Sovereign All Seeing Vortex 529 – GearAscendancy.com

Lore: The Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 is the culmination of divergent paths of ocular magic: the Imperial appraiser’s pursuit of truth, the shadowmage’s mastery of the void, and the reclusive illusionist’s obsession with sensory capture. It was forged by a Tier 4 Master Artificer who sought to create a tool for the “Grand Inquisitors of the Shifting Sands,” intended to find a single grain of deceit in a desert of honesty. By binding the crystalline Jumon lens with the abyssal shadow of the Oculus and the amethyst core of Nolara’s vortex, the creator birthed an item that does not just see the world—it dominates the perception of it.

Description: This Tier 4 artifact takes the form of a heavy, ornate eyepiece crafted from dark, non-reflective metal and lacquered cherry wood. The lens is a paradoxical marvel: an opaque, swirling vortex of obsidian and amethyst that appears clear when looked through. Floating deep within the shadow-crystal is a silver, snowflake-like reticle that pulses with a needle-point of stardust. When activated, the vortex at the center begins to rotate rapidly, exhaling a faint scent of ozone and parched earth while casting a soft, dawn-sky nimbus across the wearer’s face.

Stats

Tier: 4
Perception: +4
Wisdom: +2
Insight: +3
Item Hit Points: 150

Skills Gained (While Openly Worn)

Grand Mastery of Appraisal: You possess an infallible eye for value, age, and forgery, gaining a +4 bonus to all such checks.
Master of Deception: You gain a +2 bonus to all Deception checks and your illusions are significantly harder to pierce.
Tactical Scrutiny: You can identify the structural or magical weak points in any object or creature within 60 feet.

Tags: Jumon, Shadow-Fused, Illusion, Perception, Tier 4, Worn Item, Head, Divination, Anti-Illusion, Psychometry, Abyssal, Celestial, Arcane, Social Distortion, Investigation, Truth, Inquisitorial, Vortex-Bound, Chronomantic, Soul-Searing, Peerless, Reality-Warp, Void-Etched, Imperial, Paradox, Oversight, Apex

Passive Magics

The Sovereign Eye: You possess Truesight out to 60 feet. You flawlessly discern the material composition and history of any object. You can see through magical darkness, low-light, and visual illusions without making a save.
Shadow-Veil Mimicry: While in shadows, you are considered fully invisible as long as you remain still. Sudden bright light no longer dazzles or blinds you.
Truth-Anchor Ward: You have advantage on all saving throws against magical effects that would influence your mind or alter your perceptions.

Active Magics

The Engulfing Scrutiny (3/Day): You target one creature you can see. The target must succeed on a Will/Resolve save or have ALL of their senses (Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch, and Balance) overwhelmed by a swirling vortex of conflicting truths and illusions for 1 minute.
Invocation of the Sovereign Heart (2/Day): By studying a creature or object for one minute, you receive a complete psychic download of the creator’s or target’s current emotional state, deepest secret, and primary motivation.
Chant of the Ghostly Path (At Will): By whispering the Jumon, you see the “ghostly after-image” of an object’s creation or a creature’s recent movements (within the last hour), allowing you to perfectly track them or deconstruct their skill.
Abyssal Erasure (1/Day): You become fully invisible and silent for 10 minutes. This invisibility does not break if you cast a spell or use an item, only if you make a direct physical attack.

Specific Slot

Worn Item (Head/Eye)

Item Hit Points and Disabling Magic

The Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 is a Tier 4 artifact of extreme structural and magical density. Disabling its functions requires overwhelming its physical and spiritual matrix simultaneously.

Total Item Hit Points: 150 IHP.
Threshold for Disablement: If the item takes 75 damage (50% of its total IHP), the delicate alignment between the abyssal shadow and the crystalline lens is disrupted. The item enters a Flicker State: all Active Magics require a successful Wisdom check to activate, and Passive Magics (like Truesight) become intermittent, functioning only every other round.
Total Magical Collapse: If the item reaches 0 IHP, the central vortex ceases to spin and the silver reticle vanishes. The item becomes a mundane, opaque piece of slag. It provides no bonuses, and the user’s vision through the lens is blocked entirely.
Hardness and Resistance: As a Tier 4 object, it possesses Hardness 15. Any attack must deal more than 15 damage to reduce its IHP. It is immune to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Repair Process

Because the Vortex 529 was created through a triple-merger of opposing magical schools (Shadow, Truth, and Illusion), it cannot be repaired by standard smithing or simple mending spells.

