Ancient Tower Basin
The lowest part of The Ancient Tower's interior is its basin. It consists of a large hollow area that contains an inner pillar. This pillar, although much smaller than the tower itself, still spans an unbelievable area, large enough to fit a small town. Along this main inner pillar stand multiple smaller pillars. The remaining space is engulfed in a bright, pure light. This light acts almost as a strong fog making it impossible to observe far alongside any direction of the tower, almost like a thick mist. From the edge of the inner hollow, it is possible to see the inner pillar and a number of the pillars that surround it. A floating platform allows for briding the edge of the tower to the inner pillar.
All of the pillars protrude from a sea of gray water. The liquid most resembles quick-silver in appearance but is far less dense and a lot more viscous. Touching the liquid is harmless, as well as ingesting it. However, if one were to submerge themselves in the liquid, their visibility would be greatly hindered even when near the surface, much more so than water would.
The inside of the central pillar appears a lot smaller than it should be from the outside. The pillar contains a spiral staircase going up its inner wall. At various elevations, the pillar connects to the smaller pillars surrounding it. A platform awaits at the top of the pillar that can transport a creature to the Ancient Tower Core. The core can be seen from atop the central pillar, seeming like like a small, yellow-golden sun looming in the distance, spanning most of the hollow. The platform on the roof of the pillar is the only way to reach the core. Any creature that attempts to reach the core in another manner will be swallowed by the light of the tower before even getting close.
Various gates connect the central pillar to the smaller pillars surrounding it and the hollow between. These gates warp the space of the tower to greatly reduce any distance that needs to be traveled. It is due to these gates that the pillars seem much smaller from the inside. In actually a creature travels a great distance when entering a pillar, ending up a lot closer to the pillar's center than they realize.
The tower is slowly growing unstable, as a result, the basin is filled with a number of crystals. These crystals are shaped from the unstable radiant energy contained in the tower and shatter at the faintest touch. They will, however, reshape a small time later. Additionally, the hallows that float along the vertical axis of the central pillar will occasionally expand and retract along their width, hurting any creature it touches with intense radiant energy.
Main Goal: Ascend the tower to reach its core.
Associated Quest: The Mystery of the Tower
Recommended Level: 8-9
After entering the tower, the players will end up in a long corridor with golden-decorated statues on either side. As they walk up to a great golden door at the end of the hallways, numerous braziers will light up with a white fire. This fire does not further light up the already bright room. After the golden gate opens, a circular room lies ahead of the players. In the center of the room, a set of yellow beams of energy are contained. Touching these beams will deal 1d8 Radiant damage. A crystal lies on top of an altar on the east side of the room. When investigating the crystal the players may learn it is shaped from pure magic, however, it contains almost no energy. When holding the crystal in one of the energy beams in the center of the room, it will charge up and begin to glow a golden light. Placing the crystal in the plate held out by the state in the room will cause the western wall of the room to disappear, revealing a small room with a chest. Passing through the northern door, which can be opened normally, leads to the tower's inner hollow. A circular platform enables the party to reach the central pillar from there. Radiant Crystals
Numerous crystals formed from radiant energy dot the tower's basin. These crystals are slightly opaque and very brittle. A punch is enough to completely shatter a crystal, causing small sharts to float in a 25 ft. wide circle centered around the crystal where the crystal stood. After 15 seconds, the sharts join together at a high phase, reforming the crystal. Any creature that stands within 10 ft. of the crystal's position, inside the cloud of sharts, must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 Radiant plus 1d4 Piercing damage, or take half as much damage on a successful save. Some of the crystals do not behave in this manner when shattered. These crystals contain the incorporeal shape of an angel inside them. When they are shattered, the shards immediately form a Radiant Crystal Angel that will attack any non-friendly creature on sight. The crystals are immune to Force, Radiant, Necrotic, Psychic, Poison, and Acid damage and vulnerable to Thunder damage. When hit by Radiant magic, the crystal's opaqueness will increase, revealing if it contains the form of an angel within. Most crystals are a faint yellow color, however, some are a light blue. These crystals are incredibly tough and are near impossible to shatter. Shattered Stairs
Multiple sections of the stairway rotating around the inside of the main pillar are broken. They have not been crumbled or smashed, instead, it is as if they have been shattered into pieces. These pieces still float in place, with large light-emitting cracks between them. If a creature tried to walk on them, they would pass right true, not interacting with the stone. The steps exist in an ethereal state. It is possible to restore them to a tangible form. To accomplish this, the shart of one of the radiant crystals must merge with the stairs. This is accomplished by breaking one of the crystals near the shattered second. Doing so causes the crystal shards to be pulled to the stairway, mending the cracks. If enough sharts merge with the ethereal section, it will become repaired and can be interacted with. After a few minutes, merged sharts will return to their crystal form if the full section is not repaired.
