Artefact (Final Fantasy XIII-2)

Artefacts (オーパーツ) are an important element of the gameplay of Final Fantasy XIII-2 and the Historia Crux. When acquired, they allow use of Time Gates, which act as portals to the Historia Crux, the traveling element of the game. Time Gates are said to appear whenever there is a distortion in time, but they can only be accessed through use of specific Artefacts, specific to each gate. Since Artefacts are not supposed to exist, due to being formed when two timelines collide, they can only be uncovered by use of the Moogle Hunt and Moogle Throw commands.

Hope Estheim is said to be studying the objects that allow Serah to time travel, being the artefacts.

Datalog
''Artefacts are the keys that activate Time Gates. These objects can appear in any form, and are only identified as 'things that shouldn't exist' or 'items from another time,' making the search for an artefact a difficult task.''

Artefacts are strongly tied to their pssessors, and are also said to take on completely different shapes depending on the person who handles them.

Time Gates
Time Gates appear as strange glowing portals, and each requires a specific 'artefact' to activate it.

By passing through these gates and traveling outside the timeline, it is said one can eventually arrive in Valhalla.

Multiple time gates can appear in each location, but each leads to a different world. This can allow access to the same world in several different time periods, and each one contains many different features: flora, fauna, and most importantly storyline elements. Returning to places at different times is the key to unlocking the story, as some information and items can only be attained in certain times.

There are two types of Time Gate: Golden gates, "blessed by the goddess and shine like the sun," and Blue gates. Golden gates require special artefacts to open, each gate needing a different artefact. Blue gates, however, can only be opened by using Wild Artefacts, which can be found scattered across the timeline.

List of Known Special Artefacts

 * Bountiful Artefact
 * Eclipse Artefact
 * Mysterious Artefact