Description
The Eye of Zaltec is a fist-sized spiked ruby worth 5,000 gp (or up to 25,000 gp at auction in major cities). For centuries, this gemstone surmounted the Great Pyramid in Nexal, capital of the Maztican Empire. As a relic of the cult of Zaltec, its dagger-like point was plunged into the hearts of countless sacrifices.
Rumored Power
The Eye of Zaltec is rumored to possess the power to raise the ancient dead. If this power is genuine, it requires a great many sacrifices to function.
Location in the Tomb
The Eye is hidden in area 62D, a secret room containing the stone juggernaut Napaka. The ruby sits on a stone shelf jutting from the west wall—unless it has been teleported to area 62C.
Obtaining the Eye
To acquire the Eye, characters must navigate area 62C and solve a riddle carved above a four-armed gargoyle statue:
Three I need / Then three more / Three more still / Opens the door
By placing gemstones in the statue’s three open hands (three at a time, for a total of nine gemstones), the stones are crushed to powder. After the ninth stone is sacrificed, the broken arm of the statue opens its hand, and the Eye of Zaltec teleports from area 62D into it.
When the ruby is taken, the statue exhales soporific gas (DC 15 Constitution save or fall unconscious for 1 hour), and the secret door opens, releasing the stone juggernaut from area 62D.
Historical Context
The adventuring band known as the Company of the Yellow Banner entered Omu seeking the Eye of Zaltec and was never seen again. They were questing to obtain the jewel’s power to resurrect the Starfallen, a female moon elf warlock whose spirit is trapped in a ghost lantern (found in area 27). The company perished in the tomb without finding the Eye.
Potential Consequences
If characters obtain the Eye:
- Tabaxi thieves might try to steal it and return it to Maztica, trading it for the release of enslaved loved ones
- Villains might buy the jewel to resurrect a dead tyrant, evil archmage, or greater threat
- The Eye can be kept, sold to interested buyers, or potentially used to fulfill the Company of the Yellow Banner’s original quest