I have no idea where to start. Perhaps in 4e's 'changes' to the Revised setting (which is welcomed) perhaps Rajaat's spirit/soul clings within the Dark Lens and that is the intelligence of the artifact that is either pleased or displeased. I suppose it would have a lot of mechanics working off arcane defiling, and would function as an orb implement
Still, others might help you stat out the Lens.
I wouldn't touch the Lens with a pole were I forced to.
Well, before we give it powers, we gotta give it a motivation. What does it want?
Possibilities:
To release Rajaat
To return the world to a previous age
To unite magic and psionics, making magic a non-destructive resource
To be taken to the pristine tower
To watch the world burn
As such, it's one of the pre-eminent artifacts of the milieu, and rendering it into a usable item in-game comes with the usual quandaries of marrying something should be world-shaping with the necessities of game balance.
p.s. Insert flay here.
How would you even craft a mechanic in 4e that would even slightly mimic an expoential increase of power, a magnification? Perhaps something centered around how many arcane defiling feats you have? Get some +1 bonus if you have one feat, +2 for two, +4 for three, etc.? +8 for four?!
Maybe for a 100% artifact-complacency, yeah? And it is an epic-tiered artifactThe Lens was stolen by two dwarven knights after the end of the Cleansing Wars, and secreted away while Borys had mysteriously dissapeared (transformed into the Dragon). Turned into banshees following their deaths, their newfound supernatural powers allowed them to hide the Lens and curse it with a pernicious fate: all those who might want to tell the Lens' location to the former Champions would die. It has laid dormant in a giant stronghold in the Sea of Silt ever since, despite efforts by the Champions/SKs to locate it.
Query: Why wasn't the Dark Lens used all the time for everything then?
Essentially it was. Well, for everything that required that magnitude of power, at least.
Rajaat initially used it to create his Champions, who then went about their business. Fifteen centuries later, the Champions dusted it's cobwebs off when they turned on the War-Bringer, firstly with Borys using it to begin the their transformation into Sorcerer Kings, and secondly by the Champions using it to transform Borys into a full Dragon. It was the chaos following Borys's transformation that allowed the dwarven knights to steal the artifact away, to be recovered by Tithian in Free Year 9 and used to temporarily free the First Sorcerer.
Looking back over the canon of history according to Dennings, there aren't any other events of significant magnitude mentioned that required the power of the Dark Lens. One could argue that the War-Bringer could have used the Dark Lens to obliterate most sentient life from the world himself during the Cleansing Wars, but for whatever reason chose his Champions to do his dirty work for him. It's difficult to suggest this was because he wanted to restrict the use of the artifact, given his general lack of restraint and/or concern about his carbon footprint at this time. But after that, it wasn't until the Rebellion that events transpired to again need magics of a magnitude that required the Lens.
Before his imprisonment, Rajaat would probably have kept an artifact of the Lens' power to himself, for obvious reasons. After his imprisonment, it was hidden; and while any of the Sorcerer Kings could probably have found it if they had looked for it -- and I'd argue that most if not all could and would have located it magically at the least -- the knowledge that all the others would immediately converge on them if they did anything more would probably be deterrent enough, as demonstrated by the events immediately following Tithian's recovery of it in the Pentad series. Borys especially would be happy for it to remain hidden, as the primary reason anyone would want access to the Dark Lens would be to either free Rajaat, or elevate themselves to a full Dragon, both of which he would rather violently oppose.
In the Prism Pentad the Dragon is depicted ordering his kaishargas after the banshees once their whereabouts have become known. They tear the banshees' skeletons apart, finally leaving the Lens free to be located and used.
I do not see why the SKs or the Dragon would not have been happy to have found the Lens, as it would have made the Dragon's eternal jailkeeping easier. The SKs seem to be aware that despite illusions and lies and subterfuge that the Dragon usually ignores or lets slide, some things will not be forgiven by him if found out, such as obtaining the Lens and not giving it to him.
With the Lens the Dragon would have no equal from across Athas or the Elemental Chaos, and, despite the still real threat Rajaat would pose, his renewed assuredness of imprisonment would rule him out for tens of millennia to come.
It's a dark obsidian sphere roughly the size of a small kank that effectively magnifies the user's power. Nominally from Denning's Pentad series, it was originally created by Rajaat during the time of the Cleansing Wars for the transformation of his Champions, and was recently used by Tithian to free the War-Bringer from the Hollow in the hopes of being made into a Champion/SK himself by way of reward, and then by Rkard to magnify the effects of a sun spell into something that could force the First Sorcerer back into his extra-dimensional prison.
