Karophus Puzzle Box

The Karophus Puzzle Box was a mysterious object recovered from the Hypha Obelisk in the Ohkorra Desert.

Discovery

The Box was discovered when the primitive Taryphos people recovered several fractured crystals from across the continent, rumored to be remnants of a comet that crashed in the sea. The crystals were used to unlock a strange lock on the tiled obsidian floor around the Hypha Obelisk. 4 crystals were arranged along the nitches in the floor, and a hatch proceeded to "slide" open. The way down was a 50 foot drop, and it was only accessible using a large rope.

Once inside, Ohkorra Taryphos warriors found a large chamber with various chests and objects strewn about it. The objects inside were strange-- Many were made of strange material or a material that was very rare on Atheryin . The general laws of physics and magic seemed to be violated within the room. Water would float and gather into perfect spheres in the air, fire would not burn, there was no earthly stone within, and it appeared there was no air... No wind could be created by moving objects or hands.

The material the chamber was made of was the same the obelisk was composed of. It was a blackish-purple colored, glassy substance, however it had what appeared to be a faint glow of distant stars in it. The box was on a pedestal surrounded by small pillars. It was one of few items brought back from the chamber, because once the box was taken, everything else dissapeared.

History and Use

Once recovered by the Taryphos, cultural leader Gunda Dyami kept it hidden from anyone else except the Five Heroes. The five were rumored to have started hearing voices after the box was recovered; the voices being both torturous and also directing them. They assumed it was the voice of Kutaru, and they moved according to what they heard from the box, some separating to the Lyrian mountains, others moving to Kalythos Isle or staying in the Ohkorra Desert.

The Box apparently led the Taryphos on the Kalythos Migration. The box must have given them thorough directions, considering the Taryphos did not even have maps and had sparingly traveled outside the desert. According to many Taryphos stories, the Blessed Three progressively became insane (Assumingly because of the Box), and that is what led them to their extremist views.

Apparently the Box continued to "speak" to the two other members of what was previously the Five Heroes. The voices led the peaceful Aelurus Monks into the Lyrian Mountains, and kept the also rather peaceful Ohkorra Natives in the desert.

Autumn War

The Box did not start the war with Lyria, however it did influence most of the main decisions in the war, and even helped in the victory. The Box has never been known to take sides based on politics, but instead by prophecy. According to the Blessed Three, the night before the assault on Juruna, Dyami was fiddling with the box and opened it. A spirit emerged by the name of Karophus, gifting them with the Emberstone Staff, the Azarax Cataphract, and the small meteor used to create the dagger Novashard. The Box gave advice about the capture of the city later on, and was/is used throughout the reign of the emperors of Nokana for battle strategy. The Box has never been opened since that day.