Circlet of Barbed Vision

Fan art of the Circlet of Barbed Vision, by Inkarat.

The **Circlet of Barbed Vision** is one of the Vestiges of Divergence. Upon wearing this circlet of gnarled onyx, black barbs dig into the wearer's head, imparting power as it twists the wearer's appearance to amuse the Spider Queen.

## **Properties**

Unless otherwise noted, these properties are as described in the *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting* and *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*.

#### **Dormant State**

* While wearing this circlet, the wearer's Charisma score decreases by 2. They also have advantage on initiative rolls. Their Charisma score returns to normal if they remove the circlet, but they take 4d6 psychic damage when they do so.
* When making an attack roll, the wearer can use their reaction to gain a +5 bonus to the roll. They make this choice after they see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses. The wearer cannot use this ability again until they finish a short or long rest.

When Opal equipped the circlet in "What Comes Next" (E1x08) mid-combat, her Charisma decreased by 2 and her Dexterity increased by 2, and she immediately gained the benefits of a long rest.

#### **Awakened State**

* The wearer gains resistance to poison damage and immunity to the poisoned condition.
* The ability to gain a bonus to an attack roll can be used twice between rests.

#### **Exalted State**

* The wearer gains immunity to poison damage.
* The wearer has truesight out to a range of 60 feet.
* The ability to gain a bonus to an attack roll can be used three times between rests.

## **History**

### **Exandria Unlimited**

   The Circlet of Barbed Vision had been brought to Tal'Dorei for research reasons by a very powerful mage friend of Shaun Gilmore, but was robbed from the *Blightstar* in 842 PD by a group of rookie adventurers. The item actively repulsed characters of good alignment who got too close, causing them to vomit black ichor. Additionally, the circlet gave Opal a vision of spiders and one large spider leg that reminded everyone else in the party of Lolth, and Dorian Storm was specifically reminded of the Vestiges of Divergence. After touching the Circlet, Dariax Zaveon's eyes turned completely black and stayed black for days; when he looked in a mirror, he saw spiders skittering across the faces of the people around him.

Later, the party encountered a forlarren resembling Fearne Calloway who had put on the circlet and become more powerful.

   In a moment of desperation to defeat Myr'atta Niselor and reconnect with her sister and patron Ted, Opal placed the circlet on her head. She immediately gained the benefits of a long rest. The thorns caused black, thick, sticky liquid to run from the wounds, and her eyes turned dark black. Her dye job disappeared, and her hair itself actually turned opalescent. She began to more closely resemble Ted, with a more snarling smile and a slightly wider and stronger body. She was unable to bring herself to pull the circlet off immediately afterward, and it began shifting something under her skin so that it would be damaging to try to remove.

The party named themselves the Crown Keepers because of their desire to keep the circlet away from others who would use it for evil.

Some months later, in Kymal, Lolth asked Opal if she wanted to be her champion; when Opal eagerly accepted, the circlet entered its Awakened State. Opal doubled over in pain, but retained control of her will. The circlet became an unremovable part of her.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 See "What Comes Next" (E1x08) at 2:49:12.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 112.
3. ↑ See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) at 2:19:00.
4. ↑ See "What Comes Next" (E1x08) at 2:46:08.
5. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*, p. 204.
6. ↑ See "The Nameless Ones" (E1x01) from 2:42:38 through 2:43:26.  The circlet was described at 2:35:12.
7. ↑ See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) from 1:05:22 through 1:09:44.
8. ↑ See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) at 2:19:47.
9. ↑ See "A Glorious Return" (E1x03) at 1:30:58.
10. ↑ See "By the Road" (E1x04) at 51:53.
11. ↑ See "What Comes Next" (E1x08) at 2:46:08.
12. ↑ See "What Comes Next" (E1x08) at 3:20:34.
13. ↑ See "What Comes Next" (E1x08) at 3:26:09.
14. ↑ See "Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, Part 2" (E2x02) from 1:17:42 through 1:21:57.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of the Circlet of Barbed Vision, by Inkarat (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Art of the Circlet of Barbed Vision, as depicted in the *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 112.
3. ↑ Fan art of Dark Fearne wearing the circlet, by Clara (source). Used with permission.
4. ↑ Fan art of Opal wearing the Circlet, by Scout Villegas (source). Used with permission.