Amulet of Theno

Wondrous Item, uncommon

The eye can be opened or closed by sliding the dark crystal shutter. This takes an action from the wearer.

Passive abilities

• Intelligence +1
• Advantage on Arcana checks
• The wearer can read any language whilst wearing the amulet at x10 normal speed.
• When the user is in danger the amulet will speak to them and urge them to open the eye and use the amulet’s enhanced powers. This ability confers advantage on any role to avoid being surprised. 
• Wearer gains immunity to petrification.

Three times per day the wearer may open the eye. While open the eye grants the following powers 

• When first opened, the eye attempts to petrify each person that it can see, other then the owner, unless specifically instructed not to by the owner of the amulet. Note the eye cannot selectively decide whom to petrify, it either petrifies everyone within a 180 degree hemisphere 60 feet long, or no one.  Any creature the eye can see must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. 
• When the eye is open, the wearer gains true-sight as per the spell and advantage on perception and investigation checks. 
• The eye remains open for one minute or until instructed to close. Once closed it cannot be opened again for one hour 

There is a magical school of learning on an island in the archipelago of Guin. Their gatekeeper is famous, bonded and warded to the school until the stones crack and the cliff that it stands on are cast down into the sea.

The gatekeeper asks three questions. Depending on your answers, you may get in. The questions change, or perhaps the memory of them in those that are rejected change. It isn’t clear which.

But one that appears to be asked quite frequently is:

‘What are you willing to give up in the pursuit of power?’

The wording is specific. Not ‘sacrifice’, which ultimately is a trade, losing something to gain something, but simply ‘give up’.

The fastest way to fail the entrance questions and be barred from the school is to reply ‘Anything’.

Depending on the mood of the gatekeeper, he will either silently dismiss the person, sigh deeply, or turn on them with a fierce gaze and explain that a person who would truly give up ‘anything’ is not only a dangerous fool to themselves and everyone around them, but also a liar. There are limits, things that sane people will not do for money, prestige or power.

And the odd person for whom the statement is true is not to be trusted. If they will dispose of ‘anything’, then nothing is sacred to them, and their empty spiritless body will prove a great vessel for one of the great evils.

It is worth noting that ‘everything’ draws similar ire from the gatekeeper.

A local mage of little power but much common sense runs a profitable business helping to coach and guide the applicants to the school. He presents the above question to his class and then asks them for their answers.

Universally, they fail.

Before pointing out where they have gone wrong, he tries to help them reflect on their answers by asking them a further series of questions.

Would you wear a magical amulet?

Would you wear a magical amulet of unknown providence?

Would you wear a magical amulet of unknown providence that is clearly alive?

What if it could talk with you and clearly has its own agenda and goals?

By the time he gets to the last question, few students are willing to wear the amulet.

He points out that to give up ‘anything’ would also include security, peace of mind and safety.

He shows his students the Eye of Theno that he has (safely locked away the majority of the time) and commands it to open briefly.

As the dark crystal shutter slides open and the baleful eye looks out, the sun seems to darken, shadows deepen, and anyone the eye looks at can feel their body slowing down, their movement stiffening and even their heart pausing between beats.

After locking up the eye, the gatekeeper will continue to drive home his point – ‘Wear that, and you will gain power, but you are not alone if you do. Something... something terrible is with you.’

Seldom accepted in civilized lands, these are only worn openly by priests of Great Mbo. Perhaps significantly, almost no demons would wear such an item, which some scholars point to as a very good reason not to wear them!