Scattered Folks Whakapōrearea Monocle

Lore Among the first souls to arrive on Saṃsāra were those from a world where whispers and visions held tangible power. One of these was a nameless thief who found himself in the dense, magic-rich jungles of the southern isles. Hunted by strange, chittering monsters and overwhelmed by the vibrant flow of magic, he nearly perished. In his desperation, he prayed not to any god, but to the very concept of opportunity and escape. Saṃsāra, in its own way, answered. He found a strange, crystalline fungus growing on the bark of an ironwood tree. He instinctively knew how to grind it into a lens, polishing it with river stones and binding it in a copper wire frame scavenged from a forgotten ruin. He discovered the lens did not magnify his sight, but instead focused his will. It allowed him to glimpse the intent of the creatures hunting him and to subtly weave threads of misfortune into their path, causing them to stumble or become distracted at critical moments. He became a ghost in the jungle, a master of unseen passage. The knowledge of how to create these simple monocles spread among the burgeoning communities of burglars, spies, and information brokers, becoming a common, yet essential tool for those who walk in the shadows. Each one is a pale imitation of that first, desperate creation.

Description A simple, unadorned monocle fashioned from a slightly warped, hand-ground lens that gives off a faint, oily sheen under direct light. The lens is not perfectly clear and has a smoky, greyish tint with minuscule, silvery specks suspended within its structure that seem to slowly drift and swirl, even when the item is held perfectly still. The frame is a thin, slightly tarnished copper wire, inexpertly but securely wrapped around the lens, with a simple leather cord attached to be worn around the neck. The item is cool to the touch and feels strangely heavy for its size, humming with a barely perceptible vibration. When worn, the world seen through it appears subtly distorted, with edges seeming to soften and shadows appearing deeper than they are.

Detailed Stats

Durability: 45/45
Mind’s Eye Acuity: +3
Perception (Hearing): +2
Perception (Sight): +5
Skill Training: Slight increase in the rate of learning for skills related to stealth and subterfuge when the item is equipped.

Passive Magic

Unwelcome Gaze: When another sentient being looks directly at the wearer, they feel a minor, unnerving sensation, as if being watched from a different direction. This does not alert them to the wearer’s presence but makes prolonged eye contact uncomfortable and discourages scrutiny.
Glimpsed Path: When moving through an area the wearer has not been in before, they will occasionally receive a brief, intuitive flash of insight, a mental snapshot of a patrol route, a hidden alcove, or the location of a loose floorboard. This vision is uncontrolled and fleeting, providing a hint of what lies ahead without specific detail.

Activable Magic

Echo of Passage: The wearer can focus their Mind’s Eye through the monocle on a specific doorway, window, or container. For a few seconds, they can see a faint, ghostly trail indicating the path the last person who interacted with it took immediately after. The trail is indistinct, showing direction and movement but no identifying features of the person, and it fades completely after a few moments. This ability drains a small amount of the wearer’s stamina and magical energy.
Thread of Misfortune: Once per day, the wearer can target a single creature. By focusing a malicious thought through the monocle, they can introduce a minor jinx into the target’s immediate future. This does not cause direct harm but manifests as a moment of bad luck within the next few minutes: a shoelace might snap, a tool might slip from their grasp, or they may suddenly trip over their own feet. The effect is subtle enough to be mistaken for simple clumsiness.

Specific Slot

Head (Worn over one eye)

Tags: Magical, Common, Tier 1, Utility, Stealth, Divination, Enchantment, Wearable, Subterfuge, Focus, Cursed, Vision, Mind, Tool, Cognitive, Subtle

The Scattered Folk’s Whakapōrearea Monocle, being a common tool for those who operate outside of legal and social norms, is not typically found in reputable establishments or the bright, open marketplaces of major cities. Its trade is conducted in the shadowy corners of society, where discretion is the most valued currency.

The Back-Alley Pawnshop These shops are ubiquitous in the sprawling underlevels of megacities and the fog-choked port districts of island nations. They often present a legitimate facade, such as a “General Repair” service for mechanical contraptions or a “Curio and Salvage” shop dealing in scrap metal and old ship parts. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of ozone from magical runoff and metallic dust. The proprietor is usually a shrewd individual who has seen everything and says little.

How it is Acquired: To buy a monocle here, one must know not to ask for it directly. The transaction begins by Browse the mundane items—gears, bits of wire, tarnished cutlery. The buyer might then quietly inquire about something for “seeing things differently” or for “keeping an eye on one’s fortune.” The shopkeeper, if they deem the customer trustworthy, will produce a small, velvet-lined tray from under the counter containing several such items, often tangled with other minor magical trinkets. The transaction is completed in cash, with no ledger entries or receipts.
How it is Sold: Selling a monocle to one of these shops is a process of careful negotiation. The shopkeeper will initially dismiss it as a piece of flawed glass, a common bauble, pointing out the crude wire wrapping and the warped lens. They will offer a pittance. The seller must hold their ground, perhaps hinting at the item’s true purpose without being explicit. The final price will be a fraction of its buying cost.
Cost:
- Buying Price: 35 Silver Pieces. The price is inflated due to the risk the proprietor assumes and the immediate availability of the item.
- Selling Price: 8-10 Silver Pieces. The shopkeeper takes a significant margin to account for the time it will sit on their shelf and the specific, limited nature of their clientele.

