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Queen of the Black Coast

 Queen of the Black Coast
type
TVTItem
 Queen of the Black Coast
label
Queen of the Black Coast
 Queen of the Black Coast
page
QueenOfTheBlackCoast
 Queen of the Black Coast
comment
Queen of the Black Coast is a Conan the Barbarian tale by Robert E. Howard.The story begins in Argos, with Conan fleeing for the docks, and the law in hot pursuit. He leaps aboard a merchant vessel, making good his escape, where he is welcomed by the captain, Tito. An infamous Pirate Girl named Bêlit has been terrorizing the coastline, and strong warriors like Conan are in particular demand for protection from the pirates.Naturally, before long said pirates attack the ship, and Conan slays numerous crew before Bêlit herself intervenes - not by fighting Conan, but by seducing him. The two fall in love almost immediately, finding in each other a kindred spirit in a world where they are outsiders. They ravage the coastline together, their combined martial prowess so great that they become nearly legendary icons of piracy.Then, Bêlit suggests an adventure up a deadly and forbidden jungle river, to a mythical city of ruins where great treasure is said to wait for anyone brave (or stupid) enough to enter, setting up a confrontation with worse horrors than even they had imagined.Renowned not only as one of Howard's best stories, but as one of the greatest examples of pulp fiction and heroic fantasy ever written. Not only is the narrative smooth flowing and well polished, but Howard's penchant for poetry reaches its zenith. Bêlit herself is among Howard's best known characters despite only appearing in this one story - she's been named among the best female pirates in fiction, and was a major inspiration for the character of Valeria in the 1982 Conan film (in fact, since Valeria isn't named onscreen until the sequel, many thought she was Bêlit).It's also the point at which Howard started including more blatant Fanservice into the Conan stories, between Bêlit's Diamonds in the Buff and numerous assorted naked women (and men, to be fair). Showing that a Conan story being chock-full of nudity and being good aren't mutually exclusive.The story has entered the public domain and may be read here: Queen of the Black Coast.
 Queen of the Black Coast
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2023-11-13T09:15:40Z
 Queen of the Black Coast
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2023-11-13T09:15:40Z
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Dropped link to Greed: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Dropped link to Pirate: Not a Feature - ITEM
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DBTropes
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1183175e
type
This Was His True Form
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1183175e
comment
This Was His True Form: The werehyenas briefly resume human form after the winged ape is killed by Conan.
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1.0
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_1183175e
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1439161f
type
Heroic BSoD
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1439161f
comment
Heroic BSoD: After finding Bêlit's corpse, Conan dives into melancholy and becomes unable to think of anything except revenge.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1439161f
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 Queen of the Black Coast / int_1439161f
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_1439161f
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18aff462
type
Artistic License – Biology
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18aff462
comment
Artistic License – Biology: Someone as pale as Bêlit, who spent as much time in the tropical sun wearing as little as she does, would not remain "white ivory" for very long. She'd either get a tan or burn red.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18aff462
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_18aff462
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18ce8f1d
type
Full-Frontal Assault
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18ce8f1d
comment
Full-Frontal Assault: Bêlit's Kushan pirates are described to fight naked, and so does she in part, being permanently bare-breasted.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_18ce8f1d
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_18ce8f1d
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_222dc873
type
Black Comedy
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_222dc873
comment
Black Comedy: Conan's barbarian code of honor vs. the laws of civilized men. He regards it as perfectly natural that a captain of the guard should be run through with a sword for assaulting a woman, yet these people expect him to reveal the killer's location and, when he naturally refuses to betray his friend, think he'll meekly submit to being thrown into prison for contempt of court!
