Mysterium Mechanism

Awldor    Miscellaneous      Mysterium Mechanism

Our guild has had this artifact since our beginnings, and we are no closer to deciphering what it does.

— Archivist Taenya Naïlo

One of the strangest artifacts to be stored in the Eustacia Archive, and it has been a subject of study since the founding of The Archivists Guild. It is in fact the first artifact stored in the archives of the Guild. The device was found in the Mysterium Ruins which is a place where many ancient mysteries remain unsolved despite years of research.

Gears and Levers

An incomprehensible mass of gears and levers. This Ancient Order device appears to track the passage of time, but it has no minute or hour hand like other clockwork constructions. In fact, it doesn't seem to display anything at all on its nondescript obsidian container. The only perceptible outcome of the device's inner workings is a low hum that seems to slightly change its pitch according to the hour of the day and the movements of the moon.

Connective Aura

Assessments of any magical effect of the device has been equally puzzling. There exists a latent magical aura from the device that has no apparent effect. Like the device's almost imperceptibly audible hum, this aura appears to change over time. However, it is not linked to the movements of the moon, but the sun through the sky. Rather than strengthening at noon as one would expect it is strongest at night. Perhaps there is is a link to something among the stars? If so, then why establish such a connection?

Item type

Mechanical

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On Determining the Purpose of Devices

One wrinkle in determining the qualities of a magically imbued item is that enchantment could have occurred during the collapse in a process known as Collapse Enchantment. This means that the original intent of an item could be impossible to determine because either the nature of its enchantment was changed or was never intended in the first place.

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Note(s) from the Archivists:

Is there a reason we haven't taken this thing apart yet? - Archivist Bob
Because we don't know if we can put it back together. Who knows what might be lost if that happens? - Archivist Savitri
A box of gears? - Archivist Bob