The Daises
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Tomb Raider Legend
The Daises of Tomb Raider Legend are the primary relics of the plot, for while Excalibur is the relic that Lara finds and reforges, it only exists because of the daises.
The daises are seen several times, two in full working order in Bolivia and in Nepal, and one replica in the mausoleum of King Arthur of the Britons in England. The daises can only be used with swords like Excalibur and have been thought to be able to raise human rulers to become leaders of their people, and near mythical figures.
The daises are set in a circular formation with the sword stone at the centre. Around the outside are five standing stones spaced equally apart. These are also instrumental in the ceremony of using the portal, a circle of stone built into the dias that swings up to form a kind of two way mirror into the past or future. They are all part of a travel network leading to and from Avalon, also known as Helheim.
The standing stones must be touched in order to use the dias, and then the sword must be placed into the sword stone. This then activates the portal. The process can only be terminated by removing the sword at either end of the transaction, sending anyone within the dais to Helheim.
Tomb Raider Underworld
In the final level of Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara and Amanda Evert use a dais that is part of the Jőrmungandr Mechanism, to leave Helheim and escape a flood of Eitr. Several discrepancies are noted - the symbols on the standing stones are in red, not green; there is no one else on the receiving end of the Looking Glass; and only teleportation rather than time travel occurs.
Some explanations have been advanced for the change in colour - this may indicate the different direction ie 'Earth to Avalon/Helheim' = Green. 'Avalon/Helheim to Earth' = Red.
Recorded Use
The dais have only been seen to be used three times, on all occasions by Lara Croft.
On the first occasion, Lara and her mother were stranded in the Himalayas. Seeking shelter in a Buddhist Temple, Lara came across the dais with a sword in it, and bodies nearby. She touched the sword, and this resulted in an opening in time between this and its second use, seen in the main events of Legend.
At the end of Legend, Lara uses the newly reforged Excalibur to see into the past, attempting to warn her mother and thus change history, but unwittingly creates the situation where Amelia Croft is transported. Amanda Evert tells Amelia to pull out the sword at her end of the time tunnel - why she does this is unknown. At that point, Lara's mother is taken to Avalon (later discovered to be Helheim), and the connection is severed.
At the end of Underworld, Lara and Amanda both use the dais to escape from the Jőrmungandr Mechanism in Helheim. Lara has to hold a piece of stone in place while Amanda operates the dais - in the cutscene we can see Amanda deciding whether or not to take Lara with her, but eventually throws out her hand to her just as the dais transports them. They arrive back in Nepal, through the portal that Amelia was transported by.
Uses, Theories and Analysis
The events of both Legend and Underworld make the use of the dais unclear. Although at times it is suggested that they are strictly one use only;
"It only works once, and I'm going to be the one!" - Amanda, Tomb Raider Legend
Certainly this theory is advanced in Legend, where Lara attempts to use the newly reforged Excalibur in Nepal, but the sword stone crumbles to pieces. As far as we know, it was only used once.
However, certain aspects of the storyline suggests otherwise. For example, the convenient location of a dais and an Excalibur-like sword suggests frequent use (the sword may even be that brought through the time tunnel by Amelia Croft). Moreover, while sword stones may crumble and become ruined, the portals remain functional, as Lara and Amanda return to Nepal through one of these.
The inference in Legend is that the daises were used to transport people to Avalon, to communicate and act as a bridge between cultures that are both miles and centuries apart. In Underworld their use becomes more sinister, as they are shown to lead to Helheim, the Norse Underworld. It remains unclear what exactly their purpose, and their benefits, are. According to Jacqueline Natla who we would presume would have more knowledge than most, it is a "travel network...so to speak". However even here it is made clear that it is Helheim that Amelia Croft has gone to, rather than Avalon.
