Tales from the Magician's Skull #9

A gong shivers… the mists part to reveal a grisly visage lying upon a mound of rubble, dead but for one glowing, malefic eye… It speaks, in a voice of cold command:

Silence, mortal dogs! It is time now for Tales From The Magician’s Skull #9!

Praise me, Mortal Dogs, for once again I bring tales to terrify and delight in equal measure! Oh, great was my pleasure when these stories were presented to me, and I only wish I might witness your first reading of the wonders herein. Doubtless you shall spring forth to cavort in glee and windmill your arms in reckless abandon!

Tales From The Magician’s Skull is a magazine of all-new swords & sorcery fiction. Let’s look at the table of contents!

STORIES

Three Festivals by James Enge

A Tale of Morlock Ambrosius

Kalx, brazen defender of the city, had left a trail of ruins in his wake. Morlock followed the trail until he passed the border of the city — the line that Zlynth had called the pomerium. By the time Morlock caught up to the brazen monster, Kalx was already outlined in scarlet flames, fighting a cloud of Furies.

The Raven-Feeder’s Tower by Philip Brian Hall

The skeleton was held upright by a tall stake driven deep into the ground, to which support its spine was fixed by leather bonds. The breastplate covered bare white ribs and the helmet’s visor protected merely the empty eye-sockets of a morbidly-grinning skull.

Blue Achernar by Tais Teng

An Homage to Clark Ashton Smith

Lady Magida had slept in the tombs of magicians so feared that their names had never been written down, walking into their death-dreams, leafing through their grimoires that had long ago turned to dust. When she strode through the necropolises the ghûls fled like whimpering hares.

Pawns’ Gambit by Nathan Long

A Tale of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

The monks howled at this violation of their sacred place, and Mouser saw he had been incorrect when he had thought them all unarmed. From every sleeve sprang a dagger, and they held them high as they rushed to encircle him.

Orphan Maker by S.E. Lindberg

“It is her time to sacrifice,” Ingrid explained while adjusting her mother’s hair. “Ma resisted. She escaped from the Bleeding Tree.” She laughed while shrugging. “But her blood is stronger than her faith!”

The Necromancer and the Forgotten Hero by D.M. Ritzlin

The wound was still fresh, but not a drop of blood escaped from it. Hyallbor wondered what sort of necro- mantical energies were sustaining him.

The Glass Dragon by David Gullen

Rhayder staggered grey-skinned from the mouth of a labyrinth of seventy-seven turns wielding a felling axe with a head of star-forged iron.

The Monster Pit by Terry Olson

Enter the monster pit! Down here in the pit, we provide tabletop RPG fans with playable DCC RPG game statistics for the creatures in this issue of Tales From The Magician’s Skull