The Re-Convergence Ritual: A Tier 4 Artificer or Master Optician must place the remains in a Crystal Ritual Bowl filled with Sunless Spring Water.
Necessary Materials: The repair requires 1 pinch of Star Dust, 1 drop of Moonshade Extract, and 1 vial of Ghostly Essence. These act as the spiritual “solder” to reconnect the fractured abyss and celestial light.
The Process: The crafter must recite both the Chant of Technique and the Incantation of Illusive Binding simultaneously for six hours while using a Master Lapidary’s Kit to re-grind the damaged surfaces.
Outcome: A successful high-difficulty Arcana or Alchemy check restores the item to 150 IHP. If the check fails, the rare materials are consumed, and the item remains inert, requiring a fresh attempt. Due to its Tier 4 status, it will slowly self-repair 2 IHP per day if it is not in a “Total Magical Collapse” state.

In the world of Saṃsāra, obtaining a Tier 4 artifact like the Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 is a feat of legendary proportions. Because it represents the absolute pinnacle of sensory manipulation and truth-seeking, it is never found on a common merchant’s shelf. Its existence is often treated as a state secret by the Imperial Courts.

To obtain this item, a seeker would typically need to locate a retired Grand Inquisitor, navigate the most dangerous reaches of the Ethereal Wastes where Nolara’s lost sanctums drift, or earn the extreme favor of the Emperor himself.

The following locations are the only places where such a transaction might occur:

The Imperial Treasury’s Vault-Bazaar This is not a public market, but a subterranean complex beneath the Imperial Palace. It is only accessible to those with a Tier 4 reputation or a direct mandate from the Sovereign. The item is sold by the High Seneschal, who presents it not as a commodity, but as a “Lent Responsibility.” The purchase is recorded in the Golden Ledger, and the buyer is warned that the Crown may recall the item in times of national crisis. Cost: 2,000 Platinum Pieces and a “Blood Oath of Service.” The coin covers the immense material value, but the oath ensures the item’s power remains aligned with the Empire’s stability.

The Rift-Walkers’ Exchange Located in a city that exists only during a total eclipse, this market caters to interdimensional travelers and high-level shadowmages. The merchant is a hooded figure who claims to be a fragment of Nolara’s own consciousness. The Vortex 529 is sold here as an “Anomalous Necessity.” There is no haggling; the merchant knows exactly how much the seeker is willing to lose to obtain it. Cost: 1,500 Platinum Pieces and one “Major Memory.” The buyer must allow the merchant to extract a significant, life-changing memory (such as a first love or a greatest victory), which is then stored in an amethyst vial to further power the merchant’s illusions.

The Grand Master Optician’s Private Atelier Hidden within the spire of a master craftsman who has spent decades studying the original Verse of Scrutiny, this atelier only opens its doors to those who can prove they possess the intellectual “clarity” to handle the item. The Optician sells it as a “Masterpiece of Perception.” The sale is a professional ceremony involving a series of tests to ensure the buyer’s eye can withstand the Abyssal strain. Cost: 3,500 Platinum Pieces. This is a purely monetary transaction, reflecting the decades of research, rare materials (Abyssal Shards, Star Dust, and Flawless Crystal), and the risk of implosion during the item’s creation.

The Clandestine Auction of the Unseen Hand A nomadic, high-stakes auction that takes place on a luxury airship or a magically cloaked floating island. The attendees are the wealthiest and most dangerous individuals in Saṃsāra. The Vortex 529 is the “Final Lot” of the evening. It is displayed inside a field of absolute silence to emphasize its ability to dominate the senses. Cost: Variable, but typically starts at 2,500 Platinum Pieces. In a competitive environment with desperate bidders, the final price can easily soar to 5,000 Platinum Pieces or more, potentially including the trade of other Tier 3 or Tier 4 artifacts.

Environmental Dominance: Strategic Application of the Vortex 529

The Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 is more than an eyepiece; it is a tactical command center for the mind. At Tier 4, the wearer does not simply observe their surroundings—they deconstruct the reality of their enemies while shielding their own presence behind a veil of abyssal silence.