The Shadow Market This is not a fixed location but a clandestine gathering that materializes in the forgotten spaces of the world: abandoned steam-tunnels, the dry cisterns beneath a metropolis, or a secluded cove only accessible during a specific tide. These markets are the lifeblood of the underworld. Word of a market is spread through coded messages, symbols chalked on walls, or whispers passed by trusted intermediaries. The atmosphere is tense and professional; attendees are there for business, not pleasantries.

How it is Acquired: A buyer would find individuals selling their personal wares on simple cloths spread across the damp ground or on overturned crates. The monocle would likely be displayed next to specialized lockpicks, vials of alchemical substances, and maps of secure locations. Barter is as common as coin. A buyer might trade a pouch of rare sleeping powder or a piece of sensitive information for the item. Trust is fleeting, and all goods are inspected on the spot.
How it is Sold: A seller at a Shadow Market can expect to deal with knowledgeable peers. They can set their price based on the item’s condition and the current demand. There is little room for deception, as most potential buyers are experts in the tools of their trade. The seller might also offer the item as part of a larger trade for a more valuable piece of gear.
Cost:
- Buying Price: 22 Silver Pieces, or an equivalent value in trade goods. This is considered the fair market value among professionals.
- Selling Price: 18 Silver Pieces. The smaller margin reflects a direct transaction between two individuals in the same line of work, bypassing a middleman.

The Tinker’s Steam-Cart These merchants are a common sight on the roads that connect the smaller settlements and outposts between the major countries. They travel in heavily modified steam-powered carts, belching clean, white vapor as they trundle along. Their stock is an eclectic mix of practical goods for frontier life—pots, knives, mechanical parts, water purifiers—and a selection of oddities acquired through their travels.

How it is Acquired: The monocle would be found in a locked box or a hidden compartment, presented only if the tinker judges a customer to be of a certain disposition. The tinker might not fully understand its magical properties, marketing it as a “diviner’s lens” or a “lucky charm from the Southern Isles.” A savvy buyer could acquire it for a low price by playing along with the tinker’s ignorance. Conversely, a suspicious or greedy tinker might invent a grand story about its powers and attempt to swindle the buyer.
How it is Sold: Selling the monocle to a traveling tinker is a gamble. If the tinker is unaware of its true nature, a charismatic seller could invent a compelling story and sell it for more than its actual worth. If the tinker is knowledgeable about the underworld, however, they will recognize the item for what it is and offer a very low price, knowing the seller is likely far from a proper market and desperate to unload it.
Cost:
- Buying Price: Highly variable, ranging from 5 Silver Pieces to 45 Silver Pieces, entirely dependent on the tinker’s knowledge and the buyer’s ability to negotiate.
- Selling Price: Can range from 2 Silver Pieces to 30 Silver Pieces, depending on which party holds the informational advantage in the transaction.

The utility of the Scattered Folk’s Whakapōrearea Monocle shifts dramatically depending on the environment, with its subtle magics lending themselves to a variety of defensive and offensive applications for a clever burglar.

In a Noble’s Polished Skyscraper Estate

The sterile, well-lit, and heavily patrolled confines of a high-society residence require the utmost subtlety. Magic here is not about overt displays but about manipulating perception and creating impossibly lucky breaks.

Roleplaying for Defense: When trying to escape, the monocle is a tool of avoidance. An avatar, pressing themselves flat against a marble wall as a pair of house guards round a corner, would rely on the Unwelcome Gaze. They wouldn’t shrink away but might hold their ground, letting one guard just catch a glimpse of their silhouette. The guard would feel a sudden, irrational prickle of paranoia, as if the gaze came from the wall behind him. He would stop, looking over his shoulder at nothing, his partner asking what’s wrong. This brief moment of confusion is all the avatar needs to slip past, the guard dismissing the sight as a trick of the gaslight on the polished surfaces. If cornered and a chase is imminent, the avatar could activate the Thread of Misfortune on the lead pursuer. As the guard lunges, the avatar would simply watch, focusing their will through the lens. The perfectly waxed floor would suddenly seem to betray the guard, his boot heel catching on an imperceptible flaw, sending him sprawling with a loud clatter and blocking his comrades in the narrow hallway.

Roleplaying for Offense: Offense in this environment means creating opportunities to further the infiltration. An avatar needing to access a private study would use the Echo of Passage on the locked door. They would press the monocle to their eye, the world turning grey and distorted as they focus. For a moment, they see a faint, ghostly trail of the last person to touch the lock—a person whose path leads directly to the estate’s second-floor solarium. The monocle doesn’t provide the key, but it provides a new objective: the keyholder is in the solarium. Later, to isolate a target carrying a ledger, the avatar might use Thread of Misfortune. The target, schmoozing with other nobles, would suddenly have the clasp on their satchel inexplicably fail, spilling its contents across the floor. In the ensuing scramble and embarrassment, the target would retreat to a quieter, less public room to regain their composure, allowing the avatar to follow and corner them away from prying eyes.

Within a Clanking, Steam-Powered Factory

The deafening noise and constant motion of an industrial setting provide a different kind of cover, where the monocle’s magic can be blended with the chaos of the environment.

