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

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I was under the impression that either the cameo or the revisit got dropped in favor of the third setting. I won't say "no" to getting all of them!

I think you may have the time line a little out of order. From what I remember, without digging for tweets, is that when these plans were revealed, it was said that three settings were getting updated to 5E and that the Ravenloft Van Richten book counted as the first one and two more were still coming. So unless I missed something more recent, it is still two more updates, two new, and one revisit.

 

[pac71]

Flipped around? Maybe?

View attachment 153660

Did you press the Enhance button. That always works on TV :>

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In the crystal the ears of the anthropomorphic animal are distinctive. Neither cat nor fox. Not really hamster either, but more like that.

Any depiction, no matter how stylised, of a fox is going to have a long sharp muzzle. That is the animal's most recognisable feature. Foxes also have large upright ears.

The small sharp nose suggests a mouse, but the round cheeks, round eyes and ear shape more strongly suggests a hamster.

Rat is possible. They are usually depicted with longer noses, but this could be put down to human prejudice.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A compilation book called Journeys through the Radiant Citadel seems most likely then. I would suggest that the Radiant Citadel (AKA Ruby Citadel of the late Sardior) is a planer nexus, like Sigil, but without the Planescape baggage. The book is a compilation of adventures set on different planes of existence, perhaps connected by fragments of Sardior's essence.

 

[Yaarel]

The way that the ear "lobe" juts outward but the ear tips curl inward is odd, and seems to have a specific animal species in mind.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The way that the ear "lobe" juts outward but the ear tips curl inward is odd, and seems to have a specific animal species in mind.

Yes, I thought that. I also had another thought: maybe its a deep dive Alice in Wonderland reference, and it's a dormouse? They have smaller ears and bigger eyes than a domestic mouse.

 

[Yaarel]

Yes, I thought that. I also had another thought: maybe its a deep dive Alice in Wonderland reference, and it's a dormouse? They have smaller ears and bigger eyes than a domestic mouse.

Heh, still not feeling the ears.

There actually were some small fox species with a small squat nose and large eyes, but again the ears lacked that telltale curl.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Heh, still not feeling the ears.

There actually were some small fox dpecirs with a small squat nose and large eyes, but again the ears lackef that telltale curl.

Some species of bat have ears that shape, but they are usually larger in relation to the head, and the nose is quite distinctive. Talking of wrong noses, pigs have ears something like that.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

What if the Radiant Citadel is a flying fortress that can traverse the Ether and the other paths between worlds and includes a Spelljammer helm?

Journeys <something something> of (on) the Radiant Citadel

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What if the Radiant Citadel is a flying fortress that can traverse the Ether and the other paths between worlds and includes a Spelljammer helmet?

Journeys <something something> of (on) the Radiant Citadel

We have a new "rimes with poo" clue now.