Introduction
Featuring Conan the Cimmerian. Howard left both an untitled synopsis and an unfinished draft that was not published in his lifetime. The tale was finalized by L. Sprague de Camp and in this form first published in the collection Conan the Adventurer (1966). It has first been published in its original form in the collection The Pool of the Black One (Donald M. Grant, 1986) and later in The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle (Gollancz, 2000) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Two (1934) (Del Rey, 2005).
“Drums of Tombalku” is an unfinished work featuring an incomplete synopsis of adventure, betrayal, and supernatural elements. Set in the untamed deserts of Howard’s imagined world, the tale weaves together themes of survival, loyalty, and political intrigue amidst a vividly described landscape and complex characters. Though left incomplete, the synopsis offers a detailed glimpse into a richly envisioned narrative with striking imagery and dramatic events.
See also: Drums of Tombalku (fragment).
Summary
Amalric, the son of a noble family from Aquilonia’s great house of Valerus, finds himself far south of Stygia, traveling through the desert in the company of three Ghanata bandits: Gobir, Saidu, and Tilutan. Tilutan, a ferocious black giant, brings an unconscious girl he has found in the desert, sparking tension among the group. Amalric, feigning indifference, uses cunning to kill Gobir and Saidu in a fight and then defeats Tilutan in a brutal struggle. The girl, Lissa, revives Amalric, and they converse in a shared tongue. Lissa explains she fled her home city, Gazal, a nearby oasis city populated by a dreamy, scholarly, and peaceful people.
Upon reaching Gazal, Amalric discovers a city in ruin except for a solitary southeastern tower. The citizens reveal that a supernatural being inhabits the tower, worshipped by desert nomads, and occasionally preys upon the people. Amalric bonds with Lissa, who expresses her longing to escape her stagnant life. One night, they hear terrifying cries from the tower, and Amalric investigates. He encounters a supernatural creature in human form and defeats it using a Kushite incantation, but not before the being curses him with vengeance. Amalric finds Lissa safe but learns they are being pursued by ghastly black riders summoned by the creature’s death.
As Amalric and Lissa flee westward, they are saved at the last moment by a group of riders led by Conan the Cimmerian, Amalric’s former companion who had been presumed dead. Conan explains how he was taken to the semi-mythical city of Tombalku after being captured in the desert. Tombalku is ruled by two kings: Sakumbe, a corpulent and decadent black man, and Zehbeh, a lean brown-skinned man. Conan’s past connection with Sakumbe earns him favor, and he rises to prominence as the general of Tombalku’s cavalry. However, tensions simmer within the city due to competing factions among its rulers, priests, and various ethnic groups.
Conan takes Amalric and Lissa to Tombalku, where they witness the execution of Daura, Zehbeh’s priest, by Askia, Sakumbe’s fanatical high priest. Sakumbe, though corrupt and indulgent, remains the true power in Tombalku due to his influence over the black tribes. Conan schemes to eliminate Zehbeh and align himself with Sakumbe, but this alliance crumbles when Askia turns on Sakumbe, destroying him with dark magic. Chaos erupts as Zehbeh’s forces attack Tombalku, leading to a devastating civil war. Amidst the destruction, Amalric, Conan, and Lissa fight their way out of the city and escape into the desert.
Characters
- Amalric: The protagonist, a wandering Aquilonian swordsman. He is resourceful, skilled in combat, and deeply protective of Lissa.
- Tilutan: A massive and powerful Ghanata warrior, known for his brutality and skill with the scimitar. He is ultimately defeated by Amalric in a desperate struggle.
- Gobir: One of the two Ghanata companions of Amalric, opportunistic and treacherous. He is killed during Amalric’s ambush.
- Saidu: Gobir’s companion, a wiry and ruthless Ghanata. He fights Amalric fiercely but is killed by Tilutan’s misplaced attack.
- Lissa: A mysterious girl from Gazal with violet eyes and an innocent demeanor. She is haunted by her city’s decay and seeks to escape its horrors.
- Conan the Cimmerian: A barbarian warrior and Amalric’s former companion. Now a leader among the Tombalku riders, he offers Amalric refuge and camaraderie.
- The Monster of the Tower: A supernatural being worshipped by desert tribes, ultimately killed by Amalric using a Kushite incantation.
- Sakumbe: A black king of Tombalku and Conan’s ally, who rises to power with the help of the sorcerer Askia.
- Zehbeh: An Aphaki king of Tombalku, rival to Sakumbe and a representation of the divided factions in the city.
- Askia: A powerful sorcerer and ally of Sakumbe, who solidifies his influence over the kingdom with black magic.
