Spectacles of Hidden Truth

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.