Rhialto the Marvellous is a 1984 collection of three fantasy novellas by Jack Vance

Jack Vance

John Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...

 as part of his
Dying Earth series

Dying Earth series

The Dying Earth is a series of picaresque fantasy fixups by American author Jack Vance.-Works:The series consists of the following works:*The Dying Earth...

. The collection was first published by Brandywyne Books in 1984. The first two stories are original to this collection. The other story, "Morreion", first appeared in the anthology Flashing Swords! 1

Flashing Swords! 1

Flashing Swords! #1 is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in hardcover by Nelson Doubleday in April 1973 as a selection in its Science Fiction Book Club, and in paperback by Dell Books in July of the same year....

, edited by Lin Carter

Lin Carter

Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...

.

Foreword

In which the list of players and the general state of the world in the 21st Aeon are defined.

The Murthe

The Sorceress Llorio, also known as the Murthe, has journeyed through time to the 21st Aeon, and is transforming the wizards of that era into women. Rhialto and his colleague Ildefonse the Preceptor attempt to foil her plans with the aid of the mysterious time-traveller Lehuster.

Fader's Waft

A series of intrigues perpetrated by his colleague Hache-Moncour land Rhialto in the bad graces of his fellow wizards. Whilst he is away, they ransack his manse and appropriate many valuable items in supposed recompense. On his return, Rhialto accuses his colleagues of violating the 'Blue Principles', their code of conduct, and insists on examining the original document of the 'Principles', stored at Fader's Waft. Upon arrival, Rhialto and Ildefonse discover that the 'Principles' have been replaced with a forgery, and Rhialto undertakes a journey back through time to recover the original.

Morreion

Rhialto and his associates journey to the edge of the Universe to seek their erstwhile colleague Morreion, sent away in the distant past to locate the source of the valuable, magic-anulling IOUN stones.