There is a large shattered section of the stairway on the 3th floor. There are not enough crystals nearby to repair it in its entirety. To fix this part of the stairs and be able to progress up them, the Dominion Rod must be used. Unstable Halos
Inside the main pillar float a number of giant disks made of light. These halos have some connection to how the energy inside the tower flows. However, due to the tower being active so long, the rings have become unstable. Ever so often, their instability increases rapidly, causing them to momentarily expand horizontally across the inside of the pillar. Soon after expanding they retract rapidly back to their original state. Any creature that is caught in the expanding circle must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 Radiant damage. On a successful save the creature only takes half damage. Sealed Gates
There are numerous gates inside the tower the tower's basin that are locked off. These gates connect the stairways and elevating platforms that lay one layer out from the center of the main pillar. Technically speaking the doorways are not locked, instead their mechanism of opening has undergone the same effect as part of the stairway, making them ethereal and thus uninteractable. Just like the stairway sections, the "locks" can be mended by exposing them to a shattered crystal. Unfortunately, no crystals lay close enough to any of these doors, requiring the Dominion Rod instead to open them. Stairway Gate
On the ground floor of the main pillar, the spiraling stairway is blocked off by a golden gate. Any attempts to bypass it by getting over the side of the stairway are pointless, as a wall of impassable light will form out of the stairway's balustrade. This wall of light requires a DC 20 Strength check to pass through. To open the gate a key is required, alternatively, it can be opened by passing a DC 26 Strength check. This key can be found inside a crystal just to the west-north-west of the room's center. It is possible to discover that the key is inside this crystal by interacting with a charged crystal held by the statue at the northern end of the room. Upon channeling a bit of mana into the crystal, it will emit a strong pulse of light, briefly irradiating the room. Once the flash of light has subsided, all the radiant crystals on the floor will temporarily by significantly more transparent, allowing players to spot the key inside the crystal. Any incorporeal angels contained in any of the crystals also become visible for the duration. This effect lasts around 20 seconds. The golden crystal held by the statue contains enough energy to bring forth the light twice. Using it again after requires at least one 1st level spell slot of magical energy to be channeled into the crystal to activate it again. Crystal Wall
On the 1st floor of the main pillar, a section of the stairway is obstructed by a wall of radiant crystals. The wall will have to be chipped away to clear a path. Whenever a chunk of it is shattered, the shards will take much longer to reform into a crystal, seemingly being repelled by the rest of the crystal mass. They will remain as sharts for 1 minute before reforming to their crystal form. The wall needs to be hit for 50 damage to clear a path through it. Radiant Archers
The southern part of the 2nd floor's stairway contains 5 magical circles. The outer two circles denote the section of the stairs in which the circles activate. Upon activating, pure radiant energy will manifest in the form of an archer, its bow already drawn. As an action, this archer will fire at a random creature inside the zone of the circles, requiring all creatures in the path of the arrow to succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 Radiant damage. As such, the players will have to try to pass through the area as quickly as possible. The archers have a DC of 12 and only 1 hp making them easy to dissapate. However, at the start of the circles' turn, a new archer is manifested at one of the circles. The previous archer is erased if it still exists. The circles get two turns each round. Given the sudden appearance of the archer, the circles will get one surprise round, although they only have one turn during this round. These circles are activated only after passing the first circle. A creature seizes to be a target once it passes one of the outer circles again. The threshold of activation of the circles extends across the entire width of the stairway. Halo Platform
