History Literature / RedNails

* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: The people of Xochutl have been isolated from the rest of the world and locked in an unending BloodFeud for so long that they don't entertain any notion of ever living differently. Every single one of them is a {{fatalist}} who expects to die gruesomely at the hands of their enemy clan without ever seeing the outside world. Rather sadly, they're all proven right.

* ThroneRoomThrowdown: The final battle takes place in Olmec's throne room.

Howard was suffering from many real world problems when he wrote ''Red Nails'', such as a messy break up with his then girlfriend and his mother's failing health putting an emotional strain on him, as well as an ongoing battle with depression and financial ruin, which may explain the more visceral nature and downer ending as compare to some of his other Conan tales.

* CycleOfRevenge: The people of Xotalanca and Tecuhltli have been at war longer than any of the combatants have been alive, and they have no idea how to stop it anymore.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: When Valeria awakens to find a serving girl attempting to drug her, she beats the girl to find out why.

* MaleMightFemaleFinesse: Conan and Valeria are about equally quick, but the narrator takes time to contrast Conan't overwhelming, savage ferocity with Valeria's skilled, dexterous fighting style.

* WarIsHell: Somewhat atypically for Howard, the war between Xotalanc and Tecuhltli is portrayed as an utterly pointless and savage HopelessWar with no glory and no heroes. Even Conan is unsettled by the bloodlust his temporary allies show and the tortures they relish inflicting on their captives.

* ClothingDamage: Both Valeria and Conan have their clothes damaged in struggles near the end of the story, so both can display their impressive chests. Though Valeria's is impressive for [[BuxomIsBetter a much different reason]] than [[HeroicBuild Conan's]].

Creator/MarvelComics adapted the story in comic book form in issues 2 and 3 of the ''Savage Tales of Conan the Barbarian'', with art by Barry Windsor-Smith. An animated-adaptation has been in DevelopmentHell for years.

* PsychoLesbian: Valeria gets vibes that Tacela is one of these. Turns out Tascela wants Valeria for even ''less'' savory purposes.

* RememberTheNewGuy: As is typical for Conan stories, Valeria is an acquaintance of Conan's who was not established or referenced to in any previous story.

!!Tropes included

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The "dragon" fought by Conan in the jungle is not at all a Smaug-esque fire breathing flying creature, but a huge dinosaur with a crocodile-like head, spikes on its back, no wings, four ridiculously short paws, and a stinger on its tail. Oh, and also an extremely venomous bite. To sum up, a big monitor lizard.
* PirateGirl: Valeria.
* PsychoLesbian: Tascela shows signs of being one of these.

* SuperPersistentPredator: The dragon.
* TechnicolorFire: Actually, it's the smoke that's green.

* VainSorceress: Tascela.
* WasOnceAMan: Tolkemec.

* LiquidAssets: Tascela does this.

* InTheBack: Conan's concern for Valeria's safety means he forgets caution in the presence of Olmec, leading Olmec to try a lethal unarmed strike at the back of Conan's head. Because Conan is Conan, he barely evades it.

* InTheBack: Conan forgets the need to protect against this.

* DesignatedGirlFight: In the final battle, Valeria is the one who kills the villainess.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The "dragon" fought by Conan in the jungle is not at all a Smaug-esque fire breathing flying creature but an huge dinosaur with a crocodile-like head, pikes on its back, no wings, four ridiculously short paws and a sting on its tail. Oh, and also an extremely venenous bite. To sum up, a big monitor lizard.

* OurDragonsAreDiferent: The "dragon" fought by Conan in the jungle is not at all a Smaug-esque fire breathing flying creature but an huge dinosaur with a crocodile-like head, pikes on its back, no wings, four ridiculously short paws and a sting on its tail. Oh, and also an extremely venenous bite. To sum up, a big monitor lizard.

Suddenly, from out of the darkness, [[OutsideContextProblem Tolkemec]] appears and proceeds to [[FrickingLaserBeams shoot]] everyone in sight with his [[BoomStick magic wand]]. Conan narrowly defeats the mad wizard, and Valeria [[KarmicDeath kills]] Tascela. The two of them embrace, and proceed to leave the now dead city.

* {{Chickification}}: Much is made of Valeria's strength and skill with a blade, yet she's easily overpowered by Olmec and then Tascela (though it's implied Tascela's magic gives her SuperStrength) just so Conan can have a DamselInDistress to rescue (so Howard can sell a story that matches the magazine cover). No wonder she kills Tascela just to get her self-respect back!

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0b74648a02804bbae4fdee1fb84fecb3.jpg]]

They find the city to be seemingly deserted, made up of a endless maze of emerald green alcoves and hallways, lighted by flaming rubies. After much exploring, they stumble upon a terrified individual, and are immediately set upon by attackers using [[ArtifactOfDoom mysterious artifacts]]. After saving the man, he introduces himself as Techotl, and hurriedly brings them to his people, as [[NothingIsScarier there are things which hide in the dark hallways]].

The leaders of his people, Olmec and Tascela, tell them the tale of their people; how their people separated into three factions centuries ago and have been waging war ever since, how barely more than fifty of them still live, and how one of the factions was killed off, its leader Tolkemec gone mad to live in the catacombs beneath the city. Behind their throne sits a black pillar covered in red nails, each representing a slain enemy. They offer to help Conan and Valeria escape if they help them slay the last remaining members of their enemies, which they begrudgingly agree to.

After repelling a surprise attack from their enemies, Olmec declares the war over, their enemies all dead. He commands Conan and several of his men to go check the enemy base for survivors. Whilst there, Conan is betrayed by Techotl, who says he was told to kill Conan so Olmec could have Valeria as his [[SexSlave slave]]. Olmec tries to take Valeria, but as she repels him, Tascela arrives and takes her for her own, leaving Olmec to die on a torture rack. Conan arrives just in time as Valeria is about to be sacrificed to [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Tascela's hunger]].

* DinosaursAreDragons: The Marvel Comics adaptation reinterprets the dragon as a Stegosaurus. Howard's original description definitely does not invoke the imagery of a stegosaurus. The [[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32759/32759-h/32759-h.htm original Weird Tales art]] depicts a proper monstrous beast.
-->Through the thicket was thrust a head of nightmare and lunacy. Grinning jaws bared rows of dripping yellow tusks; above the yawning mouth wrinkled a saurian-like snout. Huge eyes, like those of a python a thousand times magnified, stared unwinkingly at the petrified humans clinging to the rock above it. Blood smeared the scaly, flabby lips and dripped from the huge mouth.
-->The head, bigger than that of a crocodile, was further extended on a long scaled neck on which stood up rows of serrated spikes, and after it, crushing down the briars and saplings, waddled the body of a titan, a gigantic, barrel-bellied torso on absurdly short legs. The whitish belly almost raked the ground, while the serrated backbone rose higher than Conan could have reached on tiptoe. A long spiked tail, like that of a gargantuan scorpion, trailed out behind.
** In fairness the second half of that description does resemble a Stegosaurus.

* AmazonChaser: Literally; Conan has been tracking Valeria for sometime after she slew a man who insulted her and had to depart rather hastily. As his current employers or the available women aren't much to his taste, Conan decides to chase after her.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Valeria is presented as being an acquaintance of Conan's from previous adventures, but these adventures are not mentioned or shown in any previous stories.