The Elf tower

The tapering ivory white tower stands near the top of the mount catching the bright rays of the sun it stands like a beacon of Tirion in the west, a ghostly memory of ages past. An outer encirclement of a walled building prevents access to the tower itself with only one doorway for obvious access. Leaf-shaped windows overlook the surrounding ground providing a superb view out but restricting the view to the interior. The ornate main door remains steadfastly shut, rarely opened within living memory. The citizens of Caras Celairnen pass its walls without a thought despite its prominence on the skyline.

A casual visitor would expect that the tower is abandoned which is untrue. Seneschalchal maintains the garden and guest rooms for the occasional visitor who comes to the town from the realm of Lindon or the Elven realms to the East. Much of the wealth of the tower has been removed to safer locations but there is still a small library of lore and history containing copies of texts held elsewhere.

Purpose / Function

The tower remains an administrative centre for any elf in need of support in trading at Caras Celairnen. It provides a secluded location for elves to rest and conduct negotiations as well as a small research library. A less obvious role is that of a communications relay point for Cirdan's messengers who slip into town with little fuss and use the tower's less obvious entrance for entry.

Architecture

The tower is a white, long, slender structure topped with an open pinnacle. It has an almost gothic design features, such as a long spiralling staircase to the viewing platform typical of Noldorian buildings in the second age. It surrounded by skirting elliptical building made of the same flawless white stone within which a small courtyard garden of white trees and other shrubs has been planted.
1.The entrance gate and passageway.
Double doors constructed in a style long lost in the second age, decorated with a motif of a woodland and a lake, prevent entry to the tower. These doors have never been opened in living memory and are extremely difficult to open as they a guarded by cunning locks and powerful magic wards. Once opened the doors lead through a passageway with a second set of doors that can be used to create a murder alley with arrow slits to the sides (room 8). However, a welcome guest would soon emerge into the cool of the courtyard garden that surrounds the tower proper.
2. Courtyard garden
Tall trees provide shade within the courtyard; small paths lead to secluded seats by the walls. Across the centre, the main pathway leads around the white walls of the tower to doors at the opposite end of the garden. In addition to the slender white-barked trees that predominate in the garden, a number of healing herbs are cultivated within the garden.
3. The tower
The exterior walls of the tower appear to offer no ready access to the tower itself. Similar leaf-shaped windows to those used in the encircling building provide views to those within the tower. These man-sized apertures allow views of the city and the surrounding country while climbing the spiralling vaulted stairs to the platform at the top of the tower and a degree of defence, offering a line of sight not only to the upper floor and the courtyard below. Access is in fact through a secret doorway hard to detect and guarded again by ancient Noldorian wards. Inside a vast pool of water, the Moon Mirror (Ithil Cendril), flows over the edge of a 20ft basin into drainage set into the floor. Rising upwards through flowing buttresses a flying spiral stair elegantly twists up the interior wall. Again although aesthetically pleasing, the arrangement of the stairs also allow for defensive positions should the lower door be discovered and breached.
4. The hall
The round curved dining hall houses a 12 ft table ornately decorated through the use the red and amber wood colours to reflect fallen leaves in autumn. Ten similarly carved chairs surround the table; the woodwork is continued in the panelling that covers the walls. Two doorways lead to the right and left, these are open, but when closed a hard to spot as they are carved in the same manner as the walls.
5 Library
A small number of bound tomes line one wall of the small room. Light wells in the outer wall supply illumination to the room. By a small window that looks out onto the garden, a long desk provides space for a researcher to compare materials, along with seating for their comfort. A door leads on from the room.
6 Guest accommodation space
A well-appointed room with a bed, lounge furniture, wardrobes, chests and drawers. A hidden entrance to the war rooms exists behind a hanging tapestry. It is moderately difficult to locate as it is designed to not intrude rather than be secret.
7 Muster area - emergency barracks
This room is accessed through a long corridor with leaf-shaped arrow slits looking out into the courtyard garden. The large room shows the signs of its disuse. Dust and grit cover the floor making it clear no-one has crossed this area in many years. The walls are covered with weapon racks and shelf space for storage. A wide set of stairs lead up to the second level, and across from the entrance, a stout door stands slightly ajar.
8. Old storage space
Once supplies could be stored in this space: now the room is curiously empty apart from a pile of dust swept into one corner. The door can be barred from the inside. Opposite another door leads onwards, it is closed and lacks a handle.
9. Seneschal's room
A simply furnished room containing a writing desk positioned to catch the best light over the left shoulder stands by one courtyard window. Nearby, on a small table, some papers relating to purchases of groceries and goods in the town rest. The room is partitioned by a series of hanging tapestries that depict woodland trees during different seasons. These make it difficult to see into the room fully, but through a gap, a single bed can be glimpsed. In this area, a clothes closet and chest can also be found. Closer to the door the area is occupied by a small brazier with a single wingbacked chair carved with a leaf motif. The chair is facing away from the door and it is not possible to see if there is an occupant.
10. The Kitchen
This space has long been used as the preparation and storage area for food, although in earlier days it had other functions. Wall hangings in simple green and blue separate the outwall area from the entrance to the room. Larder space has been given over to the outer walls and a small cooking brazier is located by the courtyard windows. A simple food preparation table with a small array of knives and cooking implements completes the furniture for the room.
Upper floor
The upper floor is accessible via the stairs in rooms 7. The entrance to these stairs is extremely difficult to find and designed to force would be attackers to remain visible to the windows of the tower and also the lower level. The upper floor is a simple walkway with leaf-shaped windows that can act as embrasures for missile weapons to be launched at the area outside the tower. In the days when the tower was built the risk of a major attack was small, and the tower was only ever meant to be a short term redoubt to wait out reinforcements.

History

One of the few remaining buildings of the second age. Once a residence of the Lady Galadriel

Here should go the history lesson on the tower SA Galadriel used the settlement as admin centre. She occupied the tower which overlooked the sparkling lake (Celairnen) re purposed as the edain began to occupy the settlement in ever greater numbers.

Maps

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  Elf Tower

  Sketch of the tower and ground floor environment

Type

Consulate

Parent Location

Caras Celairnen