The ancient artifact used as a coded instruction manual in Outer Banks season 5 is a scytale.
The Pogues learn that the scytale contains the instructions needed to use the Blue Crown. It is connected to Denmark Tanny and becomes a major object of the season’s treasure hunt.
In historical terms, a scytale is associated with an ancient transposition cipher, traditionally involving writing on a strip wrapped around a rod. The show adapts that idea into a mysterious artifact tied to hidden directions and an incantation.
The scytale leads the characters toward Lake Yas’m Be in Azerbaijan, where Kiara attempts to use the Blue Crown beneath the Perseid meteor shower. This makes it a key link between the season’s historical clues and its supernatural storyline.