Imperial Courts and Diplomatic Metropolises

Offense: During high-stakes negotiations, the wearer uses the Invocation of the Sovereign Heart to bypass the “Skin” of formal decorum. While a rival diplomat speaks of peace, the wearer perceives the cold, greasy residue of “Deceit” and the psychic impression of “Political Ambition.” By whispering the Chant of the Ghostly Path, the wearer can see the “ghost” of the diplomat’s movements from the previous hour, perhaps revealing a secret meeting with an assassin. This allows the wearer to deliver a surgical verbal strike that dismantles the rival’s reputation in front of the entire court.
Defense: In an environment where every smile is a potential mask, the Truth-Anchor Ward acts as a mental fortress. If a rival attempt to use a “Targeted Illusion” or a charm-based spell to sway the wearer’s vote, the Vortex identifies the magical flow instantly. The wearer remains unnaturally serene, their mind anchored in absolute fact, while the Shadow-Veil Mimicry allows them to “vanish” into the velvet shadows of a balcony to eavesdrop on conspirators without triggering a single alarm.

Abandoned Ruin-Cities and Ancient Vaults

Offense: When entering a vault protected by centuries-old “Rule-Breaker” traps, the wearer uses Tactical Scrutiny. The monocle highlights a micro-fracture in a stone golem’s knee or a slight hesitation in the carving of a warding rune. By targeting these flaws, the wearer can disable a Tier 4 defense with a single, well-placed blow. If the vault’s guardian is a spirit, the Engulfing Scrutiny can be used to overwhelm the entity’s ethereal senses, rendering it a blind, spinning non-entity while the party loots the chamber.
Defense: In pitch-black subterranean labyrinths, The Sovereign Eye provides a terrifying advantage. While the party’s torches might attract “Deathly” predators, the wearer can stand in absolute darkness and see with Truesight. They can navigate the “ghostly after-images” of previous explorers to avoid trapped corridors or find hidden levers. If ambushed, the Abyssal Erasure allows the wearer to become a silent, invisible ghost, repositioning behind the attackers to strike from a “null-value” position.

High-Altitude Sky-Docks and Airships

Offense: During an airship boarding action, the wearer can target the enemy captain with Engulfing Scrutiny, specifically overwhelming their sense of Balance. The captain, suddenly feeling as though the world is spinning at a terminal velocity, becomes incapable of steering or giving orders. The wearer then uses Grand Mastery of Appraisal to instantly identify the most valuable cargo or the most volatile pressure valve in the ship’s engine, directing the crew to the exact point of victory.
Defense: If the airship is hit by a blinding “Sunbeam” spell or a flash-powder trap, the Shadow-Fused nature of the lens ensures the wearer is never dazzled. While the rest of the crew is reeling, the wearer remains clear-eyed, using Abyssal Erasure to move through the smoke and chaos to stabilize the Steam Stabilizer units. Their Absolute Stability prevents the sensory chaos of a crashing ship from clouding their judgment, allowing them to lead a calm, measured evacuation.

Haunted Mangroves and Spirit-Estuaries

Offense: In regions where the dead linger, the wearer is the ultimate hunter. They use the Shadow Scry to peer into the “Shadow-Thresholds,” revealing the hidden locations of spectral entities. By invoking the Chant of the Ghostly Path, they can follow the soul-trail of a vanished person through the murky water. When the target is found, the Engulfing Scrutiny can be set to the “Sense of Time,” making the target feel as though a single second lasts an eternity, freezing them in place for extraction.
Defense: The Soul-Muted presence of the mask makes the wearer invisible to the “Soul-Scents” of swamp predators. If the party is surrounded by undead, the wearer can activate Abyssal Erasure to walk through the middle of the horde to plant a cleansing ward or to lead the dead away from the group using themselves as a “Ghostly” lure. Their Lightbane Ward protects them from the “Ghost-Fire” that often haunts these regions, ensuring their perception remains untainted by the swamp’s spectral illusions.

