The Phoenix on the Sword

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"The Phoenix on the Sword" by Robert E. Howard was the first Conan the Barbarian story. It was first published in December of 1932.

There is a conspiracy afoot to overthrow Conan, the new king of the prosperous nation of Aquilonia. The Rebel Four, four disparate leaders who want Conan dead for their own reasons, have been brought together by Ascalante, who seeks to use them in part of his own bid for the crown of Aquilonia. Ascalante's chiefest slave, Thoth-Amon, was once a powerful sorcerer of Stygia who seeks his lost ring of power. Meanwhile, Conan has been restless ever since taking the throne, yearning for the days when he was a warrior. When Thoth-Amon reclaims his ring and calls forth a powerful demon of the underworld to destroy his former tormentor, the dead sage Epemitreus calls Conan to him to protect his land from this evil foe and places the mark of the phoenix on Conan's sword. Thus armed, Conan destroys both the demon and the conspirators that have come to his chambers to assassinate him.

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Tropes used in The Phoenix on the Sword include:
  • After-Action Patchup: Conan's injuries are treated as he recounts his tale.
  • Anti-Villain: Rinaldo. He is the only conspirator among the Rebel Four who does not have an ulterior motive behind wanting Conan dead.
  • Attack! Attack! Attack!: Conan attacks aggressively even when outnumbered
  • Because Destiny Says So: Why Epemitreus aids Conan -- it seems that his destiny is tied with that of Aquilonia itself.
  • Blood Magic: Thoth-Amon uses it.
  • The Cavalry Arrives Late: Late enough that they don't believe him.
  • Cool Sword: The sword, once the phoenix is on it.
  • Dark Is Evil: Invoked in a prayer
  • Dead Person Conversation: Where Conan gets his warning
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Thoth-Amon, wanting more than anything to make his former master Ascalante pay, sends a demon of Set after him and everyone with him at the time. Including, as it happens, Conan whom Ascalante was trying to assassinate at the time.
  • Dragon with an Agenda: Ascalante, who seeks nothing less than the throne of Aquilonia itself.
  • Drunk with Power: Thoth-Amon, once he reclaims his lost Ring of Power from Dion.
  • Evil Sorcerer: What Thoth-Amon was long ago, and which he becomes again upon reclaiming the Ring.
  • Evil Eye: The demon of Set that Thoth-Amon calls upon Ascalante has the ability to stare into someone's eyes and blast their soul. While it works on Ascalante, it does not work on Conan.
  • Famed in Story: Opens with a history describing Conan, which was famously referred to in the opening of the movie.
  • The Fatalist: Conan's people -- and why he left
  • Flaw Exploitation: Ascalante's plans toward the conspirators
  • Green-Eyed Monster: In the opening, Conan toward Prospero: he can just leave
  • Holy Hand Grenade: Conan's sword receives demon-slaying powers as a result of the phoenix mark Epemitreus put on it.
  • How the Mighty Have Fallen: Thoth-Amon as a slave
  • In Harm's Way: Invoked in a chapter heading verse
  • Last Second Chance: For Rinaldo
  • Made a Slave: Thoth-Amon
  • No Badass to His Valet: Prospero toward Conan
  • Nostalgia Filter: Rinaldo has a rather romanticized view of King Numedides, the last king of Aquilonia who Conan slew for the throne. He remembers only that he patronized the arts, but not any of the horrific abuses and atrocities which allowed Conan to gain enough popular support to overthrow him. In general this seems to be the attitude of the populace. Conan comments how people whose families were ravaged by Numedides have elevated him to the status of a saint.
  • Ouroboros: The Ring of Power
  • The Phoenix: The image of one is put on Conan's sword to empower it.
  • Religion Is Magic: The high priest identifies the White Magic put on Conan's sword by Epemitreus. It is probably the only instance of White Magic in the entire Conan saga.
  • Religion of Evil: The worship of Set is very much portrayed as one of these.
  • Scars Are Forever: Thoth-Amon is taunted with how the scars of Ascalante's whip will last.
  • Summoning Artifact: Thoth-Amon's ring has the power to call powerful demons to serve the summoner.
  • Talking in Your Dreams: Where Conan gets his warning.
  • The Time of Myths: Underscored by the excerpt that opens it.
  • The Underworld: Conan describes one in his people's beliefs.
  • Unknown Rival: As in all the other stories in which he appears Thoth-Amon endangers Conan only as collateral damage.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Dion.
  • Unstoppable Rage: Conan's reaction to the Evil Eye.
  • Villain Opening Scene: Starts with the conspiracy against Conan.
  • White Magic: Epemitreus is perhaps the only wielder of such in the Conan saga, and the mark he places upon Conan's sword is powerful enough to slay demons.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: Rinaldo.
  • Wrecked Weapon: Conan's sword breaks upon Gromel's helm during the battle with the conspirators. Even so, the part of it that is left is still enough to kill Thoth-Amon's demon.
  • You Imagined It: After the battle with the demon, Conan is told that he is imagining things. This is quickly disproved however, when the priest recognizes the mark on Conan's sword.
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