The Tower of Fire
Location: Mount Celestia / Lunia / Threshold
The Tower of Fire, now there’s a puzzle that’ll make any basher scratch their head. Rising like a beacon in the Silver Sea, the tower is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Picture a tower of marble, stark white against the backdrop of the Silver Sea’s shimmering expanse. But it’s not just the tower itself that captures the eye; it’s the fire, a wreath of blue flames that burn with an otherworldly intensity, casting an eerie glow that bathes the tower’s surroundings in an eerie light.
They say the tower’s abandoned, left to the whims of the planes and time itself. Within its walls, rooms shift and change without rhyme or reason. One moment, you’re stood in a grand hall, the next you’re standing in front of a corridor that wasn’t there before. Some think that the tower seems to challenge those who dare to explore it.
Why is it abandoned? There are many tales an none of them certain – here’s one that I’ve heard. Long ago, the Tower of Fire was a place of arcane study and celestial knowledge. It was said that scholars and planar explorers gathered within its walls, drawn by the promise of unlocking the secrets of the Silver Sea and the plane beyond. They sought to harness the blue fire’s power, to understand its otherworldly nature, and perhaps even to use it to ascend to a higher state of being.
But as with many quests for power and enlightenment, ambition led to downfall. It’s whispered that the scholars’ experiments with the blue fire went awry, that their attempts to control its essence led to a cataclysmic event that shattered the tower’s stability. The very fabric of the tower became unmoored from the laws of reality, causing its rooms to shift and change without rhyme or reason.
In the wake of this catastrophe, the tower’s inhabitants vanished, leaving behind a place that seemed both abandoned and alive. Its shifting rooms and the mysterious blue fire that surrounded it became a testament to the forces they had tampered with. Some say that the scholars were consumed by their own creations, forever trapped within the tower’s shifting labyrinth.
And so, the tower was left to the winds of fate, a place where the boundaries between planes and possibilities blurred. Explorers who dared to enter found themselves at the mercy of the tower’s whims, facing shifting hallways, sudden changes in terrain, and rooms that seemed to defy logic.
Is it dangerous to explore? For sure, there’s a risk to treading the tower’s halls. The shifting rooms can confound even the most skilled planewalkers, leading them into treacherous terrain or trapping them in endless loops. Undaunted, brave (or foolhardy) cutters have ventured into the tower’s shifting heart, seeking treasures that hide within its mercurial chambers. Tales tell of great wealth discovered – gems, artefacts, and more. But here’s the kicker – the tower is said to change those who enter, altering them in ways that are as unpredictable as the shifting rooms themselves.
Some say the tower’s fire carries the essence of the planes, and its touch can bestow blessings or curses upon those who dare to seek its secrets. Bloods who emerge from its depths might find themselves gifted with newfound talents, or cursed with strange quirks that forever mark them as touched by the Tower of Fire’s mysteries.
- Gifts of Insight: Some individuals emerge from the tower with heightened perception and understanding. They might gain insights into the workings of the multiverse, glimpsing connections between planes and unraveling mysteries that were once hidden. These gifts of insight come at a price, however, as the newfound knowledge can be overwhelming, leading to periods of introspection and even isolation.
- Planar Affinities: The tower’s magic might leave its mark by bestowing a connection to specific planes. These individuals could find it easier to navigate and interact with certain planes, allowing them to tap into the elemental or thematic aspects of those realms. However, this affinity can also make them vulnerable to planar forces and threats associated with those planes.
- Physical Changes: The blue fire’s essence can alter the very nature of an individual’s form. They might develop minor elemental traits, like skin that shimmers like the Silver Sea or eyes that flicker with blue flames. While these changes are usually harmless, they can also attract attention from extraplanar beings or even provoke fear among those who don’t understand.
- Temporal Quirks: The tower’s shifting rooms can disrupt an individual’s sense of time. Some might find themselves aging more slowly, their bodies unaffected by the passing years. Others might experience moments of time dilation or even temporal skips, where they lose hours or days in the blink of an eye.
- Ethereal Perception: A few who exit the tower report a heightened awareness of otherworldly phenomena. They might see glimpses of creatures from other planes or hear whispers carried on cosmic winds. While this can offer insights into the multiverse, it can also make them vulnerable to beings that dwell beyond the veil of reality.
- Emotional Empathy: The tower’s touch might heighten an individual’s emotional sensitivity, allowing them to empathize deeply with others’ feelings and intentions. While this can foster understanding and connection, it can also lead to emotional overwhelm and difficulty in distinguishing one’s own emotions from others’.
Remember, cutter, the Tower of Fire is as capricious as a mephit. Its changes are as varied as the planes themselves, and its touch can be a blessing, a curse, or something in between. Those who enter should tread with caution, for the tower’s mysteries are as treacherous as the currents of the Silver Sea.
Canonical Source:
Planes of Law: Player’s Guide to the Planes (2e) p31-32 (description of the tower)