Polski opis

Według książek Howarda, Conan miał żyć około 12 000 lat temu w owianej mgłami tajemnicy erze hyboryjskiej. Ojczyzną Conana była górzysta Cymmeria, kraina położona daleko na północy, dalej leżały tylko Asgard i Vanaheim (znane nam z mitologii nordyckiej). Conan urodził się na polu bitwy, co wedle ówczesnych przekonań wróżyło mu krwawe i brutalne życie. Powodem wybrania tak niebezpiecznego miejsca połogu, była napaść wrogich Vanirów - brzemienna matka Conana, nie zwracając uwagi na swój poważny stan, ruszyła do boju u boku współplemieńców, broniąc ziem swego klanu. Po ojcu kowalu, Conan odziedziczył duży wzrost (przypuszcza się, że miał ok. 2 m) oraz potężną budowę ciała. Po raz pierwszy Conan wziął udział w bitwie w wieku piętnastu lat, gdy wraz ze współplemieńcami złupił i puścił z dymem Vanarium - przygraniczną Aquilońską twierdzę.

Podczas swojego burzliwego życia awanturnika, Conan zwiedził większość znanych krain oraz oddawał się niezliczonym zajęciom. Był m.in. wodzem himeliańskich górali, piratem z wysp Baracha, najemnikiem w armii orientalnego Turanu, walczył w obronie Aquilońskiego pogranicza strzegąc krańców cywilizowanego świata przed gniewem dzikich Piktów oraz prowadził niebezpieczną karierę zawodowego złodzieja w Zamorze. Wszystko to, ażeby na koniec zostać królem najpotężniejszego wówczas państwa na świecie, Aquilonii.

Conan w mechanice AD&D pojawił się po raz pierwszy w roku 1984. Wydano wtedy podręcznik Conan Unchained! a zaraz po nim pojawił się Conan Against Darkness! Rok później TSR zdecydowało się, by grę o Conanie zamienić w samodzielną linię. Zaowocowało to wydaniem podręcznika głównego dla tego świata oraz trzech przygód.
(www.wikipedia.pl)

 English description

Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian, from the name of his homeland, Cimmeria) is a fictional character often associated with the low fantasy, sword-and-sorcery subgenre, also known as heroic fantasy. He is the most famous fictional barbarian, and indeed one of the best known and most universally recognizable iconic figures in modern popular culture.[1]

Created by American writer Robert E. Howard in 1932 via a series of fantasy pulp stories sold to Weird Tales magazine, the character has since appeared in licensed books, comics, films, television programs and video games, contributing to his long-standing popularity.

Conan the Barbarian is also the name of a Gnome Press collection of stories published in 1954, a comic published by Marvel Comics beginning in 1970, a film and its novelization in 1982.

The various stories of Conan the Cimmerian occur in the fictional "Hyborian Age," set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the rise of the known ancient civilizations. This is a specific epoch in a fictional timeline created by Howard for many of the low fantasy tales of his artificial legendry.

The reasons behind the invention of the Hyborian Age were perhaps commercial: Howard had an intense love for history and historical dramas; however, at the same time, he recognized the difficulties and the time-consuming research work needed in maintaining historical accuracy. By conceiving a timeless setting — "a vanished age" — and by carefully choosing names that resembled our past history, Howard shrewdly avoided the problem of historical anachronisms and the need for lengthy exposition.

According to Howard himself in "The Phoenix on the Sword," the adventures of Conan take place "...between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas..."

Conan is a Cimmerian (not to be confused with the historical Cimmerians), a barbarian of the far north. He was born on a battlefield and is the son of a blacksmith. Conan matured quickly as a youth and, by age fifteen, he was already a respected warrior who had participated in the destruction of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium. After its destruction, he was struck by wanderlust and began the adventures chronicled by Howard, encountering skulking monsters, evil wizards, tavern wenches, and beautiful princesses. He roamed throughout Hyboria as a thief, outlaw, mercenary and pirate. As he grew older, he began commanding larger units of men and escalating his ambitions. In his forties, he seizes the crown of king of Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the Hyborian Age, having strangled the previous ruler on the steps of the throne. Although Conan's adventures often result in him performing heroic feats, his motivation for doing so is typically his own survival or for personal gain; thus, he displays many of the characteristics of an anti-hero.

At the beginning, Conan was published in two modules for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. First was Conan Unchained! in 1984 year, and second was Conan Against Darkness! in 1984 years. A year later TSR published standalone game, which was named Conan Role-Playing Game, with 3 adventures: Conan the Buccaneer (1985), Conan the Mercenary (1985), Conan Triumphant (1985).
(wikipedia.org)