While his attempted escape is thwarted, it does bring the Cimmerian to the attention of someone powerful, and he soon finds himself recruited to serve as a body-double for Favian, son of Baron Durwald from Dinadar.

Conan receives a lecturer on upper-class Nemedian society, etiquette, and swordplay, though he finds civilized fencing rather weak in comparison to his broadsword.

His resentment towards Favian is cemented after he catches the lord whipping Ludya, a serving girl who Conan previously befriended, and intervenes to protect her.

He and Favian drive away their attackers, and later get involved in putting down a local "rebellion" — which proves nothing more than the villagers' attempt to avoid the tolls at a royal bridge by establishing their own ferry.

With the legitimate ruler and his heir dead, the two sides come to an agreement; they will form a new council to rule over Nemedia with Conan, impersonating Favian, as their puppet baron.

Their wariness proves wise when Lar sheds his skin and reveals himself as a reptilian monstrosity which Conan, in horror, impulsively batters to death with his warhammer.

With Lar's demise, his evil army goes to pieces; some of his followers, now revealed as animated corpses, rapidly decompose, while the natives are reawaken into sanity.