The part I put in orange is optional if your DM wants to stick to the advanced parts of the metaplot and have the Cerulean Storm and several dead S-Ks who were killed or thrown into the Black by Rajaat, as well as all the other happenings in the Prism Pendat. DSCG as written, however, none of it has happened yet and may never happen.
Strip it of who found it (Tithian), and used it to do what (free Rajaat), and you can reuse it for our own purposes.
In this optic the Lens can indeed be found in the crystal pit on that giants' island in the Sea of Silt, and is indeed being veiled from detection by its banshee protectors.
The powers I am going to base off of what I read in Psionic Artifacts of Athas.
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The Dark Lens is appropriate for Epic Characters
The dark lens is an object which has a history shrouded by the sands of time. It is believed to have been created by a being known as Rajaat, a mysterious figure charged with starting the cleansing wars. Though Rajaat is thought to be dead or imprisoned, the artifact desires to be reunited with him.
The dark lens can be used as an orb. It's enhancement bonus is equal to 1/2 the wielder's level.
Property: Ill forutune: Attacks against the owner of the lens crit on a 19 or 20.
Property: Establishing contact: When touched with intent by any creature, the lens makes the following attack: 30 vs WILL. Hit: 4d10 fire and psychic damage, and the target is pushed one square. Miss: If the target can use power points, the target is no longer subject to this attack and may hold the lens indefinitely.
Property: Secrets of The Way. The wielder may choose a psionic power that they have witnessed and learn it over the course of 1d4 weeks, or choose a power they know. They may use this power any time they could use a daily magic item power. After an extended rest, they may choose a different power they know or attempt to learn a new one.
Property: Servant of the wastes: Undead and Abberant creatures will not attack the wielder.
Goals of the lens:
*Seek out Rajaat and release him from his imprisonment
*Reward the wicked with power and form to match their ambition
*To return the world to a previous age via ethnic cleansing
Roleplaying the Lens
The lens does not communicate directly, but attempts to subtly manipulate fate when it sees opportunity. The best thing it can do to achieve its goals is empower whoever wields it, so that the powers of the world may take notice of it again.
Concordance
Starting Score 5
Owner gains a level +1d10
Owner makes progress towards Ragaat's prison or ideals: +1 per week
Owner discoveres a relic or site of the cleansing wars or the lifeshapers: +2
Owner defiles:+2 per week
Owner preserves: -1 per day
Owner spares the life of a non-halfling: -2
Pleased (16-20)
Such power courses through my veins, I feel I could blot the sun out with a thought.
The Len's enhancement bonus increases by +2.
Property: Choose a psionic power that you know. You may use that power as if it were maximumally augmented once per day.
Property: Your reserve of psps increases by 6 while you hold the orb.
Property: You may expend a daily or encounter arcane power as a free action to gain 3 psps.
Property: Once per day, the wielder may alter their form into an creature within two size categories of themself. This new form does not grant any supernatural benefits.
Property: The wielder's check for rituals is always the maximum listed result.
Property: The wielder may expend a daily magic item use to create a similacra of any creature they know. This similacra is a minion under the telepathic command of the len's holder. Its stats are as per the conjuration rules.
Satisfied (12-15)
What are even the sorceror kings before this might?
The Len's enhancement bonus increases by +1.
Property: Your reserve of psps increases by 6 while you hold the orb.
Property: The wielder's check for rituals is always the maximum listed result.
Normal (5-11)
Now I have the ability to effect change!
Property: Your reserve of psps increases by 2 while you hold the orb.
Unsatisfied (1-4)
My awareness is to sensitive, everything is agony.
Property: You take a -3 penalty your will defense and perception checks.
Property: If you use an arcane power, you must make a save or be forced to defile.
Angered(0 or lower)
I am not worthy to hold the lens.
Property: You take a -5 penalty your will defense and perception checks.
Property: If you use an arcane power, you must make a save or be forced to defile.
Property: If you use an psionic power attack, you gain +2 to the attack, but also take 1d4 fire and psionic damage and grant combat advantage.
Moving On
I must get rid of this accursed thing!
The lens goes silent, and all of it's properties, save for ill fortune, stop working. The weilder feels an ominous fate looming over their head, as the curse of the lens pulls at the strings of fate to bring about their downfall.
It's main desire, IMO, would be to accomplish great things. It's second desire would be to be reunited with Rajaat, the most powerful being it has ever belonged to, knowing Rajaat is best equipped to accomplish great things, albeit it would serve anyone to the best of its abilities (Concordance) that would strive to accomplish great things on their own or to bring it back to Rajaat.
