The Obsidian Archive Seal
A hand-sized disc of polished volcanic obsidian, its face inscribed with interlocking First Archivist glyphs that no living Scholar has fully translated, surrounding a core of dark Star-Crystal that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. It is simultaneously the key to and the lock upon the pre-desert repository known as the Obsidian Archive.
Artifact Details
- Type
- Relic
- Rarity
- Unique
- Origin
- The Seal was not crafted by the Desert Scholars themselves but recovered from the deepest chamber of the Sunken Valley of Thal-Marek by the Scholar-Archivist Karim al-Fadel during the Second Great Excavation. The Scholars believe it was fashioned by the First Archivists as the original closure mechanism of their repository, and the order has since inscribed additional Sand-Weave wards upon its reverse face to reinforce its function.
Overview
The Obsidian Archive Seal is a unique relic in Landorya. Its known origin is The Seal was not crafted by the Desert Scholars themselves but recovered from the deepest chamber of the Sunken Valley of Thal-Marek by the Scholar-Archivist Karim al-Fadel during the Second Great Excavation. The Scholars believe it was fashioned by the First Archivists as the original closure mechanism of their repository, and the order has since inscribed additional Sand-Weave wards upon its reverse face to reinforce its function.. Its most cited abilities include Opens and re-seals the entrance to the Obsidian Archive when the correct sequence of glyphs is activated, Projects a condensed vision of the Archive's indexed contents to the holder, allowing consultation without full entry, and Suppresses Sand-Overload and Arcane Quota violations within the Archive's chambers, preventing mana-backlash inside its walls. Accounts also warn of a drawback: Any non-Scholar, or any Scholar who has suffered a Memory-Seal punishment, who attempts to activate the Seal is flooded with an unfiltered torrent of pre-deser…
History
The Seal has been the focal point of the centuries-long rivalry between the Desert Scholars and the Mystarans, who claim that documents sealed within the Archive belong to their own ancestral lineage and that the Scholars hold the Seal illegitimately. It has been stolen twice, once by a Mystaran envoy who smuggled it out of Sahar-Al-Mutaqaddim in a hollowed Memory Crystal, and once by a Drakonian Sand-Raider warlord who failed to activate it and eventually traded it back for prisoner releases. It is currently held under permanent guard in the Grand Observatory.
Powers & Abilities
- ✦ Opens and re-seals the entrance to the Obsidian Archive when the correct sequence of glyphs is activated
- ✦ Projects a condensed vision of the Archive's indexed contents to the holder, allowing consultation without full entry
- ✦ Suppresses Sand-Overload and Arcane Quota violations within the Archive's chambers, preventing mana-backlash inside its walls
- ✦ Alerts its bonded Keeper telepathically if any unauthorized hand attempts to touch or move it
Curse or Drawback
Any non-Scholar, or any Scholar who has suffered a Memory-Seal punishment, who attempts to activate the Seal is flooded with an unfiltered torrent of pre-desert memories from the First Archivists, an experience so overwhelming that it has driven several thieves to catatonia.