The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp
"The Tritonian Ring" is a fantasy novel by L. Sprague de Camp that follows the story of Vakar Zhu, a young prince of Lorsk, as he embarks on a perilous quest to thwart the plans of sinister gods and prevent a war with the pirate kingdom of the Gorgon Isles. Throughout his journey, Vakar seeks a mysterious object that the gods fear, which leads him to various encounters, including a tumultuous romance with Queen Porfia of Sederado and confrontations with magical adversaries like Qasigan, a priest from the Gorgon Isles.
As Vakar traverses treacherous lands and faces numerous challenges, he discovers that the object of his quest is a powerful ring made from the remnants of a fallen star, currently held by the tyrannical king of Tritonia. His adventures are marked by themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the complexities of power dynamics, especially as he navigates betrayals and alliances. Ultimately, Vakar's journey not only revolves around the quest for the ring but also his personal growth and realization of his true destiny, which culminates in a return to Sederado and the choice to embrace love over conflict. The narrative blends elements of magic, heroism, and the intricacies of royal life, appealing to readers who enjoy epic tales of adventure and romance.
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The Tritonian Ring
First published: 1953
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—high fantasy
Time of work: Antiquity
Locale: Various locations in a hyperborean world
The Plot
In L. Sprague de Camp’s The Tritonian Ring, Vakar Zhu, a young prince, grows to manhood while trying to avert the machinations of the evil gods of the west, who have precipitated a war between Lorsk and the pirate kingdom of the Gorgon Isles. Vakar, heir to the throne of Lorsk, is sent on a mysterious quest to seek “that which the gods fear most.”
Beginning his quest, Vakar searches for the first of many clues. He has no idea where to find what the gods fear most; indeed, he has no idea what it is the gods fear. As he wanders with Fual, a personal slave, his inexperience is almost palpable. Although he is supposed to be journeying incognito, his commanding presence and impatience with disrespect reveal his princely rank.
As he heads eastward, reaching the city of Sederado, Vakar wins the love of its nubile young queen, Porfia. While the two young royals carouse, Qasigan, a priest of the Gorgon Isles, magically causes a throne carved in the form of a snake to come to life. The monstrous serpent attacks the royal dinner party. By dint of quick thinking and with a sharp knife, Vakar kills the beast. The queen’s lover, Thiegos, already jealous of the northern prince, tries to assassinate Vakar but ends up choking out his life on the end of the northman’s blade.
The magical priest Qasigan pursues Vakar to a primitive island, where the prince’s bronze weapons and trade goods arouse even more jealousy. He narrowly escapes a mob of primitive herdsmen by enlisting the aid of a female satyr. Finally, he reaches the fabled city of Torrutseish. There he learns that the gods fear a ring that was forged out of the metallic residue of a fallen star. The ring is now worn by the evil king of Tritonia.
Still being pursued by Qasigan, Vakar and Fual are captured by the Tritonians, who are at war with a nearby Amazon tribe. Playing matchmaker, Vakar arranges a truce by engineering the marriage of the king and the Amazonian queen. Vakar is forced to continue his quest when he is betrayed by the king and queen, who attempt to sacrifice him to Drax, their war god.
Fleeing southward, Vakar reaches the unholy land of Belem, where the star metal was found. Vakar steals what is left of the meteorite and heads back north. Although he has the object of the quest, Vakar must still fight his way home. After more adventures, Vakar finds the blacksmith who forged the original iron ring and persuades the smith to forge an iron sword for him. Vakar takes his sword back to Lorsk but arrives too late to prevent the Gorgonian army from landing.
Although the bravest warriors in the Lorskan army have been paralyzed by the Gorgonian basilisk corps, Vakar has only to touch his soldiers with his iron sword to break the enchantment. The only thing he cannot do with his sword is get back into the Lorskan capital. Kuros, Vakar’s villainous brother, has proclaimed himself king and refuses to open the city without a siege. Realizing that his true destiny is to marry Porfia and not to bicker over a cold, northern island with a jealous brother, Vakar heads back to Sederado and the arms of the woman he loves.