Sahr Heliographs

Sahr Heliographs are tall sandstone structures that are scattered across the vast desert kingdom of Nursham. These towers have many functions, including in guiding travellers through the largely invariant landscape of sand dunes, as physical waypoint markers for most towns within the kingdom, and as hubs of learning and knowledge. The Sahr Heliographs also function as massive sundials, informing the citizens of Nursham of the time of day with their shadows, which people use along with noting the position of the sun in the sky. The former, however, is often easier to look at compared to the burning hot and bright sun that hovers over Nursham each blistering day.

Purpose / Function

The ground section of a Sahr Heliograph functions as both a library and a place for travellers to rest on their journeys through the vast desert. As Nursham is the largest Lyfeldean kingdom and the most difficult to navigate due to the lack of distinguishable features that identify one piece of land from the next, the Sahr Heliographs are frequently visited by many passing through the kingdom. Within the library that boasts floor-to-ceiling shelves spanning more than three quarters of the ground section, across many levels within this particular section of the building, there is also a dedicated area to cartography. Maps of precise navigation through the Nursham desert, including which constellations to reference at night and the location of all Sahr Heliographs, are freely available for visitors to peruse and make copies. The other portion of the ground section of a Sahr Heliograph serves as an unnmanned cafe of sorts, with various sofas and cushions for weary travellers to rest upon, hydration stations to refill the contents of any flasks that have been emptied in the harsh sunlight, and a snack bar for those feeling a little peckish. These services are maintained by the Sahr Keeper and their family. 
The second section is used by academics and houses a variety of small sleeping quarters and research benches for students studying away from home. As Nursham has always had a focus on education and engaging one's curiosities for the world, the Sahr Heliographs were also built with the secondary purpose of acting as outposts for learning. Many researchers of Nursham frequent the various Sahr Heliographs around the kingdom, using them as temporary home bases while they complete field research. Within the middle section of each Sahr Heliograph tower there are ten small, single-occupent rooms with a single bed and small writing desk, five self-contained and controlled environment laboratories for precise practical examinations, and a smaller library with texts restricted in access to the scholars of Nursham. Many visiting erudites bring their own rations with them and use the downstairs cafe area as a place to eat and take breaks from their studies.
The top section of any Sahr Heliograph is the private residence of the Sahr Keeper, the individual who operates the Heliograph, and their family. Sahr Keepers are responsible for manipulating the many mirrors within the spherical, domed roof atop the Heliograph when a message is required to be relayed to those in the surrounding area. The most common warning that a Sahr Keeper will communicate using the mirrors of the Heliograph is that of a sandstorm approaching from the distance, alerting the people residing nearby of the need to take shelter immediately. Sahr Keepers are also trained glassmakers so that in the case of a mirror breaking, it is able to be repaired in a swift manner. When the sun sets, the Sahr Keeper is also in charge of using light elemental magic to ensure the tower continues to act as a beacon throughout the night. Any fae that works as a Sahr Keeper is usually of a type of folk that require very little sleep, or they work in tandem with their family members.
Sahr Heliographs are the only landmark or building within Nursham that is not targeted by the infamous bands of sand pirates that realm the waves of the sand dunes, earning them a repuation as safe havens. Although it is largely unknown why the Heliographs are not raided, many believe it is due to the structures being a place of knowledge and out of repsect for Dahikya, the goddess of wit and wonder and primary deity of Nursham, the pirates avoid desecrating any of her sacred houses of learning.

Architecture

A Sahr Heliograph tower consisters of three-tapering tiers each with their own dedicated function and is complete with a domed roof that pays heritage to the mosques of Nursham that worship their patron goddess Dahikya. Attached to the dome is a thin spire with two symbols - at the top of the spire is a symbol unique to each Sahr Heliograph which denotes the tower's location to travellers, while the smaller symbol directly beneath that is that of the sun, as Nursham is also known as the Kingdom of Sun due to their affinity for light elemental magic.

Type

Tower

Parent Location

Nursham