Tower of The White Keep

“It is as if it reaches to touch the sun. Yet, it is not a symbol of man’s arrogance, but instead stands to allow him to better bask in the light” - Encyclopedia Gloratia

Few monuments from the Forefather’s past still stand as magnificently as the tower of The White Keep. This gleaming tower is built from milky-white marble brought from the nearby Spine mountains range, which has been enchanted to keep a constant pearl luster. Today, one can observe the pale monument from miles away as they approach the capital of The Northern Arm, Tierney. Its height is unrivaled by any other man-made structure in Gloratium, and it has long become a symbol of the power and influence of Tierney.

Purpose / Function

Military

The White Keep was built on the site of the former city of Kyrgus, a Northern Galladian settlement that was situated at a central point in the Northern Arm region, with constant access to fresh water from the nearby river and lakes fed by the snowpack of the Spine. The Forefathers realized the strategic importance of this region and immediately set about building the regional capital there. Due to the low-lying terrain, a tall enough tower could see for miles and detect any approaching enemy or disturbance. Therefore, the Forefathers included in their plans the designs for an enormous tower with which to watch over the sometimes unruly lands of the North.
After nearly seven years of construction, even with the use of their magical abilities, the tower was finally completed. A beacon was placed at the top of the tower to warn other nearby settlements, as well as the garrison in the Keep if an attack were to come or an emergency declared. A large bell cast of iron was also installed atop the tower for similar reasons. Guards have manned the tower ever since, keeping an eternal watch over the lands of Tierney and The Arm.

Magical

Another major role that the tower plays in the story of Tierney is that of casting large spells over the nearby areas. Soon after its completion, those especially gifted with magical abilities in the Forefathers ranks realized another potential use for the tower. In the first spring, a trial was conducted during which various mages of The Academy of Arbortrea attempted to fertilize and enhance the growth of the croplands that had been sowed around the city by using their magic, along with various natural forces. Their trial paid off and yields nearly doubled, turning the city and the surrounding areas into one of the major breadbaskets of their empire. This process has been repeated every year as part of a ritual in conjunction with the Flavacia festival.

Cultural

The final major use of the tower is that of a ceremonial beacon during the Flavacia festival. The Flavacia celebrates the increased flow of the Mundis river which brings rich sediment and water down from the Spine to the city. This also coincides with the blooming season of a multitude of seasonal wildflowers which cover the landscape. Buildings throughout the city are covered in arrangements of flowers, as is the White Keep. During the festival, the beacon atop the Tower is lit for the entire week marking the height of the festival. Flowers also adorn the tower during this season, as local mages coax the Blue Roses native to the Northern Arm to grow up the sides of the tower and erupt into bloom during the festival

Alterations

Few alterations have been made to the enormous tower since its construction, and this is mainly due to the fact that many of the building practices of the Forefathers were lost during the Cataclysm. Yet, enough knowledge was passed to the local population to allow for minor repairs, although few are needed due to the enchanted nature of the stone. Today, few people know the duration of these spells and whether they will last time immemorial or if the magic placed on them will slowly fade. Either way, it is also a tribute to the Forefathers that helped make the Northern Arm into the kingdom it currently is, and for that, few people see a need to change its majesty.

Architecture

Blocks of white marble, brought down the river from the Spine, makes up the exterior of the building. The square-based tower is built in a classical Forefather style, what humans on earth may refer to as ‘Gothic’. A small balcony rings an observation deck, before leading to the top of the tower which comes to a point at its peak in a pyramidal shape. Perched on each corner of this pyramid, standing watch over the city, stand enormous Ekipter statues. Atop the pyramid rises an enormous silver sun (the symbol of the Forefathers), constantly shining over the city (it is said that even on moonless nights, the sun is said to emit a silvery glow). It is said that the tower drew inspiration from ancient keeps on the Forefathers homeland of Midmara, a continent that sunk into the sea following The Cataclysm.

History

Long ago the village of Kyrgus stood on the land that the White Keep now occupies. The Forefathers decided that this strategic position would provide the perfect home for the capital of The Northern Arm district of their empire. This was due to the large river and lake, as well as plenty of arable land and terrain that provided sight for miles all around. Roughly midway through construction of the Keep, it was decided that a tower would be erected in the center of the castle to provide maximal vision around the city. Slowly this tower came to symbolize Forefather power in the North, and the builders in the newly dubbed city of Tierney decided to make the tower as much monument as a defensive structure. For seven years workers and master builders constructed the tower, and upon its completion the council of Forefathers that acted as the legislative ruling class of the empire christened it.
Initially, the people of the Northern Arm saw this as a symbol of their oppressive rulers. Guards were placed at the base of the tower to keep it from being sabotaged, however, these attempts slowly died away. The Forefathers had developed extensive strategies to slowly build a supportive base to their rule and tried to ensure, usually successfully, that their local rulers commanded respect through acts that brought prosperity to their realms. Eventually, the people’s of the Northern Arm came to regard the tower as a beacon of the North. This was also thanks to the fact that the historic rulers of Kyrgus/Tierney and The White Keep, the Stormwinds, Northerner' themselves, allied many of the local villages, although the fact that they kept a Northerner name, upset many Forefather conservative elements. The first ruler of The Northern Arm made it a point to visit all the peoples of her realm to build their trust, not as a ruler, but as an ally; a first among equals. This cemented the reputation of the Tower of a The White Keep as a symbol of power, not just of the Forefathers, but of The Northern Arm as a whole.

Alternative Names

The White Tower, Tower of Tierney, The Tower

Type

Tower, Mage

Parent Location

Tierney

Owning Organization

The Northern Arm