Perception of Activation: Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529

User’s Perspective

Sight: The moment of focus causes the opaque obsidian swirl to snap into a window of hyper-clarity. The silver snowflake reticle expands to fill your vision, acting as a geometric HUD that highlights ley lines, heat signatures, and structural stress points. Colors become impossibly vivid, and the “ghosts” of previous movements appear as translucent, fading trails behind every living thing.
Sound: You perceive a sharp, crystalline chink followed by a low, rhythmic thrumming that sounds like a heartbeat echoing in a vast cathedral. As the vortex spins, a sound like rushing wind or a distant waterfall fills your ears, though it never drowns out the specific voices you choose to hear.
Touch: The cherry wood frame grows ice-cold against your skin, while a strange, magnetic pull tenses the muscles around your eye. A faint vibration, like the purr of a large cat, resonates through your skull, grounding your focus.
Smell/Taste: A sudden, dry scent of parched earth and ozone fills your nose, accompanied by a sharp, mineral taste on the tongue, as if you had just tasted a lightning strike.
Extra-Sensory (Empathic): You feel a cold, detached conceptual “download” of the target’s emotions. It is not an emotional feeling but a piece of data—you look at a lie and simply know it is “Cynicism” or “Greed.”
Extra-Sensory (Temporal): You experience a brief sensation of vertigo as your sense of time dilates. You feel the “weight” of an object’s history, perceiving its age as a physical pressure against your mind.

Observer’s Perspective

Sight: The dark monocle suddenly blurs as the central vortex begins to spin at a dizzying speed. The internal silver reticle flares with a needle-point of stardust that is bright enough to cast a “dawn-sky” nimbus—a soft glow of gold and pink—across the wearer’s cheek and temple.
Sound: To an observer, the device remains acoustically silent, though those within five feet might feel a strange pressure in their ears, like a change in altitude.
Smell: A brief, sharp scent of rain hitting hot stone (petrichor) and burnt air (ozone) may waft toward those standing in close proximity.
Extra-Sensory: Magically sensitive observers feel a sudden “vacuum” in the astral plane where the wearer is standing. It feels as if the wearer has been partially erased from reality or replaced by a singular, unblinking eye of the abyss.

Positives

Infallible Insight: The user can bypass all mundane and magical deception, seeing the “bones” of intent and the “ghosts” of technique with total accuracy.
Tactical Superiority: The ability to see through walls, darkness, and illusions while remaining “soul-muted” makes the user a peerless infiltrator and scout.
Atmospheric Authority: The activation is physically impressive, often intimidating social rivals and inspiring awe in allies.

Negatives

Sensory Overload: The influx of temporal ghosts and raw emotional data is exhausting; prolonged use can lead to temporary “mental scarring” or a cold, clinical dissociation from others.
Visual Giveaway: While the wearer may be silent and “muted” in the soul, the glowing stardust flare and spinning vortex are highly visible in dark or sterile environments.
The God-Pain: For those not yet at Tier 4, the activation causes irregular intervals of agonizing pain as the divine laws of Saṃsāra punish the unauthorized use of such high-level perception.

Recipe: The Triple Convergence of the Inquisitor’s Gaze

Items Merged

Twilight Oculus 337: The Tier 2 abyssal-celestial lens providing normalized vision and shadow-veiling.
Verse of Scrutiny: Monocle of Unveiled Intent: The Tier 1 crystalline lens for material truth and technique analysis.
Targeted Illusion 613 of Engulfing Eclipses: The Tier 1 vortex pendant for sensory absorption and distraction.

Additional Materials Needed

3 Shards of Refined Amethyst: To stabilize the sensory-capture matrix.
1 Phial of Sunless Spring Water: Mixed with the ash of a burned falsehood to scour the lens of subjective bias.
5 Grains of Stardust: To provide the ignition point for the internal snowflake reticle.
1 Bar of Non-Reflective “Void-Iron”: To forge the reinforced frame that houses the warring magical pressures.
1 Strand of Sightless Silk: To bind the wood and metal components with spiritual integrity.

Tools Required

Master Lapidary’s Kit: For the precision re-grinding of the shadow-crystal and Jumon glass.
Warded Alchemist’s Crucible: To contain the volatile implosion required to merge abyssal and celestial essences.
Sovereign Forge (Tier 4): A high-output magic forge capable of maintaining the harmonic resonance of the “Three Currents.”
Etcher’s Lens Array: To engrave the wave-knot and terrace patterns at a microscopic level.

