Formenairë: The Seer's Observatory

The observatory of Formenaire stands atop a hill to snare the least distorted view possible of the stars. A slender tower of translucent, white stone capped with a sectioned dome of steel, its polished surface blinds under the hard brilliance of sunlight, but comes gently alive to bewitch and captivate under the softer rays of stars and moon. The interior of the tower is lit by numerous oil lamps, elegant vessels of richly wrought metals resting on side tables or bracketed to the walls. Small perfumed braziers bring warmth to the rooms. The spiral stair ends in the lush carpeting of the library in which clusters of bookshelves, weighted with valued books from Númenor and Eriador, occupy the many-windowed room, Reading chairs with additional oil lamps fill in remaining spaces. Along the inner wall, a narrow stair connects the second floor to the third and topmost floor. Beyond the stair, double doors lead into the Seer's private chambers.
Observatory. This chamber occupies the entire third floor. Around its perimeter, a steel track guides the telescope (with its adjustable chair) employed by the Seer to gaze at the stars. Topping the low peripheral wall, several steel tracks contain the four sections of the great domed roof. Each section may be rotated until the proper portion of the night sky is revealed for study. The dome may be sealed completely during inclement weather or attack. At the center of the room, embedded in a marble dais rising from the marble floor, gleams the mithril cradle for a Palantir. A fan-shaped mesh of superb craftsmanship, it is worthy of attention and admiration by itself, which is fortunate since it remains empty at the moment, the Palantir being held deep in the Sanctum unless needed for use.