Gauntlet of the Seers Hand 81 – GearAscendancy.com

Lore This artifact is the unique creation of a specific artisan from the long-lost Order of the Timeless Gaze. This seer, known as Veylara’s Hand, was not only a diviner but also the Order’s chief scribe, tasked with recording the fleeting, fragmented visions revealed by the Order’s magic. Frustrated by the fallibility of memory and the slowness of a mortal hand, the scribe sought a new way. They meticulously crafted a single gauntlet from shadowhide leather, enchanting it for supernatural dexterity, and then took the forbidden step of fusing a smaller, personal Crystal of Reflection directly into its back. The result is this gauntlet, a perfect fusion of perception and action, designed to allow the wearer’s hand to automatically transcribe or sketch the past as the crystal reveals it.

Description This is a single, supple gauntlet, not one of a pair, covering the hand and forearm in dark, whisper-quiet shadowhide leather. It is stitched with intricate lines of silver arcane filigree that seem to channel energy toward the back of the hand. Set upon this junction is a large, flawless, faceted crystal that pulses with a captive, rippling inner blue fire. The gauntlet feels unnervingly light and contours perfectly to the wearer’s arm, the fingers moving with an unnatural, fluid silence.

Stats Slot: Armwear (1 slot) Weight: 1.0 lbs Rarity: Rare Tier: 2 Dexterity: +2 Intelligence: +1 Requirements: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10

Tags:

Divination, Historical Insight, Mysterious Artifact, Ancient Magic, Time Essence, Seer Legacy, Memory Overload, Mental Strain, Past Visions, Gloves, Enchanted, Dexterity, Skill Enhancement, Agility, Precision, Finesse, Quickness, Manual Mastery, Tier 2, Singular, Merged, Hybrid Item, Scribe’s Tool, Automatic Writing, Lore Item, Psychometric, Holographic Projection, Mental Focus

Multiple Passives Magic

Enhanced Dexterity: The gauntlet’s enchantments grant the wearer a permanent +2 bonus to their Dexterity attribute.
Seer’s Acumen: The crystal’s constant, low-level hum sharpens the wearer’s mind, granting them a +1 bonus on all Investigation and History skill checks.
Reflexive Insight: The fusion of dexterity and divination enhances the wearer’s perceptive abilities. The wearer gains a +1 bonus on all Perception skill checks.

Multiple Active Magics

Glimpse the Past: Once per day, the wearer can use an action to concentrate on a specific, willing creature, object, or location they are touching with the gauntleted hand. The crystal on the gauntlet’s back projects a vivid, 3D holographic, silent vision of one significant past event related to the target. The vision lasts for one minute.
Automatic Scribe: If the wearer activates Glimpse the Past while their gauntleted hand is holding a pen, stylus, or other writing implement, the gauntlet moves with supernatural speed and precision. It will automatically write down any text, transcribe any spoken words (in the language they were spoken), or sketch maps and symbols it “sees” in the vision with perfect, photographic accuracy. The wearer has no conscious control over this transcription.
Memory Influx: Activating Glimpse the Past is mentally taxing. Upon the vision’s completion, the wearer is flooded with alien memories and emotions. The wearer must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they suffer one level of temporary madness (such as disorientation, paranoia, or memory loss) that lasts for 10 minutes.

Specific Slot Worn Item (arm)

Item Hit Points (IHP)

The Gauntlet of the Seer’s Hand 81, as a Tier 2 magical artifact, possesses its own pool of magical integrity, referred to as Item Hit Points (IHP). This pool represents the item’s magical durability when it is specifically targeted by attacks, spells, or effects intended to sunder or disable it.

This gauntlet has 20 IHP (a baseline of 10 x its Tier Level).

If an attacker specifically targets the gauntlet (instead of the wearer) and deals enough damage to reduce its IHP to 0, the magic is disabled. The flawless crystal on the back of the hand becomes opaque and cloudy, and the arcane filigree stitching goes dark. All magical properties cease to function: the +2 Dexterity and +1 Intelligence bonuses vanish, the passive skill bonuses to Investigation, History, and Perception fade, and the Glimpse the Past and Automatic Scribe abilities can no longer be activated. The item becomes an inert, though exceptionally well-made, leather gauntlet.

Item Repair

Repairing the Gauntlet of the Seer’s Hand 81 after its magic has been disabled (IHP reduced to 0) is a highly specialized task. The intricate fusion of precision-based dexterity magic and complex, time-based divination magic cannot be mended by a common blacksmith or enchanter.

Seek Specialized Knowledge: The item must be brought to an artisan who is proficient in both Arcane Enchanting and Divination magic. Such individuals are rare, most likely found in reclusive seer enclaves, ancient magical libraries, or major arcane universities.
Gather Reagents: The artisan will require components to re-awaken both magical essences and re-link them. This typically requires:
- One Spool of Arcane Filigree Wire: To magically re-stitch the pathways between the crystal (the “eye”) and the fingers (the “hand”).
- One Vial of Distilled Time Essence: A rare alchemical substance used to polish the “inner lens” of the divination crystal, clearing it of the magical damage.
Perform the Ritual: The artisan must perform a 10-minute ritual (similar to ritual attunement). This process involves meticulously re-threading the filigree wire from the crystal to each fingertip while simultaneously channeling divination magic into the crystal. This re-establishes the connection, restoring the item to its full 20 IHP and re-awakening all of its magical properties.

