Birdtowers
Singular... "Birdtower?"
Established after The Breaking of Dandoleon, the birdtowers were constructed by Disciples of Thanatorum with the explicit directive to watch over the denizens of Dandoleon. The towers' avian inhabitants were ordained with the power of divination to predict the coming of winter and warn the creatures of summer to migrate or enter a prolonged state of dormancy for survival.
The birdtowers are placed all along the circle of Dandoleon, though only one remains inhabited at a time. During its habitation, a birdtower is titled "Tower Nyn." The previously inhabited tower is referred to as "Tower Prin" while the next tower to be inhabited is "Tower Ysteron." Little activity occurs at Prin or Ysteron at any given time, while the dozens of other towers go forgotten until the cycle of migration returns to them. Tower Nyn, on the other hand, serves as a home for the Disciples of Thanatorum to live, watch over a sector of Dandoleon, accept sacrifices, and perform divination rituals.
Each birdtower has minor variations in design, though the general structure remains the same. The towers have four main structures: the courtyard, entry, aviarum, and nest.
During the final stage of The Breaking of Dandoleon, the Indictment of Chaimut saw the callous time god imprisoned in Dandoleon, where he would be forced to drag the plane about its central axis. In doing so, the halves that had always been Summer or Winter would begin to shift as they traveled in space. At the time, no life in Dandoleon had evolved to survive shifting seasons, leading to a mass extinction. To mitigate the disaster, Chaimut's brother and god of justice sought to provide a guide for the denizens of Dandoleon. Thanatorum, foreign to the plane, presented himself as an advocate for the cause as a seeker of balance. As an emissary of death, he argued that the persistence of life was necessary; in the presence of a cataclysm, which was unavoidable regardless, the immeasurable death toll would provide him with enough power to save those who remained. In what was intended as a temporary trial, Thanatorum sent his Disciples to build the birdtowers across the ring of Dandoleon, where they would begin a campaign to gather and shepherd the inhabitants deeper into Summer territory. Meanwhile, Thanatorum traveled to the lands where Summer and Winter meet, capitalizing on the deaths resulting from seasonal shifts and channeling the power therein to his disciples. Once the shift of seasons was fully understood and life began adapting, the Disciples of Thanatorum were told to inhabit one birdtower at a time, eventually moving to the next once Winter was on the horizon. This migratory process informs the denizens of Dandoleon when they too should flee or enter dormancy until Summer returned. The towers were intended as a location for locals to commune with the Disciples directly, which has continued to be a successful endeavor. Eventually, Thanatorum was criticized for only helping the denizens of the Summer territory. Fearing an indictment akin to Chaimut's, he fled Dandoleon upon hearing of his perceived failure, leaving his Disciples behind. While he still communicates with his disciples in Dandoleon and they continue to perform their given directive, they do so outside the gods' demands.
Design
Each birdtower has minor variations in design, though the general structure remains the same. The towers have four main structures: the courtyard, entry, aviarum, and nest.
Courtyard
The courtyard encloses its tower, typically paved with large stone sheets and defended by high-rise stone walls or metal palisades. Its exit meets an ornamental cove of trees and a paved path that meets its end a distance into the wilderness.
Most of a birdtower's structural variation occurs within the courtyard, as its shape and adornment are determined by surrounding geography. As for decorations, the Disciples of Thanatorum tend to fill the courtyard with local oddities, artifacts, and sacrifices. Also present are any number of platforms for rituals that can't be held at the nest or public addresses.
The entry makes up the largest portion of the tower's structure, filled mostly with empty space and platforms so its residents can fly upward to the aviarum, the main living space. On each platform are bookshelves and ingredient cases; given the Disciples of Thanatorum can fly to the aviarum from outside, the interior of the entry is primarily used for storage. The lack of staircases and ladders is to ensure intruders can't invade the tower's peak.
The aviarum constitutes the main living space of the Disciples, including studies, preening rooms, observatories, dining halls, and wardrobes, lounges, and kitchens. Many amenities go unused, only present to accommodate visitors on rare occasions. For example, most tools in the kitchen go unused aside from storage, as the Disciples scarcely eat aside from ritual sacrifices. The structure and number of rooms remain unchanged between each tower, ensuring the Disciples can easily settle after migrating.
