The Astral Dials are mysterious structures located within the Astral Sea. The origins and purpose of the Dials are unknown, though arcanists have determined that each Astral Dial is responsible for a localized pocket of linear time within the Astral Sea.
Design
The Astral Dials are large cubical objects, each side measuring roughly a mile in length. Each side of the device is covered in ornate clockwork mechanisms, with large cogwheels connecting the sides to the inner mechanisms. While none have been able to accurately determine what each aspect of the Astral Dials do, some aspect of the devices creates a pocket of linear time centered around the device. It is thanks to this pocket of time that astral civilizations have been able to blossom and develop.
Theories
The exact origin of the Astral Dials remains a mystery, having baffled generations of arcanists and artificers. The mechanism, despite creating pockets of linear time, appears to be completely un-aged, with the individual components devoid of any noticeable signs of deterioration. Moreover, those who have managed to find their way inside the Astral Dials have confirmed that the pockets of time do not stretch to the interiors of the machines. This has led many to theorize that they were designed to intentionally create these temporal pockets, likely to help facilitate the development of life within the Astral Sea, as the lack of linear time within the rest of the Astral Sea prevents civilizations from developing without having to tether themselves to other planes for the purpose of procreation.
Many arcanists have assigned the creation of the Dials to the many Pre-Blight civilizations, though most historical evidence instead suggests that the Astral Dials predated even the first proto-civilizations that developed on the Prime Material. As a result, it's been believed that the Dials were constructed by some cosmic civilization that may even predate the creation of the Prime Material. If such a cosmic civilization did exist, it's unclear as to why the devices were made, as such a cosmic civilization would predate the creation of linear time at the dawn of creation, and would suggest that they would not need linear time to exist in order for their civilization to develop.
Author's Notes
The Astral Dials have become a point of fascination for many trying to make sense of the disappearance of the Gods at the end of the Fifth Era. Shortly after their disappearance, some of the Astral Dials have become non-functioning, which has forced many of the Astral civilizations to journey to other planes in order to continue their civilizations. A handful of scholars have begun to consider the possibility that the Dials are the creation of the gods, or even that the gods are not as omnipotent and ageless as once believed.