If the gauntlet is physically destroyed (for example, if the Crystal of Reflection is shattered, or the gauntlet is disintegrated), it is considered permanently lost, as the unique magical fusion cannot be replicated.

The Gauntlet of the Seer’s Hand 81 is a Tier 2 artifact of unique and specialized power. It is not a weapon of war, but a tool of intelligence, history, and precision. Its value is not just in its stat bonuses, but in its unparalleled ability to perfectly record the past. Therefore, it would only be found in highly specialized markets where knowledge, secrets, or unique enchantments are the primary currency.

Here are the types of shops where this item might be bought or sold:

1. The Scriptorium of the Unseen

Location: Tucked away on a high, quiet floor of a Great Library or Arcane University in a major metropolis.
Description: This shop is less a store and more an antiquarian’s archive, run by a meticulous gestalt-mind specializing in lost lore and divination tools. The air is dry and smells of ancient parchment, rare inks, and the faint, cold scent of ozone from the divination magic. The shop is silent, with all transactions handled via written notes or quiet telepathy to avoid disturbing the “memories” stored in the items.
Cost: 900 Gold Pieces. The proprietors fully understand its function as a perfect transcription tool for historical research. They price it high, seeing it as the ultimate academic implement.
How to Buy/Sell:
- To Buy: A potential buyer must first prove their scholarly intent and meet the Intelligence and Wisdom requirements. The proprietors will not sell to a “common adventurer” or “brute” they feel would misuse the gauntlet for base purposes. The sale is a formal, academic transaction.
- To Sell: The proprietors would be fascinated. They would offer 700 gold, but more enticingly, they might offer a trade: the gauntlet in exchange for a permanent, unrestricted key to the university’s “Forbidden” or “Hidden” archives, a value far exceeding mere coin.

2. The Gilded Iris

Location: A high-end, exclusive “information broker” in a city known for political intrigue. The shop front is disguised as a luxury optician’s office, selling intricate lenses, spyglasses, and monocles.
Description: The back room, accessible only by a secret password and a magical scan, is where true secrets are sold. The proprietor is an enigmatic Zaf-Amra noble who deals in artifacts that can acquire information. The room is protected by anti-divination wards and silence spells.
Cost: 1,300 Gold Pieces. This proprietor knows the item’s true worth is not in academia, but in espionage. The ability to touch a rival’s desk and get a perfect, sketched copy of their secret plans is almost priceless. The price is astronomical, reflecting its utility in the “great game.”
How to Buy/Sell:
- To Buy: A buyer must be from a recognized (or wealthy) political faction, spy ring, or criminal organization. Payment is demanded upfront. The proprietor will demonstrate the item once on an inert object before handing it over.
- To Sell: The proprietor would be highly suspicious. They would offer 1,000 gold but would insist on using a Zone of Truth spell or telepathic probe on the seller to learn what they saw and where they got it before any payment is made. Selling this item here is dangerous, as the proprietor is buying both the item and the information it has recently acquired.

3. The Seer’s Sanctum

Location: A mystical stall in a magical bazaar, or a hidden temple-shop on an island known for its oracles and diviners.
Description: This shop is run by a genuine Seer, perhaps an Anuran mystic who can perceive emotional auras. The shop is filled with incense, reflecting crystals, star-charts, and other divination tools. The proprietor is less interested in coin and more in the “psychic weight” of the items they trade.
Cost: 750 Gold Pieces, or a “Great Favor.” The Seer finds the item’s mental-strain drawback to be a significant liability and a source of “psychic noise.” They are eager to part with it, as it disrupts their own divinations.
How to Buy/Sell:
- To Buy: The Seer will not sell to anyone they perceive as having a “weak” or “unstable” mind (a low Wisdom score). They would warn the buyer of the mental dangers, and the sale would feel more like an adoption of a dangerous-but-useful tool.
- To Sell: The Seer would be hesitant to buy it, claiming it “screams with too many voices.” They would offer a low price in gold (perhaps 500) but would be more willing to trade it for a “quiet” item, such as a large quantity of enchanted rations, bolts of rare silk, or a powerful, non-sentient defensive item.

4. The Master’s Glovemaker

Location: An artisan’s workshop in a high-class district.
Description: This shop is run by a master enchanter who specializes only in gloves, gauntlets, and hand-based magical items. The proprietor is an artisan first and a merchant second. They are obsessed with items that enhance the “art of the hand.”
Cost: 800 Gold Pieces. The proprietor does not fully grasp the divination aspect but is in awe of the +2 Dexterity and the Automatic Scribe function, seeing it as the ultimate tool for an artisan, a cartographer, or a magical calligrapher.
How to Buy/Sell:
- To Buy: The proprietor would happily sell to anyone who appreciates its craftsmanship. They would spend 20 minutes excitedly explaining the quality of the shadowhide leather and the flawless, fluid motion of the finger joints.
- To Sell: This is the safest place to sell. The artisan would offer 650 Gold in cash, or 750 in-store credit. They are not interested in the item’s history or what it has seen; they are purely interested in its magical engineering as a tool of dexterity.

This item, the Gauntlet of the Seer’s Hand 81, is a unique artifact where its defensive and offensive capabilities are almost entirely subtle and indirect. It is not a weapon of war but a tool of supreme information and precision. Its roleplay in a conflict is not about brute force, but about acting with impossible speed, perception, and foreknowledge.

