Bazaar of the Bizarre
Encyclopedia
Bazaar of the Bizarre is a sword and sorcery
novelette
by Fritz Leiber
, and part of the canon of stories chronicling his adventurous duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
.
First published in 1963 in Fantastic Stories of Imagination, it has been reprinted several times. It also appears in the anthology
The Spell of Seven
, edited by L. Sprague de Camp
.
, Gray Mouser and Fafhrd are summoned by their patron wizards, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face
, unusually working together, to carry out a mission. They are required to enter the Plaza of Dark Delights to obliterate a bazaar
that has been established there by the Devourers, alien merchants that magically mesmerise customers into buying high priced merchandise that is actually worthless trash. But Mouser arrives before the others and is enticed into the bazaar. Fafhrd, aided only by the Blindfold of True Seeing and the Cloak of Invisibility, lent him by the wizards, must perform the mission alone.
This he does, battling not only the entranced Mouser, but enchanted skeletons and living statues, against which his weapons are all but useless. But he manages to escape and rescue Mouser, still mesmerized into thinking that the trash he sees is really valuable, including books of secret magics.
, "Bazaar of the Bizarre" was the name of a recurring column detailing various magic items
for use in the Dungeons and Dragons game.
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
by Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
, and part of the canon of stories chronicling his adventurous duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two seminal sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by Fritz Leiber . They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber's best-known stories....
.
First published in 1963 in Fantastic Stories of Imagination, it has been reprinted several times. It also appears in the anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
The Spell of Seven
The Spell of Seven
The Spell of Seven is a 1965 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by Virgil Finlay. It was first published in paperback by Pyramid Books...
, edited by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
.
Plot
One night in LankhmarLankhmar
Lankhmar is a fictional city in the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber. It is situated on the world of Nehwon, just west of the Great Salt Marsh and east of the River Hlal, and serves as the home of Leiber's two anti-heroes....
, Gray Mouser and Fafhrd are summoned by their patron wizards, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
Ningauble of the Seven Eyes is one of two wizards in Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The patron warlock of Fafhrd the northerner, Ningauble is so named due to his roving seven glowing eyes...
and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face
Sheelba of the Eyeless Face
Sheelba of the Eyeless Face is one of two wizards in Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The patron warlock of the Gray Mouser, Sheelba is so named due to his perfectly dark hooded face. Along with Fafhrd's patron warlock, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes, Sheelba often sends...
, unusually working together, to carry out a mission. They are required to enter the Plaza of Dark Delights to obliterate a bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
that has been established there by the Devourers, alien merchants that magically mesmerise customers into buying high priced merchandise that is actually worthless trash. But Mouser arrives before the others and is enticed into the bazaar. Fafhrd, aided only by the Blindfold of True Seeing and the Cloak of Invisibility, lent him by the wizards, must perform the mission alone.
This he does, battling not only the entranced Mouser, but enchanted skeletons and living statues, against which his weapons are all but useless. But he manages to escape and rescue Mouser, still mesmerized into thinking that the trash he sees is really valuable, including books of secret magics.
Other appearances
In Dragon MagazineDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
, "Bazaar of the Bizarre" was the name of a recurring column detailing various magic items
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
for use in the Dungeons and Dragons game.