- Daura: Zehbeh’s priest, executed by Askia.
- Black Riders: Supernatural beings summoned by the death cry of the monster in the tower, pursuing Amalric and Lissa.
- Kordofo: A rival general in Tombalku, poisoned to make way for Conan’s rise.
Published in:
- THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLUME 1 NUMBER 21, Marvel Comics, August 1977 (graphic adaptation)
- THE POOL OF THE BLACK ONE, Grant, 1986 (fragment only)
- CROMLECH #3, Cryptic Publications, 1988 (first appearance of the original synopsis)
- THE CONAN CHRONICLES Volume 1, Millennium, August 2000, (Grant version of fragment)
- ÖSSZES CONAN TÖRTÉNETE I, Szukits Könyvkiadó, 2004 (Hungarian)
- THE COMPLETE CHRONICLES OF CONAN, Gollancz, January 2006
- 新訂版コナン全集3: 黒い予言者 (SHINTEIBAN KONAN ZENSHŪ 3: KUROI YOGENSHA)(THE AUTHORIZED CONAN CHRONICLES 3: THE PEOPLE OF THE BLACK CIRCLE), Tōkyō Sōgensha, March 2007 (Japanese, synopsis and draft)
- THE CONAN CHRONICLES Volume 1, Gollancz, April 2008
- CONAN THE BERSERKER, Gollancz, November 2011
- CONAN ZDOBYWCA. TOM 2, BookRage, August 2015 (Polish)
- CONAN JA MERIROSVOT, Oppian, January 2019 (Finnish)
- CONAN JA MERIROSVOT, Oppian, March 2020 (Finnish)
L. Sprague de Camp completed an entire story based on these which appears in the following places:
- CONAN THE ADVENTURER, Lancer, 1966
- THE FANTASTIC SWORDSMEN, Pyramid, May 1967 (“R-1621”) (REH/LSDC)
- THE FANTASTIC SWORDSMEN, Pyramid, 1967 (2nd, “X-1621”) (REH/LSDC)
- CONAN DER ABENTEURER, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1971 (German)
- CONAN – LA FIN DE L’ATLANTIDE, Edition Spéciale, June 1972 (French)
- コナンと黒い予言者 (KONAN TO KUROI YOGENSHA), Sōgen Suiri Bunko, January 1973 (Japanese)
- SCIENCE FICTION STORIES NO. 20, Ullstein Verlag GmbH, January 1973 (German)
- CONAN THE ADVENTURER, Sphere, 1973
- CONAN L’AVVENTURIERO, Editrice Nord, May 1974 (Italian)
- CONAN THE ADVENTURER, Prestige, 1977
- CONAN DE AVONTURIER, Zwarte Beertjes, 1978 (Dutch)
- CONAN L’AVENTURIER, Jean-Claude Lattès, January 1980 (French)
- CONAN DER ABENTEURER, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, July 1983 (German)
- CONAN EL AVENTURERO, Ediciones Forum, 1983 (Spanish)
- CONAN THE ADVENTURER, Ace, 1984
- CONAN DER ABENTEURER, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1985 (German, 2nd edition)
- KONAN: CRNI LAVIRINT, Niro Dečje Novine, 1985 (Part 1, Serbo-Croatian)
- KONAN: TAJANSTVENI GAZAL, Niro Dečje Novine, 1985 (Part 2, Serbo-Croatian)
- CONAN L’AVENTURIER, J’ai Lu, June 1986 (French)
- DRACHENMOND, Ullstein Verlag GmbH, August 1987 (German)
- LA LEGGENDA DI CONAN IL CIMMERO, Editrice Nord, October 1989 (Italian)
- THE CONAN CHRONICLES Volume 2, Orbit, September 1990
- CONAN ÄVENTYRAREN, Target Games, 1990 (Swedish)
- CONAN RYZYKANT, Wydawnictwo PiK, 1992 (Polish)
- CONAN L’AVENTURIER, J’ai Lu, March 1993 (French, 2nd printing)
- CONAN L’AVVENTURIERO, Editrice Nord, November 1993 (Italian)
- LA SAGA DI CONAN IL CIMMERO, Editrice Nord, 1994 (Italian)
- CONAN EVENTYREREN, Semic / Nordisk Forlag A/S, 1995 (Norwegian)
- КОНАН АВАНТУРИСТА (KONAN AVANTURISTA), Bard, 1997 (Bulgarian)
- CONAN DER ABENTEURER, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1998 (German)
- CONAN L’AVENTURIER, J’ai Lu, November 2000 (French, 3rd printing)
- CONAN: PLAMENÝ NŮŹ, Klub Julese Vernea, 2008 (Czech)