Skill Requirements

Tier 4 Camouflage Carving: To integrate the Malagan-inspired “Withheld Skin” aesthetics with the mechanical frame.
Advanced Alchemy (Tier 4): Required to prevent the Mercury and Moonshade Extract from reacting violently with the Abyssal Shard.
Jumon Mastery: Understanding of the “Chant of Technique” and “Invocation of the Heart” to embed the active properties.
Optical Engineering: Mastery of lens-layering to ensure the opaque vortex remains clear to the wearer.

Crafting Steps

The Extraction of Cores: Carefully disassemble the three items. Extract the solid shadow-lens from the Oculus, the crystal lens from the Monocle, and the swirling amethyst core from the 613 Pendant.
The Scouring Ritual: Submerge the Monocle’s crystal into the Sunless Spring Water infused with the ash of a burned falsehood. This removes all lingering “subjective memories” from the glass.
The Triple Fusion: Place the shadow-lens and the amethyst core into the Warded Crucible. Heat using the Sovereign Forge while chanting the Incantation of Illusive Binding. As the materials soften into a viscous slag, drop the purified crystal lens into the center.
The Stardust Ignition: At the moment of contact, sprinkle the 5 Grains of Stardust into the molten center. A silent implosion will occur, crystallizing the three layers into a single, swirling vortex lens with a silver reticle at its heart.
The Frame Forging: Forge the Void-Iron and Witnessing Cherry Wood into a heavy, reinforced eyepiece frame. Etch the wave-knot patterns along the edges to facilitate the “Shadowmeld” passive.
The Harmonic Alignment: Set the fused lens into the frame. While the metal is still warm, the crafter must recite the Chant of Technique in a continuous loop for three hours to align the “ghostly after-images” with the physical optics.
The Final Seal: Bind the frame with the Sightless Silk and perform the Invocation of the Sovereign Heart. If the central vortex begins to rotate rapidly and exhalations of ozone appear, the Tier 4 transition is complete.

Thrice-Turning Eye and Unblinking Void

In the time of the Heavy-Clouds, before the Sun had learned to stay in his path and when the Trees still had voices of metal, there was the Watcher-of-Truth, whose name is carved as a sound of a stone falling into a deep well. This one lived in the Palace of Glass but saw only the Mirror-of-Lies.

The Watcher took the Dark-Glass-of-the-Broken-Sun (which hides the man but shows the ghost), and the Clear-Circle-of-the-Judge (which sees the bone through the skin), and the Swirling-Stone-of-the-Great-Thirst (which drinks the sight of the enemy until they are empty).

Upon the Altar of the Three-Meeting-Roads, the Watcher melted these three into a single Circle. The translation is thin and tastes of salt, suggesting the Watcher used the “Breath of a Dying Secret” and “The Light of a Star that never was” to make the bind. As the fire grew cold, a Great-Soundless-Snap happened, and the world became sharp for one league in all ways. There sat the Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529, an eye that does not look, but instead eats the Truth.

The story tells that the Watcher put upon the Vortex and walked into the City of the False-Kings. Where there was a Mask, the Vortex showed the Rotting-Face beneath. Where there was a Hidden-Blade, the Vortex showed the Ghost-of-the-Strike before it was born. The Watcher became the Voice-that-Unmakes, for no lie could stand in the wind of the Vortex’s turning.

But the Vortex grew greedy with the “Always-Seeing.” The Watcher could see the deceit in the hearts of children and the hidden rust in the foundations of the world. The “Shadow-of-the-Abyss” began to swallow the Watcher’s own light. On the final day, the Watcher looked into a mirror, and the Vortex saw the truth of its own hunger. It is said the Watcher did not die, but simply became a shadow that is nothing but an eye, drifting through the dark places to see what cannot be seen.

The Vortex was found by a thief who became a saint, and by a saint who became a demon, but to all, it remained an Eye that reveals the bone of the world so that the skin can no longer hide the truth of the sickness.

Moral of the Story: To see every hidden thing is to lose the beauty of the veil; he who unmasks the world entirely will find that the void is the only truth that remains.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Inquisitor’s Void-Lens (Unique Hyper-Physical Artifact)

Description: A heavy eyepiece of lacquered cherry wood and non-reflective “Void-Iron.” The lens is an opaque vortex of swirling obsidian and amethyst, containing a floating silver snowflake reticle. It bridges the gap between the waking world and the terrifying truths of the cosmos.

