History
Early days[]
The Crystal of the Elder Ones was a mystical artifact that could open a teleportation portal for its wielder.
In the dawn of civilization, when Men had just wrestled Earth from the last of the Elder Ones, Hanuman the Supreme, the Sorcerer Supreme of the House of Xal, acquired the Crystal.
The Crystal was placed in Hanuman's sarcophagus, in a temple in the Valley of Howls, within the Shamar Mountains of Ophir, which became brooding chambers to demons for their larvae.[1]
Hyborian Age[]
During the Hyborian Age, circa 10,000 BC, Thanamar Zalix, the wizard of Carnolla in the Shamar Mountains, coveted the crystal, intending to use it to dramatically ascend among the community of sorcerers and become the most fearsome of all.
He sent the graverobbers Batu and Pazun to retrieve it from Hanuman's sarcophagus, but those came only with his ring, the legendary Talisman of Hanuman. Intending to return with them to the Valley of Shadows and find the Crystal despite the graverobbers' protest, he forced Batu into his service after making an example of Pazun, then tricked Conan into joining his expedition by harassing him with visions of Shameel, a girl that had stayed in the Valley. Thanamar stated that an artifact could be used to magically transport themselves out of the valley, omitting only the wielder of the Crystal would be transported away.
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Thanamar Zalix opening the mystical portal
As the party found the Shameel then the Crystal, they were besieged by demons. Thanamar revealed the Crystal's limitation, as he was going to escape, but was slain by Batu, in turn killed by Shameel. She then asked Conan to slay her out of mercy as she was going to become the demons' next brood queen.
After taking the portal and being transported back to Thanamar'shouse, Conan pondered about giving the Crystal to another wizard, before shattering it.[1]Properties
By forming a diagram around the Crystal, and uttering the incantation "Oranah Ngthrala! Portpha Monannoo!", the Crystal could open a teleportation portal (also mentioned as the "mystic portal of Hanuman" that could transport the one individual holding the Crystal.[1]
Notes
- The Elder Ones involved were presumably Great Old Ones (see notes on the Elder Ones' page).