Roleplaying for Defense: When discovery seems certain, the monocle offers plausible deniability. An avatar, crouched on a catwalk, might be spotted by a foreman below. The avatar would duck behind a massive, hissing pipe. The foreman, striding over, would feel the Unwelcome Gaze not as a strange feeling, but as a momentary bout of vertigo, a common affliction in the presence of so much moving machinery and disorienting steam vents. He would shake his head, blaming the fumes, and turn away, giving the avatar a chance to scurry deeper into the factory’s iron guts. If actively pursued, the Thread of Misfortune becomes a potent weapon. The avatar, weaving through dangerous equipment, could focus on a guard behind them. The guard, running on a grated floor, would suddenly find their bootlace snagged by a metal burr that hundreds have passed without issue, pitching them dangerously close to a moving piston and forcing their allies to stop to help.

Roleplaying for Offense: In a factory, offense is about manipulating the workflow. To access a secured shipping office, the avatar could use Echo of Passage on the main steam-crane control lever. Through the lens, they would see the spectral path of the operator leaving his post and heading to a specific locker in the changing room, revealing the location of the office keys during the shift change. To create a wider distraction, the avatar might use Thread of Misfortune on a critical maintenance worker. As the worker is about to check a row of pressure gauges, his wrench would slip from his grasp, falling into a complex gear system below with a sickening crunch of metal. The resulting alarm and shutdown of that entire line would draw guards and supervisors away from their normal posts, leaving other areas of the factory vulnerable for the avatar to exploit.

Amidst Ancient, Overgrown Jungle Ruins

In the wild, unpredictable environment of a jungle, the monocle serves as an extension of the avatar’s survival instincts, turning the natural world against their enemies.

Roleplaying for Defense: When being hunted by mercenaries or beasts, the monocle is a tool to become one with the treacherous environment. An avatar, sensing pursuit, might get a sudden, vivid flash from the Glimpsed Path passive—a mental image of a rotted log further up the path that conceals a nest of venomous insects. They can then choose to bypass it, or if being chased, make a loud noise as they pass it to draw their pursuer’s attention to that exact spot. If an enemy has a direct line of sight, the avatar can use Thread of Misfortune. The hunter, aiming a crossbow, would suddenly have a fat, heavy raindrop from a leaf high above fall directly into their aiming eye, causing them to flinch and spoiling their shot. The avatar would use that single missed beat to vanish into the undergrowth.

Roleplaying for Offense: Offense in the jungle is about turning the environment into an accomplice. To scout a suspected bandit camp, the avatar would use Echo of Passage on the weathered stone archway marking its entrance. They might see dozens of faint trails, but one distinct, recent path leading away from the camp towards a hidden spring. This tells the avatar the camp’s water source, a perfect location to observe the camp’s inhabitants or to create a diversion. To remove a lone sentry, the avatar would use the Thread of Misfortune. The sentry, leaning against a tree, would suddenly find the branch above them, weakened by rot, give way and crash down nearby. It wouldn’t hit them, but the loud noise would startle them and likely draw the attention of their comrades, forcing them to investigate the “natural” event and abandon their post.

Perception of Activation:

Sight

User’s Perspective: The moment the monocle is activated, the world seen through the lens warps as if viewed through old, imperfect glass. Edges of objects and people soften and blur slightly, while shadows seem to deepen, coalesce, and gain a subtle, crawling texture. The minuscule, silvery specks suspended within the lens begin to swirl in intricate, chaotic patterns, their glow intensifying from a dull twinkle to a steady, cold light. A faint, oily sheen seems to coat the user’s vision, making bright lights smear with a greasy rainbow halo.
Observer’s Perspective: An observer sees the monocle’s lens, which was previously a semi-translucent grey, darken to a near-opaque smoky black. The silvery specks within become clearly visible as they begin to glow and move, appearing like a miniature captured galaxy. The air directly in front of the lens shimmers and distorts, similar to a heat haze rising from hot pavement, even in a cold environment.
Positives: The deepening of shadows allows the user to better exploit areas of darkness and more easily spot movement within them. The visual distortion makes things that are magically concealed or out of place subtly stand out from the background.
Negatives: The visual distortion can cause momentary vertigo or eyestrain. It makes fine-detail work, such as reading small script or disarming an intricate mechanical trap, more difficult through the affected eye. The halo effect around lights can be dazzling in brightly lit areas.

Sound

User’s Perspective: Activation is accompanied by a low-frequency hum that is not heard with the ears but felt as a deep, resonant vibration in the bones of the skull and jaw. All ambient and background noise—the drone of a crowd, the hiss of steam pipes, the whisper of wind—becomes muffled and distant. Conversely, subtle, significant sounds like the creak of a floorboard, the soft click of a lock, or the gentle inhale of a nearby person become unnaturally sharp and clear.
Observer’s Perspective: To a typical observer, the activation is completely silent. An individual with magically or technologically enhanced hearing might perceive a faint, discordant hum in the air around the user, a sound that feels unnatural and slightly nauseating.
Positives: The user can easily pick out the sounds of approaching threats or track targets in noisy environments. The ability to focus on specific, quiet sounds is invaluable for eavesdropping and stealth.
Negatives: The constant, low-frequency hum can cause headaches and a feeling of pressure with prolonged use. The muffling of ambient sound could cause the user to miss a shouted warning or the sound of a large-scale event happening at a distance.

