Horton’s Tower

A tower that overlooks the harbour in Filishar.

Purpose / Function

This structure was built as a lookout and signal tower. It's primary purpose is to provide messages to ships at sea or those in the harbour, though the signals can also be of benefit to settlements up and down the coast.
The tower can provide signals during the day or night. A fire is lit in the signal chamber at the top of the tower and then signals xan be sent in various ways

Day
During the day the tower can be used to create patterns of clouds of smoke using a set of shutters in the roof. If it is a dull day the night time hatches can be used to create patterns of lights.

Night
At night sliding hatches on the walls of the signal chamber can be used to create flashes of light. These hatches slide over glass panels which help protect the fire from the weather.

Architecture

This 50ft tower is built from large stone blocks, which are then coated in solidifying rock. The tower has a wide base that slopes up to the narrower section that rises the last 20ft. The tower has windows on all four sides on each floor allowing views out to sea and inland. A wooden walkway also circles the roof, which helps with access to the smoke shelters and provides the higheset lookout point without interfering with sight of the light from the fire.

Defenses

Originally the tower had little in the way of defences and it only occupied by the signalmaster and their assistants. However, after the tower was briefly seized and false messages sent out a group of soldiers were assigned to provide some security.

Founding Date

170 of the fourth age

Type

Tower

Parent Location

Filishar

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Caresnas

Horton Sign

The tower is named for the creator of the pattern of signals used to communicate with ships. The pattern of using long and short pulses of light or smoke was created by Hortan of Pebble Cove to allow for a wide variety of messages to be sent.