Obelisks

Definition

An obelisk (from Greek ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos, diminutive of ὀβελός - obelos, "spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top. Ancient obelisks on Earth were often monolithic whereas most modern obelisks are made of several stones and can have interior spaces.

Use in Play

On Mars, the obelisks are a new phenomenon. On March 5th, the entire known surface of Mars was rocked by repeated marsquakes. Numerous reports and stories of strangely shaped masses of coherent light that appeared and disappeared in conjuction with the quakes were filed. When the shaking finally stopped, thousands of homesteads were destroyed. In their place was a new topography of the powered areas. Among the many mysterious discoveries that awaited the remaining prospectors of Mars, such as the new empty outposts and settlements, the most mysterious would be the Obelisks.

These monoliths stand an exact 66 meters (216.54 ft) tall and ranges from 9.84 meters (3 ft) wide at the base to .3 meters (1 ft) at the top of the plinth, and are made of an as-yet unknown metal. This substance is a mottled reddish-brown in color and unbelievably smooth. This smooth surface is interrupted on one side by a sheet of perfectly reflective metal, slightly inset in the stone that measures .28 meters (.92 ft) wide, by 60 meters (196.85 ft) tall. Researchers have been unable to find a means of taking a physical sample of one of the Obelisks, although attempts continue. Aging tests have been inconclusive due to the impossibility of taking samples, but numerous experts in the ancient Martian culture insist that the Obelisks are obviously some kind of new Martian relic.