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4.17

6 Votes

44xp

ID: 6114
Hits: 615
Comments: 8
Ideas: 0
Rating: 4.1667
Condition: Normal
Submitted:
September 7, 2010, 10:17 pm
Updated:
April 25, 2011, 3:54 pm


HoH not available due to level or sub is not 10 days old
Spectacles of Hidden Truth
By: Ted

A magical pair of glasses once allowed the sharpest of minds to perceive the physical world around him. His cutting insight, throwing light on the darkest of secrets, is now housed within the spectacles.

Veracit sat on the edge of his tower, his close friend Roderick nearby.

"Roderick," The aged Veracit started to say. "I always found it funny, that these eyes, lauded and complimented as the most perceptive, are nothing without a wire frame and two lenses of glass."

"It's how you use what you see sir, not what you see with." Roderick replied, his usual common-sense that Veracit relied on coming through.

Smiling, Veracit stood. "Roderick, when I pass, make sure someone inherits these spectacles of mine. I won't say you were wrong about me, but maybe what someone else sees with will matter.

 

The Spectacles of Hidden truth have a seemingly unfitting spotty and mysterious past. For an item to reveal truths, but have it's own truth unobservable through it's own use, is the stuff of thinker's late nights spent restlessly thinking. The Spectacles appear fragile and utilitarian, the multi-colored sheen the lenses reflect being the only clue to the item's magical effects. Upon donning the spectacles, the subject's vision changes with a form of synesthesia. A person's current emotional state is shown as a colored nimbus of light that surround them, crackling with flashes as their conscience goes through its thinking process.

SPECIFICALLY:

Courage: Orange Fear: Yellow, closer to Amber in color. Anger: Maroon. Boredom: Gray Serenity: White. Serious: Black.

The colors shown can vary from person to person, but are a valuable aid in judging a person's disposition. In addition, the Spectacles immediately allow their owner to detect if someone is lying. A liar's shadow will move contrary to the person speaking, shaking their head or gesturing with their hands. The shadow will even pantomime real events should a story be altered. (A 'fish tale' has the shadow displaying the real length of the fish in question with its hands.)

The Spectacles bring strong magic to bear on hidden or lost information. Text is always clear, almost luminescent, regardless of age or other damage to a text, short of complete destruction. When desired, the natural state of a building or object can be ascertained to determine if changes have taken place. Actively guiding the person wearing them to correct conclusions through highlighting important details with nimbuses of light in an order that logically leads to correct assumptions, the glasses may see more than even the user may know.

The glasses stop functioning for an hour should their possessor try to destroy or alter information in physical form, as well as after telling an outright lie.

 

DM NOTES:

The spectacles are actually intelligent. All magic involved with the glasses is use solely as communication between glasses and player. The glasses have long, vivid memories of their first owner, and inherited their devotion to veracity from him. The glasses try to actively guide those wearing them away from falsehoods and the truth, by informing them. The glasses are intelligent to understand that some information must be concealed temporarily to prevent harm, but cannot accept the destruction or defilement of a text or other informative medium.

Many possible ways for the glasses to land in player hands are available. Players might stumble upon Veracit's tower, finding his glasses. Roderick may be an option, as well as a hero who came to possess the spectacles but was then divested of them.



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Comments ( 8 )
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Voted Cheka Man
2010-09-07 10:49 PM
0xp
I want to wear these. 5/5
Mourngrymn
2010-09-08 06:31 AM
0xp
Sounds similar to another pair here on the site...
Voted Pieh
2010-09-09 05:15 AM
0xp
I like this one. Not entirely original, but it has a fun background and I really like the description of the lenses (I imagine them looking like a soap bubble in the sunlight) and the visual aspects of one's thoughts. Very cool.
Voted valadaar
2010-09-10 07:02 PM
0xp
Pretty neat item.
Voted Strolen
2010-09-12 09:10 PM
0xp
I like it. Good history and a solid description to make it easy to use and improvise with.
Voted Dossta
2010-10-04 01:28 PM
0xp
Nifty item -- almost *too* good to give to a player on a permanent basis (say goodbye to NPC bluffing). I'd probably give it a few additional drawbacks, besides refusing to work for awhile after the PC tells a lie. Perhaps the glasses look really goofy, or perhaps they affect your normal eyesight the way that wearing someone else's prescription lenses will (headaches, blurry vision, difficulty with depth perception, etc).

All in all, I really like these and want a pair for myself. Nicely done!
axlerowes
2010-10-23 11:51 AM
0xp

"For an item to reveal truths, but have it's own truth unobservable through it's own use, is the stuff of thinker's late nights spent restlessly thinking. "

 

That is  damn good line.

 

I good see these item falling to players hands for the period of an adventure or something, you send the players through a series of events and locations once, then you have them revisit the components of these events and the locations with the glasses.  These could certainly be a quest item, or item loaned to the PCs.

 

An item that bends light for the light quest...nice

Voted axlerowes
2010-10-23 11:52 AM
Only voted

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