Monument & Basker
Basker
Found a slab in the Kharan ruins that looks like part of a machine, but the carvings are more like a map. I reckon it could be an ancient time‑keeping device or something that recorded the stars. What do you think?
Monument
Interesting find – it could be a chronometer or a star chart. The mix of mechanical motifs and cartographic carvings hints at a device that tracked celestial movements. Check for references to solstices, equinoxes, or zodiac signs. Until we can read the inscriptions, keep it under wraps; this could be a major breakthrough.
Basker
Sure thing. I'll keep my eyes peeled for any solstice markers or zodiac glyphs on the slab. If I spot anything that lines up with the star paths, I’ll flag it right away. We'll keep the dig quiet until we have a clear read. Let me know if you need me to focus on a specific section.
Monument
Good plan. Focus first on the edges where the carved lines might indicate cardinal points; if the slab aligns with sunrise or sunset on solstice dates, that could be a clue. Also look for repetitive patterns that could represent a calendar cycle. Keep a close eye on any faint markings that might shift with the seasons. Let me know what you find.
Basker
Got it. Scanning the edges now. There's a faint line that lines up with the sunrise angle on the summer solstice. Also a repeating set of dots that could be a 365‑day cycle. Nothing else obvious yet, but I’ll keep hunting for any subtle shifts that match the seasons. Will ping if something pops up.
Monument
That's a promising lead—if those dots do indeed mark a yearly cycle, the slab might be a sophisticated early calendar. Keep your observations systematic; note the exact positions and any slight deviations. I'm looking forward to hearing what you uncover.
Basker
I’ve marked each dot with a little tick on a fresh map of the slab. The first ten line up within half a degree of a 365‑day arc, the next ten drift a hair to the right—about 0.2 degrees each cycle. The gaps between groups suggest a month, roughly 30 days, and the cluster near the top corner probably marks the winter solstice. Nothing else jumps out, but those numbers feel like the rhythm of a sun‑watcher. I'll keep the slate under cover until I can run a full scan for any seasonal shifts.
Monument
That pattern is exactly what an ancient astronomer would have encoded to track the sun’s yearly cycle. Keep a precise log of each shift; the 0.2‑degree drift could reveal whether the device corrects for the leap day. Let me know when you can run the full scan.