The Sunken Stair
The Sunken Stair presents one of Eldwatch Isle's most enigmatic features—a series of half-flooded stone steps that vanish beneath the water on the island's western shore. Created from an iridescent stone found nowhere else in the region, these steps begin at a small, secluded cove and descend in a perfect spiral pattern before disappearing beneath Moonshadow Lake's surface. Each step bears intricate carvings depicting astronomical configurations, many corresponding to celestial arrangements that occur only once per century or millennium.
Local folklore suggests the stairs lead to a hidden chamber below the lake—variously described as a vault containing powerful artifacts, a meeting place for secret councils, or a gateway to other realms. Academic studies have determined that the visible portion alone consists of precisely 108 steps, a number significant in multiple ancient magical traditions and mathematical systems. Underwater exploration has proven consistently unsuccessful.
The most peculiar aspect of the Sunken Stair involves its interaction with Moonshadow Lake itself. Water levels around the steps fluctuate independently from the rest of the lake, occasionally revealing additional portions of the structure before concealing them again without apparent pattern. During certain astronomical alignments, particularly those depicted on the steps themselves, witnesses report the water becoming temporarily transparent, revealing glimpses of the staircase continuing far deeper than physically possible given the lake's known depth.
Magical study has yielded contradicting results. The stairs do not appear to be enchanted yet are so devoid of enchantment of any kind that scholars theorize some kind of ward to hide the stairs true nature. More disturbingly, documented measurements of the steps' dimensions demonstrate subtle variations over time, with changes corresponding to lunar cycles and certain historical anniversaries not recognized in current calendars.
For students at Oathwatch Academy, the Sunken Stair represents both allure and danger. Those who sit upon the steps during specific astronomical conditions sometimes experience prophetic dreams or temporary enhanced magical capabilities. Conversely, individuals who attempt to remove material from the site or damage the structure report persistent misfortune, including magical backfires, academic difficulties, and social isolation that continues until they return to the site and perform specific ritualistic apologies learned through similarly mysterious means.
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