D&D 5E What D&D Product Can Be Seen In The Crystals?

WotC has posted an image of a pile of crystals through which distorted glimpses of what looks like a product can be seen. In the comments below, folks have been flipping, enhancing, and generally squinting at the image behind the crystals, and while it's hard to make out, guesses include 'Journey Through the Radiant Ocean' (although I personally think that first letter looks more like an X or K than a J). 'Citadel' is also a popular guess for that last word--'Journey(s) to/from the Radiant Citadel'? Take a look and see what you think (or check the comments for flipped and enhanced versions).

In Spelljammer lore, the phlogiston--the space between the crystal spheres in which the prime material worlds can be found--is also known as the 'Rainbow Ocean'. And crystal seem on-brand for crystals spheres.

Below the text, the image appears to be of some kind of marketplace. Above it, WotC wrote "Through the depths of the Ethereal Plane is a beacon of possibility and adventure... "

There was apparently a press event today, pending some kind of product announcement on Tuesday.

D&D 5E - Announcement Next Week--What Hints For Upcoming D&D Books?

WotC uses Unearthed Arcana to playtest D&D material which often ends up in a later hardcover book. Mages of Strixhaven was in Unearthed Arcana in June 2021, and Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos was published in December 2021. Draconic Options was in Unearthed Arcana in April 2021, and Fizban's...

www.enworld.org

 

[GameMasters]

Wait… Crystals!
The title isn’t “Journey Through the Radiant Ocean” or “Citadel”

It’s “Journey Through the Radiant Crystals”

That’s why they used Crystals in the teaser, and the Ethereal plane mention. The concept is you’re “scrying” through these crystals to see these new adventures.

the word 'crystals' does not line up with the curves and the last few letters there are pretty clear that ADEL. Combine that with the partial downward stroke of the letter before the A leaves you with either an I or a T and combine that with the 1st letter being curved, either a C , Q, or O. CITADEL really appears to be the only viable word that fits. Perhaps it's Journey Into The Radiant Citadel? This is the image I did a copy and paste of for reference:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I thought it might be CITADEL. However I think the second word on the top line looks longer than "into".

JOURNEY into
the RADIANT CITADEL​

Centering the text the "J" ends up where the "U" is. I.e. the second word on the top line is about six letters, not four. "BEYOND"?

JOURNEY BEYOND
the RADIANT CITADEL​

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I thought it might be CITADEL. However I think the second word on the top line looks longer than "into".

JOURNEY into
the RADIANT CITADEL​

Centering the text the "J" ends up where the "U" is. I.e. the second word on the top line is about six letters, not four. "BEYOND"?

JOURNEY BEYOND
the RADIANT CITADEL​

We just had Wild Beyond the Witchlight. Are they going to use Beyond again so soon?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

We just had Wild Beyond the Witchlight. Are they going to use Beyond again so soon?

Dunno, I was just going by word length. Can you think of any other six (or seven) letter words that could go after journey? "THROUGH" I suppose, but why would going through a radiant citadel be interesting?

It's probably a preposition.

UNDER - too short
ACROSS
AMONGST - too long
BETWEEN
WITHIN
BEFORE
Back to
Out of
INSIDE
BENEATH (added)
AFTER
AGAINST
BEHIND (okay, some of these are highly unlikely!)

If it's JOURNEYS, plural, it could be five letters, but "into" is still too short.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Dunno, I was just going by word length. Can you think of any other six (or seven) letter words that could go after journey? "THROUGH" I suppose, but why would going through a radiant citadel be interesting?

It's probably a preposition.

UNDER - too short
ACROSS
AMONGST
BETWEEN
WITHIN
BEFORE
Back to
Out of
INSIDE

If you really see a B, it could be Beneath.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you really see a B, it could be Beneath.

I don't see a B, I'm purely going off length. But I'll add Beneath to my list.

 

[pukunui]

At first I thought that bright yellow circle was something the mouse thing was either holding or wearing, but after looking at the clearer picture on Instagram, it looks to me like a glowing shop sign. Maybe it's a magic potion shop / stall or similar.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's not clear if it's the cover of a single book, or there are other objects (like the potion icon) also reflected. If it's a single cover I would say there is a statue of a giant space hamster top left, with a ship sailing into the picture right to left, with the glowing potion icon on the ship. There are a couple of faces (masks?) looking from right to left. I would say that they are in the bottom left of the cover, allowing for the fragmented reflection. They have a slightly oriental look.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

View attachment 153710

This is unreversed, so the actual cover (if that is what it is) is the other way around. Two figures (dolls?), male and female, appear to be standing on a shelf/balcony/back of a ship. There are glowing runes/windows above their heads. a crowd scene is to their right (left) including an old man in a tricorn hat walking with a stick. A pointing finger of a statue is visible at the edge of the image.

 

[pukunui]

This is unreversed, so the actual cover (if that is what it is) is the other way around. Two figures (dolls?), male and female, appear to be standing on a shelf/balcony/back of a ship. There are glowing runes/windows above their heads. a crowd scene is to their right (left) including an old man in a tricorn hat walking with a stick. A pointing finger of a statue is visible at the edge of the image.

I don't think the orientation really matters here. That still looks like a shop/stall to me with people standing around / behind it. Nothing really suggestive of a ship to me, although I suppose it could be a dockside market?