RAVEN'S GAMBIT | Episode 74: The Wish and the Throne
The air was heavy as the heroes left the desecrated chamber of the mummy lord, the smell of dust and old decay still clinging to their cloaks. Elowyn gave one last glance to the broken urns and scattered wrappings behind them, Wave still in hand.
They reentered the Chamber of Pillars, careful not to brush against the cursed columns that loomed silently. Near the northern wall, close to the western corner and high on the ceiling, another devil face leered down at them — stone teeth bared in a mockery of laughter.
"Another one," Sir Cedric muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Same as the one that engulfed Theron. These must be markers. Warnings, maybe."
“Or invitations,” Thalia offered grimly, her short sword tapping lightly against her thigh. “Either way, I don’t trust them.”
They passed beneath the devil face and deeper into the hall. What waited ahead was… scorched ruin.
The temperature rose with every step. Charred bones, melted metal, shattered helms, and warped blades lay strewn around the remains of past adventurers. A glowing orange gem, as large as a man’s fist, hovered silently above the ash-stained floor.
Its light was warm—too warm. Not radiant, not holy. Hungry.
Sir Cedric held his blade aloft, eyes narrowed in concentration. “There is evil here. Pure, unrepentant evil.”
“More than that,” Elric added, clutching the hilt of his staff as arcane sigils lit around his eyes. “The magic is... all-consuming. Like something that was never meant to be made.”
“What is it?” Lira asked, pulling her cloak tighter around her.
“It’s a gem of cursed wishing,” Elric said softly. “It grants a wish, but it twists it. Like a joke made by a devil. You don’t get what you ask for. You get what damns you.”
“Why would anyone leave it here?” Tessa whispered. “Unless—”
“Unless it’s a trap,” Thog rumbled. “For idiots.”
They stood in silence a long moment. The gem pulsed softly, as though it had heard them and waited.
Sir Cedric turned to Elric. “We should destroy it.”
“We can’t,” Elric said quickly. “At least not here. Not yet. If I can study it, I might be able to unmake it. Or at least neutralize it.”
“And if it corrupts you?” Thalia asked.
“It won’t,” he replied, voice cold with certainty. “I’ll keep it sealed until we’re done.”
With deliberate care, Elric pulled a small runed pouch from his belt and used mage hand to float the gem inside. The pouch sizzled faintly as the gem disappeared within.
“It’s safe. For now,” he said, tying it tight.
They pressed on, still within the Chamber of Pillars. Beyond a long aisle stood a black dais, solemn and looming, upon which rested a throne of obsidian, inlaid with silver and tiny ivory skulls that leered outward like a court of the damned.
Upon the throne lay a golden crown, simple yet regal, and a scepter—split with one silver end and one gold.
Lira frowned, eyes sweeping across the dark seat. “This seems far too deliberate.”
“It’s a test,” Sir Cedric said. “Or a lure.”
Tessa stepped forward and began examining the throne with a rogue’s eye. “There’s something…” she paused, kneeling. “Here. See that? A tiny replica of the crown inlaid in silver. Clever.”
Elowyn nodded, watching with silent admiration.
Tessa continued her search. Her fingers pressed against a tiny notch, then swept beneath the throne’s front panel. A faint click sounded.
“There’s a secret compartment, maybe a passage. But it’s sealed tight. Locked by something more than steel.”
She eyed the scepter, hesitating.
“Try the silver end,” Elric advised.
Tessa nodded, reaching out and gently touching the silver end of the scepter to the inlaid crown design. A soft hum vibrated beneath their feet, and slowly, silently, the entire throne began to sink into the ground, revealing a five-foot-wide stone passage, descending into blackness.
“Well then,” Thalia said, drawing her bow again. “Looks like we’re going south.”
Cedric gave a short nod, eyes serious. “Stay sharp. The deeper we go, the darker the shadow.”
And with that, the heroes of Raven’s Gambit descended once more — into the next layer of Keraptis’ maze of death.