Ring of Light
The Ring of Light is the network of lighthouses built and maintained by the Order of the Lightkeepers. It consists of nearly six thousand lighthouses placed at intervals around the Great Ring, and allows mariners to navigate the ring with ease, as the placement ensures that you can always see a lighthouse ahead and behind.
There are several notable lighthouses in the ring, including:
- Fáros Óneiro: The largest and oldest lighthouse of the Ring of Light, on the island of Lindos.
- Tamashii no Akari: The largest lighthouse in the Empire of Wamato, on the island of Sazanami.
- Solennefrieden Lighthouse: The largest lighthouse on Ynys, overlooking the Bay of Bees in Creoda.
Purpose / Function
The main purpose of the Ring of Light is to facilitate navigation of the Great Ring. It also serves as a means of communication for the Lightkeepers, who use Lighthouse Signaling to transmit messages rapidly from one island to another.
Several individual lighthouses in the ring have additional purposes as well, depending on the needs of the region and the nature of the lighthouse's genius loci. For example, the Solennefrieden Lighthouse houses a sanitarium dedicated to the treatment and care of those afflicted with mental health issues.
History
The Fáros Óneiro was the first lighthouse in the Ring of Light, and is the place where the Lightkeepers were founded. This was triggered by the awakening of the lighthouse's genius loci - the tenders of the lighthouse transitioned to become the priesthood of the Dreaming Lighthouse, and the newborn god shared a vision of the larger network with its priests. At this point, the Lightkeepers began to construct the Ring of Light, with the goal of creating an unbroken network that could be followed around the entire Great Ring.
The construction of the Ring of Light was accelerated greatly when Lindos (and the rest of the Kaphtor Islands were conquered by Hundaru of Telmun. Hundaru saw the value in the network of lighthouses they were building, and placed the substantial resources of the Telmunic Empire at the disposal of the Order. While the Empire did not persist long after Hundaru's death, it enabled the construction of nearly a quarter of the lighthouses in the current Ring of Light, reaching as far as Kendari in Lahat. The lighthouse on Menâme is dedicated to Hundaru, and its genius loci is an example of an ascended eidolon.
After the dissolution of Telmunic Empire, the construction of the Ring slowed, but the Lightkeepers were well established at this point and persevered. As each new lighthouse in the ring was constructed, the sailors and merchants of the islands began to see the sites as sacred ground, which accelerated the birth of new small gods that were embodiments of each lighthouse. Today, the Ring of Light represents the largest pantheon within the Great Ring, with each tower housing their own local deity and priesthood.
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