In an Urban/City Environment

Offensive Roleplay: The wearer’s “offense” is one of quiet, lethal precision. The +2 Dexterity bonus is roleplayed as an unnatural fluidity of movement. In an alley fight, the wearer doesn’t brawl; they move with the grace of a dancer. If they wield a dagger, the gauntlet guides their hand to strike at an exposed buckle or a gap in a guard’s armor. The primary “offensive” use is informational. Before a confrontation, the wearer might touch the door handle of a target’s safehouse. Later, they activate Glimpse the Past and watch the target’s hand enter the passcode. The Automatic Scribe then perfectly sketches the keypad and the sequence, allowing the wearer to bypass all defenses. This is an offensive act of infiltration, not combat.
Defensive Roleplay: This is where the gauntlet truly shines in a city. The +1 Perception bonus is roleplayed as a constant, low-level thrum from the crystal, feeding the wearer’s subconscious. The wearer’s head snaps up a second before an assassin on a rooftop draws a bead. They roleplay the +2 Dexterity bonus by noticing and reacting in one fluid motion, the gauntlet pulling their arm to deflect a blow or letting them dive behind a cart as a crossbow bolt thwacks into the wall where they just were. After a crime, the gauntlet is a key defensive tool. An ally is accused of murder. The wearer touches the murder weapon. They activate Glimpse the Past and see a vision of the real killer’s face. This is a defense of their ally’s life and reputation.

In a Dungeon/Underground Environment

Offensive Roleplay: The “offense” here is against the dungeon itself. The +2 Dexterity bonus is roleplayed as the gauntlet’s fingers moving with surgical precision. The wearer doesn’t just “try to disarm a trap”; they roleplay laying their gauntleted hand on the mechanism, the crystal pulsing as the +1 Investigation bonus helps them understand the trap. The gauntlet’s fingers then delicately snip the wire or jam the gear with a single, perfect motion. Against creatures, it’s about using a shortbow in a narrow hall, the gauntlet’s magic ensuring a perfect, silent shot.
Defensive Roleplay: The gauntlet is the party’s ultimate early warning system. The +1 Perception bonus is roleplayed as the crystal glowing faintly in the presence of a hidden pressure plate or a nearly-invisible tripwire. The +2 Dexterity bonus to saving throws is roleplayed as the wearer’s unnatural reflexes allowing them to dance over a collapsing floor or press themselves flat against a wall as scything blades emerge, their gauntlet having warned them a split-second before. They can use Glimpse the Past on a strange, blood-stained altar to see the last person who touched it and the ritual they performed, gaining vital, defensive information about the room’s magic or guardian.

In a Wilderness/Forest Environment

Offensive Roleplay: The gauntlet makes the wearer a perfect hunter. The +2 Dexterity bonus applies to their Stealth skill, roleplayed as the supple shadowhide leather making their movements utterly silent. Their “offense” is a single, perfectly-placed arrow from a bow, their gauntleted hand drawing the string with a smooth, precise motion that doesn’t waver. The crystal’s +1 Perception helps them spot the weakest animal in a pack or the sentry who is least alert.
Defensive Roleplay: The +1 Perception bonus is roleplayed as the crystal thrumming in warning before the wearer steps into a snare or a pit trap. It allows them to spot an ambushing pack of wolves in the underbrush before the animals spring. The most powerful defensive use is informational. The party finds a ravaged campsite. The wearer touches a broken wagon wheel and activates Glimpse the Past. They receive a one-minute, holographic vision of the attack: a band of 15 orcs. The Automatic Scribe sketches the orcs’ banner. Now the party is no longer surprised; they are armed with defensive knowledge of their enemy’s numbers and identity, all from a single touch.

In a Social/Intrigue Environment

This is the gauntlet’s true battlefield. It has no peers here.

Offensive Roleplay: The wearer is the ultimate spy. They are at a “peace” negotiation. The rival duke slides a new treaty across the table. The wearer “accidentally” touches it with their gauntleted hand as they read. Later that night, in private, they activate Glimpse the Past. They don’t see the duke; they see the duke’s spymaster, one hour prior, applying a slow-acting contact poison to the parchment. The gauntlet’s “offense” just saved their own delegation and uncovered a plot. In another scenario, they shake a rival’s hand, activate the Glimpse, and the Automatic Scribe sketches the secret map the rival was holding just ten minutes ago.
Defensive Roleplay: The wearer is presented with a gift, a beautiful jeweled box. The giver is all smiles. The wearer accepts it with their gauntleted hand. A prickle of warning from the crystal (+1 Investigation/Perception) makes them wary. They retire to their chambers and activate Glimpse the Past on the box. They are shown a clear vision of an assassin meticulously rigging a poison-needle trap into the clasp. The gauntlet’s defensive power is not in blocking a sword, but in revealing the dagger before it is ever drawn.

Perception of Activation:

Sight

User’s Perspective: The wearer sees the intricate silver filigree, stitched into the shadowhide, flash with a brilliant, cold-blue light. This light travels from the forearm and fingers, coalescing in the large, faceted crystal on the back of the hand. The crystal itself flares from within, its “captive, rippling fire” intensifying into a focused, steady, internal beacon.
Observer’s Perspective: An observer sees a sudden, silent flash of blue-white light trace the patterns on the user’s gauntlet. The crystal on the back of the hand begins to glow brightly, pulsing with a slow, steady, hypnotic blue light, casting faint ripples of light on nearby surfaces. If Glimpse the Past is activated, a silent, 3D holographic image projects from the crystal’s facets.
Positives: Provides a clear, unambiguous visual confirmation that the item is active. The light from the crystal is steady enough to be examined.
Negatives: This activation is completely overt. It is impossible to use stealthily, as the flash of light and subsequent glow are as obvious as lighting a torch. It draws immediate attention from anyone nearby.