Game Mechanics:

Passive: Sovereign Eye: The wearer gains a +40% bonus to Spot Hidden, Appraise, and Psychology. The wearer sees perfectly in any darkness and is immune to being blinded by light.
Passive: Truth-Anchor: The wearer receives a Bonus Die on all Sanity rolls made to resist the influence of Mythos-based illusions or mental manipulation.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (Cost 10 MP, 1D6 Sanity): Target one creature within 60 yards. The target must succeed on an Extreme POW roll or be “Sensorily Overwhelmed” (Stunned) for 1D6 rounds as their senses are engulfed by a chaotic vortex.
Active: Invocation of the Sovereign Heart (Cost 15 MP, 1D10 Sanity): Study a target for one minute. The Investigator gains a “Conceptual Download” of the target’s deepest motivation or a secret history of an object.
The God-Pain: If the user has a POW below 90, they suffer 1D4 damage every 30 minutes of wear as the artifact drains their biological essence.

Blades in the Dark

The Apex Inquisitor’s Vortex (Tier IV Unique Relic)

Description: An esoteric ocular device used by the legendary “Masked Censors” of the Imperial Court. It hums with the combined frequency of ghost-matter, stardust, and abyssal shadow.

Game Mechanics:

Passive: The Sovereign Eye: You have Potency on all Study or Survey actions involving materials, forgeries, or hidden mechanisms. You can see through any darkness or supernatural obscuration.
Passive: Shadowmeld: When you Prowl in shadows and remain still, you have Potency and are considered effectively invisible to mundane and spectral sight.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (2 Stress): You overwhelm a target’s senses. They are Frozen or Distracted for a full exchange. This counts as a “supernatural attack.”
Active: Abyssal Erasure (3 Stress): You vanish into a pocket dimension of shadow for the duration of a scene or until you perform a violent act. You are completely silent and invisible.
The Cost: If you take a Trauma while attuned to the Vortex, you gain the “Coldly Analytical” or “Dissociated” flaw as the mask’s logic replaces your empathy.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 Wondrous Item, Very Rare (Requires Attunement)

Description: An ornate eyepiece of Void-Iron and Witnessing Cherry wood. The swirling amethyst lens grants a terrifying degree of clarity.

Game Mechanics:

Passive: Sovereign Eye: You have Truesight out to a range of 60 feet. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) checks.
Passive: Shadowmeld: While in dim light or darkness, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action, and you are invisible while you remain motionless.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (3 Charges/Day): As an action, choose a creature within 60 feet. It must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Active: Invocation of the Sovereign Heart (2 Charges/Day): You study an object or creature for 1 minute. You learn its material composition, its age, and its primary emotional motivation or a significant secret.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (1 Charge/Day): You cast Invisibility on yourself. The spell lasts for 10 minutes and does not end if you cast a spell or use a magical item.
The God-Pain: If you are below Level 11, you take 1d6 psychic damage for every 10 minutes you are attuned to the item.

Knave (2nd Edition)

The Sovereign Vortex Eye 1 Inventory Slot (Head), Artifact

Description: A heavy metal monocle with a swirling, light-eating purple lens. It pulses with a silver snowflake reticle.

Game Mechanics:

Passive: Sovereign Eye: You see perfectly in any darkness. You automatically identify the material and age of any object. You have advantage on saves vs. Illusions.
Passive: Shadow-Veil: You are invisible while standing still in any shadow. You are immune to being blinded by bright light.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (3/Day): Force a creature to make a Wisdom Save. On failure, they are incapacitated for 1 minute as their senses explode in color and sound.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (1/Day): You become invisible for 10 minutes. This invisibility only breaks if you make a physical attack.
Active: Heart Insight (At Will): Spend 1 minute staring at a thing. The GM tells you the “Bone Truth” (the creator’s intent or the object’s true purpose).
The God-Pain: If you are below Level 7, you lose 1 HP every hour the eye is worn.

Fate Core / Condensed

The Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 (Unique Extra)

Description: A Tier 4 ocular artifact that merges the crystalline scrutiny of the Imperial Court with abyssal shadow and sensory-capture magic. It allows the user to see the “bone” of reality through the “skin” of deception.

