The Tower of Day

A tower honoring Fernus God of the Sun and Day

The Symbol of Day

In the year 66 F.A. current ruler of Stelliah Vinull Plethorn decided he had lived in the shadows of the massive cave system of Stelliah for far too long. Growing tired of the unnatural light of light magic and the flickering glow of firelight he began the construction of the now iconic tower that stands today.

To travel through this nightmare of a region requires a steel resolve, immense bravery and a bit of crazy to make it work. I've seen many a men die or lose themselves here in the Raven Lands. But what I've seen even more of is hardy adventurers bursting into tears as they gaze upon The Tower of Day. A ray of hope in this land of night and death. Fernus will never abandon us

Poll'Sirn Ranger and Guide of the Raven Lands

Purpose / Function

The idea of The Tower of Day is that it collects and funnels sunlight down its interior through a network of mirrors. The light is then stored into a massive enchanted orb that is at an opening in the tower. This orb harnesses and produces the brilliant sunlight, operating as a man made sun. Providing light for as long as the receptive mirrors on the above ground portion of the tower are being struck by the sun.

Alterations

The Original Tower

Once the original tower was constructed it stood at about 70ft above ground and the bottom of the tower reached the roof of the cave just above the capitol city Syndrome. The sun orb was attached to the bottom of the tower and hung freely, capable of casting light all over the city.

The First Alteration

In the year 431 F.A. the current king of Stelliah, Wurrmund Plethorn thought that the tower could become so much more than just a source of light for the city. He realized it could become a beacon of hope and light in such a dangerous region. Stelliah, a place famous for its dark atmosphere and environment needed something to rally behind. This led to the construction of the second portion of the tower. He built the second portion from the ground of the cave/city all the way up to about 50 ft below the sun orb. This section of the tower is dedicated to the Day and Sun God Fernus . The inside portion of the lower half of the tower is a temple dedicated to the God, decorated with paintings and statues of the God. This represented a cultural turning point in the city of Syndripe for the next 500 years.

The Second Alteration

The most recent change to the tower came under the rule of Ullom Plethorn during 988 F.A. In her efforts to appeal to her courtship of Mallith the Demi-God of Shadows. She offered to cut off all light sources in the Stelliah cave system for 24 hours once a month. In order to do this she had to be able to block out the sun orb. She achieved this by having levers and cranks attached to the lower half of the tower. When pulled, these cranks would raise four enchanted black sheets on either side of the sun orb. These sheets are designed to capture and nullify light. Effectively blocking out the sun orb. This alteration was met with severe backlash from the population as they felt Ullom was disgracing and insulting the Fernus. People began to fear Fernus would stop letting the sun hit the tower. Despite the civil unrest that resulted from these changes the sheets still remain on the tower and are used once a month to appeal to Mallith.

Architecture

Design

The above ground portion of the Tower of Day is a powerfully radiant marble obelisk. The top does not come to a point. Instead it blossoms similar to a flower. With rows of angled mirrors to funnel the sunlight down the tower. The below ground portion of the tower is a massive rectangle reminiscent of a miniature skyscraper. The Syndripe portion of the tower is accessible and open to the public as a cathedral. It is a brightly lit interior with statues and alters to Fernus available to all. A Priest is also alway on hand at the tower. Wrapping around the outside of the lower portion is an ascending staircase accessible only to guards and nobles. These stairs lead to the top of the lower portion where one can crank the blackout sheets up to block the sun orb.

Components

The Tower of Day is constructed entirely out of marble bricks and gold. The idea behind this was to make it stand out among the gray and depressing expanse of the Raven Lands. It is supposed to symbolize light and warmth. This remains true for the lower portion of the tower as well. The corners of the tower are lined with gold and golden rays of light streak down the sides of the tower.

Mythology

The worship of Fernus in Stelliah had long been considered taboo. To the residents of Stelliah, Fernus was thought to have abandoned them. Leaving them to the deities and powers of the darkness. To worship Fernus in such a dark place brought attention to yourself, attention from evil beings. It wasn't until Wurrmund built the lower portion of the tower that it became acceptable and safer to worship Fernus. The people living in the region of Stelliah had to persevere for 370 years before they could worship the God of Sun and Day and feel the true warmth of light.

Alternative Names

Tower of Light, Fernus' Pillar

Type

Tower, Telecomms

Parent Location

Syndripe

Owner

Tillorn Plethorn

Owning Organization

The Plethorn Family

The Sun Orb