The halo in the center of the 2nd floor is covered by a large platform. On each side, a floating disk can be used to reach the platform. Unfortunately, the disk on the western side of the room is at the same height as the halo, so if it becomes unstable anyone on the platform will be in its range. In the center of the platform is a large number of blue radiant crystals. Using the Dominion Rod these crystals can be channeled into the rod and used freely. When attempting to do so, however, the creature wielding the rod will notice the a pull on the crystals as if they want to merge together. The wielder will have to succeed on a DC 25 saving throw of their casting ability. If they fail this save, the crystals will form into a Greater Crystal Radiance Construct. Upon defeating the construct, it will dissipate again into the separate crystals. At this point, the crystals can be drawn in by the rod without effort. Dominion Rod
The east-southern room on the second floor has a blue crystal in its center. Inside the crystal is the Dominion Rod, which can be used to store crystal shards. The blue crystal has a DC of 18 and 50 hp as well as the sturdy property; it does not take damage when hit by an attack that deals less than 12 damage. Roof Passage
Following the exit from the 3rd floor, the players will find themselves in a smaller circular room. At the end of the room lies another gate. It leads up to the main pillar's roof. Upon opening the doors, however, the players are met with an overwhelming light, much stronger than any of the other gates. If the players attempt to pass through, the light will scorch them, dealing 1d6 Radiant damage each turn they remain past the gate. In order to be able to pass through, the party must follow the instructions laid out by the room. The mural behind the pool in the center of the room shows a creature bathing in the water, with a strong light source above it. A statue on the east side of the room displays a man pouring a vase into a trench leading to the pool. On the opposite side of the room, the same act is displayed by two women holding a cauldron. These instructions entail that the players must pour a certain metal into the pool as well as a liquid. Taking the west passage leads to a small room with chains going down. This is an extension of the Pillar of Liquid, from which the water can be obtained. Inspecting the cauldron allows players to notice the remains of a bronze-golden metal with a faint pink tint. A creature with a background in metalworking or ancient history may succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (history) or DC 22 Intelligence (investigation) check to find out this is Orichalcus, an ancient alloy rarely used by the Hippodeans. By extracting the right ores from the Pillar of Ores and then smelting them together at the Pillar of Forging, the party may create the alloy. After pouring the ingredients into the pool, the players may bathe in the mixture to gain protection from the light of the passage. Pillar of Liquid
To the west of the main pillar's ground floor, a passage connects the pillar to one of the minor pillars. This is the pillar of Liquid. The minor pillar once again connects to the main pillar a number of floors higher at the passage that connects the 3rd floor to the roof. At the center of the pillar stands a large vase. The vase is lowered into a shallow pool of the mercury-like water that surrounds the pillars. Additionally, a pair of chains are connected to the vase that allow it to be hoisted up in the air, all the way to the second spot where the pillar connects with the main pillar. Much like the broken sections of the stairway and some of the gates, the chains are in an incorporeal state and require the Dominion Rod to be fixed before the vase can be elevated. As such, the players must achieve three things: fill up the vase, repair the chains, and trigger the lifting mechanism.
Filling up the jar can be done by heading out of the pillar at the ground floor. This leads to a small beach surrounded by the mercury water. To the side lies an inlet with a closed grate. By opening the grate the liquid will flow into the tower filling the vase. This can be accomplished by other lifting the grate by succeeding a DC 16 Strength check or finding a tucked-away leaver behind the nearby rocks. The leaver requires a DC 13 Perception or Investigation check to find.
