Tower of Halshin

The Tower of Halshin stands lonely and forgotten on a small, windswept island between the Arrimor Peninsula and the Isle of the Faithless. Built in the 18th century by the reclusive caller Halshin of Varressa, the tower was once a place of intrigue and fear, where the enigmatic mage conducted his rituals and summoned creatures from realms unknown. The island, barren and desolate, is buffeted by harsh winds and fierce waves, giving the tower an air of eerie isolation.
The tower itself is a sturdy, cylindrical structure of dark stone, rising four storeys high. Its base is fortified and windowless, with a single arched doorway that opens into a narrow, winding staircase leading up to the higher levels. The upper storeys feature small, slit-like windows that afford a view of the sea in all directions. At the tower’s summit, a broad viewing platform provides a vantage point from which to watch for ships approaching from the Hayil Strait or the treacherous waters of the Isle of the Faithless.
During Halshin’s lifetime, the tower was a place of great magical power. As a master of Calling, Halshin specialised in summoning creatures from the magical realm, binding them to his will, and using their strength and unique abilities to augment his own. The walls of the tower still bear faint sigils and warding runes that shimmer in the right light, remnants of the powerful protective enchantments that once kept his summoned beings contained. Yet, Halshin’s reputation as a dangerous and unpredictable figure meant that few dared to approach his domain, and his experiments remained shrouded in mystery.
Halshin disappeared in 1798 under circumstances as mysterious as his magic. Some say that he was dragged away by one of his own summoned creatures, a malevolent entity that broke free of its bindings. Others believe that he ventured into the magical realm and was lost forever. Whatever the truth, his tower was left abandoned, though its magical wards and barriers held firm for many decades, keeping the curious at bay.
Following Halshin’s disappearance, the League of Mar Miskun briefly repurposed the tower as a supply station for patrol boats that watched over the waters between the Arrimor Peninsula and the Isle of the Faithless. During the War of Salvation, it served as a lookout point and a resupply depot for scouts monitoring potential enemy movements along the coast. However, with the war’s end, the tower was once again abandoned, its strategic value diminished. Though it has been left largely unoccupied for the last twenty years, the tower’s solid construction and lingering magical protections have kept it in good condition.
Today, the Tower of Halshin stands as a stark reminder of its former master’s dark and enigmatic power. Few venture to the island, and the League’s patrol boats, while occasionally stopping to shelter from storms, do not linger long. Stories persist of strange lights flickering in the tower’s upper windows and dark figures glimpsed atop the viewing platform. Some whisper that Halshin left something behind: an artefact of immense power, or perhaps one of his summoned creatures still bound within the tower’s depths.

Type

Tower, Mage