Touch

User’s Perspective: The copper wire frame of the monocle becomes instantly and unnaturally cold against the user’s skin, a chill that persists regardless of the ambient temperature. A fine, high-frequency vibration emanates from the frame, a tactile hum that buzzes against the orbital bone. The air in the user’s immediate vicinity feels denser and heavier.
Observer’s Perspective: There is no visible change. If an observer were to touch the monocle while active, they would be startled by its distinct, unnatural coldness.
Positives: The cold and vibration serve as constant, undeniable physical confirmation that the monocle’s magic is active, requiring no visual check. The cold sensation can feel bracing, helping to sharpen focus.
Negatives: The persistent chill can become uncomfortable over time, causing the skin to ache. The vibration is a constant distraction that must be consciously ignored and can contribute to mental fatigue.

Smell and Taste

User’s Perspective: A sharp, sterile scent, like the smell of ozone just after a magic circuit has discharged, floods the user’s sinuses. This is accompanied by a faint but distinct metallic tang on the back of the tongue, like licking a copper piece.
Observer’s Perspective: There is no perception of smell or taste for an observer.
Positives: This is another layer of immediate, personal confirmation that the magic has been successfully activated. The scent is clean and sharp, cutting through other environmental smells.
Negatives: The metallic taste is unpleasant and can spoil the flavor of any food, drink, or potions consumed. The powerful ozone smell can overpower other subtle, important scents, such as a gas leak, the perfume of a target, or the scent of a tracking beast.

Extra-Sensory (Mind’s Eye)

User’s Perspective: The user feels their own magical essence, their Mind’s Eye, being drawn into a narrow, focused channel. It’s a sensation akin to water being forced through a nozzle, concentrating their perception and intent into a fine point projected through the lens. They become acutely aware of the local magical atmosphere—feeling the ebb and flow of ambient energy, sensing the presence of active wards, and perceiving the auras of other living beings as faint, shimmering heat.
Observer’s Perspective: An observer with magical sensitivity would see the user’s personal aura, normally a soft glow around their body, suddenly flare and then collapse inward, becoming intensely concentrated around their head and the monocle. They would also perceive a subtle “void” in the immediate vicinity as the monocle draws in and consumes ambient magic.
Positives: This focused state allows for the precise use of the monocle’s abilities and grants a temporary, heightened sensitivity to the magical world, which can be used to detect magical traps and observers.
Negatives: The process is mentally draining, leading to “Mind’s Eye strain.” It feels invasive, as if a part of the user’s consciousness is being extruded from their body. Overuse can leave the user feeling magically depleted and vulnerable.

Extra-Sensory (Emotional)

User’s Perspective: The user’s emotional state is instantly suppressed. Fear, excitement, anger, and joy are all dampened, replaced by a state of cool, detached, and profound paranoia. This is not the panicked state of fear, but a cold, predatory hyper-awareness where everyone is a potential threat and every object is a potential tool or obstacle. It is the bewitching magic of the item turned inward, enchanting the user into a perfect state of vigilance.
Observer’s Perspective: A telepath or empath would feel the user’s emotional presence “flatten” into a disconcerting monotone. The normal warmth and fluctuation of a living mind are replaced by a wall of cold, analytical, and focused intent. It can feel like looking at a predator that is perfectly still, waiting to act.
Positives: The emotional detachment is extremely effective for operating under pressure, preventing panic or hesitation. It allows for cold, logical decision-making in high-stakes situations.
Negatives: The user is unable to properly gauge the emotional state of others or effectively feign emotions themselves, making social deception or diplomacy nearly impossible. The experience is deeply isolating, and when the effect wears off, the sudden return of suppressed emotions can be jarring and disorienting.

Fabrication Process: The Glimmerglass Monocle

Materials Needed

One raw, unprocessed chunk of Umbral Crystal, at least the size of a fist. This crystal is known for its semi-porous nature and natural affinity for shadow-aspected magic.
A pouch of fine, abrasive river silt, gathered from a waterway where magic flows freely.
One flask of Siren’s Tear Oil, a non-magical but highly refined lubricant known for creating an iridescent, oily sheen on polished surfaces.
A spool of untreated, soft copper wire.
A thin strip of cured leather, preferably from a creature known for its stealth, such as a cave lurker or shadow-cat.
Three phials of condensed magical residue, a dust-like sediment collected from locations with high concentrations of ambient magical energy, such as a ley-line nexus or a forgotten ruin.
A single, perfectly preserved feather from a common Nighthawk. This acts as the focal point for the vision-based enchantments.

Tools Required

A Lens-crafter’s workbench with a secure vise.
A pedal-operated grinding wheel with attachments for both coarse and fine work.
A set of artisan’s pliers and wire snips.
Crystal calipers for taking precise measurements.
A small, magically-fueled alchemical athanor, capable of maintaining a low, steady heat.
A glass mortar and pestle.
A delicate infusion kit, containing a heat-resistant beaker and a fine-tipped glass pipette.
Protective leather gloves and goggles.

Skill Requirements

Lens Grinding (Novice): The final product must be imperfect. A master craftsman would struggle to create the necessary subtle warps that allow the magic to function correctly. A lack of refined skill is an advantage.
Wire Artifice (Novice): The goal is a secure, functional frame, not a work of art. The wrapping must be tight but can appear crude and uneven.
Alchemical Infusion (Journeyman): The crafter must possess a solid understanding of how to handle and bind raw magical energies. This is the most critical and dangerous stage of the process, requiring knowledge of magical stability, energy flow, and catalyst reactions.