Sound

User’sPerspective: The wearer hears a high-frequency, crystalline chiming sound. It doesn’t seem to enter their ears but rather resonates directly inside their skull. It is a pure, single, sustained note that sharpens their focus.
Observer’s Perspective: Those within a few feet will hear a faint, high-pitched shing or vweem, like a wet finger being run around the rim of a crystal glass. It is very quiet but distinct in a silent environment.
Positives: The sound is clear and “clean” to the user, centering their mind for the mental tasks of investigation and perception.
Negatives: The unnatural, high-frequency sound, while faint, can alert perceptive creatures (like animals or sentries) that magic is being used.

Smell

User’s Perspective: A sharp, sterile scent rises from the gauntlet, like the air just before a lightning strike or the smell of cold, clean ozone. It smells “cold” and metallic, completely lacking in any organic odor.
Observer’s Perspective: An observer standing very close might catch a faint whiff of ozone, similar to a new piece of technology being powered on.
Positives: The sharp, clean scent is invigorating and helps cut through mental fog, contributing to the item’s purpose of perception and investigation.
Negatives: The smell is unnatural and can be a tell-tale sign of active magic.

Touch

User’s Perspective: The gauntlet itself becomes noticeably cold. The crystal feels like a piece of ice pressed against the skin. Simultaneously, the shadowhide leather seems to tighten almost imperceptibly, feeling less like a glove and more like a second skin. The most distinct sensation is one of unnatural lightness and fluidity in their gauntleted hand, as if all friction and weight have been removed from its joints.
Observer’s Perspective: No physical change is visible, though if the Automatic Scribe function activates, the observer will see the user’s hand move with unsettling, inhuman speed and precision.
Positives: The feeling of lightness and precision gives the wearer a massive boost in confidence for any dexterity-based task.
Negatives: The sudden, intense cold can be jarring. If the Automatic Scribe function is used, the sensation of losing control of one’s own hand—feeling it move with its own will—is deeply unnerving.

Taste

User’s Perspective: The wearer experiences a faint, mineral taste at the back of their throat, like tasting cold spring water or putting a piece of quartz in their mouth.
Observer’s Perspective: Not applicable.
Positives: It is a minor, non-distracting sensory cue that confirms the activation.
Negatives: The metallic, mineral taste can be slightly unpleasant.

Extra-Sensory Perception: Mental Focus

User’s Perspective: The wearer’s mind feels like it has been “wiped clean” and “zoomed in.” Distracting thoughts, ambient emotions, and background noise seem to fade into nothingness. Their entire consciousness narrows to a sharp, cold point of focus, allowing them to notice minute details (the +1 Perception) and recall obscure facts (the +1 History/Investigation) with perfect clarity.
Observer’s Perspective: A magically-sensitive observer (using Mind’s Eye, for example) would see the user’s aura, which might normally be a broad, warm field, suddenly “snap” into a cold, needle-sharp, bright blue cone of focused energy.
Positives: This “hyper-focus” is the source of the gauntlet’s skill bonuses, allowing for incredible feats of perception and deduction.
Negatives: While in this state, the wearer is so focused on the details that they can lose track of the bigger picture. They might perfectly analyze the runes on a trap’s trigger but fail to notice the guard walking up behind them.

Extra-Sensory Perception: Temporal Echo (The “Memory Influx”)

User’s Perspective: When activating Glimpse the Past, this is the most powerful and dangerous sensation. The wearer doesn’t just see the holographic vision; they feel a cold, psychic echo of the events. They feel the anger of the person who held the object, the fear of the person who died in the room, or the cold, alien thoughts of the creature that was there. This is the “influx of memories and emotions.”
Observer’s Perspective: A telepathic observer would feel a sudden, chaotic “burst” of psychic static from the user—a confusing jumble of emotions and images that are not their own.
Positives: This emotional echo is what provides the true context for the vision, allowing the user to understand why something happened, not just what happened.
Negatives: This is the source of the temporary madness. The wearer’s mind is flooded with alien, often traumatic, experiences that are not their own. This can cause disorientation, paranoia, and a crisis of identity, as they struggle to separate their own feelings from the psychic residue they just absorbed.

Ritual of the Seer’s Agile Hand

This delicate and mentally taxing ritual is used to merge an item of pure physical grace with a potent, time-based divination tool. The process requires a steady hand and a sharp mind, as it binds the magic of fluid motion to the magic of static, recorded memory, creating a single artifact that can perceive and record the past with unnatural speed.

Items Merged

1x Enchanted Gauntlets of Dexterity (Tier 1, a pair)
1x Crystal of Reflection (Tier 1)

Additional Materials Needed

1x Perfect Sheet of Shadowhide Leather: The original leather of the gauntlets is insufficient. A new, higher-quality vessel is needed to house the Tier 2 magic.
1x Spool of Silver-Weave Arcane Filigree: This magically conductive thread is necessary to create the new magical circuits that link the crystal to the gauntlet’s fingers.
1x Vial of Alchemical Quicksilver: Used as a magical solvent to break down the original dexterity enchantment and prepare it for fusion.
3x Drops of “Seer’s Lacrima” (Tears of a Seer): A rare and potent divination reagent, used as the binding agent to “awaken” the crystal and force it to attune to the dexterity magic.

