Tower of Knowledge and Magic
Founding and Purpose
Founded in 846 LE during a period of surging magical innovation, the Tower of Knowledge and Magic was conceived not as a school, but as a research citadel and civic reservoir for arcane theory, experimentation, and storage. It is a neutral body, neither religious nor political, though its proximity to the Temple of Krūrim ensures deep ethical entanglement.
While mages of many schools may visit, permanent residence is granted only to those whose work is deemed “ethically aligned and societally contributory” by the Weaver’s Panel—a select group of senior arcanists who govern access and advancement within the Tower.
Governance and Access
- Weaver's Panel: Composed of five Weavers at any given time, including Kīw Zuk, Master of Divination. The Panel rotates one seat every 25 years.
- Visitors: Must present either a tome of historical or arcane value not held by the Tower or pay a donation of 250 gold to gain temporary access (no longer than one week in duration per donation).
Relationship with the Cultus of Krūrim
Though secular and scholarly, the Tower is ideologically intertwined with the Cultus. All Tower residents must take the Oath of Focus, an ethical alignment pact reviewed annually. The Tower sends two observers to all Concord of Threads sessions hosted by the Cultus. In return, the Cultus defers to the Tower on matters of advanced spellcraft and interplanar anomalies.
Alterations
When the Temple of Krūrim was built, the two structures were connected via the Bridge of Focus, a vaulted causeway that serves as a symbolic reminder that knowledge must always be tempered by wisdom and discipline.
Architecture
Exterior
The Eight Floors of the Tower
The Lexicon Hall (Public Level)
This floor contains the public registry of spells, magical theory, and arcane law. It is open to scholars, dignitaries, and vetted foreign visitors. A reception desk is manned by trained Lexiguilders - scribes who enforce tower etiquette and log every item brought into or copied from the Tower.
The Hall of Threads
This is the meeting place of the Weaver's Panel. It is used for debate on magical ethics, research access requests, and attunement ceremonies for resident mages.
The Stacks of Correspondence
This is a repository of magical communication, interplanar missives, theoretical essays, and personal spellcraft journals (cataloged by author and school), It is protected via words against teleportation and extra-dimensional tampering.
The Vault of Methods
This floor houses arcane techniques, rituals, and formulae organized by application - defense, transmutation, control, augmentation, and more. Access requires two levels of authorization and either a written request from a Veilbearer (see the Cultus of Krūrim) or a member of the Weaver's Panel.
The Experimentum
This is a controlled laboratory floor subdivided into sigil-etched rooms for sanctioned arcane testing. Alchemical facilities, summoning circles, and dimensional stress simulators are located here. It is guarded by Constructs of the Seventh Harmony, bound arcane servitors trained to neutralize magical catastrophes.
The Loom of Memory
This is an enchanted archive of tream-bound recollections - experiences shared voluntarily by major historical mages, preserved in crystal-stilled reveries. It houses the only known recorded encounters with the King of Nightmares. It is accessed through meditation chambers where visitors can relive the thoughts and sensations of long-dead practitioners.
The Hypatia Ascendant
This floor is reserved for resident researchers and their private quarters, study nooks, and sanctified workspaces. Floating platforms and animated lifts connect this floor with magical inertia, making it the least structurally fixed level of the Tower. It is unofficially known as the "Roost," and it is home to Khit's most eccentric and reclusive arcane minds.
The Apex Lantern
This is a fully enchanted observatory and planar resonance chamber. It is used to chart arcane disturbances across the Spheres, host high-order scrying, and commune with extraplanar intelligences under supervision. It contains the Chime of Contemplation, a suspended bell of forged adamantium. The Chime's tone is deep and haunting, said to vibrate not just the air but the thoughts of those who hear it. When struck in silence, it is believed to resonate with the hidden will of Crorrm, attuning listeners to the arcane harmony of the Spheres. It is only rung under very specific conditions, and then only with the unanimous assent of the Weaver's Council. It was last struck in 1162 LE, following the deaths of all but one of the Weaver's Council in a coordinated attack by Mroz, which was repelled, but at great cost.
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