Heart of Delos

"The three relics of the Order were the bones, the heart, and the sword of Saint Delos, the Founder. One can only guess where each relic wound up, but it would be valuable to know where they came to rest. Not in gold, mind, but in knowledge."

— Sage Argia

After the death of Saint Delos, the Founder, the Delian Knights were said to retrieve his body, banner, and sword from the field of battle. According to the few writings which survived, his heart had become a crystalline stone of great power. It was proof of his worthiness to become a saint, venerated for transcending mortality at the hour of his death. It is described as a fist-sized stone not unlike a garnet in appearance and color, but mention of where it was kept is conspicuously absent from the record which mentions its existence. Many gemstones which match the description have been retrieved across the region the knights were said to frequent, but none of them seemed to show remarkable qualities. This hasn't stopped these "true" Hearts of Delos from being put on display as prized valuables in households of nobility.

However, recently a group from the Allied Adventurers' Guild found a long-forgotten crypt and retrieved a garnet of unusual size which presented odd reactions when it was probed for arcane energies. It is believed this is the actual Heart of Delos, and its powers spring from divine sources instead of arcane enchantments. What these powers are remain a mystery, though the significance of locating the Heart of Delos and the Second Tomb of Delos within the same year cannot be assumed to be coincidence.

---

Origins of the Heart

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The Heart of Delos is one of the rare objects known as a "conduit" among mystics and arcanists. A conduit can be used to channel divine energy, when in the possession of someone who shares the same ideals as its creator. However, it is worth noting the Heart cannot be related to Saint Delos. Despite the great deeds of the Founder, it is undeniable he was 'merely' an exceptional human and not a divine being. Thus the origins of the Heart remain a mystery, while it seems to prefer being wielded by those who follow a noble code. Those who might have a connection to the divine energy have described it as touching something "cool, as though pulled from standing water", as opposed to warmed by being held. Others have remarked there is a feeling of being watched and perhaps even judged by some unseen entity while holding the stone itself. What the conduit properties can permit is uncertain, but it is quite clear some being of divine origin - not Saint Delos - has an active connection to the Heart.

---

Related Articles

---

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Rarity

Unique (True)
Uncommon (Forgery)

Weight

5 lbs

Dimensions

Size of a clenched fist

Base Price

Priceless (True)
500 gp (Forgery)