Ockmock's Eyepatch of Retrovisualization, A System-Agnostic Magic Item

Ockmock's Eyepatch of Retrovisualization

Description:  Leather eyepatch made of tanned human skin that bears arcane runes associated with time and death.  Registers a strong dweomer of divination magic, with further investigation revealing a weaker tie to necromancy.

Powers:  If placed so that it covers the eye (or eye socket, if empty) of a dead humanoid and then removed and worn by a living creature, the wearer will see the final moments of whatever that eye saw while its owner was still alive.  The vision "plays back" on reverse, starting with the moment of death and lasting for as long as the eyepatch was in place on the corpse, or until the wearer removes the eyepatch.

The eyepatch is adjustable and will fit almost any humanoid smaller than a giant, although creatures with unusual optic configurations may pose problems.   

Possible Origins:  The first Eyepatch of Retrovisualization was created by the Lelmani wise man Ockmock before his condemnation for dabbling in necromancy, but the ritual for its creation was seized during his flight into exile along with many of his other writings and is now fairly well-known.  They are much-prized by criminal investigators, historians, and treasure hunters. 

Complications:  Trying to view the past with the eyepatch is extremely disorienting if the user doesn't close their other eye(s) while doing so.

If a corpse's eye was missing or non-functional at the time of death no image will be produced.  Ergo, it doesn't work if the deceased was blinded prior to death by any means.  Each eye (or socket) on a corpse can only be used for retrovisualization once, and the Eyepatch does not work at all on any creature that is or has been undead.

There's no limit to how long the Eyepatch can be left in place, although the "rewind" is done at normal speeds and even the most devoted sage is unlikely to want to spend years watching another creature's life play out backwards.  Experiments with younger victims of untimely death show that images end at the moment a newborn first opens its eyes (or closes them, since it's experienced in reverse by the user). 

Design Commentary:  This is another "rescue" from a comment on Telecanter's Receding Blog with some minor edits, and the second post involving the infamous necromancer Ockmock and his toys.