Tools Required

Enchanting Altar: A stable, warded surface required for all magical infusion and fusion.
Masterwork Leatherworking Kit: For the precise cutting and stitching of the shadowhide leather.
Arcane Inscriber’s Kit: A set of delicate, magically-charged needles and tools used to weave the arcane filigree.
Diviner’s Lens Kit: A set of specialized clamps and crystal-handling tools used to hold and align the Crystal of Reflection without accidentally triggering its visions.

Skill Requirements

Master Leatherworking: To craft the new gauntlet form from the shadowhide.
Arcane Enchanting: To manage the volatile process of disenchanting, merging, and stabilizing two distinct magical auras.
Arcana Proficiency: To understand the theoretical compatibility between enchantment and divination magic.
Divination Proficiency (or high Wisdom): Required to handle the Crystal of Reflection and the Seer’s Lacrima without being overwhelmed by a psychic backlash (a premature Memory Influx).

Crafting Steps

Deconstruction of Dexterity: The Enchanted Gauntlets of Dexterity (the pair) are placed on the Enchanting Altar. The crafter must carefully un-stitch them and place their components into a bowl with the Alchemical Quicksilver. This ritually dissolves the leather but draws out the “Essence of Agility” from both gauntlets, which is absorbed into the quicksilver, making it glow faintly.
Crafting the Vessel: Using the Masterwork Leatherworking Kit, the crafter must meticulously cut and stitch the Perfect Sheet of Shadowhide Leather into the form of a single, flawless gauntlet.
Weaving the Circuits: The crafter uses the Arcane Inscriber’s Kit to hand-stitch the Silver-Weave Arcane Filigree into the new gauntlet. This is the most time-consuming step, creating a complex web of magical “nerves” that run from a nexus on the back of the hand down to the fingertips.
Setting the Focus: Using the Diviner’s Lens Kit, the Crystal of Reflection is carefully lifted and placed onto the nexus of filigree on the gauntlet’s back. The crafter must align its facets perfectly with the magical pathways, a process requiring immense precision.
The Fusion Ritual: This step must be performed without interruption.
- The crafter pours the glowing Quicksilver/Agility Essence (from Step 1) over the gauntlet. The essence is drawn into the silver filigree, which flares with a bright, pale light.
- The crafter must then immediately use the Seer’s Lacrima, dropping the three tears onto the surface of the crystal.
- As the tears touch the crystal, it will activate violently, attempting to “glimpse” the past of the agility essence. The crafter must use Arcane Enchanting to seize this moment, performing the binding chant that forces the two magics to see each other as one.
Stabilization: A flash of cold, blue light erupts from the crystal, and the gauntlet’s fingers will twitch and clench on their own. The crafter must maintain the ritual until this ceases, and the crystal’s light settles into its signature, slow, rippling pulse. The Gauntlet of the Seer’s Hand 81 is now complete.

Hand That Writes the Before-Time

In the long past, in the old time before the islands had names, there were the See-People. These ones sat in a dark place, under the big tree. They did not look at now. They looked at what-was-before. They had a big See-Stone, a crystal. It showed them the shadow-pictures of the old days. The old kings, the old fights, the gods when they walked.

There was one man with the See-People. He was not a See-Person. He was the Word-Man. His name, it is lost. Maybe it was… Kelen. His job was to write what was seen.

But the See-Stone, it was fast. The shadow-pictures, they run like quick water. Kelen’s hand was slow. He was a good Word-Man, but just a man. He would see a king’s face, but as he write, the face was gone. He would hear the old words, but as he write, the words were gone. Kelen was full of big sad. “The truth is lost,” he say. “My hand is a slow, stupid cow. The truth is a fast bird.”

Kelen wanted a fast hand. He leave the See-People. He walk the world. He find a man who make magic gloves. Gloves of shadow-hide. They are called the… Quick-Hands. He put them on. His fingers, they dance. They move like wind. He can pick a lock, he can catch a fly. He is happy. He has his fast hands.

He go back to the See-People. He sit by the big See-Stone. The shadow-pictures run. Kelen, his hands are fast! He writes. He writes very much. But… it is not enough. His eyes see, but his hands are still… dumb. His fast hands write fast, but they write his words, not the true words. The shadow-pictures are still too fast for his mind to tell the hand.

Kelen is more sad. “My hand is fast, but my head is slow,” he say. “The truth is lost.”

Then Kelen, he has a big, crazy thought. A bad thought. What if… what if the hand could see? What if the hand could know?

He steal one small See-Stone from the See-People. A small crystal, like the big one. He take his Quick-Hands. He take one glove. The left glove. He take the other glove, the right glove. He put it in a fire. A magic fire. He burn the leather. He pull out the… the quick-spirit. The fast-magic. It is like white light. He push this light-spirit into the left glove. The glove, it shakes. It is now very fast. Double fast.

Then he do the big magic. He take the small See-Stone. He take… threads of sky-fire, the silver-sew-stuff. He sew the See-Stone onto the back of the glove. He sew it into the leather. He sing the old song of binding. He sing the song of “Two-Become-One.”

