Astronomy Tower of Oephid

The king, with time, grew tired of conquest and left the country to his progeny. Military conquest and exploration became known to him to a point where he would not find interest in either any longer. However, something new piqued his interest; something he could never dream of conquering in his life, but at least enjoy as a spectator: the endless sea of stars. It was a rainy night when he himself came to my house, and asked me about them. For a man known to have destroyed, i sensed a desire to build, to create in his eyes. This became the start of a friendship and a project that would outlast our legacy.

— Oephid Grimmald, Legendary Astronomer

Purpose / Function

In a time it was usually called Raven's Mount, the landmark was a vantage point in high altitude. This was a critical point for any army controlling it; offering a good vision and being part of a beacon relay. About 320 soldiers were garrisoned there at the peak of the war.

After years of war, the fort lost it's critical interest, as the reigning King Gale managed to expand the territory drastically, leaving the necessity of outlook and defence to other settlements closer to the kingdom's borders. Later on, as the fort was used only for maintenance and temporary military shelter, the king pledged to re-purpose the fort as an astronomy tower, which became a world wonder for every tourist considering to visit the country.

Alterations

When King Gale ordered the new project at the fort, the reconstruction took 6 years. Most of the work being revolved around the expansion of the tower, now equipped with an historic telescope and numerous astronomy apparatus.

Architecture

The fort's tower and walls are made of stone which managed to pass the test of time with enough maintenance over the years. Many open-air sections with a roof were made available for the garrison, while more dangerous equipment was kept in closed stone houses near the tower. The heavy presence of stone and frequent rains gave the fort a natural protection against fire.
After the tower's renovation, many 'quality of life' improvements were done inside the tower's quarters to allow scholars to live there. A part of the tower remains made of cut stone, but the extension was made with a special material, rendering the outside opaque, but leaving the inside translucent, which allows the tower's denizens at the top of the tower to view all around them. The top is also equipped with a lightning rod, which is impressive to witness during thunderstorms, and serve as an energy gatherer for some inventions.

History

In the early years of the (writing in progress) conquest, one of King Gale's first objectives was to secure the vantage point known as Raven's Mount, as the high altitude would make a nice point for watching the region and also as a beacon relay if his army ever needed. by keeping and developing this fort,the king managed to have a reliable defence against his enemies of the west, which allowed him to secured his advance to the north. The fort remained a useful landmark during the war.
But as war came to an end, the purpose of the fort became less and less. Now that the kingdom's territory expanded, the fort was less useful as a vantage point, and defence budget was spread more around settlement near the borders. Also, during the year XXX, a plague spread the region, and some soldiers at the garrison died of it. When the plague issue was resolved, some soldiers resigned from working at the fort, pretending they saw their comrades haunting the place. Over time, the fort became a military depot more than anything else, only guarded to secure goods and maintain the fort to a minimum.
It was years later, that King Gale commissioned the astronomer Oephid to make a grand project: to transform the fort into something that would offer vision to something else: the unconquered sea of stars. Before dying, Gale wanted to see the unknown he could never reach, and build something to last the decade of destruction that happened.
Now, the tower is managed by an order of scholar founded by Oephid, and funded by both the government and tourists. A shining beacon of science and wonder, the tower also hides a secret unknown to most: In their death, some of the plagued soldiers who died on reserve felt unfulfilled and remained as ghosts. They now wander the fort, hoping one day to be useful, as they were stripped away from the 'privilege' of dying in combat. This completes the tower with a strong defence mechanism if some ill-intended individuals ever try to destroy the king and astronomer's legacies.

Tourism

Tourism is a frequent thing at the fort as the reputation of the tower being consider a world wonder remains strong. Many scholars, adepts, spellcasters and also people of faith come to discover what lies inside the tower. The society of scholar taking care of the astronomy part of the fort also offers occasional workshops to who may be interested, and can pay for it. Despite the defunct militaristic interest of the fort, about 25 guards remains active in different shifts to offer guided tours of the past's history of this fort, and maintain the beacon and other parts of the fort in shape. Sometimes, garrisons travelling from a town to another also come to rest at the fort and get a moment of respite.
Since the presence of ghosts remains a rumor of interest, some tourists and the tower's personnel often try to stay alert for any kind of physical manifestation, as it has been proved that some of the haunting soldiers, at times, passes their boring immortality reading books and manipulating technological equipment, trying to understand those advanced objects that surrounds them.

Alternative Names

formerly known as Raven's Mount

Type

Observatory / Telescope