Mirror of Acedia

A giant slab of ice is wedged at the end of this craggy ravine. Through its surface, you glimpse a peaceful landscape draped in snow.  
Anyone who gazes into the surface of this 20-foot-tall mirror of ice sees their reflection as soulless, haggard, and encrusted with rime.   Any character who witnesses their reflection in the mirror must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute. As they gaze stunned into their reflection’s eyes, Titus gains access to all their thoughts, fears, and knowledge.   A cambion named Rigorath, emissary of Titus stand on the other side of the mirror. The emissary, only visible in the world beyond the mirror, swoops down from one of the giant chain. His skin is cadaver-blue, and his face is frozen in a scream. Rigorath holds a kettle of steaming water in one hand. Before speaking, he pours the boiling water over his face to thaw it out. After each utterance, the ice spreads over his face again, freezing into an expression of pained anguish.   Rigorath can perceive the characters though the mirror but can’t pass through its surface, nor can the characters pass through the mirror or target Rigorath with spells or attacks. Rigorath tries to broker an infernal pact with the characters on behalf of his master Titus, offering them knowledge and power in return for their assistance.   If a contract is made with Rigorath, he etches the terms onto the surface of the mirror. The words form into chunks of ice on the group’s side, which Rigorath instructs them to chisel off, melt, and then drink to seal the bargain.   If Titus learns of the characters' thought, he orders an imp to follow the group invisibly and report back regularly. If the character act against Titus interest; he sends an ice devil into Luxuria with orders to murder the characters.


Cover image: Farewell by Greg Rutkowski

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!