|
| Fantastic 1975 serialization of Count Brass, Art: Harry Roland |
I
In the peaceful years following the defeat of the Dark Empire, Hawkmoon and his wife Yisselda bring up two children. One day Hawkmoon hears reports that the "ghost" of Count Brass is awaiting his arrival for a duel in the outlying marshlands. When he investigates, Hawkmoon discovers someone who appears to be Count Brass from 20 years in the past (and doesn’t recognize Hawkmoon). At the end of the encounter, Hawkmoon falls into the marsh and begins drowning. Fortunately, he is saved when he is found by Yisselda’s patrol. Soon afterwards, Hawkmoon returns to the marsh to meet Count Brass again, who is now joined by more past incarnations of the his now-deceased friends, namely Oladahn, D’Averc and Bowgentle. The confused warriors decide that some nefarious force is at work.
II
Hawkmoon and his new/old friends travel to the shore of the Middle Sea. A glowing pyramid appears, and it is revealed that the Dark Empire scientist Baron Kalan has been behind this strange plot to have time-snatched comrades try to slay Hawkmoon. Hawkmoon quickly uses his flame-lance to drive Kalan and his time-space pyramid away. The heroes decide to seek out Hawkmoon’s old friends from Soryandum (Rinal and the Wraith-folk) for advice. On the journey to the Syranian Desert (where the Wraith-folk were last seen), Kalan reappears twice more to try to convince Hawkmoon's comrades to betray him. Both times he fails, but Oladahn and D'Averc are whisked back to their own time periods. Hawkmoon, Bowgentle and Count Brass then find themselves in battle with the Wrathfolk’s giant mechanical beast-guardian, still blinded (and angry) from its last encounter with Hawkmoon. Fortunately, Rinal and the Wraith-folk appear and deactivate the robot guardian. They then use the advanced crystal technology of the Wraith-folk to discover that Kalan is hiding in a parallel Londra. After Kalan returns and banishes Bowgentle, Hawkmoon realizes that Kalan needs a servant of the Runestaff to kill his arch-enemy (Hawkmoon). After Kalan escapes once again, Hawkmoon and Count Brass pursue the scientist across the planes in a crystal sphere given to them by the Wraithfolk.
III
At Kalan's alternate Londra, Hawkmoon and Count Brass discover a room filled with dim-witted, time-snatched duplicates of the old lords of the Dark Empire (including Huon, Meliadus and Flana). Lord Taragorm appears with guards and takes Hawkmoon and Count Brass prisoner. Taragorm explains that he and Baron Kalan had faked their deaths at the Siege of Londra, and since then have been hiding in this alternate Londra while plotting to retake their own Granbreton. They plan to repopulate the “real” Londra with their time-snatched duplicates. Kalan then takes his two prisoners to the real Londra, where the two heroes are presented before an underground mob of secret Dark Empire loyalists. Taragorm orders Hawkmoon to take his own life or Count Brass will be tortured to death. Count Brass states that he wants to kill Hawkmoon by his own hand but when given the chance he instead kills Taragorm. A great battle ensues with the Dark Empire loyalists, but in the midst of the fight, Hawkmoon is mysteriously picked up by a “time wind” which carries him back to the Battle of Londra. There, Hawkmoon saves Count Brass from being slain (changing history). The time wind then drops him into the marsh right after he had first encountered the time-snatched Count Brass. Hawkmoon is rescued from the swamp again, this time by Count Brass. Hawkmoon at first can’t believe his good fortune at apparently having saved his old friend, but soon learns that in this new time-line Yisselda had died at the Battle of Londra instead of Count Brass. Thus Hawkmoon has lost both his wife and his two children
The Champion of Garathorm (1973)
I
Hawkmoon broods at Castle Brass over the loss of Yisselda.
He becomes paranoid and his body becomes frail. One day, he is visited by an
female warrior named Katinka van Bak, apparently an old comrade-at-arms of
Count Brass in many battles of the past. Lately, her home territory in
Ukrainia (east of the Bulgar Mountains) has been invaded by a leaderless army
made up of a strange, mixed rabble, some members of which look like old, slain
comrades (one of them being Bowgentle). Intrigued and hopeful, Hawkmoon
returns to the Bulgar Mountains with Katinka to investigate. On the journey,
Hawkmoon’s body slowly gains back its former strength. They run into a man
named Jhary-a-Conel (who recognizes Hawkmoon) and describes a great
disturbance in the multiverse. The three of them proceed to the base of the
Bulgar Mountains where they enter a dark tunnel. Inside, Katinka knocks
Hawkmoon unconscious.