IMO the artifact would have no notion of right and wrong.
It served the banshees when they used it to deploy their curse to truly epic proportions (the curse is so powerful even the Dragon cannot locate the Lens), since that is a great thing...but it put it in a bad situation since immediately after the banshees ceased to use the Lens, and it has laid hidden ever since, unused by anyone. Sad lens is sad.
I believe it a mistake to consider the artifact's intentions as nefarious, since it was never depicted that way.
It's main desire, IMO, would be to accomplish great things. It's second desire would be to be reunited with Rajaat, the most powerful being it has ever belonged to, knowing Rajaat is best equipped to accomplish great things, albeit it would serve anyone to the best of its abilities (Concordance) that would strive to accomplish great things on their own or to bring it back to Rajaat.
IMO the artifact would have no notion of right and wrong.
It served the banshees when they used it to deploy their curse to truly epic proportions (the curse is so powerful even the Dragon cannot locate the Lens), since that is a great thing...but it put it in a bad situation since immediately after the banshees ceased to use the Lens, and it has laid hidden ever since, unused by anyone. Sad lens is sad.
You think the greatest tool of the greatest evil, an artifact that later created the dragon, is not most likely evil too? And that rather it is an emo lens?
This thing is the One Ring of Athas as far as I'm concerned. It's power can only corrupt. Cast it into the lava!
IMO any avangion or Primal power user could use it without corruption.
When we created the writeup for the 3.5e Lens we made it as such, so I'm not alone on this.
4e is a door open for change, but IMHO a change like you describe is against the descriptions of the artifact. One should strive to build motivations and powers that keep it neutral.
And btw, the Lens is either described as used by Rajaat or (in Rise and Fall) described by Rajaat himself as...how to put it..."I have no idea where it comes from". Abbey glossed over the very idea of its origin. This further supports the idea the artifact is not a defiler's creation, nor does it serves a defiler's purposes.
These are all good starting points to identify motivations which I believe ought to be general in nature.
Motivations epic in proportion:
- Allowing the Primordials back on Athas.
- Destroying the world.
- Healing the world.
- Piercing the veil of the Gray for all time.
- Returning the world to an earlier age.
- Killing everyone of a species.
- Turning all rocks pink.
False. From Psionic Artifacts of Athas:
The Dark Lens is an ancient artifact thought to have been created by Rajaat as the Time of Magic was coming to an end. The evil sorcerer fashioned the Dark Lens as a focus for his power, amplifying his magic and psionic energies to unheard of levels. By using the Dark Lens Rajaat created other powerful artifacts—such as Silencer, Scorcher, and Scourge. Rajaat used the Dark Lens to give his 15 Champions their incredible powers.
As the Cleansing Wars were ending and the champions discovered the true nature of their master’s schemes, the disciples of Rajaat took the Dark Lens and used its power to imprison their master in a place called the Hollow.
In my world, the Dark Lens is a modified orb from the Steeple of Crystals chamber in the Onyx Tower. When the rhulisti nature-masters first used the Pristine Tower to stem the Brown Tide, the sun was changed in doing so ... and as the Pristine Tower is essentially a conduit for solar energy, this had the secondary effect of changing how the Pristine Tower itself worked. The First Sorcerer came to understand this during his two millennia of study therein, and so took the largest obsidian sphere and modified it to account for the Tower's lesser power due to the sun's change.
Personally, I think there's enough evil intent in the world of Athas without any of it's fundamental artifacts taking on that mien also. I like to think of the Lens as an aimless tool, with no consciousness or desires of its own. If I had to, I'd probably think of it like the Orb of Aldur from Edding's Belgariad, just ... extremely keen.
(An interesting tidbit: It is to be noted that the only source of info on Irikos and the Silencer, besides the original source within The Book of Artifacts, is in the opening chapter of Psionic Artifacts of Athas, the book that you quoted, and later on simply referred to by name in the entries for the Scorcher and Scourge. There is no entry for the Silencer.)
If someone stubles accross this thread, they can take what they want and leave the evil aspects behind. But I'm trying to offer something of substance.
Trying not to start a novel-line vs game supplement war here, but in this case you can see how barren the supplements are on the subject. Truly, as you say, it's up for grabs.
IMO the artifact would have no notion of right and wrong
... and Slitherin could help you on your way to greatness!
Makes sense that it would follow the wielder, though. Kinda like the Ashbringer in WOW, it reflects the wielder's soul. When wielded by the (even marginally) corrupt, it is corrupted. When wielded by the inhumanly pure, it is pure.