones who flew through space on leathery wings and settled on the nascent Earth even before the Cthulhu spawn, Shoggoths are only whispered of in the Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.

  Star of Power. A five-pointed star, stamped into desert sands for protection; much like a Climatic Capsule, perhaps, or a Keep-Ye-Out, but more primitive in its casting.

  Sustained Scrying. A rune or spell to operate a shewstone for a long time period.

  Tek, Mangr. One of the Northmen in Yoppaloth’s slave caravan, he lost his shirt gambling with his countrymen, but was a lot luckier in the Arena of Death.

  Thad, Gorlis. Leader of a trio of Northmen in Yoppaloth’s slave caravan. The most degenerate, murderous Northman of all the large Thad family, or so thought Tarra Khash, who had never met Kank Thad.

  Undiluted Deafness. A spell to impede hearing.

  Warm Web. A type of Climatic Capsule useful in cold weather.

  Yoppaloth the ninth. The first Yoppaloth was a contemporary of Mylakhrion. This last Yoppaloth, whom Tarra Khash encountered, was supposedly the ninth mage of that line. Or . . . was he actually the original one, still living a thousand years later? The truth is: Neither.