Great Lighthouse of Whiteport
One of the most iconic features of Whiteport, the Great Lighthouse towers over the city at approximately four hundred feet tall. A construction of truly epic proportions, its enormous brazier is more than fifteen feet across, and can be seen from more than 30 miles south seaward under the right weather conditions. Constructed out of enormous blocks of stone, the Lighthouse has shepherded ships safely into port for generations. Crucial to the maritime commerce which is the city's lifeblood, the Lighthouse has been a beloved symbol of the city,, the familiar glow of the its light is a comforting sight for many.
Its keepers have never been seen beyond the grounds, and yet without fail, the light continues to burn, all visitors forbidden. Occasionally, dark shapes are seen passing by the light, or lights pass by the windows, making it seem occupied, and rumors abound about how the light stays lit. Some suggest the ghosts of the former keeper still haunt the grounds, or that a powerful wizard has taken residence there and protects the city.
Purpose / Function
The Great Lighthouse serves the essential function of directing ships to the relative safety of Whiteport's harbor and away from the treacherous shorelines and currents which plague the rest of the coastline. Additionally, the Lighthouse serves in part as a rescue station for ships, as those who wreck along the coastline may be reached faster by them than by Whiteport's admittedly thinly stretched navy. Finally, the Lighthouse serves an important defensive role, as on the lower levels it serves as the anchor point to the enormous chain which guards Whiteport's harbor.
For years, the lighthouse has also served as the secret home and sanctuary of its keepers, a flock of Kenku, who maintain the lighthouse and the rescue station within.
Alterations
Very few alterations have been made to the Lighthouse's design since its inception from the outside. In the years after it was built, ballistae were added to the lower deck, but were later removed after they were deemed unnecessary.
In the years since they migrated to the lighthouse, the Kenku have made a number of improvements. First and foremost, they have expanded the rescue station below the lighthouse and have added fish and crab traps along the breakwater. On the upper deck, formerly a defensive platform, the Kenku have built a collection of small garden plots, fed by rainwater cisterns, in which they grow subsistence vegetables, and cultivate a small fruit trellis along the wall of the Lighthouse. In the second tier, the Kenku have expanded the living quarters to suit a number of family units, which while cramped and modest, are surprisingly comfortable.
Architecture
The Great Lighthouse extends about three hundred feet into Whiteport's harbor. Situated at the end of a narrow and rocky breakwater, it is accessible only a narrow dirt and sand track running along the breakwater and partially shielded from the pounding surf by a low parapet. The lighthouse itself is constructed out of three distinct tiers. The first tier is the widest, sitting on a roughly hundred by hundred foot base and made out of enormous blocks of chiseled stone in a stretched trapezoid shape rising roughly 200 feet upwards, featuring a flat platform on the top upon which the second tier is situated. This tier is of similar shape and construction to the first, though it rises only another hundred feet, while on its mesa rests the final tier of the structure, a round tower rising another seventy five feet upwards, featuring the enormous brazier at its peak, enclosed under a stone dome supported by stone columns. In many places, the Lighthouses' original plaster and paint has chipped away, revealing the stones underneath, while in other places huge carpets of ivy stretch up the walls. The corners of the lighthouse end in finely carved gargoyles, while the columns supporting the great braziers' dome are carved into statues of the gods, the dome itself decorated with motifs of the heavens and clouds and crowned with a brass, copper, and gold statue of Concord.
On the inside of the first tier, the Lighthouse looks akin mostly to an abandoned guard post. A small drydock exists where a fleet of three rescue dinghies are located, along with a wide variety of maritime supplies in a large warehouse roughly at sea level, while upper floors look like empty guard outposts and storage. Along the outer walls, a stone staircase spirals upwards, occasionally widening into small firing platforms at the arrow slits, and rising towards a door to an upper deck surrounding the second tier. This deck looks similar to the fighting platforms on the top of the guard towers around the city, featuring merlins, crenellations, and arrow ports designed in wave motifs in a low surrounding wall, while at each corner the mountings for ballistae emplacements lie empty. Another small door on the opposite side leads into the second tier. Notably however, this deck also features a number of small garden boxes which line the outer deck, apparently added after the original construction and fed by rainwater cisterns.
This second tier was clearly constructed as living quarters intended for the lighthouse keeper and their family, though it has been modified somewhat from its original design to enlarge the living space and to accommodate more families. Here, a common living space exists on the lowest level, while higher up, rooms have been constructed, each centered around one of this tier's windows. The rooms are generally very modest, the materials clearly have been repurposed and up cycled a number of times. On the upper deck of this tier, the corners of the lighthouse are crowned with foursome looking sea eagles, while the parapet here does away with any attempts at defensive decor and are carved like clouds, while an array of tents and tarps on this layer, not visible from the ground, make this deck appear almost shanty-town like, and leads to the third tier.
This tier is round, not rectangular, like the first two. A cylinder roughly seventy five feet tall, the inside of the tower is hollow, acting as bell tower, while the windows on this level are completely open to the considerable wind and elements at this height. Spiraling upwards to the peak of the tower is a single, spiraling, frail wooden staircase, circling past the windows to the roof, where the the brazier sits under its dome, protected from the worst of the elements. A metal ring surrounds the flames along with a complex reflector array directing light through the fragile lens, which circles around the brazier ceaselessly, focusing the light outwards.This platform is relatively tight, featuring only a narrow walkway around the brazier and lens array for the light's upkeep, along with a set of pulleys and feeders to keep the brazier lit with fuel.
Defenses
The Lighthouses' chief defense is its isolation, situated far out on the breakwater in relatively rough seas from almost all directions. The only access points are a small dock operated by the Lighthouse keepers' rescue service and hazarded by few others, and the land entrance along the narrow seawall jetty, itself only accessible after passing through one of the tower guard posts on the city walls, making attacking the Lighthouse a formidable task. Furthermore, the first tier of the Lighthouse, while abandoned by the city watch for generations, can theoretically still be reoccupied and restored to a working guard position with relatively little effort, and can become a formidable defensive emplacement guarding the harbor.
History
The Great Lighthouse was constructed in 12 AC, built in Celebration of the Concordance. One of the tallest structures in the world at the time of its construction, its immense height was possible through the combination of building methods which resulted from the cultural exchanges following the Concordance. Since then, the Lighthouse has been a symbol of Whiteport's commitment to the Concordance and a symbol of sanctuary and refuge. In the 1300s, the Lighthouse was abandoned as a guards outpost.
Nevertheless, without an apparent keeper, the Lighthouse has continued to operate consistently, spawning all sort of rumors ranging from hauntings by the former keeper, secret cults, to a powerful and reclusive wizard who lives in the tower. In reality, the tower was settled by a group of Kenku seeking refuge who have agreed to maintain the lighthouse in exchange for seclusion and secrecy, and as such their existence is a closely guarded secret.
Tourism
Visits to the Lighthouse are heavily restricted, and even most members of the city watch are denied access without special purpose for visiting. Occasionally, contracted specialists are brought to help maintain the tower or aid its keepers, usually at their behest, while those in the Duke's favor or with special dispensation from his authorities may visit, but are typically sworn to secrecy about what they have seen, lest it upset the people and disturb the fragile peace the Kenku seek.
Founding Date
12 AC
Type
Lighthouse
Parent Location
Owner
Additional Rulers/Owners
Comments