Arcane Eye¶
"I see you have come without the eye and essence … as we expected. no matter, soon you will give them to us willingly!" — the Thur'arax, through an undead ogre (S197)
The Arcane Eye, often simply the Eye, is a Kalamite relic of the Kalari, "Keystone to the Arcane Heart" (S182). It was sealed for ages in the Vault of the Eye beneath the Monastery of St Morgan. Taken from there in the Fifth Age, it was hunted from every side: Araxians, Asmodean demons of Asmodeus and the Onyx Order of the Sancturi all pursued it, and it destroyed a demon queen.
The Vault of the Eye¶
"The Vault of the Eye was hidden beneath" the Monastery of St Morgan (S185). Its halls were built to test those who came for the Eye: a hall of golden and silvered orbs dedicated to the High Lords and High Ladies who serve Kalar, a Hall of Light, a Pit of Darkness and a Hall of Angels with "Two corrupted, fallen angel protectors" (S185). The trapped halls are described with the monastery in Geography. In the Pit of Darkness eleven doors each bear a god and a keyhole, under the words "Kalar chose one on High to oversee the prison he had forged to contain the invading darkness"; the right door is that of Arcantus (S185).
At the end lay "The Vault. Impenetrable cylindrical crystal containing the eye" (S185).
The Arcane Heart¶
The Eye is the key to something greater: papers recovered during the struggle against the forces of Bhaal in Alghert record "Eye - Keystone to the Arcane Heart (Kalamite)" (S182). The same notes list the Arcane Eye beside the parts of the Mithis Heartstone, and the party's goals there were "Destroy the witches, Destroy the Hollow, Take the Eye" (S182).
Gap
No source says what the Arcane Heart is, where it lies, or what the Eye does when set to it. Whether the Eye is a part of the Heartstone or a separate relic is not stated. Its appearance is never described.
Book of the Eye¶
Past the Hall of Angels lay the Halls of Methusial, an Archwizard, with bedrooms, offices and religious texts. Among them was the Book of the Eye, written in the Ancient High Kalari language (S186). The same notes point toward Brusau, its "Hidden Sect of Arcantus" and its Great Library.
Gap
The contents of the Book of the Eye are not recorded.
The hunt for the Eye¶
Once the Eye left its vault, word spread. In Sancturi-held Brusau the Imperium hunted the worshippers of Arcantus, and "Their spies have told them what the players have": "High Consallon Toshidae of the Onyx Order (Arbitori Bannerguard) is charged with responsibility to recover the Eye" (S189).
The Araxians wanted it too. In the dwarven shipyard held by a Thur'arax the creature's voice mocked the party for coming "without the eye and essence", and their ally Lokgorm demanded "What is this eye? What have you not told me?" (S197). After the battle a Cthul Elder Brain whispered to one of them: "The Asmodeans are near and seek what you possess! ... What is is that you possess that the Asmodeans seek so desperately? Is it this same Eye that the Araxians seek?" (S198). By then the party was chased through the Underdark by the Elder Brain and its minions, the Araxians, and "Asmodean Fire Demons" (S199, S200).
The Eye is a weapon as well as a key. In the depths, "Demon Queen Venghulrak -- Disintegrated by the Eye" (S199).
Keepers¶
After the vault the Eye passed among the party of the Sancturi Campaign. Belgrad carried it for a time and it was left at camp under guard during the descent on the Thur'arax (S196, S197); from then on Almund held it (S198, S200). The chronicle tells the story.