How do you see the Sight fitting in Dark Sun, considering that seeing the future - or the concept of a real prophecy - seems to be purposefully absent from any edition of the setting?
I love the idea. Strange oracles, either in the lofty towers of Nibenay, or some lonely desert tribe, whispering portents of doom or hope.
Still, how to integrate such a new idea in Dark Sun, making it appear as if it were always present?
If you want to use that approach and tie it in with the setting for NPC individuals or organizations, there's plenty of pre-constructed options. Nibenese seers might very well be like the Bene Gesserit. Perhaps templars in Draj, Raam, or Urik are even like the Bene Gesserit in that they manipulate the public behind-the-scenes with religion to carry out some long-term plans. The Order is a group of 'psionic preservers' and might very well have special 'non-PC' rituals that allow them to divine the future. Of course, any wandering prophet in the sand wastes or shaman of some nomadic tribe might have prophecies.
Alternatively, you can just create an organization that you need and fit it in. Off the top of my head, what about some halfling clan living high on the Ringing Mountains that choose animal totems in their coming of age rites, and whose shamans go into a spirit trance to view past, present, and future by inhaling the fumes of z'tal oil?
If you want something more mechanical the PCs can readily activate (which I wouldn't recommend too strongly) then I think a paragon- or epic-tier ritual would be the way to go. Make a decent quest like stealing it from templars or traveling to the unknown Broken Lands to find, learn, and master it, and you're good to go. In true Dark Sun fashion, activating this ritual is probably morally ambiguous since it creates an area of defiled terrain (mechanically and narratively) and drains its user of a healing surge or two
EDIT: I should also add that some character options are presented with certain themes and flavors. There's some kind of prescient bards, psions have a time-oriented paragon path and Psionic Power presents a Time Master (or something) epic destiny. Many epic destinies have themes of being avatars or heralds of prophecy (Eberron's Champion of Prophecy, I think, and Heir of Siberys). Dark Sun wild talents may or may not do the trick. Just look around, you'll find something
Some ideas:
A doom prophecy occurs at the moment they are bloodied or reach 1 hp (This may appear to them more as a sick DM joke
)A vision prophecy occurs during the onset of sun sickness.
I like this, a cultural ritual that involves a trip without water in the desert, without protection against the sun, and if you survive you may be granted a vision of portents.
I definitely want seers in Dark Sun, I'm just fishing for ideas.
Maybe the absence of gods prevent far reaching visions of the future. Maybe to see in the future you need to follow "guide posts" and those are the gods or god who have a portfolio linked to events. Who could have seen the evolution of psionics on Athas if no god of psionics was there to be a becon among the ages for the seer? Maybe a god of seers and divination is necessary.
Maybe Rajaat's Cleansing War created static for seers and the future was always foggy. Or maybe it just made everything random and unpredictable.
That's a very good idea. Gods clearly existed in the past, and most D&D pantheons include a god of prophecy sooo what happens when that god of prophecy is dead? On the other hand, many other talents and abilities have been presented that may grant foresight as I said, most especially psionic power. Perhaps, though, even this is murky and vague...that 'static' - I really like that idea. It's not brand new, but using that word gives the idea a new connotation. The Cleansing Wars idea makes even more sense and sounds great.
The OP mentioned the Bene Gesserit. Look more into Dune, then. Use the spice to induce visions as the Fremen did. What about abominations on Dark Sun! Oh MAN! AWESOME! The Dragon of Tyr is actually engaging in some millennia-long gambit like Leto II?! HOLY CHRIST IS THAT COOL!
I was interested in making use of Eberron's Draconic Prophecy. In that setting, the Prophecy is a long chain of, "If X, then Y" predictions and is etched out across the land, magic, sky, and skin. Many forces like dragons, immortal elven courts, dream tyrants, and daemon lords chase after the Prophecy, but those forces in Dark Sun are a bit different. The latter three all would have a unique Dark Sun twist to them but that's for a different topic. Here, though, dragons are evil sorcerers who control their city's populations in order to further their own selfish goals. So the Draconic Prophecy becomes something that the sorcerer-kings horde knowledge of.
Who wants this knowledge, though? Primal shaman and druids might look to the stars for such omens, and the psionic Order might have their own interests in it. Might dragonmarks exist, though? I read on these forums one guy wanted to tie them into a sort of vague, erratic bloodline based on the powers the sorcerer-kings have spilt into the world. Hmm! Like I said, there are many possibilities if you just look around.