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_222dc873
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_222dc873
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2588feac
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Winged Humanoid
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2588feac
comment
Winged Humanoid: The winged ape. And what it and its people used to be.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2588feac
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_2588feac
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2f41cac1
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Our Werebeasts Are Different
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2f41cac1
comment
Our Werebeasts Are Different: Werehyenas created by the winged ape from a group of lost soldiers.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_2f41cac1
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_2f41cac1
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_330841a2
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Burial at Sea
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_330841a2
comment
Burial at Sea: Bêlit's Viking Funeral.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_330841a2
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_330841a2
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_35e3383a
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Pirate Girl
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_35e3383a
comment
Pirate Girl: Bêlit, the Queen of the Black Coast.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_35e3383a
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 Queen of the Black Coast / int_35e3383a
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_35e3383a
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3c7ccb69
type
No Body Left Behind
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3c7ccb69
comment
No Body Left Behind: After returning to human form, the bodies of the werehyenas crumble to dust.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3c7ccb69
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_3c7ccb69
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3cb1d38d
type
Bad Boss
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3cb1d38d
comment
Bad Boss: Bêlit. We'll give her a pass on reacting to the slaughter of half her crew by declaring her undying love for the slaughterer; arguably, that act saved the other half of her crew. But taking herself and Conan unobtrusively out of the way of a death trap, while doing nothing to warn four of her men and leaving them to get crushed so she can grab the treasure afterward... whoa. Harsh.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3cb1d38d
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_3cb1d38d
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3d897748
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Do Not Go Gentle
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3d897748
comment
Do Not Go Gentle: Tito intends this if his ship is overtaken by pirates, passing out meager weapons and armor to his crew.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_3d897748
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_3d897748
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Conan has slain the winged ape and its werehyenas, freeing them from the evil spell the ape had cast upon them. He lives to fight and adventure again, but the pirate crew is all dead, as is possibly his greatest love, Bêlit. She gave the ocean its sense of mystery and allure and adventure, and without her Conan has every reason to remain landlocked for the rest of his life.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_40cc0c7e
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_40cc0c7e
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_4977559e
type
Our Angels Are Different
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_4977559e
comment
Our Angels Are Different: The winged humanoids who once inhabited the lost city. Mortal but exceptionally long-lived, building their city before humanity had first crawled from the muck, and devolved by environmental catastrophes into demonic winged apes.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_4977559e
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_4977559e
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_49fb5ccb
type
Combat Pragmatist
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_49fb5ccb
comment
Combat Pragmatist: The winged ape during the Final Battle sends all of its remaining werehyenas at Conan to soften him up before immediately attacking him when he's barely caught his breath in the aftermath.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_49fb5ccb
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hasFeature
Queen of the Black Coast / int_49fb5ccb
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_516ac9a8
type
Viking Funeral
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_516ac9a8
comment
Viking Funeral: Bêlit's. Flaming ship and all.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_516ac9a8
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1.0
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_516ac9a8
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_516ac9a8
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_52f2c74c
type
Mating Dance
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_52f2c74c
comment
Mating Dance: Bêlit dances like this for Conan.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_52f2c74c
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1.0
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_52f2c74c
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5bdf025f
type
Instant Sedation
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5bdf025f
comment
Instant Sedation: Conan getting sedated by black lotus.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5bdf025f
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1.0
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_5bdf025f
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5d3e7c6
type
Kangaroo Court
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5d3e7c6
comment
Kangaroo Court: Conan fled one in the opening (after killing the judge).
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5d3e7c6
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_5d3e7c6
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5f4097ba
type
Not Distracted by the Sexy
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5f4097ba
comment
Not Distracted by the Sexy: The master of the merchant ship Conan sails on gives the port in Stygia wide berth, even when a snake-themed ship approaches filled with naked women, who call to the sailors and "posed and postured brazenly." Given that the previous paragraph had gone into grim detail about the horrors that await in Stygia, this is a wise move on the captain's part, and the ship of naked women can be surmised to be a lure for the less wary.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_5f4097ba
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_5f4097ba
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_6ca84a8f
type
Treasure Room
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_6ca84a8f
comment
Treasure Room: They find a room with treasure... when disaster strikes.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_6ca84a8f
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_6ca84a8f
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_704d7e91
type
No Ontological Inertia
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_704d7e91
comment
No Ontological Inertia: Once the winged ape dies, whatever sorcery it used to create the werehyenas dies with it, returning them to human form before they crumble into dust.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_704d7e91
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_704d7e91
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_7315fd38
type
Covers Always Lie
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_7315fd38
comment
Covers Always Lie: Downplayed with the original Maragaret Brundage illustration for Weird Tales (seen in the public domain link above). The winged ape is shown, Conan appears in the armor and cloak Howard described him with in the beginning, and the representation of Bêlit is as accurate as it could be and be acceptable fir magazine stands. But the action depicted, of Bêlit cowering behind Conan as he squares off with the winged ape, never happens in the story.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_7315fd38