To activate the chains, the party will have to trigger the panel at the upper part of the pillar. By heading to the western room of the roof passage, they will find an altar with a blue gemstone embedded into it. Touching the gemstone while the chains are fixed will pull up the vase. Once the vase has reached the level, it will be tipped over causing its content to flow into a small aquaduct into the back of the waterbarer statue. This results in the water flowing out of the vase the statue is holding into the pool Statue of the Warrior Offshore Fountain
Slightly off the shoreline, inside the gray sea, lies a fountain. This fountain is surrounded by six female statues carrying vases. Clearwater slowly pours from the vases into the fountain. When a player reaches the fountain a Divine Mercury Sprite will appear from one of the vases, taking the form of one of the statues. If the player has a neutral good alignment, the elemental will present the player the object at the center of the fountain, a Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals. As long as the player is not evil-aligned the elemental will ask if they have come for their treasure, at which point the player can attempt to convince the elemental to give the bowl to them. This requires a DC 16 Charisma check of choice to succeed. The elemental speaks Primordial and cannot comprehend any other language. The elemental will appear hostile when faced by an evil-aligned player and will attack when that player does not leave. If a player attempts to take the bowl without permission, the elemental will attack, at which point 5 more divine mercury sprites will appear from the other statues. A high Investigation or Perception check will reveal the presence of the other 5 elementals before they are drawn out at the start of combat. Pillar of Ores
The pillar of ores can be reached through a gate on the first floor of the main pillar. It contains a number of raw ores that can be used for smelting. Most important are gold (gold), copper (light brown), tin (light green), and Oricalcum (pink). The players can take some of the mining equipment lying in the room to gather the materials they need. Pillar of Forging
The pillar of forging lies to the west of the main pillar and a passage between them can be found on the 2nd floor of the main pillar. The temperature of the pillar of forging is significantly higher than the rest of the tower, so much so that breathing in the air inside feels uncomfterable. Inside the pillar, a large forge stands. It can be used to create the Orichalcus alloy needed for progressing through the roof passage. All equipment needed to do the forging can be found inside the room, including a cauldron in which to contain the metal. The forge is operated automatically, all that is needed is feed in the materials. The room also contains a chest. Inside the chest, besides a few metal bars, is an old book. This book is titled with the Hippodean word for forging. It contains information about different alloys and how to mix them as well as how to operate the forge. The book being in Hippodean cannot be read, however, it can be translated at the pillar of knowledge. Pillar of Knowledge
By unlocking the gates at the 3rd floor, the eastern elevator platform can be used to reach the 4th floor of the central pillar. The small traversable section connects to the pillar of knowledge. This pillar contains rows of crystal slabs containing various information. These storage rows continue up and down the pillar further than the eye can see. The section of the pillar the party will find themselves in is a terminal section. A tablet stands inside the room with a piece of parchment ontop of it. Expanding the parchment shows that it is blank. The parchment can be used as a query interface for the information stored in the pillar. A creature only has to write something on the parchment and a crystal slate will be extracted befitting the request. Upon touching the slab, the creature will instantly learn the information inside. The pillar can, however, only query words written in Hippodean. It is not needed to understand Hippodean to understand the information in the slates. It is also possible to place a book on the terminal. This will result in a slate being produced that contains all the information in the book, practically translating the book into a representation that does not require the book to be read. Rooftop Arena
Once the party has made it through the light-engulfed passageway, they will find themselves in an open area which is the roof of the main pillar. The building they arrive from looks like a small, ancient temple. Ahead of them is a collection of pillars, placed about in a somewhat random, yet orderly fashion. Some of the pillars are broken and crumbled, while others still stand hardly damaged. In the middle of the area is a pedestal that is elevated about 3 feet from the floor. It holds a large platform that can be used to accent to the tower's core. If the players look they can clearly see this core as a giant, but distant ball of light, resembling a miniature sun. As the players walk out of the passage, five Radiant Sentinels. These angelic creatures will attack the party on the spot. The sentinels do not need to be defeated to use the platform, however, it will take a while for the platform to reach to core leaving any creature using it vulnerable to the sentinels' attacks.
