Conan and the Devil’s Daughter by Eldon Asp

by Gary Romeo

There are undoubtedly rarer Conan stories, but this is probably the rarest “authorized” pastiche. “Conan and the Devil’s Daughter” appeared on the conan.com website that existed when the Conan the Adventurer live-action TV series was airing.

No one was a big fan of the show. It was too cheaply produced; not especially faithful to any Robert E. Howard or L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter story (although “The Tower of the Elephant” and “The Thing in the Crypt” were slightly adapted in the first two episodes), and although (other than Danny Woodburn) the cast was heavily muscled and looked their parts none (again other than Danny Woodburn) were very capable actors.

The series was collected in a DVD set that now commands high prices on eBay:

The show is available to watch (for USA viewers) at https://tubitv.com/series/300005264/conan-the-adventurer

I admit to a vague appreciation of the episode entitled “A Friend in Need.” I recently watched it during Howard Days 2023 when in the company of Art McGee and Aurelia Wilder. Neither of them was impressed but we all agreed (or at least they accepted my enjoyment of it) that the final swordfight between Ralf Moeller and Matthias Hues was decent.

Anyway, onward…

Threshold Entertainment was the IP holder back in the day and tried to maintain a relationship with Conan fans through their website. (Frankly, they did a better job than the current IP holders.) They had an active chat board and the site featured various articles that ranged from scholarly to kitschy. One of the more interesting items featured on the website was “Conan and the Devil’s Daughter” by Eldon Asp.

The story begins with Conan, down on his luck, venturing to Shadizar in search of work. Confronted by missionaries warning him against proceeding into the sinful town, they ask him his name: “My name is Conan. And Mitra can’t rightly forgive a soul already damned to Hell by that old bastard, Crom.”

Conan enters a sub-section of the city known as Poisontown. A large two-story bar and whorehouse known as Arallu’s Gate is his destination. Conan notices that most of the crowd is rather strange. Boisterous and lively but at times strangely subdued. Conan is served a drink containing a green glowing liquid with a large spider floundering at the bottom of the glass. Conan realizes that this drink must be causing the odd behavior of most of the patrons.

Conan refuses the drink and orders Ale. Conan speaks to the barmaid in code, and she leaves to fetch her boss. A barfight occurs (as in most every pastiche) and Conan proves he is a real badass.

Conan then meets Tarik Harkates. Conan had been recommended for employment by an acquaintance of Tarik. Tarik takes a liking to Conan and hires him as a bouncer. Harkates works with an old wizard named Li-Tsung. Conan learns the lay of the place, has altercations with two other employees, and eventually becomes chief bouncer and headmaster of the whores. Conan gives the women a better deal letting them keep more of their earnings. Thus, softening any reservations that the reader may have about Conan becoming a pimp.

Conan learns of a rival tavern. It seems most people come to Arallu’s Gate for the narcotic spider drink and then go to the competitor for the entertainment. In a funny bit of dialogue Conan skeptically asks about the “enchanting siren” of The Jeweled Lotus:

“Ask someone who’s seen her. I’m not doing it justice. They say she’s not human!”

“What is she, a monkey?”

“Scoff all you want. I’ve seen how much business we lost when she showed up in town. People can’t get enough of her! I’ve heard it said she’s a goddess and a demon both.”

Conan, intrigued, goes to see the woman.

I’ll quit here as I don’t want to spoil the tale for those who may read it someday. All in all, I rather liked it. There is humor, gore, and a decent story. Sure, it is padded out, but the in-between adventures lend themselves to the overall story. It would be worthy of a reprint.

Searching the web for this story produces zero results. Searching for “Eldon Asp” did result in some information about the author. He has written for Image Comics, co-wrote a novel, and has written a screenplay.

Most likely, “Conan and the Devil’s Daughter” was written as “work for hire” and the copyright is held by the current IP holders. I will contact Fred Malmberg and/or Steve Saffel to see if they are even aware of this novella and inquire as to its possible reprinting as I know I am not the only Conan completist in REH/Conan fandom.