The Isle of Twisted Glass

The Prism

Have you ever wanted to sooth a broken heart, invoke
blissful happiness in someone, or even drive someone into
a rage for your cause? Well then simply turn the Prism one
way or another, and the light refracting through it brings out
that emotion in whoever it is pointed at. A truly wonderful
and dangerous object, with limitless possibilities for misuse.

The Prism
The people of the Isle of Twisted Glass found the Prism
long ago. Though it was never clear if it was made by nature
or by mortals, its unique properties were identified quickly.
The people studied it, ensnared by the need to understand
the Prism and how it could be used, mostly likely already
effected by it themselves. The fixation on the Prism led them
to create a form of glass that could replicate the Prism’s
properties, though with less subtle results. They made began
make more and more from this glass, first things to help the
population, then things to urge people to more “correct”
ways of thinking, and then to not think at all. Each time they
pushed the boundaries of what the Prism could do, they
worked that into the glass that reflected it.
The Prism is made up of thousands of replicas of itself, so a
player character could take ‘a’ prism, and the overall Prism
would scarcely be diminished. Taking a part of the Prism in
this way confers the following benefits:

• They have advantage on all saving throws against mind
  control spells, such as charm person.
  
• They learn and can cast the light cantrip at will.
  
• They reduce any piercing damage they receive by 1, to a
  minimum of 1 point.
  

These benefits persist for as long as a player character
possesses a part of the Prism. Should they set it aside, or
lose it, these benefits immediately cease.

In the Light of the Prism. All enemies on this island
have resistance against force damage and are immune
to any form of magical mind control, such as the charm
person spell, as they are already under the control of
the Prism.

Mind, Heart, and Soul. The light from the Prism
isn’t all bad though. When you climb up to the island,
each player character can increase either their Strength,
Intelligence or Charisma score by 1. This benefit lasts for
as long as they are on the island.

Glass Shards. When any creature misses an attack, they
must roll a d8. On a 1, all creatures within 5 ft. suffer
1d4 + 1 piercing damage, as shards of glass explode
everywhere like shrapnel.

It is a truly beautiful place, spires of spun crystalline glass
reaching up into the heavens, domes enclosing perfect
gardens each one looking as if it has been placed there
from another world, and walkaways far above the ground
that wind their way through the city seeming never to
touch earth. Despite this, there seems to be no hint of
outlandish hedonism, no decadence, just pure, calm
tranquillity. The light filters down over all of this, spilling
fragments of rainbows into every corner and crevasse. You
can’t escape the light of the Prism or the pulling feeling
that comes with it.
The people you see seem vague and uninterested in
anything beyond their given task. They are little more than
ships in the night to each and don’t care that your party
have arrived at all. It could have been that they were all too
involved in their own little worlds to notice anything new—
if it weren’t that they have no fear, excitement, or curiosity.
In fact, they have no emotion to speak of apart from small,
placid smiles permanently on their faces.

Outside of the city, the whole sphere is covered in wildflower
meadows. As far as the eye can see lush, long grasslands
spread out, filled with countryside flowers. They wave lazily
in the warm breeze, and the mixed scents of the flowers
tumble in the air together. It’s the most relaxing place you
have ever been but not in the way that the city is. This isn’t
numbing mindlessness, no. These fields feel like taking a
deep breath.
The flowers mimic the colours of the light from the Prism
but without the same power in them. Those who live in the
city believe the meadows are wastelands, and to go out of
the city is a death sentence, but this is far from the case.
There aren’t many, but a few homesteads dot around,
surround by acres of wildflowers and protected by those
who have managed to escape the overwhelming power of
the Prism, though for how long, they don’t know. There is
something about the flower fields that keeps the light at bay,
and it may be helpful for getting to the Prism chamber to
figure that out.

Crystal clear water fills the lake, all the way down to the
bottom of the crater. In its depths are dark, strange shapes.
They don’t look like living creatures, but out of the corner
of your eye you are sure you see them shift a move. The
closer you look the more you think you can see the shape
of people, but not quite right. It’s not people; its armour
scattered across the whole bottom of the lake. But how on
earth did it so much of it get there? The water is so enticing,
and the bright sun is so hot that you feel like you might just
get in…you know you want to.

If the island itself wasn’t enough of a danger, the creatures
here have become as much part of the Prism’s light as
anything else. Finding yourselves fighting a mind controlling
form of light and anything else that decides to come
knocking is really going to test your bonds of friendship and
the skills you’ve picked up on the way.

D10 Roll Random Encounter
1 2d8 + 3 zombies
2 1 shield guardian
3 1d8 + 1 mimics
4 1d10 + 2 air elementals
5 1 giant constrictor snake
6 pack of 4d10 + 4 lions
7 1d8 scarecrows
8 1d4+2 animated armour
9 1d6+2 flying swords
10 1 oni