Pentalith

The Varlem Desert is more often than not blanketed in perpetual storms of shifting, anomalous sand that form vortices and shapes in the air, obscuring far sightlines and making it difficult to navigate the treacherous dunes.

However, there is at least one fixed point within the chaos of the desert and that is the Pentalith, a colossal stone hand that protrudes from the sands.

Physical attributes

The Pentalith is a massive sandstone formation in the shape of a human hand. The highest point, the tip of the middle finger, lies at the height of approximately 330 feet, or roughly 100 meters.

The fingers, excluding the thumb, end in an unknown reflective material that is speculated to be crystalline in nature. This material apparently degrades over time as a dusting of it is blown away by the harsh desert winds at a constant rate. However, as this does not seem to reduce the overall volume of the material, researchers have concluded that the material must be regenerative to some capacity.

All of the above is speculation as physical, on-location examination of the Pentalith is next to impossible due to the anomalous nature of the Varlem Desert, and possible interference from the Varlem.

Observations on the Pentalith have mostly been conducted via the observatories of the Enlightened Few.

Anchor Point

What makes the Pentalith an anomaly in a place as anomalous as the Varlem Desert is its constancy. While most forms the sands and stone of the desert assume fall back into the dunes in a matter of seconds, minutes or at most hours, the Pentalith seems to be a permanent fixture that does not move nor collapse.

This, combined with the reflective material of the fingers, makes the Pentalith a veritable beacon in the scorching midday sun and one of the only landmarks by which one could theoretically find their bearings in the desert. Theoretically, because a single point of reference is not enough for triangulation.

The Varlemites consider the Pentalith to be a physical manifestation of their god, a beckoning hand to aid the pilgrims towards the center of the desert where they will be embraced by the deity. There may be an inkling of truth to this statement, as the Pentalith is located near to the roiling center. Whether this is a coincidence or actual providence is not something the geological community of Nascindor is interested in debating.

Crystal Towers

Some of those who have observed the Pentalith from afar through one of the telescopes of the Enlightened Few have put forth that the material of the fingertips could simply be glass or an otherwise transparent and reflective mineral, and that the clustered rectangular shapes it takes is not a natural formation but a sign of intelligent construction.

What these researchers are suggesting is that the crystalline coating of the fingers is actually a continuous wall of, essentially, windows. The direct implication of this theory is that the fingers are habitats. The debate as to for what or who such dwellings could be has spawned an academic discussion entirely of its own.

If you get lost, look for the gleam of the fingers.

–A Varlemite elder to an individual about to journey into the desert for their Returning

Founding Date

Unknown/Natural formation?

Alternative Names

Keeper of the Path, Palm of the Shepherd

Type

World wonder

Parent Location

Varlem Desert

by Midjourney

_{The Pentalith in all its bizarre glory}