The Seeing Stone of Delphi, on occasion referred to as the Delphic Orb, is one of the Six Sacred Stones, used to be able to view the Dark Sun in spite of its lack of visibility.
History[]
Early History[]
Though unconfirmed, the Seeing Stone, like its fellow Sacred Stones, was most likely made by the super-ancient beings rather than humans, since they included it in their second trial.
At a currently unknown point in Earth's history, the Super-Ancient Beings discovered the Dark Sun and set about constructing a machine that would repel it before it came too close to the planet. Among the tools they created was the Seeing Stone, which was to be used in conjunction with the Firestone to view the Dark Sun via a tubeless telescope mechanism that pierced the spectrum of light that it existed on. Though they were able to prevent the Dark Star from approaching in their time, the Super-Ancient Beings realised that even after they were gone from the Earth, there may yet be intelligent life, and so left the Seeing Stone so that human kind could use it to aid them.
Eventually, the Seeing Stone and the rest of the Machine components came to be kept in Egypt under the Pharaoh Khufu's keep. However, the priest Thuthmosis stole the Pillars and the Sacred Stones, unwittingly putting the Earth at greater risk of being destroyed by the Dark Sun as they were scattered around the world. At some stage in the next several years the Seeing Stone ended up back at the shrine it was intended to be used at to view the Dark Star, in the hands of the Neetha tribe.
Around 205 BC, the Greek explorer and teacher Hieronymus encountered the Neetha, and after spending a short time with time ended up stealing from them the Seeing Stone. Hieronymus presented the Seeing Stone to the Oracle of Delphi, who reportedly used it to see into the future. As a result, the Sacred Stone eventually became known as the Seeing Stone of Delphi or the Delphic Orb.
Towards the end of his life, Hieronymus, feeling some guilt for his actions, believed that the Seeing Stone should be returned to the Neetha. After seeing that his people had no wish to ever return it, Hieronymus stole it from the Oracle's temple and fled back to the Neetha village, resulting in the Seeing Stone being once again in its proper place.
The Six Sacred Stones[]
Once Max Epper, Zoe Kissane, Lily West, Alby Calvin and Solomon Kol located the Neetha village, they were summarily imprisoned by the tribe, and the Neethan warlock Yanis took the Firestone they possessed and used it in conjunction with the Delphic Orb and the village's telescoping mechanism to view the Dark Star. Once it was used the Stone was returned to its resting pedestal.
When the the Commander-in-Chief's In Extremis Force invaded the Neetha village, Zoe was able to grab the Seeing Stone and the telescope's inclinometer and escape the village with it.
The Five Greatest Warriors[]
In the weeks after the Dark Star's return, Jack stored the Seeing Stone and the other Sacred Stones and Pillars within an abandoned salt mine on his new farm, with the intention of keeping them hidden away from the rest of the world.
Purpose[]
The Seeing Stone of Delphi is used to see the Dark Star. This is intended to be done at the location which would later become the Neetha Village. Using an ancient form of inclinometer at the base of the extinct volcano, the Delphic Orb is then placed at the summit with the Firestone placed inside a recess in the bottom of the Orb. When one looks through the inclinometer and the Orb, it acts as a tubeless telescope, and one can see the Dark Star.
Trivia[]
- The Omphalos of Delphi was a stone located at the city's Oracle Temple. It was regarded in classical times as the centre of the world.