Zenobia of Nemedia

Zenobia
(circa "The Hour of the Dragon")

Medium Female Human Commoner 20 years old
1st Level
Commoner

Hit Dice: 1d4+3 (7 Hit Points)
Initiative: +2 (dex)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Dodge)
Attacks: Dagger -1 melee
Damage: Dagger 1d4 -1 melee
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Move Silently +4, Hide +4, Listen +4, Sense Motive +6, Perform (Dance) +6
Feats: Dodge, Mobility

Climate/Terrain: Nemedia
Challenge Rating: 0
Treasure: None
Alignment: Lawful Good
Advancement: by Character class

"I am only Zenobia," she murmured, with a catch of breathlessness, as if in fright. "I am only a girl of the king's seraglio. He has never glanced at me, and probably never will. I am less than one of the dogs that gnaw the bones in his banquet table. But I am no painted toy; I am of flesh and blood. I breathe, hate, fear, rejoice, and love. And I have loved you, King Conan, ever since I saw you riding at the head of your knights along the streets of Belverus when you visited King Nimed, years ago. My heart tugged at its strings to leap from my bosom and fall in the dust of the street under your horse's hoofs."

Color flooded her countenance as she spoke, but her dark eyes did not waver.

Albiona
Princess Akivasha
Publio
Tarascas
Thutothmes
Demetrio

~Robert E. Howard, "The Hour of the Dragon"

A slender girl with a supple figure that wore a wisp of silk twisted around her loins and jeweled breast plates, Zenobia fell in love with King Conan and stole down to the dungeons of Belverus to free him when she discovered he had been captured. Brave she is, and intelligent, which impressed Conan. In return for her aid, Conan promised to make her the Queen of Aquilonia.

She was a member of the Nemedian king's seraglio, but he had never touched her. The size of that harem was legendary.

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.

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