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_7315fd38
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_86c192f4
type
Badass Creed
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_86c192f4
comment
Badass Creed: Conan describes himself perfectly in probably Book!Conan's most-quoted speechnote Movie!Conan's most-quoted speech being either "What is best in life?" or "to hell with you, Crom!": And Bêlit answers with one of her own:
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_86c192f4
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_86c192f4
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_9bfb2f41
type
Dead Guy on Display
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_9bfb2f41
comment
Dead Guy on Display: The winged ape hangs Bêlit from the yard-arm of her own ship by the necklace she looted from his city, apparently to mess with Conan.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_9bfb2f41
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1.0
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_9bfb2f41
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a18fda9c
type
Dumb Muscle
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a18fda9c
comment
Dumb Muscle: Conan averts it, as the story shows he is very capable of giving articulate existentialist lectures, but he amusingly invokes it at the Kangaroo Court when he decides listening all their talk about civic values doesn't beat beheading the judge and running away.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a18fda9c
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_a18fda9c
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a8dcb1d7
type
Love at First Sight
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a8dcb1d7
comment
Love at First Sight: Between Bêlit and Conan. To the point that Conan, first glimpsing her as a differently-colored figure on the deck of the pursuing ship, is compelled by "some whim or qualm" to put an arrow in the man next to her, not the Pirate Queen herself.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a8dcb1d7
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_a8dcb1d7
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a939a527
type
Red Eyes, Take Warning
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a939a527
comment
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Conan sees red eyes gleaming in his lotus-induced dream; always they portend horror, madness, and death to those who intrude in the lost city. They're the eyes of the malevolently intelligent winged ape.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_a939a527
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_a939a527
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ad3d8092
type
Heartbroken Badass
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ad3d8092
comment
Heartbroken Badass: At the end of the story, Conan's lover Bêlit is dead. He gives her a funeral and then wanders off into the jungle.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ad3d8092
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_ad3d8092
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b2cb7993
type
Brains and Brawn
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b2cb7993
comment
Brains and Brawn: Bêlit and Conan. Or so we're told.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b2cb7993
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 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b2cb7993
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_b2cb7993
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b3595485
type
Pantsless Males, Fully-Dressed Females
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b3595485
comment
Pantsless Males, Fully-Dressed Females: Downplayed in both cases. Bêlit is the only in her crew to wear clothing, even if she still wears less than expected.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b3595485
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 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b3595485
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_b3595485
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b9e90c0a
type
Vertebrate with Extra Limbs
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b9e90c0a
comment
Vertebrate with Extra Limbs: The winged ape.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_b9e90c0a
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_b9e90c0a
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c0fda9f6
type
All Amazons Want Hercules
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c0fda9f6
comment
All Amazons Want Hercules: Bêlit wants Conan.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c0fda9f6
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 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c0fda9f6
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_c0fda9f6
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c95d04f2
type
It Can Think
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c95d04f2
comment
It Can Think: Conan realizes this of the winged ape, based on the strategy involved in its massacre of the pirates. Conan doesn't care, he's still going to kill it or die trying.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_c95d04f2
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_c95d04f2
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ca3a6dbd
type
Informed Ability
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ca3a6dbd
comment
Informed Ability: We see very little of Bêlit's purported intelligence and plan making (although we do see her leadership skills, given that her crew follows her faithfully despite how uncaring to them she is).
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ca3a6dbd
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_ca3a6dbd
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_cf168867
type
The Corruption
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_cf168867
comment
The Corruption: The winged ape can drive you mad, and it itself is the victim of it.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_cf168867
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_cf168867
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_e5cffa61
type
Dreaming of Times Gone By
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_e5cffa61
comment
Dreaming of Times Gone By: Conan has a true dream about the history of the jungle city while sedated by the black lotus.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_e5cffa61
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_e5cffa61
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ecc96193
type
Backup from Otherworld
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ecc96193
comment
Backup from Otherworld: Bêlit's ghost helps Conan against the winged ape, getting some ghostly vengeance in the process.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_ecc96193
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_ecc96193
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_f6c3d469
type
Fanservice Extra
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_f6c3d469
comment
Fanservice Extra: The naked Stygian women on the boat encountered by Conan's merchant ship, and references to "blood-stained altars where naked women screamed"note a line almost certainly calculated to win a cover illustration in Stygia.
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_f6c3d469
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Queen of the Black Coast / int_f6c3d469
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_fed07537
type
Mighty Whitey
 Queen of the Black Coast / int_fed07537
comment
Mighty Whitey: The all-black crew follow the pale-skinned Shemite Bêlit (and Conan, after he joins the ship as her co-captain and lover) unquestioningly, and treat her as more of a goddess than a human.
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Queen of the Black Coast

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Queen of the Black Coast
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American Literature (# to D) / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Backup from Otherworld / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Diamonds in the Buff / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Instant Sedation / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Mating Dance / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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Pirate Stories / int_3e7b3d94
 Queen of the Black Coast
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This Was His True Form / int_3e7b3d94