Crafting Steps

Crystal Preparation: Secure the chunk of Umbral Crystal in the workbench vise. Using a small chisel and mallet, carefully chip off a rough, coin-sized piece. Discard the larger chunk. The ideal piece will already have some internal fractures and impurities; these are desirable.
The Rough Grind: Attach the coarse grinding wheel. While slowly operating the pedal, press the crystal shard against the wheel. The goal is not a perfect circle, but a disc shape. Apply uneven pressure to introduce a slight warp to the lens’s curvature. The edges should be smoothed just enough so they are no longer sharp.
Silt Polishing: Remove the coarse wheel and apply a thick paste made from the river silt and a small amount of water to a fine polishing wheel. Polish the surfaces of the lens. This stage removes the harsh scratches from the initial grind but should not result in a perfectly clear surface. The lens must retain a smoky, cloudy quality.
Oil Sheening: Once the lens is polished to a hazy smoothness, cease grinding. With a soft cloth, apply a thin layer of the Siren’s Tear Oil to all surfaces of the lens. Rub it in vigorously until the characteristic oily, rainbow sheen appears under direct light.
Magical Infusion: This is the most delicate phase. Place the three phials of condensed magical residue into the glass mortar. Gently crush the Nighthawk feather with the pestle and add the resulting dust to the residue. Place the mixture into the heat-resistant beaker and set it inside the alchemical athanor. Apply low, steady heat until the dust liquefies into a silvery, viscous fluid. Using the glass pipette, carefully draw the shimmering liquid from the beaker.
Injection and Enchantment: While the liquid is still hot and fluid, carefully place single drops onto the surface of the lens. The porous Umbral Crystal will slowly absorb the liquid. As it does, the magical energy reacts with the impurities in the crystal, forming the permanent, silvery specks suspended within. The crafter must focus their Mind’s Eye during this process, whispering the intent for “unseen paths” and “minor misfortune” into the lens as it absorbs the magic.
Frame and Finishing: Once the lens has cooled and the magic has been fully absorbed, it is time for the frame. Cut a length of copper wire and, using the pliers, bend it carefully around the circumference of the lens. The wrap must be tight and secure, but its appearance should be functional, not decorative. Create a small loop at the top. Cut the strip of cured leather to the desired length and thread it through the copper loop, knotting it securely.
Settling Period: The newly crafted monocle must be left to rest for a full day-night cycle on a block of cold iron or stone. This allows the infused magical energies to stabilize and fully bind to their new crystalline vessel. Attempting to use the item before this period has passed can result in unpredictable magical discharges.

First Walker and Glass of Misfortune

It is told, from the speaking of the before-times, of the Man Who Had No Name. His arrival was as all arrivals were, a suddenness of soul upon the world of Saṃsāra. From his prior place he was taken, and here he was put down. The soil was strange to his foot, the air thick to his lung. He was in a great green place, a jungle of mighty trees and wet leaf, where the very air did hum with a power that was not his own.

Fear was the first meat he tasted. The jungle was full of chittering things, of many-legged hunters whose eyes saw all movements. In his life before, the Man had been one of stealth. A taker of things, a walker of shadows. But his shadows here were not the same, and the light of this world’s strange sun did betray him at every turn. For many turnings of the day and night, he was the hunted. He ran, and his breath was a fire. He hid, and his heart was a drum that called the hungry beasts. The chittering things were always near. Their claws made scratches on the silence. Their hunger was a presence he could feel on his skin. He procured no repast, and great starvation made a home in his belly. His spirit, it is said, fell down to his feet.

In his final despair, when his legs would carry his body no more, he fell to his knees. He did not send a prayer to the gods, for their names were unknown and their faces were turned away. Instead, he made a plea to the world’s bone. He spoke to the soil and the humming air and the great, unblinking sky. He did not ask for strength, nor for a weapon of sharpness. He asked for a portion of the world’s own disregard. He begged to be unseen, to be a thing passed over, a detail not noted. He wished to take the ill fortune that clung to him like a wet cloak and give it to others.

The world of Saṃsāra, which does not speak, gave its reply. After his plea was made, the Man With No Name rose and walked without knowing. His feet took him to a place he had not seen. There stood a great Ironwood tree, ancient and dark, and from a wound in its side, it wept tears of hard, clear crystal. At the base of the tree, a fungus of smoky grey color did grow, and it glistened with a faint light of its own. In the head of the Man, a new knowing came to be, a knowledge without thought.

He went to the tree and from it he took one hardened crystal tear. He went to a river and from its bank he took a handful of fine silt. He found a broad, flat stone and for hours he did grind the crystal. He did not work for clarity, for a vision of truth. He worked to make a shape of falseness, a lens that would warp and bend the light that passed through it. He found a Nighthawk, a creature of dusk, that had met its end, and from its wing he took a single black feather. He found a patch of moss that shimmered with a strange oil, and into this moss he crushed the feather until it was a fine dust.

With this paste of oil and feather-dust, he anointed the warped lens. He pushed the magic of his plea, the feeling of his deep misfortune, from his spirit into the glass. The lens drank the oil, and inside its cloudy depths, small specks of silver light were born and began to swirl. He then took a strong vine, and with his unskilled hands, he wrapped the vine around the glass, making a frame to hold it. He had made a new eye. An eye to see the world wrongly.

The Man fixed the Glass of Misfortune to his own eye, and the world was changed. The jungle’s sharp edges softened. The shadows grew deep and became holes in the world, safe places for him to be. He looked, and he saw not the chittering things, but the path they would soon walk upon. A faint echo of their passage was shown to him before it was made. The fear in his heart was gone, replaced by a great coldness, a feeling of calculation.

