At the center of Falakor lay the object which made the find so spectacular: an artifact rising five meters in the center of the chamber and extending an undetermined distance into the ground. The slender monolith was completely gray in color with various lights along the top edge, though no apparent control panel. When first unearthed the object appeared dormant, but when touched by the archaeologist Korheln, a powerful telepath, it suddenly activated. Activation was only noticable visibly by the lights at the top, which glowed a deep green color. However, Korheln felt something else as he touched the object. He mentally heard a telepathic message in his own language: "At each point in the triangle, fire and ice shall merge." It was soon reported that every sentient creature with telepathic abilities in the three star systems received the identical message, from the Ar-Turans to the Ulvi to the Bakorians and Thsier. Only the Darvin, with no known telepaths among their number, did not receive the message.
Debate quickly errupted among the scientists of the five races over what to do with the artifact, termed a "psi transcorder" by some or simply "the artifact" by others. Most researchers believed it was just a piece of ancient technology used enhance telepathic abilities. Only the Praiarans insisted it was something more, a sacred relic from the Ancients. However, the impact of a fiery comet into a remote, frozen location on Deladarvin early the next year changed the debate. To many spiritually minded observers, the artifact's telepathic message had predicted the comet. Could this machine foretell the future? Later that year, a Thak by the name of Shtakak became the first Thsier to recieve the Highest's Gnakorishtar (his "High Blessing"). As this symbolic action was in planning even before the reception of the telepathic message, some observers wondered if the artifact foresaw this merging of two peoples--the bestowment of the "High Blessing" of the Bakorians (from the northern lands of ice) upon the Thak (Thsier from the desert "lands of fire"). Shortly after this supposed "merging of fire and ice" in the Trinji and Terdalis Systems, Ar-Turan astronomers discovered a surprisingly celestial alignment--the two stars in the Ar-Turan night sky traditionally corresponding with the "light world" and the "dark world" (see Mythology) both went nova and merged their light together when viewed from Ar-Turo. The Praiaran government immediately proclaimed this event the metaphorical fulfillment of the "fire and ice" prophecy in the Ar-Turan System (since light and dark are as opposite as fire and ice), although the Karbrunai have rejected the totality of the interpretation and instead claim the invent marks the outbreak of a new war between the forces of dark (Ar-Kurans) and the forces of light (Ar-Kilans).
After the first telepathic prophecy apparently came true, various factions among the five species demanded to move, leave, study, and even destroy the "psi transcorder". A cautious study was undertaken by Thsier, Bakorian, and Ar-Turan (mainly Praiaran) scientists on Tor-Prai. It was certainly between two and three million years old, had subtle triangular markings surrounding each side, and possessed rotating lights along the top edge that always faced the Trinji and Terdalis Systems. Another curious effect (or coincidence) has been a mild increase in sunspot activity on the three stars since the artifact's activation. Thereafter, periodically some telepaths claimed to receive further, more detailed visions from the artifact, but never again was there another massive, universally detected psionic signal. The artifact has led to great division among (and within) the five species--by no means does everyone agree on the validity of a prophecy sensed only by telepaths or on its meaning. Ar-Turan society is especially divided over interpretation of prophecy. The artifact was one casualty (perhaps intentional) of the mysterious destruction of the Iersian base on Tor-Prai two cycles ago (47 Cycles after the Universal Year); although Ar-Turan factions have begun to blame each other for the desecration, there is no proven culprit behind the bombing. Only one thing is certain--the artifact was totally destroyed, so no further study is possible.
The artifact supposedly revealed many prophecies in the time between its activation and its destruction thirteen years later. Some have apparently come true, others have not--at least yet. Ten years after the discovery of the artifact, Iersian sociologists released a comprehensive study of the telepathic prophecies widely circulated in all three star systems and how they related to the histories and cultural traditions of the five species. The sociologists took care only to include and analyze prophecies that they could reliably confirm were received independently by multiple telepaths in all three systems, and this meant that they excluded many popular prophecies favored by particular factions among the five species. The Iersian text quickly came to be considered a list of "official" prophecies, and within a short time "prophecy riots" began to errupt (especially among the Bakorians and Ar-Turans) between factions favoring specific predictions or interpretations. Although the riots are not constant and not always violent, the problem has not gone away and continues to plague most of the planets.
