In a forgotten city, nestled within the crumbling catacombs of its labyrinthine streets, there lay an abandoned relic: a magnifying glass, seemingly unremarkable yet imbued with a magical aura. This was no ordinary instrument of scrutiny; it was the magnifying glass of seeking, a creation of a powerful archmage during the twilight of a wondrous age.
The archmage, whose mastery over the arcane arts was known across the realms, crafted the magnifying glass with the meticulous care of a jeweler setting the finest gem. The handle was forged from the silvered bones of a celestial hawk, imbued with the creature’s spirit. The lens itself, a perfect circle of polished crystal, was said to contain a drop of the fabled River of Knowledge, distilled by the mage’s own hand.
Yet, it was the enchantment laid upon this humble glass that elevated it. When focused upon the faintest hint of a creature’s essence—be it the imprint of a footprint in the dust, a discarded trinket imbued with the owner’s presence, or even a severed fragment of flesh—the glass would spring to life. With a soft, ethereal whisper, delicate wings would unfurl from the frame, and the magnifying glass would rise into the air, propelled by an unerring compulsion to seek its quarry.
Many tales are told of the magnifying glass’s exploits. There is the story of a master thief who sought to escape justice by fleeing into the trackless deserts. The townsguard, armed with nothing but a shred of the thief’s torn cloak, released the magnifying glass. It hovered momentarily, as if pondering the scent of its prey, then darted off into the dunes, leading its followers unerringly to the thief’s hidden lair. Another tale speaks of a wealthy noble, whose beloved child was taken by shadows in the night. With only a single golden curl as a guide, the magnifying glass led the mother and her retinue through treacherous forests to the heart of an ancient ruin, where the child lay bound by dark sorcery.
Magnifying Glass of Seeking
Wondrous Item, Rare
As an action, you can speak the command word and focus the magnifying glass on a set of tracks, a personal item, or a body part belonging to a creature. If the glass is on the same plane of existence as the creature, it will fly towards the creature with a maximum movement speed of 60 feet along the shortest unhindered path.
You can command the glass to change its current speed or to stop following the creature altogether (no action required). If the path is blocked, the glass will stop as close as possible to the creature and point in its direction until the path is cleared, then it will continue towards the creature.
Once this action has been used, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.
Check out last week’s item: the staff of utility.
