Dark Gods (Khitai) (Earth-616)

The Dark Gods, including Kuro, Prince of Darkness, were entities worshiped in Khitai during the Hyborian Age, and offered deals to mortals. They were seemingly either demons or evil deities. Their realm was located in a misty swamp in Khitai, while Kuro could be met in the outlands of Khitai, at to the Temple of Kuro.

The Dark Gods were served by Akema, a "lackey" and messenger of the Dark Gods, who came to mortals to offer them deals, and to stalk them and collect debts and penance.

In his youth, Sennan, an unrivaled swordsman, was shaken when he finally fought to a stalemate with a warrior from Zembabwei. Sennan became obsessed with the though there were maybe others who could match his skills. One night, Akema came to Sennan with an offer to become the best. Sennan accepted subsequently traveled to the Temple of Kuro to barter his soul. There, he met Kuro who made of him an unstoppable swordsman. He defeated the Zembabweian warrior, and his fame kept growing along the years, yet no challenge arose. Sessan cursed the Dark Gods and the gift but Kuro refused to let him free, and thus Sessan lived in a limbo, neither dead nor alive, eternally tormented by Akema.

For reasons unrevealed, Akema was sent to stalk Conan who hunted the Great Red Beard in Khitai. He met and mocked Sennan who had just found traces of a fight informing him that the Cimmerian (that he had trained in the past) was close. When Akema finally reached Conan, the barbarian was protected by Sennan who deflected Akema's blast back at him, forcing him into retreat.

After Conan disfigured him while saving the Princess Snow Raven which he was about to rape, Lord Zembu summoned Akema, to solicit the services of the Dark Gods for help. Akema subsequently brought Zembu to the swamp to enter the realm of the Dark Gods, turning him into a horrible creature. Zembu soon tracked down Conan and the Princess, but Conan managed to hurl him down a cliff. Sennan later asked Conan to kill him, as being slain by a beloved other would grant him freedom and peace from the demons that tormented him. As Conan was about to strike, Sennan disappeared in a blinding flash, seemingly at peace.^[1]

• The Mantis was the sign of the Dark Gods, and could be used to seal pacts forever.^[1]
• The connection (past their names and evil nature), if any, between the Dark Gods of Khitai and other "dark gods", such as the Old Ones, the N'Garai, or the dark gods mentioned by the people of Yamatai (in Savage Sword of Conan #195) remains unrevealed.