King Valerius of Aquilonia

Valerius
(circa "The Hour of the Dragon")

Medium Human
7th Level
Aristocrat

Hit Dice: 7d6 (25 Hit Points)
Initiative: +1 (dex)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 11 (Dex)
Attacks: Rapier +6 melee
Damage: Rapier 1d8 + 6 melee
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Bluff +11, Diplomacy +11, Gather Information +11, Sense Motive +13, Spot +6, Ride +11
Feats: Weapon Finesse (Rapier), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Combat Reflexes, Hold the Line

Climate/Terrain: Aquilonia
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: by Character class

Zenobia
Princess Akivasha
Publio
Tarascas
Thutothmes
Orastes

Valerius would sell his soul for a throne. He threw in with Orastes, Tarascas, and Amalric to resurrect Xaltotun in a bid to remove Conan from the throne of Aquilonia. Valerius is the rightful heir to the throne of Aquilonia, at least in his eyes, due to his blood relationship to the king deposed by Conan. In the novel, Valerius was yellow-haired. I am not sure why Marvel Comics chose to draw him with dark hair (above picture is from the Marvel Adaptation of "Hour of the Dragon".

Valerius is a cruel man. He knew he was little more than Tarascas' puppet and that his time on the throne was limited. This knowledge, along with his paranoia and hatred of his allies, drove him mad. He lived with one desire; to cause the ruin of all who associated with him. Valerius intended to ruin Aquilonia so utterly that it could not be rebuilt. Valerius also know Amalric wanted the throne of emperor, and this knowledge only added to his paranoia. His life was a series of feasts and wild debauches during his reign of terror. Valerius met his end when his host was destroyed in a trap set by a supposed traitor to Conan's cause.

Howard wrote The Hour of the Dragon in four months at the behest of a British publishing house, in hopes he could finally become a full fledged novelist. Unfortunately, as described in the afterword, the publisher went under and Howard ended up selling the story to Weird Tales instead. The magazine published it in five issues, the last issue coming out only two months before Howard died. It was thus the last Conan story which he saw published.

Robert E. Howard's story, "The Hour of the Dragon," was first published in Weird Tales as a five part serial, beginning in December of 1935 and ending in April 1936. It is Robert E. Howard's only Conan full length novel. The story can also be found in the Ace/Lancer paperback "Conan the Conquerer"; and the Gnome Press collection "Conan the Conquerer". It is also available in the Burkley/Putnam edition, "The Hour of the Dragon". This is easily my second favorite Conan tale of all time (following "The People of the Black Circle")

Karl Edward Wagner called it "one of the best novels ever written in the epic fantasy genre" and I certainly agree.

Main Index | email | recent updates | Conan main Page

Trademarks and copyrights are cited on this page without permission. This usage is not meant in any way to challenge the rightful ownership of said trademarks/copyrights. AD&D is a trademark of TSR; reach TSR's parent company at Wizards of the Coast, Inc.©. All copyrights are acknowledged and remain the property of the owners. "Inzeladun" and related characters © 1984, 2000 Vincent N. Darlage. All rights reserved by their respective owners. This page is for entertainment only.