Below is a list of the most important "official" prophecies in order of when they were supposedly received:
"If left unchecked, the Tides of Shadow will encompass worlds": This prophecy is somewhat vague, but some scientists believe it could refer to a large pocket of carbon gas recently discovered half-way between Terdalis and the Thursi Nebula. This pocket seems to grow and shrink, but with each iteration, it grows larger and compacts greater--like a tide out of control. It also seems to be gradually moving closer to the three star systems. Ignoring this interpretation, the Ar-Turan Praiarans quickly jumped on this prophecy as their favorite, claiming it refers to the "dark world" sacred to the Karbrunai.
"What was once separated shall be rejoined, and what was once joined shall again be separated": This prophecy has not yet come true, according to most scholarly observers. It has initially shaken the beliefs of many cultures, but more recently has been an impetus towards the creation of the League of Allied Worlds. Some radical thinkers believe it may predict a merging of Ar-Turan cultures, an undoing of the ancient "Sundering" so sacred to the tribes. The Bakorians and Thsier worry that it may refer to their alliance, or represent an inevitable split in Bakorian culture between the purists and the Rappkor.
"When the passage of time runs slow, there shall the lands of great harvest be found": Some technically minded analysts suggest this refers to the discovery of another habitable planet--a treasure almost beyond value to any newly spacefaring race. Proponents of this theory argue that, based on the wording, the new planet must reside near a black hole, which may cause many problems reaching it. Regardless, astronomers from most of the worlds have begun to scan the far heavens for where these "lands of great harvest" could be. The Ar-Turan Karbrunai most fervently reject this interpretation, instead arguing that it refers to their concept of the End of Time: a future event when the "dark world" will overrun the other dimensions and merge them into one powerful, new material universe.
"The Beasts Who Wander shall visit each of the lands": The Darvin have always been cautious, and they did not believe in the prophecies or support the League of Allied Worlds when first proposed. However, this prophecy has frightened them to the point of cooperation with the other races. They fear that "Beasts" refers to a mother race of the preadatory species they wiped out centuries ago. Scientists among the other species believe it refers to a powerful race who have sent probes into the three star systems. Some even relate this prophecy to the mysterious "Outsiders" since one of their probes was rumored to have been captured after it crashed on primitive Ul-Vilyeth, but this has never been verified. The Ar-Turan Praiarans, however, claim this prophecy confirms their long-held belief that the "Ancients" will return to the three star systems at some future time.
"Showers of gifts shall be followed by thunder": This dark prediction bodes poorly for many species and has created some tension between them. Many Ulvi of Ul-Vilyeth fear that the water they have been given by the Darvin and others will have to be "paid for" in some other way. Some Thsier have hypothesized that it foreshadows a return of the Bakorians to their traditional way of war upon the other species instead of serving as protector. The Ar-Turan Turonai angrily claim that this prophecy foretells the punishment of the Praiarans for negotiating with the Iersians for stardrive technology, and the Karbrunai spitefully use this prophecy to denounce the Bryiarans for their perpetual alliance with the Praiarans. Since every culture has been granted gifts (either resources or technology) at some point by another culture, this prediction worries all the species.
"Watching Eyes": This is currently a fragmentary prophecy still being analyzed.
"Only through the Trident's blades can the Beast be harmed": Again, the "Beast" is mentioned in a prophecy, and the Darvin are pushing the fledgling League of Allied Worlds to bring a larger military focus to their operations. Conventional wisdom is that the only interpretation of this prophecy can be the three systems fighting off an invasion by the "Outsiders" who have been observing and scouting out the worlds. Dissenters argue that no prophecy could ever be so clear and simple.
"The Child of Extra-Sight shall be blind to the darkness": This prophecy is somewhat of a paradox. Many believe that "Extra-Sight" refers to the telepaths who have received the prophecies. As such, being blind to a future "darkness" seems far less likely. As this is the final prophecy before the destruction of the artifact, there is endless speculation over its meaning. The Ar-Turan Praiarans claim this is prophecy refers to their own traditional End of Time concept: the "Ancients" will return and merge their "energy world" with the "material world" in a final victory over the "dark world" and the Karbrunai. The other species are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Ar-Turans and their perochical interpretation of interstellar events.