Cease your wailing, mortal dogs, for once more I have granted your fondest wishes and returned with fantastic tales of sword-and-sorcery! No more must you pace forlornly before your mailbox waiting for salvation only I can deliver, contenting yourself with the reading of street signs and the backs of cereal boxes! Now that you hold my peerless magazine in your hands once more, it is time to be transported to realms of wonder!
Your praise has reached me, and I am somewhat pleased. While the limerick was of questionable merit, three of the odes were quite fine, and the concerto for trombone and guitar brought me true delight. I expect more and greater tribute in the weeks to come!
Tales From The Magician's Skull is a magazine of all-new swords & sorcery fiction. Issue #9 features cover art by legendary fantasy artist Sanjulian.
NOW WITH ePUB! Tales From the Magician's Skull #9 is also available in ePub format. It is included with a print purchase of the latest issue, or available as a stand-alone item.
Let's look at the table of contents!
STORIES
Three Festivals by James EngeA Tale of Morlock AmbrosiusKalx, brazen defender of the city, had left a trail of ruins in his wake. Morlock followed the trail until he passed the border of the city - the line that Zlynth had called the pomerium. By the time Morlock caught up to the brazen monster, Kalx was already outlined in scarlet flames, fighting a cloud of Furies.The Raven-Feeder's Tower by Philip Brian HallThe skeleton was held upright by a tall stake driven deep into the ground, to which support its spine was fixed by leather bonds. The breastplate covered bare white ribs and the helmet's visor protected merely the empty eye-sockets of a morbidly-grinning skull.Blue Achernar by Tais TengAn Homage to Clark Ashton SmithLady Magida had slept in the tombs of magicians so feared that their names had never been written down, walking into their death-dreams, leafing through their grimoires that had long ago turned to dust. When she strode through the necropolises the ghûls fled like whimpering hares.Pawns' Gambit by Nathan LongA Tale of Fafhrd and the Gray MouserThe monks howled at this violation of their sacred place, and Mouser saw he had been incorrect when he had thought them all unarmed. From every sleeve sprang a dagger, and they held them high as they rushed to encircle him.Orphan Maker by S.E. Lindberg“It is her time to sacrifice,” Ingrid explained while adjusting her mother's hair. “Ma resisted. She escaped from the Bleeding Tree.” She laughed while shrugging. “But her blood is stronger than her faith!”The Necromancer and the Forgotten Hero by D.M. RitzlinThe wound was still fresh, but not a drop of blood escaped from it. Hyallbor wondered what sort of necro- mantical energies were sustaining him.The Glass Dragon by David GullenRhayder staggered grey-skinned from the mouth of a labyrinth of seventy-seven turns wielding a felling axe with a head of star-forged iron.ARTICLES
The Monster Pit by Terry OlsonEnter the monster pit! Down here in the pit, we provide tabletop RPG fans with playable DCC RPG game statistics for the creatures in this issue of Tales From The Magician's Skull.The Skull Speaks by The Skull Himself