II
Hawkmoon awakes in the
body of a female warrior named Ilian and recalls that she is a warrior
Princess of Garathorm. Years ago, Katinka van Bak had arrived in Garathorm
(seeking refuge from Dark Empire invaders) and then trained the people of
Garathorm in warfare. Shortly afterwards, a Chaos army led by the evil Ymryl
had attacked Garathorm, leaving Princess Ilian the sole survivor of the royal
family. Ymryl’s new "sorceror" had then transferred Ilian’s spirit into a
black soul gem (Ymryl's sorceror is of course Baron Kalan, stranded in Ilian's
plane since escaping the underground temple battle at Londra). After rescuing
Ilian from Ymryl's prison, Katinka had then met Jhary-a-Conel, who had
suggested that they use Hawkmoon’s “inactive” incarnation of the Champion to
rejuvenate Ilian's soul-less shell. Ilian, Katinka and Jhary eventually
reunite with the remaining Garathorm resistance fighters. Ilian leads a raid
on the capitol city of Virinthorm and her people manage to smuggle out flame
lances from the armory. During the escape, Ilian also finds and frees
Hawkmoon's missing wife Yisselda, whom Kalan has been keeping prisoner while
he plots against Hawkmoon.
III
With most of Imryl’s forces having marched west to engage a rival Chaos
warlord, Ilian’s group attacks the remaining soldiers occupying Virinthorm and
defeats Ymryl’s occupying forces. When Ymryl’s main army returns, his cavalry
charges the city, but Ilian's flame cannons obliterate them. However, when
Baron Kalan then approaches (with Dark Empire warriors behind him), the beams
pass through him, as well as any blades. Kalan claims that only Hawkmoon can
hurt him. Ilian confronts and impales the puzzled Kalan with her sword and
retrieves a mysterious black gem from his corpse. Ymryl then retreats to the
forest with his forces in order to summons aid from his Chaos patron, Duke
Arioch. When Ilian and Jhary begin their attack, Arioch fades away, but not
before filling Ymryl with unholy power. The empowered Ymryl attacks Ilian, who
falters. However, Ymryl suddenly fades away, along with the rest of the Chaos
warriors. Jhary later explains that with Kalan’s death, the planes have begun
to heal themselves, and the beings displaced from their home dimensions are
gradually being drawn back home. Jhary, Ilian, Katinka and Yisselda quickly
return to the mountain tunnel containing Hawkmoon’s still-unconscious body.
Jhary uses Kalan’s soul gem to release Ilian's soul into her body, and return
Hawkmoon's own consciousness back to his own body. Yisselda is overjoyed to be
reunited with Hawkmoon and inquires about their missing children.
The Quest for Tanelorn (1975)
I
Orland Fank, servant of the Runestaff, arrives at Castle Brass. He reports
that the Runestaff has gone missing, and that great disruptions are occurring
in the Multiverse (the Conjunction of the Million Spheres). While heading into
Londra seeking clues, Hawkmoon suddenly finds himself alone in a mist, and is
then confronted by a vision of a floating head, which seems to be connected in
some way to the Champion Eternal, and calls itself "Sword". The entity desires
Hawkmoon’s body, but Hawkmoon drives it away (after which he falls into the
water). In short order, Hawkmoon is picked up by Jhary-a-Conel, sailing by in
a rowboat. The two of them encounter the strange entity again, this time in
the form of a man surrounded by black fire. Afterwards, Jhary leads Hawkmoon
to a group of "Law sages" made up of characters from several previous
adventures of the Eternal Champion (including the Warrior in Jet and Gold,
Sepiriz of Nihrain, and the Silver Warrior known as the Lady of the Chalice).
They advise Hawkmoon to seek out Tanelorn and to await the Dark Ship’s
arrival. The Dark Ship soon arrives and Brut of Lashmar welcomes Hawkmoon
aboard, while a red eye in the sky watches from above.