7 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 4900 Lv0; Offshore fountain
6 Divine Mercury Elementals linger within the statues and become hostile when their treasure is taken or faced by an evil character. Total exp: 6600 Total difficulty: 9900 Lv1; Crystals
14 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 9800 Lv2; Crystals
7 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 4900 Lv2; Central Halos
A Greater Crystal Radiance Elemental is formed after the party attempts to control the radiant crystals in the center using the Dominion Rod. 3 Crystal Radiance Elementals will join it Total exp: 7100 Total difficulty: 10650 Lv 5; Rooftop Arena
3 Radiant Sentinals descending down from high above once the party walks out to the middle of the platform. They will descend spread out, surrounding the party. Total exp: 8700 Total difficulty: 13050
Associated Quest: The Mystery of the Tower
Recommended Level: 8-9
Events
Entrance ChamberAfter entering the tower, the players will end up in a long corridor with golden-decorated statues on either side. As they walk up to a great golden door at the end of the hallways, numerous braziers will light up with a white fire. This fire does not further light up the already bright room. After the golden gate opens, a circular room lies ahead of the players. In the center of the room, a set of yellow beams of energy are contained. Touching these beams will deal 1d8 Radiant damage. A crystal lies on top of an altar on the east side of the room. When investigating the crystal the players may learn it is shaped from pure magic, however, it contains almost no energy. When holding the crystal in one of the energy beams in the center of the room, it will charge up and begin to glow a golden light. Placing the crystal in the plate held out by the state in the room will cause the western wall of the room to disappear, revealing a small room with a chest. Passing through the northern door, which can be opened normally, leads to the tower's inner hollow. A circular platform enables the party to reach the central pillar from there. Radiant Crystals
Numerous crystals formed from radiant energy dot the tower's basin. These crystals are slightly opaque and very brittle. A punch is enough to completely shatter a crystal, causing small sharts to float in a 25 ft. wide circle centered around the crystal where the crystal stood. After 15 seconds, the sharts join together at a high phase, reforming the crystal. Any creature that stands within 10 ft. of the crystal's position, inside the cloud of sharts, must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 Radiant plus 1d4 Piercing damage, or take half as much damage on a successful save. Some of the crystals do not behave in this manner when shattered. These crystals contain the incorporeal shape of an angel inside them. When they are shattered, the shards immediately form a Radiant Crystal Angel that will attack any non-friendly creature on sight. The crystals are immune to Force, Radiant, Necrotic, Psychic, Poison, and Acid damage and vulnerable to Thunder damage. When hit by Radiant magic, the crystal's opaqueness will increase, revealing if it contains the form of an angel within. Most crystals are a faint yellow color, however, some are a light blue. These crystals are incredibly tough and are near impossible to shatter. Shattered Stairs
Multiple sections of the stairway rotating around the inside of the main pillar are broken. They have not been crumbled or smashed, instead, it is as if they have been shattered into pieces. These pieces still float in place, with large light-emitting cracks between them. If a creature tried to walk on them, they would pass right true, not interacting with the stone. The steps exist in an ethereal state. It is possible to restore them to a tangible form. To accomplish this, the shart of one of the radiant crystals must merge with the stairs. This is accomplished by breaking one of the crystals near the shattered second. Doing so causes the crystal shards to be pulled to the stairway, mending the cracks. If enough sharts merge with the ethereal section, it will become repaired and can be interacted with. After a few minutes, merged sharts will return to their crystal form if the full section is not repaired.