Soon, the many-legged hunters came again. The Man did not run. He stood. He watched them through his new eye. The largest beast, the leader of the hunt, gathered its legs to spring upon him. But its foot, which was sure, came down upon a wet leaf that gave way like a traitor, and the beast tumbled into a thorned bush with a cry of pain. Another hunter, turning its many eyes toward the Man, was distracted. A heavy fruit from high above, which should have been held fast, chose that moment to fall. It made no great sound, but it startled the beast, which looked up in confusion.

The Man With No Name, who was now the First Walker, simply walked. He passed the confused and injured things, and their eyes did not register him. He was a detail not noted. A part of the scenery that was wrong, and so their minds discarded him. He was safe.

In time, he found one of the small communities of scattered people. He saw others like him, the hunted and the desperate. He taught his knowledge to those who had need of it. He showed them how to find the crystal, how to grind it with imperfection, and how to give it the magic of their own ill will. The making of the Glass of Misfortune spread. Yet, it is said that each copy was a lesser thing than the one before it, a paler echo of that first, desperate creation. The original glass, the very first one made by the First Walker, was lost to the turnings of time, but its story remains as a warning and a lesson.

The moral of the story is this: For it is taught that when a soul can no longer see the world correctly, the world can no longer correctly see the soul.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu

The Shoreditch Seer’s Glass

This appears to be a simple, if crudely made, monocle with a smoky quartz lens and a tarnished copper frame. Investigators who examine it may make a Psychology or Spot Hidden roll to notice the minuscule specks within the lens seem to drift and swirl with a slow, unnatural life.

Powers: The wearer of the monocle finds the world distorted, but with a strange new clarity.

The wearer gains a bonus die on all Spot Hidden rolls made to perceive movement, hidden pathways, or architectural secrets.
If the wearer stands perfectly still in dim light or shadow, any character attempting to spot them suffers a penalty die on their Spot Hidden roll.
Psychic Echo: By concentrating on a specific object for one minute and spending 1 Magic Point, the wearer can attempt to see a psychic impression of the last individual to handle it. This requires a successful POW x 5 roll. On a success, the Keeper provides a brief, hazy vision of the person and their emotional state. A fumble may provoke a Sanity roll (1/1D4) as a genuinely alien consciousness looks back.
Induce Misfortune: The wearer can focus their malevolent will through the glass upon a target. This allows the player to ask the Keeper to turn a standard failure on a roll for that target into a fumble. Using this power is a conscious act of inviting unnatural forces into the world and costs the user 1D2 Sanity points.

Cults: None are known to create these items, but they are highly prized by members of thieving guilds and information brokers in London and Boston, who trade them for formidable favors.

Cthulhu Mythos: +1 percent. Sanity Loss: 0/1D3 to fully comprehend the item’s nature.

Blades in the Dark

Ghost-Echo Monocle

A strange, pre-cataclysm artifact, this monocle is fashioned from a sliver of polished ghost-crystal set in a pitted copper wire frame. When you hold it, you feel a distinct chill, and the ever-present whispers of the ghost field seem to momentarily sharpen into distinct, fleeting words.

Mechanics: When you wear this strange monocle, you gain access to the following abilities. It is a Ghostly and Subtle tool.

Passive: You get +1d to your Survey or Prowl action rolls when your goal is to find a hidden route, assess security, or remain unseen while stationary.
Weave Misfortune: Once per score, when any member of your crew makes an action roll, you can suffer 2 Stress to focus your ill will through the lens. Describe how you jinx a target or element of the environment to create a minor, distracting accident. Your crewmate’s action gains Potent effect. This cannot be resisted.
Trace the Echoes: When you Attune to the ghost field, you can peer through the monocle at an object or location. In addition to the normal results of your roll, you may ask the GM one of the following questions:
- What was the strongest emotion felt here recently?
- Where did the last person to touch this go immediately after?
- What unseen presence is affecting this place?

Dungeons & Dragons

Eye of Unseen Paths Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)

This monocle consists of a warped, smoky grey lens held in a crude copper wire frame, attached to a simple leather cord. The lens feels strangely cold to the touch.

While wearing this monocle, you gain the following benefits:

You have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check made to find secret doors, hidden compartments, or pressure-sensitive traps.
If you are hiding and have not moved since the end of your last turn, any creature that attempts to find you has disadvantage on its Wisdom (Perception) check to do so.

The monocle has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. You can expend its charges to gain the following benefits:

Glimpse of Passage: As an action, you can expend 1 charge and focus on an object or a door. You gain a fleeting vision of the last creature to touch it within the last 24 hours. The vision is a hazy, grey silhouette and does not reveal identity, but it clearly indicates the direction the creature was heading after the interaction.
Sudden Misfortune: When another creature you can see within 30 feet makes an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend 1 charge and impose disadvantage on that roll. The magic of the monocle manifests as a moment of bad luck for the target, such as a sudden distracting noise, a tool slipping, or a gust of wind.

Knave

Burglar’s Smoked Glass Item Slot: 1

A shard of smoky, warped glass bound in tarnished copper wire. It hums with a faint, cold energy and makes the world look distorted and shadowed.

