Status Updates From Tales from The Magician's S...

“The Necromancer and the Forgotten Hero” by D. M. Ritzlin (art by Randy Broecker)

An excellent tale of the necromancer, Xaarxool, in his youth. Xaarxool raises a great warrior from centuries past to protect him from a corrupt and decadent magistrate who wishes him dead. Interesting world and characters with bloody action to propel the story onwards.

“Orphan Maker” by S. E. Lindberg (art by Samuel Dillon)

A weird story about an animated skeleton that serves as the protector of a group of children in a keep. He ventures out to save a maiden in despair only to face his nemesis, his brother, in a corrupted glade. Lindberg calls this “Dyscrasia Fiction,” whatever that means. Short choppy sentences and an uninteresting world made me shrug at this story.

“Pawns’ Gambit” by Nathan Long (Art by Doug Kovacs)

Another great Leiber Fafhrd and Gray Mouser pastiche by Nathan Long. Ningauble and Sheelba wager a bet over who is the most heroic, Fafhrd or Mouser. Manipulating the duo through dream visions, Fafhrd and Mouser plan heroic deeds that can’t go unnoticed they think. Reminiscent of “Lean Times in Lankhmar.”

“Blue Achernar” by Tais Teng (art by Jason Edwards)

A warrior and his sorcerer cousin must protect their kingdom from an apocalyptic plot by a rival wizard-king. Duplicity is the agent in this very high-magic story. The ever expanding magical one-upmanship grew tiresome to me.

“The Raven-Feeder’s Tower” by Philip Brian Hall (art by Tom Galambos)

A historically-inspired tale of a knight on a quest to obtain the riches from a Jarl’s tower. A clash of two time periods playing on the Sigurd/Siegfried legend combined with the King Arthur legend. A good, mythic heroic fiction tale.

Editor’s Introduction - the return to Gen Con for the first time since the pandemic. This is bittersweet reportage given that Howard Andrew Jones would only live a few more years. It’s great to see him in his element, though.

“Three Festivals” by James Enge

I’m lukewarm about the Morlock Ambrosius tales, but this is a good one. Morlock seeks his missing phoenix in the dying city of Lopodysia.

Tais Teng's "Blue Achernar" was fascinating! A wonderful story.

James Enge's "Three Festivals" is one of the best Morlock tales yet, and a tale wherein the maker actually takes real action!