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| − | The Loupe appears to be nothing more than a simple oversized monacle, its lens a faint orange color and its rim made out of various different-colored types of iron. In fact, the lens is a unique Hearthstone (its Manse is hidden deep within Rathess) and the rim is constructed from near-pure amounts of each Magical Material, down to all five colors of jade.
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| − | When placed to the eye of an Exalt, it automatically attunes to them; once attuned, it stays in place without support, floating a centimeter away from their eye. By itself, the Loupe grants an additional die to all ranged attack attempts and can effortlessly detect the ebb and flow of Essence as if permanently under the effect of the All-Encompassing Sorceror's Sight charm (see Exalted, p. 193).
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| − | The Loupe's true power comes to those who study the object and determine the hearthstone's general effect (Difficulty 6; failure to make the roll prevents the Exalt from attempting another roll for a month, and they are led to assume that the hearthstone simply acts as a power source one can see through). Properly identified, the Essence-reading powers of the stone become far more evident, and an innate understanding of a need to meditate with it on enters the mind of the owner.
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| − | On the initial meditation, the Loupe's effects kick in automatically and unavoidably; while the actual scene that is observed is up to the Storyteller, the Exalted's senses are suddenly focused on something completely different than their usual surroundings; the area sensed is the same exact place where the Exalted's body is located, but something else entirely different is occuring, and usually involves a entity or group of entities doing something of signifigance. The Exalt will observe what goes on with perfect clarity of sight, sound and even smell; while they cannot move their point of perception, they can freely look in all directions. This is not an illusion; what is being observed is an Essence-fueled 'memory' of the area, and while there can be multiple memories in a single location, the memory observed is usually one that's either had the most impact on Creation as a whole or that pertains to something of interest to the observer. There visions can and often do date back to even the heyday of the First Age, but memories that ancient come with risks that will be mentioned later.
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| − | The initial vision persists for as long as the Exalted can pay the initial-use cost (five motes for every number of minutes equal to the Exalted's Essence score) or until they willingly end the vision and recall their senses. If the Exalt completely drains their Essence in this manner, they immediately pass out and remain unconscious for a week and a day. No matter how the effect is ended, the character immediately takes an unsoakable level of Lethal damage and loses two temporary Willpower points from the effort.
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| − | Afterwards, the Exalt can use the lens at they see fit, only having to spend a Willpower point and three motes per [Essence] minutes to use the Loupe's powers. The user only takes the unsoakable lethal damage if they use the Loupe more times in a fortnight than they have dots in Essence; one level for one use over the limit, three levels for twice over, nine levels for thrice over and double the previous amount for additional overlimit uses. Usage of the Loupe requires intense concentration, and being physically injured or handled in any way rougher than a light massage will break the connection without fail. However, the Exalt can function somewhat while in this state, even writing or giving orders while they observe, so long as they make a Wits + Lore at standard difficulty.
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| − | Some risks come with use of the Loupe. While seeing acts done in the Second Age cause no trouble, visions of the First Age cause unusual fluctuations in the Essence of the Exalt viewing them, and the very act of observing them requires a Willpower check at +2 difficulty in order to avoid nasty mental and physical aches and pains, as bits and pieces of the essence used to conjure up the memory inundate the Exalt. Failure leaves the Exalt with a -2 dice penalty to all actions that lasts a number of days equal to 13 - Essence days. A botch simply makes the penalty permanent, removable only by powerful sorcery or intense (also expensive and time-consuming) essence-cleansing techniques.
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| − | Also, no matter the era, if the Exalt observing witnesses some being slain, the link immediately ends the moment the being's life is taken and they must make a Willpower check with a difficulty depending on the gruesomeness of the victim's death. A quick, painless death would only require standard, while a messy disemboweling would be +2 and a truly terrifying dismemberment or unusually cruel torment would be at +4. Failure to make the check immediately knocks the character unconscious; when they come to they will find themselves possessing fragments of the personality belonging to the slain individual, effectively gaining the Multiple Personality Syndrome derangement. Only suitable long-term therapy or strong sorcerous means can do away with these newfound personalities.
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| − | <b><i>Million Lives Loupe</b></i><br>
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| − | <tt>Artifact <b>N/A</b><br>
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| − | Requirements: Lore and Occult ●●●●, Essence ●●●●●, 1-mote commitment</tt>
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