Palace of Wonder
In the desolate and uninhabited northwestern reaches of the Cliffkeep Mountains stands a ruined citadel. All that remain of it are crumbling walls, half-beaten to dust by the unrelenting winds of the mountains, and one forlorn tower, its turret torn asunder to reveal the mildewed, rain-fattened wooden beams within. This ruin, a relic of the early days of Issylran settlement and a panoply of forgotten wars, is all but forgotten by the people of Tal'Dorei. Few explorers travel these wind-scarred peaks or the storm-beaten northwestern coast of Tal'Dorei . The citadel itself is wracked by the elements, while the shoreline and the mountains beyond it are prowled by territorial elements that brook no intrusions.
The ruined citadel that overlooks this treacherous landscape is far more than meets the eye. In truth, it is the headquarters of the League of Miracles. The power-hungry spellwrights who make up the league’s upper echelons call this castle the Palace of Wonder. A crumbling but entirely illusory edifice has replaced the derelict fortress, maintained by the league to deter curiosity and avoid notice.
Beneath this arcane façade, the Palace of Wonder truly lives up to its name. The palace is made up of five wings, each of which has a dedicated teleportation circle:
Halls of Splendor.
The League of Miracles is in the business of good first impressions. Though the Palace of Wonder is a secret to the people of Tal’Dorei, the spellwrights occasionally teleport par- ticularly powerful mercenary mages to their home base in order to dazzle them with the castle’s splendors. The palace’s ground floor is made of a number of interconnected grand halls, awash in a tide of splendid, vibrant colors—bordering on garish—that crashes over all who enter.
These many grand dining, entertaining, and performance halls are gleaming spectacles of white marble, decorated by sparkling globes of magical light, and festooned with self-indulgent tapestries of the spellwrights’ many dubious achievements. Any intruders here without the express permission of at least one spellwright will find themselves beset by a small army of animated armors and other con- structs—including a platinum golem that watches over the front entrance.
Bowers of Recovery.
The second floor of the palace is a verdant paradise, with vibrant plants curling around the castle’s stately stone architecture. Most spellwrights have their quarters in this wing, which is protected by powerful enchantments that give life to the plants. All who enter here without a spellwright escort are viewed by the living plants as a tasty snack.
This wing of the palace also includes a three-tiered conference chamber where all twenty-four spell- wrights can gather to discuss matters of import. In the center of the chamber is a pedestal, upon which sits a humanoid mask of gleaming mithral. When the Wonderworker, the league’s mysterious leader, wishes to deliver a proclamation to the spellwrights, their voice emanates from this mask.
Towers of Farsight.
The pinnacle of the palace is made up of four sky-scraping towers that gaze out over the Cliffkeep Mountains—and all of Exandria. These private studies are the personal quarters of four of the league’s chief spellwrights, and they are equipped with all manner of scrying crystals and tools of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and far-speech.
Dungeons of Despair.
Woe betide the prisoners of the League of Miracles, who are left to rot in the cells beneath their palace. The warden of this dungeon is an infallible mage hunter golem, and each cell is equipped with shackles that inhibit the spellcasting capabilities of anyone in their grasp. Instruments of unspeakable arcane torture litter these dungeons, capable of instilling endless pain, and even extracting the very soul from one’s body. The shackled spirits of those who have died by this last vile torment serve eternally as the guardians of the palace dungeons.
Cradle of the Adranach.
Winding about the palace dungeons are a network of twisting passages illuminated by glaring, magical lights. These forking tunnels shift daily, and the secret to navigating them is a mark visible only under the power of a true seeing spell. Within these passages are a dozen laboratories stocked with the tools needed for the spellwrights to dream up new potions and spells. Some they sell at extravagant cost to the governments and militias of towns and cities across Tal’Dorei—but the best they keep for themselves, to wield against the factions they manipulate from the shadows, should they ever grow unruly.
At the deepest point of the tunnels is the Cradle of the Adranach, a unique arcane laboratory where all spellwrights are initiated. Here, they craft an adranach (see page 223), a construct of mithral and astral energy that serves as a loyal servant—and that unmistakably marks its creator as a spellwright of the League of Miracles.
The Palace of Wonder is almost never empty, for at least one of its twenty-four spellwrights must always remain within its walls to protect it. Many more spellwrights frequently return by means of the pal- ace’s teleportation circles, or upon the back of their personal adranachs, to take advantage of its magical equipment and nigh-impenetrable defenses.
