## **The Crimson Witness** _Wondrous Item (Legendary), Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster_ --- ### **Description** Mounted upon an ancient cube of dark stone, the Crimson Witness rests within a square base of tarnished gold engraved with geometric patterns and script older than recorded history. Two abstract golden wings extend from either side of the base, angled upward as if poised for ascent. From this foundation rises an inverted teardrop of deep crimson crystal, roughly the size of a human fist. Suspended within its glassy depths is a perfectly formed eye—not carved, not etched, but alive. It never moves while directly observed, yet in peripheral vision it seems to blink… and watch. The artifact originates from the **Age of Strife**, forged by a forgotten death-mage civilization that worshiped entities beyond the stars. Their word _Al’Khathar_ translates loosely to “The Watcher Between Worlds” or “The Witness at the Threshold.” --- ## **Properties** ### **Soul-Weight Perception (Passive)** While attuned, you gain supernatural perception of souls: - You can see a faint aura around creatures within **60 feet** of you. - **Aura Color** indicates alignment tendency: - Gold — Good - Silver — Lawful - Crimson — Evil - Purple — Chaotic - White — True Neutral - **Aura Brightness** indicates relative spiritual power (brighter = stronger soul). - Undead appear as hollow silhouettes with faint threads trailing away from them. - Creatures under the effect of _nondetection_ or similar magic obscure this aura. --- ### **The Witness Speaks (1/Day)** As an action, you may ask the Eye a single **yes-or-no question** regarding a creature you can see within 60 feet. - The Eye answers truthfully. - It only answers **objective soul-facts**, such as: - “Has this creature killed before?” - “Is this soul bound to another entity?” - “Is this creature knowingly lying?” - “Is this soul corrupted?” The Eye does not answer questions about future events, speculation, or subjective judgments. --- ### **Gaze of Al’Khathar (1/Week)** As an action, you may force a creature within 30 feet to make a **DC 18 Wisdom saving throw**. On a failure: - The target perceives their own soul laid bare—every sin, oath, corruption, and binding. - The creature is **Stunned for 1 minute**. It may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. - If the creature is Evil-aligned and has committed significant atrocities (DM’s discretion), it gains: - 1 level of Exhaustion - Disadvantage on Charisma checks for 24 hours - Good-aligned creatures suffer only the stun effect. On a success, the creature is immune to this feature for 7 days. --- ## **Curse — The Price of Witnessing** The Crimson Witness is cursed. Attuning to it binds your perception to the Watcher Between Worlds. - Each time you finish a long rest, make a **DC 12 Wisdom saving throw**. - On a failure, you gain no benefit from that long rest due to horrific soul-visions and nightmares. - The DC increases by 2 for each week of continuous attunement. - Removing attunement resets the DC after one week. - A _greater restoration_ spell suppresses the curse for 7 days. While attuned, you occasionally glimpse distant souls in dreams—deaths, corruptions, bargains made in darkness. --- ## **Lore** The civilization that forged the Crimson Witness vanished so completely that even their name has been erased from history. Only artifacts remain. The Eye is not divine, nor infernal—it is something older, something that observes rather than judges. Those who use it often discover that some truths are heavier than ignorance.