The Artistry of Age of Conan: Aquilonia

The image on this page of the temple of Mitra is a good example of the Aquilonian art style. The god Mitra is the source of most of the "good" or healing magic in Age of Conan. As a result, Mitra's temple, with its reflecting pool, wide open plaza, and statues of welcoming priests with open arms, gives an image of hospitality and friendliness. That aura is reinforced by the rounded domes and cupolas, a common feature in Aquilonia architecture. Note, however, that open-mindedness doesn't mean foolishness. For all the friendliness this structure exudes, the narrow windows with boiling-oil guides and reinforced stonework all indicate a building that is quite defensible, should the need arise


The gentle curves of Aquilonian architecture also suggest other things. Sensuality and seductiveness are inherent characteristics of civilization in Conan's world. This image is of a massage house in the noble district of Tarantia. Without going into too many details, it seems that the nobility of Conan's world has access to pleasures and entertainments that fall outside the reach of the common citizen. That led to the Art Deco-inspired decorations. Art Deco, of course, was an inspired modern update of ancient Egyptian decorations. The Hyborean equivalent is clearly inspired by its Egyptian equivalent, the soft, corrupt kingdom of Stygia. It's this "civilized weakness" that Conan pledges to eradicate when he assumes the throne of Aquilonia.


Indeed, the dark side of the Aquilonian cosmopolitan outlook can be seen in the final image. It's a concept drawing of the Cisroveus Academy of Arcane Arts. With the exception of divine powers, all magic in Hyborea can be traced to deals with demons or traffic in dark and forbidden arts. As a result, there's even a statistic in the game -- soul corruption -- that actually tracks how badly the player's soul has been damaged by exposure to magical forces. This image of the Academy also shows that influence. While it shares the same open and rounded architecture of Aquilonia, the highlights are a bit brassier, the contours a bit more severe, and the stonework a bit cruder and darker. This is clearly a place one should tread carefully, as the malign influence of magic seeps into the very stones of the building.

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