Game Mechanics:

Permissions: You may use the Investigate or Notice skills to perceive things that are physically or magically hidden (Truesight). You can perceive the emotional “intent” of a creator through Empathy.
Aspect: The Eye That Sees the Bone
Stunts:
- Engulfing Scrutiny: Once per session, you can spend a Fate Point to force a target in your zone to take the Sensorily Overwhelmed consequence (Mild) or clear their stress track to avoid it.
- Abyssal Erasure: Once per session, you can use Stealth to create a Fully Invisible advantage on yourself with two free invokes. This advantage persists even if you cast spells or perform non-violent actions.
- Shadowmeld: You gain a +2 to Stealth rolls when standing perfectly still in shadows.
The God-Pain (Compel): If you are not a Tier 4 character, the GM may compel your The Eye That Sees the Bone aspect to inflict a level of mental stress or physical pain as the artifact drains your essence.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Sovereign Harmonic Interface 529

Level: 8 (Artifact)

Description: A heavy, Void-Iron eyepiece housing a rotating amethyst-obsidian lens. It processes local reality into raw data for the wearer’s optic nerve.

Game Mechanics:

Passive Effects:
- Sovereign Perception: All tasks involving Perception, Investigation, Sense Motive, and Identifying Materials are eased by three steps.
- Truesight: You see through illusions and invisibility automatically. You are immune to being blinded or dazzled by light.
Active Abilities:
- Engulfing Scrutiny (Action): The user targets a creature within short range. The target must succeed on an Intellect defense roll or be stunned and unable to take actions for one minute.
- Abyssal Erasure (Action): The user becomes invisible for 10 minutes. Hostile actions do not end the effect.
- Heart Download (Action): By studying a target for one minute, the user learns their level, their primary motivation, and one secret they are hiding.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20.
The Punishment: If a character below Tier 4 uses this, they take 5 points of Intellect damage (ignores armor) every hour it is worn.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529

Item Level: 17 (Artifact) Price: 15,000 gp Usage: Worn (Eyepiece); Bulk: L

Description: This masterwork eyepiece features a rotating amethyst vortex. It grants the wearer a terrifying degree of clarity and control over sensory information.

Game Mechanics:

Passive Effects:
- You gain a +3 item bonus to Perception checks and checks to identify forgeries or materials.
- You have Greater Darkvision and Truesight (60 feet).
- Lightbane Ward: You gain a +2 status bonus to saves against effects with the light trait or those that cause the blinded or dazzled conditions.
Activation (Actions):
- Engulfing Scrutiny [Two-Actions] (Enchantment, Mental, Visual): Frequency: 3/day. Target a creature within 60 feet. The target must attempt a DC 38 Will save.
  - Critical Success: No effect.
  - Success: The target is Stupefied 1 for 1 round.
  - Failure: The target is Stunned for 1 minute (save ends at the end of each turn).
- Abyssal Erasure [Two-Actions] (Illusion, Shadow): Frequency: 1/day. You gain the effects of a 4th-level Invisibility spell for 10 minutes.
The God-Pain: If the wearer is below 15th level, they are Clumsy 1 and Stupefied 1 while wearing the eyepiece.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

The Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529

Type: Relic (Tier 4 Artifact) Weight: 1 lb

Description: A heavy, ornate monocle of Void-Iron and Witnessing Cherry wood that hums with a silent, crystalline frequency.

Game Mechanics:

Passive Effects:
- Sovereign Eye: The wearer gains +4 to all Notice checks and ignores all lighting penalties. They automatically see through mundane and magical illusions.
- Shadowmeld: While standing still in shadows, the wearer gains +4 to Stealth and is treated as having the Invisibility power against mundane sight.
- Lightbane: The wearer is immune to the Dazzled condition.
Powers (Activated):
- Engulfing Scrutiny (Action): The user makes a Spirit roll vs. the target’s Spirit. On a success, the target is Stunned. On a Raise, the target also takes a level of Fatigue.
- Abyssal Erasure: Grants the Invisibility power for 10 minutes. Attacking does not end the power.
- Heart Insight: With a successful Notice roll (1 minute of study), the GM reveals the target’s current Hindrances and their primary goal.
The God-Pain: Non-Legendary characters must make a Vigor roll every hour. Failure results in a level of Fatigue that can only be recovered by removing the item.