There is a big noise. A cold, blue fire jumps from the stone. The glove, it stops shaking. It is… quiet. It is one thing now. The Glove. The Stone. The Seer-Hand.

Kelen, he put it on. It is cold. Very cold. His hand feels… not his hand. It feels light. It feels… smart.

He go to the big library of the See-People. He touch a very old, broken pot. He say, “Show me.” He push his magic.

The crystal on his hand, it lights up. It shows the shadow-picture. Kelen see the pot. He see the old man who make the pot. He see the man paint it. Kelen holds his pen in the magic hand.

And… the hand moves.

Kelen does not move it. The hand moves. It moves by itself. It is a ghost-hand. It draws the pot. It draws the old man. It draws perfect. It is faster than Kelen’s eye. It is faster than his thought. The hand is seeing the shadow-picture all by itself. Kelen just watch.

He is so happy! He has the truth! He run. He touch the wall of the old king. The hand writes the king’s words. He touch the broken sword of the old fight. The hand draws the battle. It writes the names of the men who die. For one moon, Kelen writes. He fill one book. Two books. Ten books. He is the best Word-Man ever. He has all the what-was-before.

But… the See-Stone, it is not just pictures. When it show Kelen the sad king, it give Kelen the king’s sad. When it show Kelen the battle, it give Kelen the soldier’s fear.

Kelen’s head, it get… full. Full of other men. Full of other lives. He wake up, and he think he is the old king. He try to eat, and he cry, for he feel the sad of the man who make the pot. His hand, it keep writing. It write stories Kelen does not know. It write of fear. It write of loss. It write of madness.

The See-People, they find him. Kelen is on the floor. He is empty. He just rock. His head is full of “mind-eaters.” His hand, it is still writing in the air. Writing, writing, writing.

They take the gauntlet. They see the ten books. They are full of truth. But they are full of sad. Too much sad. Too much truth. They hide the gauntlet. They hide the books. Kelen, he is lost. He is an empty jar, full of the whole world’s tears.

Moral of the Story: A hand can be quick, and an eye can see, but it is the heart that must hold the truth. If you fill your heart with all the sad of all the world, all at once, your heart will break. It is better to have a slow hand that writes one good word, than a fast hand that writes all the sorrows.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Gauntlet of the Whispering Hand Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement by a creature with an Intelligence of 12 and Wisdom of 10 or higher)

This single, supple gauntlet of dark shadowhide leather is stitched with silver filigree that seems to move. A large, faceted blue crystal is set on the back of the hand, pulsing with a faint, cold light.

Arcane Agility. While wearing this gauntlet, your Dexterity score increases by 2, to a maximum of 20.
Seer’s Acumen. You gain proficiency in the Investigation and History skills. If you are already proficient in either skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks made with that skill.
Glimpse the Past. As an action, you can press the gauntleted hand against a creature, object, or surface and activate the crystal. You must maintain concentration (as if concentrating on a spell) for up to 1 minute. During this time, the crystal projects a silent, holographic vision of a single, significant event from the target’s past (at the DM’s discretion).
Automatic Scribe. If you are holding a writing implement in the gauntleted hand while using Glimpse the Past, the gauntlet moves on its own, perfectly transcribing any text, dialogue, or maps seen within the vision.
Psychic Influx (Curse). After using Glimpse the Past, you must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you are flooded with alien memories and emotions, gaining one level of short-term madness (see Dungeon Master’s Guide, p. 259).

Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition

The Scribe’s Psychometric Glove Artifact (Worn Item)

A single, unblemished black leather gauntlet, unnaturally supple, with a large, faceted blue crystal set on its back. The silver stitching seems to writhe just at the edge of vision.

Enhanced Dexterity: The wearer gains a +20% bonus to Sleight of Hand, Fighting (Brawl), and Firearms (Handgun) checks.
Psychometry (Magic): The wearer may touch an object or location (not a living creature) and spend 10 minutes and 4 Magic Points to activate the crystal. The Keeper will provide a vision of a single, significant event from the item’s past.
The Scribe’s Hand (Magic): If the wearer is holding a pen or pencil during the Psychometry vision, the glove will move of its own accord, writing down or sketching any information from the vision with a History or Art/Craft (Calligraphy/Drafting) skill of 99%.
Mental Intrusion: Using the Psychometry function is dangerous. The user must make a Sanity roll (1/1d6 SAN). If the vision was particularly traumatic (e.g., witnessing a murder or a Mythos event), the roll is (1d4/1d8 SAN). A failure may also result in a temporary bout of madness as the past emotions overwhelm the user.

Blades in the Dark

The Ghost-Writer’s Glove Rare Occult Item, 1 Load

A single, sleek shadow-leather gauntlet with a pulsing blue gem on the back. It feels cold. The silver threads seem to whisper. It was made to record truths that kill.

Mechanics:
- Fine Tool: When you wear this glove, you gain potency on any action where preternatural dexterity is key (e.g., Finesse to pick a high-security lock, Prowl to lift a key).
- Ritual: Glimpse the Past. You can perform a ritual by activating the glove’s crystal and touching an object or place. This is an Attune roll. On a success, the GM will show you a vision of a key event from its past. This costs 1 Stress.
- Automatic Scribe: If you are holding a pen during the ritual, the glove writes or sketches what it sees. You gain +1d to any Study roll made using this transcription.
- Psychic Trauma: When you perform the Glimpse the Past ritual, you are flooded with echoes. You must Resist by rolling your lowest attribute, or suffer Level 2 Harm: “Mentally Broken” (e.g., Disoriented, Paranoid, Lost) as the past overwhelms your mind.

