History Literature / FafhrdAndTheGrayMouser

One of the most seminal pieces of SwordAndSorcery was Creator/FritzLeiber's ''Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' series of short stories and novellas. Set in the world of Nehwon (except for one story set on Earth), often in the city of Lankhmar, it starred '''Fafhrd''', a seven-foot tall {{barbarian|Hero}} from the North, and '''the Mouser''', a trickster [[LoveableRogue thief]] and former wizard's apprentice, who find and befriend each other one day. A {{deconstruction}} of the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories that Leiber had grown tired of, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser showed two heroes closer to actual human beings. To quote Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}: "They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about to whom they hire their swords. But they are humane and -- most of all -- relish true adventure." A massive source for inspiration for much of modern roleplaying, specifically D&D, either directly or indirectly, and pretty much any ''swashbuckling'' -- as opposed to ThudAndBlunder -- fantasy story written after about 1970 or so probably owes a debt to these stories. The fact that the most important city in most of the Literature/{{Discworld}} stories is called '''Ankh-Mor'''pork is absolutely no coincidence, too; {{exp|y}}ies of Fafhrd and the Mouser show up in the first chapter of the first book, after all.

* OurGhoulsAreCreepier: Ghouls are a humanoid race that have transparent skin, muscles, and organs, giving them the appearance of animated skeletons ... oh, and they just so happen to be cannibals too. Though the only one who gets a speaking role turns out to be kind of cool.

* StuffedintotheFridge: [[spoiler: Vella and Ivrian]]

* ICallItVera: Fafhrd has a broadsword named Graywand and a poinard named Heartseeker. The Mouser has a rapier named Scalpel and a dirk named Cat's Claw. Leiber plays with this one, though, by having the pair lose their weapons ''all the time''. They just use those names for whatever blades they happen to be carrying at the moment.

One of the most seminal pieces of SwordAndSorcery was Creator/FritzLeiber's ''Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' series of short stories and novellas. Set in the world of Nehwon (except for one story set on Earth), often in the city of Lankhmar, it starred '''Fafhrd''', a seven-foot tall {{barbarian|Hero}} from the North, and '''the Mouser''', a trickster [[LoveableRogue thief]] and former wizard's apprentice, who find and befriend each other one day. A {{deconstruction}} of the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories that Leiber had grown tired of, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser showed two heroes closer to actual human beings. To quote Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}: "They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about to whom they hire their swords. But they are humane and - most of all - relish true adventure." A massive source for inspiration for much of modern roleplaying, specifically D&D, either directly or indirectly, and pretty much any ''swashbuckling'' -- as opposed to ThudAndBlunder -- fantasy story written after about 1970 or so probably owes a debt to these stories. The fact that the most important city in most of the Literature/{{Discworld}} stories is called '''Ankh-Mor'''pork is absolutely no coincidence, too; {{exp|y}}ies of Fafhrd and the Mouser show up in the first chapter of the first book, after all.

* GeniusLoci: One stoy has our heroes doing battle with a murderous building.

One of the most seminal pieces of SwordAndSorcery was Creator/FritzLeiber's ''Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' series of short stories and novellas. Set in the world of Nehwon (except for one story set on Earth), often in the city of Lankhmar, it starred '''Fafhrd''', a seven-foot tall {{barbarian|Hero}} from the North, and '''the Mouser''', a trickster [[LoveableRogue thief]] and former wizard's apprentice, who find and befriend each other one day. A {{deconstruction}} of the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories that Leiber had grown tired of, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser showed two heroes closer to actual human beings. To quote Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}: "They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about to whom they hire their swords. But they are humane and - most of all - relish true adventure." A massive source for inspiration for much of modern roleplaying, specifically D&D, either directly or indirectly, and pretty much any ''swashbuckling'' -- as opposed to ThudAndBlunder -- fantasy story written after about 1970 or so probably owes a debt to these stories. The fact that the most important city in most of the Literature/{{Discworld}} stories is called '''Ankh'''-Morpork is absolutely no coincidence, too; {{exp|y}}ies of Fafhrd and the Mouser show up in the first chapter of the first book, after all.

One of the most seminal pieces of SwordAndSorcery was Creator/FritzLeiber's ''Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' series of short stories and novellas. Set in the world of Nehwon (except for one story set on Earth), often in the city of Lankhmar, it starred '''Fafhrd''', a seven-foot tall {{barbarian|Hero}} from the North, and '''the Mouser''', a trickster [[LoveableRogue thief]] and former wizard's apprentice, who find and befriend each other one day. A {{deconstruction}} of the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories that Leiber had grown tired of, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser showed two heroes closer to actual human beings. To quote Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}: "They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about to whom they hire their swords. But they are humane and - most of all - relish true adventure." A massive source for inspiration for much of modern roleplaying, specifically D&D, either directly or indirectly, and pretty much any ''swashbuckling'' - as opposed to ThudAndBlunder - fantasy story written after about 1970 or so probably owes a debt to these stories.

