Born in 1906, Robert Ervin Howard ranks among the foremost writers of action and adventure despite a career that lasted only 12 years, ending in a macabre manner with his suicide at the age of 30. It seems he found his calling early in life; he purportedly told a famed contemporary, H.P. Lovecraft, that he wrote his very first tale when he was only nine or 10 years old. He began submitting pieces for publication when he was 15, and made his initial sale at 18, Spear and Fang, a short story about a Cro-Magnon who rescues his mate from a Neanderthal. Howard's list of credits ultimately exceeded 100. Cumulatively, they showcased his ability to create memorable characters such as Kull of Atlantis, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, Sailor Steve Costigan and the best known of all, Conan the Cimmerian.

Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures is Funcom's contribution to a revival of the property that includes both a movie and an animated film along with new novels, a comic series, collectible toys and more. Described as an online action RPG, its aim is to bring together a story-driven single-player experience and a massively multiplayer end game, both capturing the classic swords and sorcery feeling as well as the lush, dark, brutally violent and not always politically correct nature of the franchise. The titular hero's grip on the Aquilonian throne has become tenuous, with ancient evils threatening to throw the realm into chaos. The time is ripe for those with the strength and will to carve out their own destinies. As for our fate, we were favored by fortune in finding Game Director Gaute Godager willing to answer our questions.