Knave (1st Edition Style)

Seer-Hand Gauntlet Slot: 1 Item Slot (Arm)

A single black leather gauntlet with a glowing blue crystal on its back.

Bonus: You gain a +2 bonus to all Dexterity saves.
Expertise: You gain the History and Investigation skills (if you do not have them, your INT save is treated as 15+ for checks with these skills).
Vision of the Past (1/day): As an action, you can touch an object or place and see a 1-minute, silent vision of a key past event.
Perfect Scribe: If you hold a pen while having a Vision, your hand moves on its own, flawlessly writing or drawing what you see.
Cost: The vision is mentally taxing. After the vision ends, you must make a Wisdom save. If you fail, you are confused (disadvantage on all rolls) for 10 minutes as your mind reels from the psychic overload.

Fate Core

The Aspect-Glass Gauntlet Unique Artifact

Aspects:

Crystal Scribe of Bygone Eras
My Hand is Fast, But My Mind is Flooded
Unnaturally Precise Dexterity

Stunts:

Fluid Motion: Because it provides Unnaturally Precise Dexterity, you gain a +2 bonus to Burglary or Crafts rolls when performing delicate manual tasks (like picking a lock, disarming a trap, or engraving).
Glimpse the Past: Once per session, you can invoke the Crystal Scribe of Bygone Eras aspect for free to receive a vision of a significant past event related to an object or place you are touching. This either reveals a crucial piece of information (a clue, a name, a password) or creates a situation aspect (like Site of a Betrayal) with one free invocation.
Automatic Scribe: When you use Glimpse the Past while holding a writing tool, the gauntlet moves on its own. Instead of a situation aspect, you create a permanent, factual aspect (like a piece of lore or a perfectly copied map) representing the flawless transcription.
Compel (Psychic Influx): Any time you use Glimpse the Past, the GM can compel your My Hand is Fast, But My Mind is Flooded aspect. You are overwhelmed by the emotions and memories of the vision, causing you to hesitate, become confused, or act on a dangerous, alien impulse for a scene.

Numenera & Cypher System

Psychometric Scribe-Glove Artifact

Level: 6 Form: A single, sleek gauntlet made of a dark, supple, unknown synthetic. A large, flawless blue crystal is set on the back of the hand, and silver, conductive threads run from it to the fingertips. Effect:

Passive: The wearer gains an Asset on all Speed-based tasks requiring fine manual dexterity (such as lockpicking, delicate repair, or sleight of hand).
Passive: The wearer gains an Asset on all Intellect-based tasks related to history, investigation, or perception (representing the passive flow of information from the crystal).
Action: The wearer can touch an object or location (not a willing creature) and concentrate to activate the crystal. The GM provides a brief, silent, holographic vision of a significant event from the target’s past.
Enabler (Automatic Scribe): If the wearer is holding a stylus or other marking tool while activating the vision, the gauntlet’s hand moves on its own, perfectly sketching or writing any complex information (maps, text, diagrams) seen in the vision.
Drawback: Each time the Glimpse the Past action is used, the wearer must make an Intellect defense roll (difficulty 4). On a failure, they are dazed for one minute as a flood of alien memories and emotions overwhelms their senses. Depletion: 1-2 on a d20.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition

Gauntlet of the Erudite Hand Item 6, Rare Traits: Magical, Divination, Invested Price: 250 gp Usage: Worn gauntlet (1 hand) Prerequisites: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10

This supple, dark-leather gauntlet has a large, blue-fire crystal on its back, connected to the fingers by silver filigree.

Passive: While invested, this gauntlet grants you a +1 item bonus to your Dexterity modifier and a +1 item bonus to all History, Investigation, and Perception checks.

Activate [Two-Actions] (concentrate, divination)

Frequency: Once per day
Effect: You touch a willing creature, an object, or a location. You receive a 1-minute, silent vision of a single, significant event from its past. The GM determines the event revealed.
Automatic Scribe [Free Action]
- Trigger: You use the gauntlet’s Activate ability while holding a writing instrument.
- Effect: The gauntlet moves on its own, perfectly transcribing any text or sketching any maps or symbols seen in the vision.
Psychic Influx (Curse): After the vision from the Activate ability ends, you must attempt a DC 21 Will save. On a failure, you are Stupefied 1 for 10 minutes from the overwhelming flood of memories.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

Kelen’s Truth-Writing Hand Magical Worn Item

This single, dark leather gauntlet has a large, pulsing blue crystal on its back. It feels unnervingly light.

Rarity: Rare
Requirements: Smarts d6+, Spirit d6+
Bonuses:
- Deft Hands: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to their Agility characteristic.
- Seer’s Acumen: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Investigation, Notice, and Research rolls.
Power: Glimpse the Past (1/day). As an action, the wearer can touch an object or location (not an unwilling creature) to activate the crystal. This functions as the Object Reading power (SWADE p. 165) and is automatically cast with a raise, granting a clear, detailed, silent vision of a significant past event.
Special Ability: Automatic Scribe. If the user is holding a writing implement when Glimpse the Past is used, the gauntlet perfectly records any text, maps, or symbols from the vision.
Drawback: Memory Flood. After the vision ends, the user must make a Spirit roll. On a failure, they are Distracted. On a critical failure, they are Shaken as the flood of alien emotions and memories overwhelms them.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Kelen’s Psychometric Gauntlet Arcane Artifact

This single, dark leather gauntlet is a unique, high-Rating artifact fusing Qi and Hermetic magic. A large, blue-fire crystal is set on the back, connected to the fingers by silver, conductive threads that seem to writhe in the astral.

