Spellpool

The Spellpool was our crowning achievement. Arcane magic made material, concentrated spell energy so pure you could run your fingers through it. It was also the most powerful scrying device ever wrought, and by using it our seers could look far into the future... further than anyone ever had, and perhaps, further than was wise.

--Amber Dragon, in An Alternate History - The Scarlet War

This artifact, possibly the most powerful ever constructed, and certainly the most versatile, serves several purposes. Its primary purpose is as a repository of arcane energy, for use by the College of Mages. An advanced Mage of the Arcane Order can tap into the stored energy to power his own spells, eventually even using it to cast spells he doesn't know.

Alternately, the stored energy can fuel ritual magic without the need for multiple spellcasters or elaborate preparations. It has done this on a massive scale on at least two occasions, once during the Scarlet War and once recently during the Glory Exultation Mass.

A secondary purpose, unintentional to its construction,

• At the top of the Jade 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 and acting as conduits for the ley line energy. This energy slowly refills the Pool even if no one donates spell power to the pool.
• The