The Pillars of Melkarth

"The Pillars of Melkarth" is a short story by Richard L. Tierney featuring his sword-and-sorcery hero Simon of Gitta, the last short story Tierney published featuring the character, and the last adventure he wrote in in-universe chronology. It pits the character against worshippers of August Derleth's fire deity Cthugha. The story first appeared in Space & Time #78, published in 1990.
==Synopsis==
A sinister cult in Tyre that kidnaps children turns out to be part of the High Priest Matan's plot to summon Ku-thuga, a malevolent fire deity, through the Pillars of Melkarth. The cult's army, bolstered by fiery supernatural entities, proves to be a formidable challenge for Simon and his allies, who need to summon an opposing god to stand a chance of averting the impending destruction of the Earth.
==Setting==
The story is set in the spring of 50 A. D.Sorcery Against Caesar, "About 'The Pillars of Melkarth,'" by Robert M. Price (Pickman's Press, 2020). in the city of Tyre, then a free city in the Roman province of Syria, now in the modern country of Lebanon.Wikipedia, "History of Tyre, Lebanon."
==Publication History==
After its initial appearance in Space & Time, "The Pillars of Melkarth" was reprinted in the Simon of Gitta collections The Scroll of Thoth (Chaosium, 1997) and Sorcery Against Caesar (Pickman's Press, 2020).
==References==
Category:Expanded Mythos Works
Category:Richard L. Tierney works