{
	"item": [
		{
			"name": "Gauntlight",
			"source": "AV1",
			"page": 77,
			"type": "Item",
			"level": 20,
			"traits": [
				"unique",
				"artifact",
				"magical",
				"necromancy"
			],
			"category": "Artifact",
			"entries": [
				"Gauntlight is much more than a 115-foot-tall lighthouse rising from the heart of an old ruin in Fogfen\u2014its pale stone walls extend far below the ruins, passing through eight different dungeon levels and finally terminating at the ninth level below the surface, where its deep foundation centers on an ominous chamber where, long ago, {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM} herself once physically brushed against this world. Once she finished its physical construction, the sorcerer Belcorra Haruvex used this spot as a source of power to infuse the walls, floors, and ceilings of each of Gauntlight's levels with eldritch power. The lens at the apex of the lighthouse would have, in time, been able to focus this lingering eldritch energy into a powerful beam, but Belcorra's plans were cut short before she could replace the mundane lenses with dangerous magical ones.",
				"As an artifact, Gauntlight can't be damaged by normal means. Its walls are impenetrable and impervious to any attempt to breach them by anybody except for followers of {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}. They block effects that allow temporary passage, such as passwall, and also create a barrier against dimensional travel. The walls attempt to counteract {@trait teleportation} effects and planar travel into or out of areas within Gauntlight and efforts to summon creatures into the area (using a +37 counteract modifier); this effect does not stop a summoned creature from departing when the summoning ends.",
				"In Gauntlight's current state of diminished functionality, it can be activated only in the two ways below. By swapping in a series of magical lighthouse lenses that focus {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}'s baleful gaze\u2014lenses so powerful that even Belcorra takes special care with them\u2014the artifact gains significantly greater power, including the ability to reach all the way to Absalom and to activate its effects every minute. These lenses are described in \"Eyes of Empty Death,\" the third adventure in the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path.",
				"To activate Gauntlight, a creature must be in the deepest portion of the artifact (this chamber is in the Temple level and is presented in \"Eyes of Empty Death\")",
				"From this point, a creature can observe the world outside remotely through Gauntlight's lens, including any area Gauntlight's beam can reach.",
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 3,
						"unit": "action"
					},
					"components": [
						"{@action Interact}"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"number": 1,
						"unit": "month"
					},
					"entries": [
						"A pale blue beam shines from Gauntlight's lens and illuminates a 30-foot-radius burst centered on any point within 1 mile. The light saturates the region, causing any corpses in the area or within 10 feet of the surface of the illuminated area to animate as level \u20131 undead (typically as skeleton guards or zombie shamblers). Once animated, the undead remain active until slain. Until then, they remain uncontrolled and are driven only by the desire to slaughter the living. If Gauntlight is fully restored, the undead instead animate as any Common undead of 15th level or less, as the user wishes."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 3,
						"unit": "action"
					},
					"components": [
						"{@action Interact}"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"number": 1,
						"unit": "month"
					},
					"entries": [
						"A pale blue beam shines from Gauntlight's lens and illuminates a 30-foot-radius burst centered on any point within 1 mile. The user chooses one creature of 4th level or less that is physically located within Gauntlight; this creature is then is teleported to any point within this illumination radius. If Gauntlight is fully restored, any number of creatures within Gauntlight of 15th level or lower can be transported. This is a {@trait teleportation} effect."
					]
				}
			],
			"destruction": [
				"If Belcorra's ghost is permanently destroyed, Gauntlight loses all of its magical properties and collapses in on itself all the way down to its base, leaving an incredibly deep pit in the Fogfen."