There is a large shattered section of the stairway on the 3th floor. There are not enough crystals nearby to repair it in its entirety. To fix this part of the stairs and be able to progress up them, the Dominion Rod must be used. Unstable Halos
Inside the main pillar float a number of giant disks made of light. These halos have some connection to how the energy inside the tower flows. However, due to the tower being active so long, the rings have become unstable. Ever so often, their instability increases rapidly, causing them to momentarily expand horizontally across the inside of the pillar. Soon after expanding they retract rapidly back to their original state. Any creature that is caught in the expanding circle must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 Radiant damage. On a successful save the creature only takes half damage. Sealed Gates
There are numerous gates inside the tower the tower's basin that are locked off. These gates connect the stairways and elevating platforms that lay one layer out from the center of the main pillar. Technically speaking the doorways are not locked, instead their mechanism of opening has undergone the same effect as part of the stairway, making them ethereal and thus uninteractable. Just like the stairway sections, the "locks" can be mended by exposing them to a shattered crystal. Unfortunately, no crystals lay close enough to any of these doors, requiring the Dominion Rod instead to open them. Stairway Gate
On the ground floor of the main pillar, the spiraling stairway is blocked off by a golden gate. Any attempts to bypass it by getting over the side of the stairway are pointless, as a wall of impassable light will form out of the stairway's balustrade. This wall of light requires a DC 20 Strength check to pass through. To open the gate a key is required, alternatively, it can be opened by passing a DC 26 Strength check. This key can be found inside a crystal just to the west-north-west of the room's center. It is possible to discover that the key is inside this crystal by interacting with a charged crystal held by the statue at the northern end of the room. Upon channeling a bit of mana into the crystal, it will emit a strong pulse of light, briefly irradiating the room. Once the flash of light has subsided, all the radiant crystals on the floor will temporarily by significantly more transparent, allowing players to spot the key inside the crystal. Any incorporeal angels contained in any of the crystals also become visible for the duration. This effect lasts around 20 seconds. The golden crystal held by the statue contains enough energy to bring forth the light twice. Using it again after requires at least one 1st level spell slot of magical energy to be channeled into the crystal to activate it again. Crystal Wall
On the 1st floor of the main pillar, a section of the stairway is obstructed by a wall of radiant crystals. The wall will have to be chipped away to clear a path. Whenever a chunk of it is shattered, the shards will take much longer to reform into a crystal, seemingly being repelled by the rest of the crystal mass. They will remain as sharts for 1 minute before reforming to their crystal form. The wall needs to be hit for 50 damage to clear a path through it. Radiant Archers
The southern part of the 2nd floor's stairway contains 5 magical circles. The outer two circles denote the section of the stairs in which the circles activate. Upon activating, pure radiant energy will manifest in the form of an archer, its bow already drawn. As an action, this archer will fire at a random creature inside the zone of the circles, requiring all creatures in the path of the arrow to succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 Radiant damage. As such, the players will have to try to pass through the area as quickly as possible. The archers have a DC of 12 and only 1 hp making them easy to dissapate. However, at the start of the circles' turn, a new archer is manifested at one of the circles. The previous archer is erased if it still exists. The circles get two turns each round. Given the sudden appearance of the archer, the circles will get one surprise round, although they only have one turn during this round. These circles are activated only after passing the first circle. A creature seizes to be a target once it passes one of the outer circles again. The threshold of activation of the circles extends across the entire width of the stairway. Halo Platform
The halo in the center of the 2nd floor is covered by a large platform. On each side, a floating disk can be used to reach the platform. Unfortunately, the disk on the western side of the room is at the same height as the halo, so if it becomes unstable anyone on the platform will be in its range. In the center of the platform is a large number of blue radiant crystals. Using the Dominion Rod these crystals can be channeled into the rod and used freely. When attempting to do so, however, the creature wielding the rod will notice the a pull on the crystals as if they want to merge together. The wielder will have to succeed on a DC 25 saving throw of their casting ability. If they fail this save, the crystals will form into a Greater Crystal Radiance Construct. Upon defeating the construct, it will dissipate again into the separate crystals. At this point, the crystals can be drawn in by the rod without effort. Dominion Rod
