Conan and his companion, the thief Malak, are confronted by Queen Taramis of Shadizar, who tests their combat ability with several of her guards. Satisfied, she tells Conan that she has a quest for him. He refuses her, but when she promises to resur…
Conan and his companion, the thief Malak, are confronted by Queen Taramis of Shadizar, who tests their combat ability with several of her guards. Satisfied, she tells Conan that she has a quest for him. He refuses her, but when she promises to resurrect his lost love, Valeria, Conan agrees to the quest. He is to escort the Queen's niece, Princess Jehnna, a virgin, who is destined to restore the jeweled horn of the dreaming god Dagoth. The magic gem Heart of Ahriman must first be retrieved, in order to locate the horn. Conan and Malak are joined by Bombaata, the captain of Taramis's guard. Bombaata has secret orders to kill Conan once the gem is obtained.
The gem is secured in the fortress of a powerful wizard, so Conan seeks the help of his friend Akiro, the Wizard of the Mounds, who must first be rescued from a tribe of cannibals who have captured him. The adventurers encounter Zula, a powerful bandit warrior being tortured by vengeful villagers. Freeing Zula at Jehnna's request, Conan accepts the indebted warrior's offer to join their quest.
The adventurers travel to the castle of Thoth-Amon, where the gem is located. As they sleep by the lake surrounding the castle, the wizard takes the form of a giant bird and kidnaps Jehnna. In the morning Akiro divines this and also divines a hidden entrance to the castle through a water gate. As they search for Jehnna, Conan is separated from the group, and the others are forced to watch him battle a fierce man-beast in a hall of mirrors. Conan's strikes uselessly pass through it without any harm, but he discovers that breaking the mirrors inflicts damage to the creature. By breaking all of them, Conan mortally wounds and reveals the creature as a polymorphed Thoth-Amon. With the wizard's death, the castle begins to collapse, forcing the group's hasty retreat. They are ambushed by Taramis's guards, but drive them off. Bombaata feigns ignorance about the attack. The gem reveals where the jeweled horn is. Jehnna expresses r..
