The Stygian cube
The Stygian cube was created in the year 2931 by the mute dwarven smith Draden, who was chief among the craftsmen in the early days of the colonisation of the Kazrak kingdom. It was he who created the finest and rarest trinkets and treasures for nobility, as well as the sturdiest armour and most magical artefacts for those pioneering dwarves who were delving deep into the dark mountain. Found as a young child, Draden could not or would not speak to anyone, and was almost ostracised from his community as a useless dumb. Fortunately, his adoptive parents were patient and kind, so when his father took him as an apprentice in the smithies beneath the Red mountain his true talent was revealed, and he quickly became renowned for the skill of his work
As he grew older, so too did the rumours surrounding him grow. Some say he had sold his speech to a devil for his skill with tools, others said that he had witnessed some horrific act that had stunned him into silence and inspired his work. Whatever the reason, Draden would not say.
Shortly before his death, Draden produced a curious puzzle box. He had produced many such boxes in the past which were prized by connoisseurs for their ingenuity and complexity. This one, however, different. Where the other boxes were mad of brass or silver, this one was constructed of a strange black metal, a black so dark and so deep that no light escaped it. It was only by feeling the cube that one could discern that there were patterns and raised edges on the sides of the cube. buttons and slides could be seen on the side of the cube, but the face directly in front of the observer appeared dark and featureless. Further investigation would show that the cube could be manipulated like any other puzzle box, but the steps needed to progress required far more skill than any puzzle before it.
Draden left this box in his workshop, and silently compelled visitors and patrons to pick it up and try it. All offers to buy the cube were politely but firmly denied, and upon his death shortly after its creation, the box was donated to a local orphanage with a hefty donation, on the strict instructions that the cube was only for children and adoptive parents to play with and never to be sold.
The content of this box has been the subject of much debate, speculation and rumour mongering, ranging from a precious gemstone, to the soul of Draden himself. The most widely accepted theory states that the cube contains the secret methods of Dradens forge, whose output has never yet been matched. A darker theory warns that the cube contains the terrible secret that turned Draden into a mute, and any who hear it will be subject to madness.
Unfortunately the truth may never be known, as the cube is now missing. The orphanage suffered a mysterious cave in some 20 years after receiving the cube, killing many of the buildings occupants. When the rubble was cleared the cube was nowhere to be found, and has been presumed stolen. Investigation has drawn only blanks, and none have come forward with witness or evidence. To this day it is unknown if the perpetrator has solved the cube, and though there are still no smithies to match Draden's, the dark rooms of the asylums are always full.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
The inner workings of the cube are still unknown, though it is likely that Draden used a mixture of mechanical and arcane means to construct the device. Those who have tried it seem to feel or hear the clicking of gears within, and others claim to hear running sand if the cube is manipulated correctly.
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