The Astral Prism, also referred to as the weapon or mysterious artifact, was the name given to a powerful gith device that appeared in the Realms during the late 15th century DR.[1]
Description[]
It appeared as a spiked, black iron icosahedron inscribed with glyphs of the Gith language.[1]
According to a githyanki disk found within the Prism itself, it was of infernal design and was part of a deal made between Vlaakith I and a devil.[1]
Powers[]
The Astral Prism functioned as both a prison and a navigation device, leading to a pocket plane within the Astral Plane, where Vlaakith CLVII imprisoned the Prince of the Comet, Orpheus, the son of the original githyanki leader Gith herself. In addition, the artifact was able to project a field that disrupted illithid psionics due to the imprisoned Orpheus and his powers, freeing them from the Absolute's influence, making it a significant existential threat to the Grand Design and the Absolute's ambitions.[1]
History[]
The enigmatic Astral Prism.
In or before the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, the Church of Shar heard whispers of rivals, particularly the Cult of the Absolute. In the process of gathering information, they learned of an artifact vital to countering the Absolute's rising influence and highly feared by it, and learned of the Astral Prism's whereabouts by torturing a githyanki. The Sharran priestess Shadowheart was sent by her superiors on a mission to retrieve the item and return it to Baldur's Gate immediately, and she successfully recovered it.[1]
Around the same time, mind flayer known as the Emperor was sent aboard a regrown Nautiloid to retrieve the Astral Prism, successfully locating it before others.[note 1] Contact with the Prism gave him a newfound sense of free will, allowing him to resist the telepathic control of the Elder Brain and break free.[1]
Shadowheart was waylaid, however, when she was taken captive aboard a mind flayer nautiloid, implanted with a modified illithid tadpole, and forced to endure a trip across the planes. After traveling through Avernus and the Shadowfell, the nautiloid returned to the Prime Material plane, and crashed on the continent of Faerûn on Toril, fortunately mere miles away from Baldur's Gate.[1]
Thereafter, the artifact was sought after by various groups, including the githyanki Kith'rak Voss, on behalf of Queen Vlaakith CLVII to retrieve it, and the three chosen of Cult of the Absolute.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ It should be noted that the Emperor only claims that he was the first to find it.
Appearances[]
- Video Games
- Baldur's Gate III
External Links[]
Mysterious Artefact article at the Baldur's Gate 3 Community Wiki, a community wiki for Baldur's Gate 3.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.