2,514 words (10–12 minutes)
Genre(s): Gothic horror, dark fantasy
First Publication: Weird Tales, June 1929

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Solomon Kane, a grim and wandering Puritan adventurer, and his chance companion, Gaston l’Armon, seek shelter at the foreboding Cleft Skull Tavern, deep in the Black Forest. But their host, a sinister and secretive man, harbors a chilling secret. As night falls, treachery, murder, and supernatural vengeance unfold within the ancient walls. When past sins refuse to stay buried, Kane finds himself in the grip of an eerie and terrifying horror.