Availability: 20R
Cost: 120,000 Nuyen
Attunement: 10 Karma
Effects:
- Enhanced Agility (Qi Focus): The gauntlet acts as a Rating 3 Qi Focus, adding +3 dice to all Agility-based skill tests.
- Seer’s Acumen: The crystal sharpens the mind, providing a +1 die to all Logic attribute tests and a +2 dice pool bonus to all Perception and Academics (History) skill tests.
- Glimpse the Past (Major Action): Once per day, the wearer can touch an object or location (not a creature) and make an Assensing + Intuition [Mental] (4) test. On a success, the crystal projects a 1-minute, silent, holographic vision of a significant past event related to the target.
- Automatic Scribe: If the wearer is holding a data stylus or pen while using Glimpse the Past, the gauntlet perfectly records any text or maps seen in the vision onto a connected data slate or piece of paper.
- Psychic Influx (Drawback): After using Glimpse the Past, the wearer must make a Willpower + Logic (3) test. On a failure, they suffer 2 points of Stun damage (biofeedback) and are Confused (apply a -2 dice penalty to all actions) for 1 minute from the mental overload.

Starfinder

Seer-Scribe Gauntlet Hybrid Item Level: 8 Price: 9,100 credits Slot: Hands Bulk: L Requirements: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10

This single, supple gauntlet of shadow-black leather is stitched with silver, conductive filigree. A flawless, faceted crystal on the back pulses with a rippling blue light.

Hybrid Properties: The wearer gains a +2 insight bonus to their Dexterity and Intelligence scores.
Seer’s Acumen: The wearer gains a +2 insight bonus on all Culture (History) and Perception checks.
Glimpse the Past (1/day): As a standard action, you can touch an object, a location, or a willing creature to activate the crystal. You must concentrate for 1 minute, after which the crystal projects a 1-minute, silent, holographic vision of a single, significant event from the target’s past (GM’s discretion).
Automatic Scribe: If you are holding a datapad, stylus, or writing implement while using Glimpse the Past, the gauntlet’s interface perfectly records any text or maps seen in the vision.
Memory Influx (Drawback): After the vision ends, you must succeed at a DC 17 Will save. On a failure, you are flooded with alien memories and become Staggered for 1d4 rounds.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Kelen’s Archive Gauntlet (Ancient Artifact) Personal Gear (Worn), Ancient Artifact TL: 16 (Ancient) Weight: 0.5 kg Cost: Not for sale (Artifact, est. 3,500,000+ Cr) Requirements: INT 9+, EDU 8+

A single, seamless, dark-material gauntlet that perfectly contours to the wearer’s arm. Its surface is stitched with silver, data-conductive threads that meet at a large, blue, crystalline data-port on the back of the hand.

Neuro-Enhancement: The gauntlet interfaces with the user’s nervous system. The wearer gains a +1 DM to all Dexterity and Intellect checks.
Expert System: The gauntlet’s internal database and advanced sensors provide a +1 DM to all Investigate and History (related EDU/INT) skill checks.
Psychometric Record (1/day): As an action, the wearer can touch an object or location. This takes 1 minute of concentration. The gauntlet’s sensors will read the “temporal data” and project a 1-minute, silent, holographic recording of a significant past event. The GM provides the details.
Automatic Scribe: During the playback, the gauntlet’s interface will automatically ‘air-write’ or transcribe to a connected computer or datapad any text or maps seen in the recording with perfect fidelity.
Neural Overload (Drawback): After using the Psychometric Record ability, the wearer must make a Formidable (10+) Intellect check. On a failure, the psychic backlash is disorienting, and they suffer a -2 DM to all actions for the next 10 minutes.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Handschuh des Sehenden Schreibers (Gauntlet of the Seeing Scribe) Magical Worn Item Encumbrance: 1 Availability: Unique Requirements: Intelligence 30+, Willpower 25+

This single, supple glove of shadow-black leather is stitched with shimmering Ithilmar thread. A large, flawless sapphire, pulsing with the Wind of Azyr, is set upon the back.

Properties:
- Supernatural Agility: The wearer gains a +10 bonus to their Agility Characteristic.
- Seer’s Intellect: The wearer gains a +5 bonus to their Intelligence Characteristic.
- Scribe’s Acumen: The wearer gains a +10 bonus to all Tests using the Lore (History) and Perception skills.
Bound Spell: Glimpse the Past (CN 0). Once per day, as an action, the wearer may touch an object or location. They immediately receive a brief, silent, and vivid vision of a single, important event from the target’s past (as determined by the GM).
Automatic Scribe: If the wearer is holding a quill or stylus when Glimpse the Past is used, their hand moves on its own, perfectly transcribing any text or maps seen in the vision. This grants a +2 SL bonus to any subsequent Test made to understand or use this information (e.g., a Lore (History) or Navigate Test).
Curse: Psychic Torrent. After the vision ends, the wearer is flooded with alien memories. They must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. On a failure, they gain 1 Stunned Condition and 1 Broken Condition as their mind is overwhelmed by the experience.