The east-southern room on the second floor has a blue crystal in its center. Inside the crystal is the Dominion Rod, which can be used to store crystal shards. The blue crystal has a DC of 18 and 50 hp as well as the sturdy property; it does not take damage when hit by an attack that deals less than 12 damage. Roof Passage
Following the exit from the 3rd floor, the players will find themselves in a smaller circular room. At the end of the room lies another gate. It leads up to the main pillar's roof. Upon opening the doors, however, the players are met with an overwhelming light, much stronger than any of the other gates. If the players attempt to pass through, the light will scorch them, dealing 1d6 Radiant damage each turn they remain past the gate. In order to be able to pass through, the party must follow the instructions laid out by the room. The mural behind the pool in the center of the room shows a creature bathing in the water, with a strong light source above it. A statue on the east side of the room displays a man pouring a vase into a trench leading to the pool. On the opposite side of the room, the same act is displayed by two women holding a cauldron. These instructions entail that the players must pour a certain metal into the pool as well as a liquid. Taking the west passage leads to a small room with chains going down. This is an extension of the Pillar of Liquid, from which the water can be obtained. Inspecting the cauldron allows players to notice the remains of a bronze-golden metal with a faint pink tint. A creature with a background in metalworking or ancient history may succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (history) or DC 22 Intelligence (investigation) check to find out this is Orichalcus, an ancient alloy rarely used by the Hippodeans. By extracting the right ores from the Pillar of Ores and then smelting them together at the Pillar of Forging, the party may create the alloy. After pouring the ingredients into the pool, the players may bathe in the mixture to gain protection from the light of the passage. Pillar of Liquid
To the west of the main pillar's ground floor, a passage connects the pillar to one of the minor pillars. This is the pillar of Liquid. The minor pillar once again connects to the main pillar a number of floors higher at the passage that connects the 3rd floor to the roof. At the center of the pillar stands a large vase. The vase is lowered into a shallow pool of the mercury-like water that surrounds the pillars. Additionally, a pair of chains are connected to the vase that allow it to be hoisted up in the air, all the way to the second spot where the pillar connects with the main pillar. Much like the broken sections of the stairway and some of the gates, the chains are in an incorporeal state and require the Dominion Rod to be fixed before the vase can be elevated. As such, the players must achieve three things: fill up the vase, repair the chains, and trigger the lifting mechanism.
Filling up the jar can be done by heading out of the pillar at the ground floor. This leads to a small beach surrounded by the mercury water. To the side lies an inlet with a closed grate. By opening the grate the liquid will flow into the tower filling the vase. This can be accomplished by other lifting the grate by succeeding a DC 16 Strength check or finding a tucked-away leaver behind the nearby rocks. The leaver requires a DC 13 Perception or Investigation check to find.
To activate the chains, the party will have to trigger the panel at the upper part of the pillar. By heading to the western room of the roof passage, they will find an altar with a blue gemstone embedded into it. Touching the gemstone while the chains are fixed will pull up the vase. Once the vase has reached the level, it will be tipped over causing its content to flow into a small aquaduct into the back of the waterbarer statue. This results in the water flowing out of the vase the statue is holding into the pool Statue of the Warrior Offshore Fountain
Slightly off the shoreline, inside the gray sea, lies a fountain. This fountain is surrounded by six female statues carrying vases. Clearwater slowly pours from the vases into the fountain. When a player reaches the fountain a Divine Mercury Sprite will appear from one of the vases, taking the form of one of the statues. If the player has a neutral good alignment, the elemental will present the player the object at the center of the fountain, a Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals. As long as the player is not evil-aligned the elemental will ask if they have come for their treasure, at which point the player can attempt to convince the elemental to give the bowl to them. This requires a DC 16 Charisma check of choice to succeed. The elemental speaks Primordial and cannot comprehend any other language. The elemental will appear hostile when faced by an evil-aligned player and will attack when that player does not leave. If a player attempts to take the bowl without permission, the elemental will attack, at which point 5 more divine mercury sprites will appear from the other statues. A high Investigation or Perception check will reveal the presence of the other 5 elementals before they are drawn out at the start of combat. Pillar of Ores
The pillar of ores can be reached through a gate on the first floor of the main pillar. It contains a number of raw ores that can be used for smelting. Most important are gold (gold), copper (light brown), tin (light green), and Oricalcum (pink). The players can take some of the mining equipment lying in the room to gather the materials they need. Pillar of Forging