Passive: When looking through the lens, your vision is filled with a thousand details of passage and use. You automatically notice scuff marks, worn floorboards, faint handprints on walls, and other signs of recent traffic. You have a +5 bonus to any save made to spot subtle physical traps like tripwires or pressure plates.
Active (At-Will): Gaze at a door, chest, or other container. The GM will give you a one-word, psychic clue about its current state or contents, such as “TRAPPED,” “EMPTY,” “HEAVY,” “RECENT,” or “STUCK.” Each time you use this ability after the first in the same day, you must pass a Willpower save or suffer a disadvantage on all Willpower saves for the next hour due to mounting paranoia.
Active (Once per day): Stare at a creature through the glass and curse them. The next time that creature must make a Dexterity save to avoid falling, tripping, or dropping a held item, they automatically fail. This cannot cause direct damage.

Fate Core

The Glass of Misted Fortunes

This is an Extra, a physical object that grants specific capabilities. To gain its benefits, a character must acquire it and can choose to tie one of their character aspects to it or use a free stunt slot.

Item Aspect: Eye for Unseen Paths & Ill Luck

This aspect represents the monocle’s dual nature. The character’s connection to the strange, warped lens allows them to perceive the world differently, seeing subtle clues and possibilities others miss, while also drawing their attention to omens and potential misfortunes.

Invoking this Aspect: A player can spend a Fate Point to invoke this aspect for a +2 bonus or a reroll on a roll related to:
- Overcome: Spotting a hidden passage, noticing a subtle trap, or finding a misplaced object.
- Create an Advantage: Placing a situational aspect like Conveniently Deep Shadows or Recently Traveled Route on a scene by using their Notice or Investigate skill.
- Defend: Using Stealth to disappear from sight when standing still.
Compelling this Aspect: The GM can offer a Fate Point to compel this aspect, causing a complication:
- The user might see a terrible omen, forcing them to hesitate at a critical moment.
- The monocle might show a “path” that leads directly into a different, unforeseen danger.
- The user might become so focused on a minor misfortune that they miss a larger, more obvious threat.

Item Stunt: Weave Misfortune

Effect: Once per session, when another character succeeds on a roll, you can spend a Fate Point to describe how you use the monocle to create a minor, distracting accident that affects them. That character must immediately reroll their action, taking the new result. This must be justifiable in the narrative (e.g., they slip on a strangely damp spot, a tool inexplicably jams, a bird distracts them at the last second).

Numenera & Cypher System

The Perceptory Lens

This device appears to be a simple, hand-ground lens made of some smoky, crystalline material, held in a crude frame of tarnished copper wire. The lens is not perfectly clear and seems to warp the light passing through it. To the touch, it is unnaturally cool.

Level: 4 Form: A single, handheld lens on a leather cord. Effect: The world viewed through the Perceptory Lens is subtly distorted. The wearer gains an asset on all tasks involving visual perception to spot hidden or secret things (such as concealed doors, subtle traps, or a person hiding in shadows).

In addition, the user can focus the lens to activate one of two specific functions:

Echo of Passage (Action): The user can focus on an object or entryway for a full round. On their next turn, they can make an Intellect-based roll (difficulty 2) to receive a brief, hazy, silent vision of the last creature to have touched or passed through it within the last 28 hours. The vision reveals the creature’s general shape and the direction it was headed.
Jinx (Action): The user can focus on a creature within short range. This is an Intellect-based task against the target’s level. If successful, the target’s next action is hindered by one step due to a minor, improbable accident affecting them or their immediate environment. Depletion: 1 in 1d20. (If the item depletes, the lens cracks and becomes non-functional).

Pathfinder

Burglar’s Warped Monocle (Item 3) Uncommon Divination Invested Magical Price 60 gp Usage worn eyepiece; Bulk —

This simple monocle features a warped, smoky gray lens set in a tarnished copper wire frame. The lens feels unnaturally cold, and looking through it makes the edges of your vision seem to soften and blur.

When you invest the monocle, you gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to find traps and secret doors, and a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks.

Activate [one-action] concentrate; Frequency once per 10 minutes; Effect You focus through the lens on a single door, container, or other entryway. You learn the direction the last creature to use or operate the object traveled for up to 1 minute after the interaction. This gives you no information about the creature itself, only its path of movement.

Activate [reaction] envision; Frequency once per day; Trigger A creature within 30 feet that you can see fails a skill check; Effect You twist the lens, focusing a sliver of misfortune on the target. The failure becomes a critical failure.

Savage Worlds

The Jinxman’s Glass

This strange artifact is a single lens of smoky, warped glass held in a crude copper wire wrapping on a leather cord. It feels cold to the touch and emits a barely perceptible hum. It is a source of great comfort to thieves and a source of great annoyance to their targets.

Bonuses: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Notice rolls to discover hidden objects, secret passages, or traps. When in dim or darker lighting, the wearer gains a +1 bonus to their Stealth skill as long as they remain still.
Powers: The Jinxman’s Glass holds the Darksight and Jinx powers.
- Power Points: 10
- Activation: The wearer can activate these powers using their Spirit die as their arcane skill roll.
- Darksight (2 PP): As written. The user can see in the dark.
- Jinx (2 PP): This is a custom power for this item. Range: Smarts x 2. Duration: Instant. The user makes a Spirit roll opposed by the target’s Spirit. If successful, the target suffers a minor, distracting accident. They are Distracted. With a raise, they are Vulnerable as well. Trappings for this power are always subtle and appear accidental: a sudden gust of wind, a misplaced step, a tool slipping, a loud and distracting noise.