II
On the Dark Ship, Hawkmoon meets Corum, as well as a group of warriors from various times, all picked up from their own time-realities by the Dark Ship. The ship stops again to pick up the last warrior, Elric. Hawkmoon, Corum, Elric and Erekosë discuss their shared connection. Eventually the Captain summons them and tells them that they must defeat the other-dimensional creatures Agak and Gagak. The ship lands and the Champions and their chosen warriors debark. The strange land shows shadows where none should be, as well as ruins from all parts of the Multiverse. They sight two strange, connected buildings of an obviously alien design and enter it. Inside the fleshy interior, they are attacked by toothy creatures, giant apes, grabby worm-snakes and swarms of flying insects. Meanwhile they hear an outraged voice coming from all around them. Reaching the top, octagonal chamber, they find the voice of Gagak coming from a central pool of viscous liquid. The Four avatars of the Eternal Champion reluctantly merge into a single multi-limbed being with one great sword, and plunge the sword into the pool, killing Gagak (who was in fact, the building itself). The four-faced Champion then descends into the pool to impersonate Gagak. Agak (the connected building) wakes and the Four transform Gagak’s body into a giant version of its multi-limbed form. The Four engage Agak, who takes energy from the universe (destroying worlds in the process) in order to defend himself. Overpowered, the Four use their great sword to suck energy from the universe as well. Agak tries to reform himself into another multi-limbed Four, but is too late. After striking Agak’s eye-pool (and killing the multiverse), the great sword flings the energy back, bringing the multiverse back to life. Gagak returns to her original shape and the Four separate in the eye-pool room. Returning to their landing site on the shore, Elric and Corum return to the Dark Ship, while Hawkmoon and Erekosë elect to remain and search for Tanelorn on this plane.
III
In the city of shadows, Orland Fank appears, and explains that his search for the Runestaff has led him to this strange island. They realize that this island is made up of a conglomeration of Tanelorns “without Hope”. The heroes decide to forswear any allegiance to any greater powers, believing that that act will create hope for themselves, and thus a "better" Tanelorn. Suddenly Jehamiah Cohnahlias, the spirit of the Runestaff itself, appears and reveals that a new version of Tanelorn has appeared, this one filled with life. They come to an amphitheater where - except for Erekosë and Hawkmoon - stand statues of all of the incarnations of the Eternal Champion and their companions and lovers. Jehamiah Cohnahlias tells Erekosë there is one last task that they must complete before he can be eternally free. Cohnahlias motions to the statue of Elric, and a vision appears showing Elric blowing the Horn of Destiny and being slain by Stormbringer. Corum’s statue next comes to life and they see a vision of Corum’s farewell to Kwll, followed by his choice of death over acceptance of the fiery black entity (Sword).
The entity of the Black Sword appears once again and confronts the heroes. Jhary then appears with Hawkmoon’s Black Jewel. “Sword” brings forth Hawkmoon’s family, D’Averc, Bowgentle and Erekosë’s lost love Ermizhad, all bound in gold chains, and asks for the Black Jewel in return for the release of the heroes’ loved ones. Hawkmoon gives up the Black Jewel, which Sword promptly swallows and then disappears. Cohnahlius hands Hawkmoon the Runestaff and begins walking away, but a short distance away Cohnahlius is possessed by the spirit of Sword and transforms into a demon. The Captain of the Dark Ship then appears, with his Steersman bearing the Black Blade. The Captain explains that he had picked up this version of the Black Blade after Erekosë (as Urlik Skarsol) had used it to slay the Silver Queen, saving Mankind (he had been able to retrieve the Black Blade in this case because that was the one instance where the Blade had been used for the good of Man, and not for its own ends).
Sword/Cohnahlius then threatens to kill the heroes’ friends unless they also give him Urlik’s Black Sword so that it can use it to destroy the Balance. Erekosë takes Urlik Skarsol’s Black Sword from the Steersman as the Balance materializes overhead. Sword/Cohnahlius abandons the Black Jewel and enters Erekosë’s body (now wielding Urlik's Black Sword). Sword/Erekosë grows into a sky-high giant and uses the similarly-enlarged Black Sword to attack the Balance. Immediately after the Balance is destroyed, Erekosë signals to Hawkmoon. Hawkmoon smashes the discarded Black Jewel with the Runestaff. An explosion of light and darkness reforms into a ball of red “stuff”, which floats into the sky towards the sun. Erekosë drops dead to Ermizhad’s grief. Jhary and Ermizhad take their places amongst the statues of Tanelorn (Ermizhad next to Erekosë’s).
The blind Captain and the Steersman reveal that they are known as “Man”, and
that they were the ones who had originally created Tanelorn. The Multiverse is
now free of any kind of “cosmic authority”. Hawkmoon and his family and
friends (as well as Whiskers) are then transported to the Silver Bridge of
Londra by Orland Fank. From there, D’Averc continues on to Londra to reunite
with Queen Flana, while Hawkmoon and his restored family head back home
towards Castle Brass.
Back to Main Post
