Amber has long been prized for its warmth, supposed magical properties, and ability to preserve life forms. Once believed to be trapped or petrified sunlight, it is closely associated with the power of the sun, and may be used in a wide variety of spells and rituals. Knightmare's witches needed amber for the Winter Solstice, a time of renewal when the days begin to grow longer and the sun's rebirth is celebrated.

Lord Fear used the Grey Sisters' desire for amber as a bargaining tool, offering them access to the Amber Forest if they agreed to an alliance (which the coven ultimately rejected). The scarcity of it made witch amber a useful clue object, allowing several dungeoneers to buy favours from Heggatty or Greystagg:
- Sylvester Hands gave Team 1 of Series 6 an amber necklace in exchange for a red gem. They left it on the ground for Heggatty when she helped Matt to fly through a high door - though eagle-eyed watchers have noticed that the necklace floated away with him!
- Team 2 of Series 6 were advised by a scroll that "luck favours the amber gambler", but chose a firestone instead of the amber necklace. That was of no interest to Heggatty, who didn't give them the password needed to get past the Dreadnort.

- Julius Scaramonger offered witch amber to Team 4 of Series 6, to "get you past the Grey Ladies". When they dithered over what to purchase, he sold them a dubious spell scroll instead.

- While disguised as a witch, dungeoneer Chris (Team 7 of Series 6) accepted an amber necklace as payment for charming Sly Hands' warts away. They passed it on to Greystagg, who told them how to cross the Causeway.

- Barry Thorne (Team 7 of Series 7) collected some witch amber from the Firebomb Room, gifting it to Greystagg in return for a REVEAL spell.

"Witch amber" normally refers to jet (a variety of coal), so the beads should really have been black, not yellow. Presumably they used amber-coloured stones to avoid any confusion - though it still didn't help Sumayya's team!

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