The Cintamani Stone inside the temple in Shambhala.
The Cintamani Stone is a mythical artifact located within the lost city of Shambhala, appearing as a central plot element in Among Thieves. It also features as a Mystical in the multiplayer of A Thief's End, where it functions as a throwable item that restores downed teammates to 40% health within its radius.
In real-world mythology, the Cintamani Stone is a legendary wish-fulfilling jewel in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.[1]
History[]
In Among Thieves, the artifact was first mentioned in a hidden text within a journal belonging to Marco Polo. During the events of the chapter "Breaking and Entering", Nathan Drake and Harry Flynn used resin to reveal invisible ink on a journal page referencing "the curse of the Cintamani". This led them to believe Polo had recovered the Stone and that it remained at the site of his lost fleet in Borneo.
Following Flynn's betrayal, Nate explained to Chloe Frazer and Victor Sullivan that Polo had described the Stone as a massive deep-blue sapphire. Chloe noted that the warlord Zoran Lazarević had spent years searching for the artifact. However, during the chapter "The Dig", Nate discovered that Polo never actually removed the Stone from Shambhala and that Lazarević’s interest in Borneo lay elsewhere.
Nate pointing to the stone's symbol (top). Cintamani Stone statue inside the temple (bottom).
In the chapter "They're Coming With Us", Nate identified the stone's symbol on a temple in Nepal while traveling with Elena Fisher. Later, in the chapter "Where Am I?", he learned from Karl Schäfer that the Nazis had sent an expedition to Shambhala to harness the stone's power. Schäfer revealed that historical conquerors such as Genghis Khan and Tamerlane purportedly rose to power by possessing small fragments of the stone.
Acting on Schäfer's guidance, Nate explored an ice temple containing depictions of the stone being guarded by monstrous figures. Realizing the danger the artifact posed, Nate, Elena, and Chloe raced to Shambhala to intercept Lazarević. Upon reaching the heart of the city, Nate discovered that Polo's description had been a misconception; the Cintamani Stone was not a sapphire, but a massive orb of raw amber—fossilized resin from the Tree of Life. The stone was presumably lost or destroyed during the cataclysmic collapse of Shambhala.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Beer, Robert (2003). The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. Serindia Publications, Inc. ISBN 9781590301005.