The pillar of forging lies to the west of the main pillar and a passage between them can be found on the 2nd floor of the main pillar. The temperature of the pillar of forging is significantly higher than the rest of the tower, so much so that breathing in the air inside feels uncomfterable. Inside the pillar, a large forge stands. It can be used to create the Orichalcus alloy needed for progressing through the roof passage. All equipment needed to do the forging can be found inside the room, including a cauldron in which to contain the metal. The forge is operated automatically, all that is needed is feed in the materials. The room also contains a chest. Inside the chest, besides a few metal bars, is an old book. This book is titled with the Hippodean word for forging. It contains information about different alloys and how to mix them as well as how to operate the forge. The book being in Hippodean cannot be read, however, it can be translated at the pillar of knowledge. Pillar of Knowledge
By unlocking the gates at the 3rd floor, the eastern elevator platform can be used to reach the 4th floor of the central pillar. The small traversable section connects to the pillar of knowledge. This pillar contains rows of crystal slabs containing various information. These storage rows continue up and down the pillar further than the eye can see. The section of the pillar the party will find themselves in is a terminal section. A tablet stands inside the room with a piece of parchment ontop of it. Expanding the parchment shows that it is blank. The parchment can be used as a query interface for the information stored in the pillar. A creature only has to write something on the parchment and a crystal slate will be extracted befitting the request. Upon touching the slab, the creature will instantly learn the information inside. The pillar can, however, only query words written in Hippodean. It is not needed to understand Hippodean to understand the information in the slates. It is also possible to place a book on the terminal. This will result in a slate being produced that contains all the information in the book, practically translating the book into a representation that does not require the book to be read. Rooftop Arena
Once the party has made it through the light-engulfed passageway, they will find themselves in an open area which is the roof of the main pillar. The building they arrive from looks like a small, ancient temple. Ahead of them is a collection of pillars, placed about in a somewhat random, yet orderly fashion. Some of the pillars are broken and crumbled, while others still stand hardly damaged. In the middle of the area is a pedestal that is elevated about 3 feet from the floor. It holds a large platform that can be used to accent to the tower's core. If the players look they can clearly see this core as a giant, but distant ball of light, resembling a miniature sun. As the players walk out of the passage, five Radiant Sentinels. These angelic creatures will attack the party on the spot. The sentinels do not need to be defeated to use the platform, however, it will take a while for the platform to reach to core leaving any creature using it vulnerable to the sentinels' attacks.
Loot
- Various gemstones and Hippodean coins worth 300 gp total: Lv0 - entrance; copper chest - circular room.
- Scarab of Protection: Lv0 - entrance; steel chest - hidden chamber.
- Helm of Brilliance: Lv0; copper chest - northern part, behind crystals.
- Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals: Lv0; at the offshore fountain.
- Armor of Resistance (AC 14 - medium armor): Lv1; bronze chest - sealed western room of the northern section.
- 1 Oil of Etherealness, 1 Potion of Heroism, 1 Potion of Clairvoyance, 2 Potions of Swiftness (+10 ft. movement speed for 1 hour): Lv1; cobalt chest - northern section.
- 2 sets of Smith's tools, book with forging knowledge, 1 golden ingot, 2 silver ingots, 1 electrum ingot: Lv2; copper chest - pillar of forging.
- Various dyes stored in large jars, worth 5 gp for a small pouch: Lv2; eastern section.
- Dominion Rod: Lv2; circular room of the eastern section, aka dominion pillar.
- Blessed fruits (1d4 temporary hp upon consumption, until next long rest): Lv3 - roof passage; laying on a table northeast of the room.
- 2 scrolls of Divine Favor, 1 scroll of Blinding Smite: Lv3 - roof passage; iron chest - northeastern part of the room
- Candle of Invocation to Zenera, Exarch of the Heavens (lawful good): Lv4; altar in front of the entrance to the pillar of knowledge
Encounters
Lv0; Crystals7 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 4900 Lv0; Offshore fountain
6 Divine Mercury Elementals linger within the statues and become hostile when their treasure is taken or faced by an evil character. Total exp: 6600 Total difficulty: 9900 Lv1; Crystals
14 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 9800 Lv2; Crystals
7 Crystal Radiance Elementals are scattered around the crystals on this floor. Total exp: 4900 Lv2; Central Halos
A Greater Crystal Radiance Elemental is formed after the party attempts to control the radiant crystals in the center using the Dominion Rod. 3 Crystal Radiance Elementals will join it Total exp: 7100 Total difficulty: 10650 Lv 5; Rooftop Arena
3 Radiant Sentinals descending down from high above once the party walks out to the middle of the platform. They will descend spread out, surrounding the party. Total exp: 8700 Total difficulty: 13050
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