Jade Tower
The Jade Tower is the home of the College of Mages, and one of the most powerful places in Crescent. It sits on a ley line nexus, one point of the Arcane Triangle, connected by ley lines to the Lighthouse at Windy Point and the Valley of the Magi.
History
The Tower is, and was, and always shall be, or so it seems. Legend says it was raised from the earth itself whole, a feat of magical construction unequaled in history.
It served as the headquarters of the College of Mages for centuries, center of their power, their discipline, their mystique. Its light, shining brightly in the western sky, was both a beacon to those of Power, and a warning to those who would stand against them.
That warning went unchallenged for centuries, until the Scarlet War, when the College of Mages fell, seemingly forever.
Recently, however, the Tower seems to have reawakened,
Approaching the Tower
Multiple wards and magical effects are in place in the area surrounding the Tower, to protect its masters.
- 2.1.1 Rebounding Swords WIll Save DC 18, or any blade (piercing or slashing) will rebound on its user, doing base damage (plus any magical damage). No STR bonus or crits.
Applies within 10 miles of the Tower. - 2.1.2 Approach and Be Recognized All people are subject to the Faerie Fire spell, as well as Zone of Truth. No scrying is permitted within the range of this ward. Bars undetectable alignment and other related spells. Caster level checks for divination waived, subject to scrying restriction above. No teleporting, except via teleport circles in the Tower itself. Sound carries - +10 to listen checks.
Applies within 30 miles of the Tower. - 2.1.3 Unfriendly Skies Winds around the tower above ground level are wild and uncontrolled, making flying difficult. -20 to ride checks for airborne mounts. - 2.1.4 Mirage Arcana Roll Will Save 1/hour DC 21 (+2 bonus after making first save) or make no overland progress toward Tower. - 3 Outside the Tower The Tower is hugely tall, an octagonal building stretching to the sky. It stands on a hill in a valley, and fairly pulses with mystical potential. Silver lines stretch up four of the sides, on each of the off-cardinal points. - 3.1 Yanseldra standing at entrance - 3.1.1 Wings wounded by Nigel's grandfather, she is bound to this plane by her pain, and is unable to heal herself. - 3.1.2 She guards the entrance to the tower. She will not allow anyone to pass her and enter the Tower, until such time as she is healed and released. - 3.1.3 She may only be healed by a descendant of the one who wounded her. - 3.2 Announce Thyself - 3.3 Find the Spellpool (Tour of the Tower) The Tower is empty, but it isn't the emptiness of a haunting. It's the waiting of a theatre before the audience begins to file in - an expectation of the return of vitality. It is quiet, hushed, but was clearly not abandoned in haste. - 3.3.1 Labs and experimentation rooms Various kinds, one for each of the major schools of magic, except necromancy. - 3.3.2 Classrooms - 3.3.3 Transport room An entire room filled with teleport circles, to multiple places. They seem to be deactivated. - 3.3.4 Libraries of general knowledge, in particular Arcana and the History of Magic Regina will undoubtedly raid this section for knowledge of Telemore. Determine what she will find. - 3.3.5 The Grand Library This room is huge - a whole floor of the Tower, seemingly carved from the darkest jade. There are tables and work chairs, but no shelves. It's one giant spellbook, with each school's spells (except necromancy) engraved on one of the eight walls in mystical silver runes. It's possible to move the spells from the walls to a work table, and advanced users can even make changes or annotations to them, or add new spells to the collection. - 3.3.6 Conference rooms - 3.3.7 Council Chamber Think the Gray Council from Babylon 5 - 3.3.8 The Spellpool At the top of the tower, lies the Spellpool. About 8 feet across, 3 feet high, with 18" walls made of solid jade, and inscribed with silver and gold runes. The silver lines running up the sides of the Tower culminate here, connecting to the pool. Note the presence of Segilus rooted in the pool. - 3.3.8.1 Segilus is the spell No one expected that he would retain his intellect and reason when he sacrificed his mortal shell for the magic. For all intents and purposes, the spell is truly alive... and available to advise.