At times, all spellwrights are requested to return to the palace at the behest of one of the four chief spellwrights, but unless one’s presence is demanded by name, these summons are not mandatory. The one summon which cannot be refused, however, is the annual calling of the Wonderworker. The nameless, faceless leader of the League of Miracles holds a near-prophetic sway over the spellwrights that cannot be understated. When all twenty-four spellwrights are gathered within the conference chamber, the Wonderworker intones a slew of cryptic yet unquestionable commandments that all of their followers must interpret and obey to the best of their ability.
Secrets of the Citadel
The ruined citadel that overlooks this treacherous landscape is far more than meets the eye. In truth, it is the headquarters of the League of Miracles. The power-hungry spellwrights who make up the league’s upper echelons call this castle the Palace of Wonder. A crumbling but entirely illusory edifice has replaced the derelict fortress, maintained by the league to deter curiosity and avoid notice.
Beneath this arcane façade, the Palace of Wonder truly lives up to its name. The palace is made up of five wings, each of which has a dedicated teleportation circle:
Halls of Splendor.
The League of Miracles is in the business of good first impressions. Though the Palace of Wonder is a secret to the people of Tal’Dorei, the spellwrights occasionally teleport par- ticularly powerful mercenary mages to their home base in order to dazzle them with the castle’s splendors. The palace’s ground floor is made of a number of interconnected grand halls, awash in a tide of splendid, vibrant colors—bordering on garish—that crashes over all who enter.
These many grand dining, entertaining, and performance halls are gleaming spectacles of white marble, decorated by sparkling globes of magical light, and festooned with self-indulgent tapestries of the spellwrights’ many dubious achievements. Any intruders here without the express permission of at least one spellwright will find themselves beset by a small army of animated armors and other con- structs—including a platinum golem that watches over the front entrance.
Bowers of Recovery.
The second floor of the palace is a verdant paradise, with vibrant plants curling around the castle’s stately stone architecture. Most spellwrights have their quarters in this wing, which is protected by powerful enchantments that give life to the plants. All who enter here without a spellwright escort are viewed by the living plants as a tasty snack.
This wing of the palace also includes a three-tiered conference chamber where all twenty-four spell- wrights can gather to discuss matters of import. In the center of the chamber is a pedestal, upon which sits a humanoid mask of gleaming mithral. When the Wonderworker, the league’s mysterious leader, wishes to deliver a proclamation to the spellwrights, their voice emanates from this mask.
Towers of Farsight.
The pinnacle of the palace is made up of four sky-scraping towers that gaze out over the Cliffkeep Mountains—and all of Exandria. These private studies are the personal quarters of four of the league’s chief spellwrights, and they are equipped with all manner of scrying crystals and tools of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and far-speech.
Dungeons of Despair.
Woe betide the prisoners of the League of Miracles, who are left to rot in the cells beneath their palace. The warden of this dungeon is an infallible mage hunter golem, and each cell is equipped with shackles that inhibit the spellcasting capabilities of anyone in their grasp. Instruments of unspeakable arcane torture litter these dungeons, capable of instilling endless pain, and even extracting the very soul from one’s body. The shackled spirits of those who have died by this last vile torment serve eternally as the guardians of the palace dungeons.
Cradle of the Adranach.
Winding about the palace dungeons are a network of twisting passages illuminated by glaring, magical lights. These forking tunnels shift daily, and the secret to navigating them is a mark visible only under the power of a true seeing spell. Within these passages are a dozen laboratories stocked with the tools needed for the spellwrights to dream up new potions and spells. Some they sell at extravagant cost to the governments and militias of towns and cities across Tal’Dorei—but the best they keep for themselves, to wield against the factions they manipulate from the shadows, should they ever grow unruly.
At the deepest point of the tunnels is the Cradle of the Adranach, a unique arcane laboratory where all spellwrights are initiated. Here, they craft an adranach (see page 223), a construct of mithral and astral energy that serves as a loyal servant—and that unmistakably marks its creator as a spellwright of the League of Miracles.
Gathering the Spellwrights
The Palace of Wonder is almost never empty, for at least one of its twenty-four spellwrights must always remain within its walls to protect it. Many more spellwrights frequently return by means of the pal- ace’s teleportation circles, or upon the back of their personal adranachs, to take advantage of its magical equipment and nigh-impenetrable defenses.
At times, all spellwrights are requested to return to the palace at the behest of one of the four chief spellwrights, but unless one’s presence is demanded by name, these summons are not mandatory. The one summon which cannot be refused, however, is the annual calling of the Wonderworker. The nameless, faceless leader of the League of Miracles holds a near-prophetic sway over the spellwrights that cannot be understated. When all twenty-four spellwrights are gathered within the conference chamber, the Wonderworker intones a slew of cryptic yet unquestionable commandments that all of their followers must interpret and obey to the best of their ability.
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