			]
		},
		{
			"name": "Lantern of Empty Light",
			"source": "AV1",
			"page": 78,
			"type": "Item",
			"level": 6,
			"traits": [
				"rare",
				"enchantment",
				"magical"
			],
			"price": {
				"coin": "gp",
				"amount": 240
			},
			"usage": "held in 1 hand",
			"bulk": 1,
			"category": "Held",
			"entries": [
				"It's said that the pale blue light of this eldritch lantern shines from another dimension or even is linked, somehow, to the glow of a ghost when it is consumed by the Outer Goddess {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}. A lantern of empty light is not intrinsically an evil item, though it remains a favored tool of those who would manipulate the minds of others for sinister reasons. It can be used as a normal bull's-eye lantern, but prolonged use tends to instill in the user a vague sense of being watched by unseen eyes.",
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 2,
						"unit": "action"
					},
					"components": [
						"{@action Interact}"
					],
					"traits": [
						"emotion",
						"visual"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"unit": "day",
						"number": 1
					},
					"entries": [
						"You direct the lantern's light upon a single living creature within 60 feet. That creature must attempt a DC 20 Will save to resist the light's effects.",
						{
							"type": "successDegree",
							"entries": {
								"Critical Success": "The creature is unaffected and realizes that you attempted to mentally influence them with the light.",
								"Success": "The creature is unaffected but thinks the light was harmless, unless it knows the true nature of the lantern already.",
								"Failure": "The creature becomes {@condition fascinated} by the lantern's light, and remains {@condition fascinated} as long as you Sustain the Activation, up to 10 minutes.",
								"Critical Failure": "As failure, but you can Sustain the Activation for up to 1 hour. When the effect ends, the {@condition fascinated} creature remembers any events that took place while {@condition fascinated} only as indistinct, dream-like memories. Activate {@as 2} {@action Interact}; Frequency once per day; Effect You direct the lantern's light upon a single incorporeal undead creature within 60 feet to siphon away some of the creature's essence, dealing {@damage 4d8} positive damage to the creature (DC 20 basic Will save)."
							}
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"name": "Skeptic's Elixir",
			"source": "AV1",
			"page": 78,
			"type": "Item",
			"level": "1+",
			"traits": [
				"uncommon",
				"alchemical",
				"consumable",
				"elixir"
			],
			"usage": "held in 1 hand",
			"bulk": "L",
			"activate": {
				"activity": {
					"number": 1,
					"unit": "action"
				},
				"components": [
					"{@action Interact}"
				]
			},
			"category": "Elixir",
			"entries": [
				"This elixir sharpens your mind and allows you to see through lies, falsehoods, and magical trickery.",
				"You gain an item bonus to {@skill Perception} checks and {@skill Perception} DCs to notice falsehoods, whether they're spoken lies or written deceit. You gain this same item bonus to Will saves."
			],
			"generic": "G",
			"variants": [
				{
					"variantType": "lesser",
					"level": 1,
					"price": {
						"coin": "gp",
						"amount": 4
					},
					"entries": [
						"The bonus is +1, and the duration is 1 minute."
					]
				},
				{
					"variantType": "moderate",
					"level": 6,
					"price": {
						"coin": "gp",
						"amount": 50
					},
					"entries": [
						"The bonus is +2, and the duration is 10 minutes."
					]
				},
				{
					"variantType": "greater",
					"level": 11,
					"price": {
						"coin": "gp",
						"amount": 300
					},
					"entries": [
						"The bonus is +3, and the duration is 1 hour."