* OurGhoulsAreCreepier: Ghouls are a humanoid race that have transparent skin, muscles, and organs, giving them the appearance of animated skeletons . . . oh, and they just so happen to be cannibals too.

* InterspeciesRomance: Fafhrd hooked up with a ghoul (see below) and had a brief fling with a Djinn; Mouser with a girl who was descended from rats (in ''Swords of Lankhmar''). Both during the events of "When the Sea-King's Away" short story (with a pair of Sea Witches with gills and membranes between their fingers)

* InterspeciesRomance: Fafhrd hooked up with a ghoul (see below) and had a brief fling with a Djinn; Mouser with a girl who was descended from rats (in ''Swords of Lankhmar''). Both during the events of "When the Sea-King's Away" short story(with a pair of Sea Witches with gills and membranes between their fingers)

* InterspeciesRomance: Fafhrd hooked up with a ghoul (see below) and had a brief fling with a Djinn; Mouser with a girl who was descended from rats (in ''Swords of Lankhmar'').

** In the introductions to the Ace paperback edition, Leiber also listed a number of swordsmen that Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser [[TakeThat were better than]]. Said list included [[Literature/TheThreeMusketeers d'Artagnan]], JohnCarterOfMars, [[Literature/TheWormOuroboros Lord Brandoch Daha]], Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian, and [[Literature/GloryRoad Scar Gordon]].

* Troll: The Mouser often makes comments deliberately designed to provoke, annoy, harass, or agitate simply for the fun of it. Fafhrd and Ningauble are often targets.

One of the most seminal pieces of SwordAndSorcery was Creator/FritzLeiber's ''Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' series of short stories and novellas. Set in the world of Nehwon (except for one story set on Earth), often in the city of Lankhmar, it starred '''Fafhrd''', a seven-foot tall [[BarbarianHero barbarian]] from the North, and '''the Mouser''', a trickster [[LoveableRogue thief]] and former wizard's apprentice, who find and befriend each other one day. A {{deconstruction}} of the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories that Leiber had grown tired of, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser showed two heroes closer to actual human beings. To quote TheOtherWiki: "They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about to whom they hire their swords. But they are humane and - most of all - relish true adventure." A massive source for inspiration for much of modern roleplaying, specifically D&D, either directly or indirectly, and pretty much any ''swashbuckling'' - as opposed to ThudAndBlunder - fantasy story written after about 1970 or so probably owes a debt to these stories.

* BrokeEpisode. All the time. The two never manage to hold on to any of the riches they come across in their adventures.

* DarkMagicalGirl: Almost as common as evil sorcerers. In some cases, [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter they're related.]]

** The Cat's Claw gets referenced by a number of early [[Creator/SquareEnix Square RPGs]] ([[Videogame/FinalFantasyI Final Fantasy]], [[VideoGame/SaGa SaGa]]), appearing as a store-bought dagger/sword that's usually one of the better daggers in the games. Later games seemed to have forgotten the original reference and made the Cat Claw/Cat Claws into an actual paw-shaped glove weapon with claws.

* JumpedAtTheCall: The both do this a lot. See DistressedDamsel and {{Plunder}}.

* ShapeshifterBaggage: In ''The Swords of Lankhmar'', a shrinking potion does, in fact, displace mass, as the now rat-sized Mouser has to swim his way out of a good-sized puddle of meat, cloth fibers, and metal fragments (flesh, clothes, armor, and weapons). Later, he grows back to his full size away from that puddle, and the mass is taken from nearby objects (and people!), stripping some enemy {{Mook}}s of armor and weapons-- and giving a nearby FatGirl a magical liposuction. Great news for her, {{Squick}} for the Mouser?

* ThievesGuild: Possibly the TropeMaker

* BarbarianHero: Fafhrd. Subverted/Deconstructed/Unbuilt in that he's based on actual historical barbarians - he wears armor, seldom ever uses two-handed weapons, is a skilled horse archer, is a well-trained seafarer, and generally tries to avoid fighting more than one enemy at a time.

* WeirdTradeUnion: The Slayer's Brotherhood and Thieves' Guild in Lankhmar, though they've become [[ThievesGuild such common tropes themselves]] that it's likely many modern readers wouldn't realize that Leiber meant them as a joke.

* EyelessFace: Sheelba of the Eyeless Face.

* FogOfDoom: "The Cloud of Hate"

** In ''Swords in the Mist'', the antagonist's father is a [[stone god]].

* HeroicRROD: In one of the stories the villain fights the lightning-quick Mouser to a standstill -- for a while. When defeated the tremendous overstrain caused the villain's corpse to go into immediate rigor mortis. [[spoiler:Or at least, the heroes ''think'' it's rigor mortis... Th truth is much more bizarre.]]

* HeroicRROD: In one of the stories the villain fights the lightning-quick Mouser to a standstill -- for a while. When defeated the tremendous overstrain caused the villain's corpse to go into immediate rigor mortis.