| Babylonian Battery | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Uncertain/Misattributed Middle Eastern Nation-State |
|
Type |
Earthenware Vessel |
|
Effects |
Small Scale Alchemy |
|
Downsides |
Energy Vampirism |
|
Activation |
Proximity to Power Sources |
|
Collected by |
Warehouses 4,5,8,11,12 |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
8166205-4192 |
|
Shelf |
7456183-1655-832 |
|
Date of Collection |
Various |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
The Baghdad Battery, also regarded as the Babylonian Battery and Parthian Battery, was first discovered on the outskirts of the long-destroyed capital Ctesphion. Its history was overlooked by scholars until they discovered the peculiar design. An iron rod encased within crude copper tubing existed inside an unassuming terracotta pot, plugged with the remnants of burned asphalt and acidic liquid.
Archaeologists have been debating its purpose for decades. The most popular theory has been the pot acted as an ancient galvanic cell, producing a small electric current. No historians or engineers believe this was the purpose, as the voltage reproductions produce is too tiny for practical usage. Others believe it was meant for decorative electroplating or storing religious scrolls.
Effects[]
When exposed to ample chemical solvent or electrical charge, nearly all of its available energy will be diverted into the battery. Contacting a material sample afterwards will transmute the entire jar into a carbon (or lead or gold or concrete) copy. However, each jar will require continual energy input to retain its new physical form. It’s common for the batteries to try and leech the energy capability of nearby appliances, fuel, even weather anomalies. Deprivation will revert them back to their original state, but oversaturation has the potential to cause a small but concussive explosion.
Although the details over its original creator are lost to history, Warehouse 5 metallurgists successfully crafted their own versions of the relic. They also happen to convert neutralizer into a vapor, reducing static storms within the aisles. At least when they're not converting wood into water and metal into bananas.