Heart of the Elephant

The Heart of the Elephant (or Elephant's Heart) was a priceless magical jewel owned by the sorcerer Yara and safeguarded in the Tower of the Elephant. The heart took the form of a large crystal sphere of clear crimson, and was an object of desire by all the thieves of The Maul. Few had the courage or cleverness to steal it until Conan and the master thief Taurus made the attempt together.

The heart was said to be the secret of Yara's magic and his long life. According to one tale, he used the great jewel to transform a hostile prince into a black spider and crushed him beneath his heel. However, the heart was also the object of Yara's demise.

When Conan broke into the tower he encountered Yag-kosha, an elephant-headed transcosmic being that Yara kept as a tortured prisoner. This being told his sad tale to Conan and asked him to help him take vengeance on the sorcerer. Following his instructions, Conan put Yag-kosha out of his misery and used his heart's blood to empower the magical jewel, then presented it to Yara. Yara became trapped inside the jewel where he was destroyed by the renewed spirit of Yag-kosha.