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"name": "The Whispering Reeds",
			"source": "AV1",
			"page": 78,
			"type": "Item",
			"level": 10,
			"traits": [
				"rare",
				"artifact",
				"divination",
				"occult"
			],
			"usage": "held in 2 hands",
			"bulk": 2,
			"category": "Artifact",
			"entries": [
				"This hefty tome was compiled centuries ago by an anonymous author who sought to collect all parables, myths, stories, and encounters with the Outer Goddess {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}. According to the introduction, the author's original intent was to create a work that foes of the Empty Death could use to fight against her influence, but as one reads through the book, it becomes apparent that the opposite effect has been achieved\u2014by compiling these stories, the author inadvertently generated a work that made it easier for {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM} to influence the world. Those who venerate the Empty Death seek copies of this book to use as a guide and religious text, while those who don't know better and peruse the book as though it were merely an anthology of stories find themselves unwittingly falling prey to {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}'s cult or agents of the entity herself. Those who study from The Whispering Reeds for too long are often cursed to rise as ghosts after death\u2014though their existence never lasts for long, as they are inevitably consumed by {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}.",
				"If a character understands the dangers of this book, however, moderated use can stall or even prevent such a fate from befalling them. If a character takes special care, they can even potentially use The Whispering Reeds for its original purpose\u2014as a weapon against the cult of {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}. Using the text too often or leveraging some of its more powerful effects, however, causes the user to feel an ominous chill. In these cases, the user is exposed to the tome's curse, Empty Death (see below)",
				"The anonymous compiler wanted to produce an enormous print run of The Whispering Reeds, but after the initial run they realized the danger and scuttled those plans, instead attempting to destroy those copies already created. This crusade caught the attention of {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}'s cult, who swiftly assassinated the compiler.",
				"Fewer than two dozen copies of this rare tome are believed to still exist. The book's sinister nature causes all attempts to transcribe it to fail, resulting in bodies of gibberish, nonsense text.",
				"The Whispering Reeds provides several abilities, but you can't activate any of them while you are {@condition stupefied} unless you are a follower of {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}.",
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 10,
						"unit": "minute"
					},
					"components": [
						"{@action Investigate}"
					],
					"entries": [
						"You gain a +2 item bonus to skill checks to {@action Recall Knowledge} about {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}, her faith, or creatures associated with her (such as incorporeal undead, vampiric mists, wisps, and other incorporeal creatures associated with death). Each time you use this ability after the first in a 24-hour period, you are exposed to the Empty Death."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 2,
						"unit": "action"
					},
					"components": [
						"command",
						"{@action Interact}"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"unit": "hour",
						"number": 1
					},
					"entries": [
						"You read aloud a phrase from the book and target a single incorporeal undead creature within 30 feet. That undead creature takes {@damage 5d6} positive damage (DC 27 basic Will save) as portions of their incorporeal being are consumed in patches of seven equally spaced holes. Each time you use this ability after the first in a 24-hour period, you are exposed to the Empty Death."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"activity": {
						"number": 2,
						"unit": "action"
					},
					"components": [
						"command",
						"{@action Interact}"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"unit": "day",
						"number": 1
					},
					"entries": [
						"You invoke a tale from The Whispering Reeds that parallels the situation, environment, or creatures nearby. Eerie mists and indistinct whispers rise in a 20-foot emanation around you, and clusters of seven perfectly spaced divots manifest in the ground, vegetation, and flesh of creatures in the emanation other than yourself and up to three creatures you designate at the time of activation. Creatures afflicted with these divots suffer from agonizing mental anguish in the form of crippling despair and take {@damage 4d6} mental damage (DC 27 basic Will save). The mists, whispers, and strange divots fade away at the end of the round, but any creature that takes mental damage from the effect also takes a \u20131 penalty to saving throws against effects with the {@trait emotion} trait for 1 minute. You are exposed to the Empty Death each time you use this ability."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "ability",
					"components": [
						"{@action Cast a Spell}"
					],
					"frequency": {
						"unit": "day",
						"number": 3
					},
					"entries": [
						"You cast one of the following spells at the lowest level possible (unless otherwise specified): {@spell crushing despair} (one target within 30 feet only), {@spell fear} (3rd), {@spell paranoia}, or {@spell phantasmal killer}. You are exposed to the Empty Death each time you use this ability.",
						"Empty Death (curse, necromancy, occult) Saving Throw DC 27 Will; Effect If you activate The Whispering Reeds and are not a worshipper of {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}, you become {@condition stupefied|CRB|stupefied 2} for 24 hours as your thoughts fill with paranoia that something is watching you from the other side of death. If you die while affected by the Empty Death, you immediately become a chaotic evil ghost. Every 7 days that pass after you become a ghost, you must succeed at a DC {@flatDC 2} flat check\u2014failure indicates that you are consumed by {@deity Nhimbaloth|LOGM}.",
						"A creature whose ghost is consumed in this way does not travel to the River of Souls and is utterly annihilated; this creature can only be restored to life via a 10th-level spell effect or ritual like {@spell wish}."
					]
				}
			],
			"destruction": [
				"Copies of The Whispering Reeds have no special protections and can be destroyed like any regular book, but doing so exposes the one who destroyed the book to the Empty Death."
			]
		}
	]
}