Shadowrun (6th World)

Sovereign All-Seeing Vortex 529 (Unique Tier 4 Power Focus)

Description: An advanced arcanotech eyepiece housing a rotating amethyst-obsidian lens. It is a dual-natured artifact that processes physical and astral data into a singular “Truth” for the wearer.

Game Mechanics:

Focus Rating: 8 (Unique)
Passive: Sovereign Eye: The wearer gains a +4 dice pool bonus to Perception and Assensing tests. It functions as a Rating 6 Sensor Array with a Spectrometer and Ultrasound. The user ignores all penalties from darkness, smoke, or magical illusions.
Passive: Lightbane Ward: Grants 4 points of hardened armor against radiant or light-based elemental damage and immunity to the Blinded status.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (Major Action): Spend 1 Edge to force a target within 50m to resist a Mental Illusion (Power 8). Failure inflicts the Dazed and Confused statuses for 1 minute.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (Major Action): The user gains the Invisibility status (Physical) for 10 minutes. This does not count against sustained spell limits.
The God-Pain: If the user’s Magic attribute is less than 6, they take 2 boxes of unresistable Stun damage for every hour of use.

Starfinder (Enhanced)

Vortex 529 Reality-Anchor

Description: A hybrid tech-magic monocle crafted from Void-Iron. The swirling lens uses Abyssal-Celestial harmonics to filter out deception.

Game Mechanics:

Level: 18; Price: 375,000 Credits; Bulk: L
Slot: Eyes
Passive: Sovereign Perception: The wearer gains Truefold Sight 60 ft. and a +5 insight bonus to Sense Motive and Perception checks.
Passive: Shadowmeld: While in dim light or darkness, the wearer gains a +4 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks. If they remain still, they gain the effects of Invisibility.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (Standard Action): 3/day. Target a creature within 60 ft. The target must succeed on a Will Save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Level + Key Ability Mod) or be Stunned for 1 round and Staggered for 1 minute.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (Standard Action): 1/day. The wearer gains the effects of Greater Invisibility for 10 minutes.
The God-Pain: If the wearer is below Level 14, they take a –4 penalty to all Resolve-based checks due to psychic strain.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

The Sovereign Assessment Interface (Artifact 529)

Description: A TL-16 monocle-style sensor suite. It uses a crystallized “Abyssal Shard” to scan for material density and psionic intent.

Game Mechanics:

TL: 16; Mass: —; Price: MCr 8.5
Passive: Multi-Spectrum Sight: Provides the benefits of Improved IR, Light-Intensifying, and Densitometer scans. The user ignores DM-4 penalties for darkness or obscurement.
Passive: Psionic Shielding: Provides a DM+2 to resist any psionic intrusion or telepathic scanning.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (Standard Action): The user emits a concentrated sensory burst. The target must make a Difficult (10+) END check. Failure causes the target to be incapacitated by sensory overload for 2D6 rounds.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (Standard Action): Activates a personal Chameleon/Stealth Field (TL-16) for 10 minutes. DM-6 to be detected by sight or sensors.
The God-Pain: Users with a PSI of 0 must make an Average (8+) END check every hour or suffer 2 points of damage to their Intelligence characteristic until the item is removed.

Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition / 40k)

The Sovereign Eye of the Unmaker

Description: A relic of a lost forge-saint, this eyepiece is inscribed with runes of scrutiny and shadow. It is said to hold a captured spark of the Emperor’s light within a void-glass lens.

Game Mechanics:

Encumbrance: 0; Rarity: Unique
Passive: Sovereign Vision: The wearer gains the Second Sight and Orientation talents. They gain a +20 bonus to all Perception and Evaluate tests.
Passive: Lightbane Ward: The wearer is immune to the Blinded condition and gains +3 Armor Points on the Head against any attack with the “Blinding” or “Light” quality.
Active: Engulfing Scrutiny (Action): Once per encounter, force a target within 20 yards to pass a Hard (–20) Willpower Test or gain 3 Stunned Conditions as their mind is flooded with impossible truths.
Active: Abyssal Erasure (Action): Once per day, the wearer may become Invisible for the duration of the scene or until they perform a “Loud” or “Violent” action.
The God-Pain: Any character with less than 50 Willpower who wears this relic takes 1 Corruption Point for every hour of wear as the Abyssal energy gnaws at their soul.