Shadowrun

The Farsight Monocle

This is a piece of antique optical gear, a simple monocle retrofitted with a modern smartlink system. The lens itself, however, is a sliver of polished obsidian that predates the Awakening. It is cool to the touch and resonates faintly in the Astral. Magicians see it as a swirling vortex of gray and purple energy.

Type: Magical Focus / Optical Device Rating: 2 Availability: 12R Cost: 24,000 nuyen Bonding Cost: 4 Karma

Standard Functions: As an optical device, this monocle provides Vision Enhancement Rating 2 and a Smartlink system.

Focus Functions: For a magic user who has bonded the focus, its true abilities become available.

Divination Focus: The monocle acts as a Rating 2 Focus for all spells of the Detection category. The user adds 2 dice to their Spellcasting or Ritual Spellcasting dice pool when casting these spells.
Weave Misfortune: As a Minor Action, the user may spend 1 point of Edge to focus their ill will on a single target they can see. The next time that target makes a Test, they cannot use Edge to Explode the Dice (the “Rule of Six” does not apply to their roll). This effect lasts until the target’s next Test or the end of the combat turn. The manifestation of the misfortune should be narrated as a minor, unlucky accident.

Starfinder

Precursor’s Insight Lens

Level 5; Price 2,900 credits; Bulk — System Worn; Armor Type No armor

Description: This strange device consists of a lens ground from some unknown, smoky crystal, housed in an antique copper frame that has been retrofitted with a modern micro-battery and a port for connecting it to a personal comm unit or armor system. The crystal contains motes of silver light that swirl slowly. It is considered a hybrid item.

Mechanics:

The wearer gains a +2 insight bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks.
The lens can be connected to an armor system’s helmet or a comm unit. When connected, it can record and play back anything seen through it, and grants the user the effects of darkvision (60 feet).
Echo of Passage (1/day): As a standard action, the wearer can focus on an inanimate object. They receive a brief, silent mental snapshot of the last living creature to handle that object within the last week. The vision clearly reveals the creature’s species and general appearance (what they were wearing, etc).
Entropic Jinx (3/day): As a reaction when an enemy you can see within 60 feet hits with an attack roll, you can force that enemy to reroll the attack and use the second result.

Traveller

Ancients-Era “Oracle” Ocular Device

This device is a rare and poorly understood artifact of a precursor race, designated only as the “Ancients.” It is a single, feather-light lens made of a non-reflective, crystalline polymer that seems to bond to the user’s skin around the eye via a microscopic bio-adhesive. It has no discernible power source and appears to function by interpreting the user’s bio-signature and brainwave patterns. This is not a piece of standard equipment and is typically only found in the hands of secretive organizations or recovered from deep-space ruins.

Tech Level: 16 (Precursor) Mass: — Cost: Effectively priceless; Not available for purchase.

Effects: The device acts as a sophisticated analytical and probability-prediction engine, feeding its conclusions to the user as flashes of intuition or “gut feelings.”

The wearer gains DM+1 on all Investigate and Perception checks.
Pathfinder Analysis: By spending one minute studying a location, the user can make an Investigate (10+) check. Success reveals the most frequently used path through that area over the last 24 hours. This can reveal patrol routes or the location of hidden doors.
Motor-Interrupt Jinx (1/day): The user may designate one target they can see. The device emits a focused, low-frequency sonic pulse targeted at the subject’s inner ear. The target must make a Difficult (10+) Endurance check. On a failure, they suffer DM-2 to all Dexterity-based skill checks for the next 10 minutes due to profound vertigo and clumsiness. Even on a success, they suffer DM-1 for one minute. This effect is completely silent.
Neural Strain: The device puts a significant strain on an unadapted human nervous system. For every continuous hour of use, the Traveller must make a Routine (6+) Endurance check or suffer 1D3 damage from severe headaches and disorientation.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

The Soothsayer’s Crooked Glass

This is a single, warped lens of smoky glass, bound in a grimy copper wire frame that is stained green with verdigris. The glass is unnervingly cold and seems to mutter constantly, a sound only the wearer can hear, speaking in a sibilant language that is not of this world. It is a potent, if dangerous, magical artifact.

Properties: Magical, Rare, Tainted Lore (Magic): The Soothsayer’s Crooked Glass is steeped in the Wind of Ulgu, the Purple Wind of shadow and deception.

Effects: An individual who wears the Crooked Glass gains the following benefits and drawbacks:

Second Sight: The wearer gains the Second Sight Talent. If they already possess this Talent, they instead may reroll any failed Perception Test made to perceive magic or the supernatural.
Glimpse of Malice: Once per day, the wearer may focus on a single character or creature. They learn that target’s primary short-term motivation or emotion (e.g., Greed, Fear, Vengeance, Ambition). This requires a successful Challenging (+0) Willpower Test.
Twist the Skein: Once per session, the wearer can curse a target they can see. The next time that target fails a Test, they suffer an additional -2 SL to their result. The manifestation of this curse should be narrated as a piece of profound bad luck.

Corruption: The whispers from the lens are the promises and lies of things that dwell in shadow. Any time the wearer fails a Test while using one of the Glass’s abilities, or at any dramatically appropriate moment of failure or stress, the GM may require them to make a Challenging (+0) Cool Test. If they fail, they gain 1 Corruption point as the insidious whispers find purchase in their mind.