Entry
The entry makes up the largest portion of the tower's structure, filled mostly with empty space and platforms so its residents can fly upward to the aviarum, the main living space. On each platform are bookshelves and ingredient cases; given the Disciples of Thanatorum can fly to the aviarum from outside, the interior of the entry is primarily used for storage. The lack of staircases and ladders is to ensure intruders can't invade the tower's peak.
Aviarum
The aviarum constitutes the main living space of the Disciples, including studies, preening rooms, observatories, dining halls, and wardrobes, lounges, and kitchens. Many amenities go unused, only present to accommodate visitors on rare occasions. For example, most tools in the kitchen go unused aside from storage, as the Disciples scarcely eat aside from ritual sacrifices. The structure and number of rooms remain unchanged between each tower, ensuring the Disciples can easily settle after migrating.
Nest
Atop the tower is an open-air sanctum complete with altars, an amphitheater, and a channel of lenses used to commune with Thanatorum known as an Ohkintropic Delta. It is often used as an exit due to elevated wind speeds to assist with flight or as a perch for airborne vehicles, such as large animals or gliders.
by Anggitha Nathania of Whiteghoul Studio
Origin and Purpose
During the final stage of The Breaking of Dandoleon, the Indictment of Chaimut saw the callous time god imprisoned in Dandoleon, where he would be forced to drag the plane about its central axis. In doing so, the halves that had always been Summer or Winter would begin to shift as they traveled in space. At the time, no life in Dandoleon had evolved to survive shifting seasons, leading to a mass extinction. To mitigate the disaster, Chaimut's brother and god of justice sought to provide a guide for the denizens of Dandoleon. Thanatorum, foreign to the plane, presented himself as an advocate for the cause as a seeker of balance. As an emissary of death, he argued that the persistence of life was necessary; in the presence of a cataclysm, which was unavoidable regardless, the immeasurable death toll would provide him with enough power to save those who remained. In what was intended as a temporary trial, Thanatorum sent his Disciples to build the birdtowers across the ring of Dandoleon, where they would begin a campaign to gather and shepherd the inhabitants deeper into Summer territory. Meanwhile, Thanatorum traveled to the lands where Summer and Winter meet, capitalizing on the deaths resulting from seasonal shifts and channeling the power therein to his disciples. Once the shift of seasons was fully understood and life began adapting, the Disciples of Thanatorum were told to inhabit one birdtower at a time, eventually moving to the next once Winter was on the horizon. This migratory process informs the denizens of Dandoleon when they too should flee or enter dormancy until Summer returned. The towers were intended as a location for locals to commune with the Disciples directly, which has continued to be a successful endeavor. Eventually, Thanatorum was criticized for only helping the denizens of the Summer territory. Fearing an indictment akin to Chaimut's, he fled Dandoleon upon hearing of his perceived failure, leaving his Disciples behind. While he still communicates with his disciples in Dandoleon and they continue to perform their given directive, they do so outside the gods' demands.
Other Residents
While long-time residents outside the Disciples are rare at Tower Nyn, it isn't uncommon for mortals to move to Tower Ysteron in anticipation of their arrival. Typically, those who inhabit Ysteron's courtyard seek asylum and have informed its builders of their presence. In exchange for the protection of its walls, they tend the tower and prepare it for the Disciples' arrival, uprooting plants and exterminating pests. Usually, these residents are one of the sapient species of Hymendia.
At tower Prin, which by necessity is subsumed by Winter, any number of opportunistic beasts or folk will move into the tower to seek warmth and security. While the denizens of Summer would rarely commit such an infraction, the Disciples' mythology has never grown beyond fairy tales in Winter, as the disciples rarely return or go past Prin. To Winter denizens, the avian Disciples have become little more than a whisper on the wind or a shadow in the distance: they've no reason to fear the demigods that always stay on the horizon. Occasionally, the long-decayed skeletons of those who remain too long are found by the Hymendia custodians maintaining Ysteron; these remains are either removed or crafted into surreal art pieces to appease the Disciples of Thanatorum when they arrive.
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