The Tower of Emon Kanis
The Tower of Emon Kanis sits about a mile away from the Palace of Aachen, and is ruled by the wizard called Emon Kanis. He has been the de facto wizard here for nearly 30 years. As part of the Frankish forces currently ruling the city, he has complete control of the tower under command directly from Charlemagne. The latter dictates who can control the tower and take in students, and acts as a n advisor to whoever sits at the Palace of Aachen. Politically neutral, the tower's master & students will of as much advice and magical knowledge to the current ruler as they can. This advice takes in both sides of a debate, problem, or solution to allow the ruler to come to the best solution possible with all the facts. As long as the tower and it's master is left alone, they will forever continue in this capacity.
When not dealing with courtly matters, Kanis can be found carrying out different magical research in the tower, and training students. Many of these will help look after the tower, maintaining it, and helping Kanis carry out his tasks. Rumoured to be built on top of an ancient Germanic cairn containing the bones of an ancient red dragon, the power of magic is strong here. The tower seems almost impenetrable from attack, and rumoured also to fight back against any creature that attacks it. The latter though, seems farfetched to anyone nearby.
Guards & soldiers are specifically drawn from soldiers & warriors who prove expert fighters in city fights & sieges. Also, a good few have minor magical abilities, and magical weapons & armour are common amongst them. Many are also chosen for their loyalty to the tower and the sitting wizard. When other wizards & other friendly magic users enter the city, the tower sends an invite to them to have Kanis check them out. He can help with training, put them up for their stay, and information on the greater world & magic in general is discussed. Sometimes they are asked to stay for extended times to act as a secondaries to Kanis.
The students who eventually are trained here go on to other noble courts to aid them, and none are willing to divulge anything about the tower itself or the current occupants. Indeed the tower comes first and more than one ex-student has been killed or returned when they refused to give up it's secrets. Every few years one of these ex-students is marked so that when the time comes, they will take over the tower, and act as it's head wizard. This is done by a ballot of all the ex-students who are alive, and done during a series of dreams. Another note, is that the lead wizard here has never betrayed a noble.
Purpose / Function
The tower has always been used for magic since it was constructed
Design
Cylindrical tower rooms. Three, largest at the bottom split into two (overall about 40 feet across), half filled with guards and two students, a small cooing area, laundry area, and a well stocked storage room. One door in, heavily fortified. Stairs lead up from the wall opposite the door. Leads up 30 feet to next room. This room is about 30 feet across, containing an alchemical laboratory, a library, and a small training area for students. Stairs lead up further to the top floor that is 35 feet across, and used as a personal study & bed room for the wizard Emon Kanis. He also has a personal lab, store room, and library here. He regularly trains students here one on one. Small wooden decks are built off the stairs too, no more that 15 to 20 feet in size here and there. They are also used for training, and storage where and when necessary.
Entries
Only one entry exists, and is a magically protected heavily built oak door. It is bound in iron, and has a barricade built in to stop it moving if need be. Runic magic & Latin based spells are carved into it to stop it burning, damaged by acid, being pierced, slashed, or bludgeoned. Guards are always posted inside & out. Recently a small multi use latrine has been built just opposite a few feet away.
Denizens
The wizard Emon Kanis lives at the top, a couple of mage students at the bottom, with the guards.
Contents & Furnishings
Furniture, including beds, chairs, kitchen utensils, a cooking station, tubs for washing clothes etc, are all found. Tapestries hang from the walls showing magicians preforming spells are throughout. Boxes, crates, and barrels are found throughout too.
Book cases, alchemical equipment are found in some areas, as well as storage for spell components.
Valuables
Hidden at the top hanging from the roof, is three medium to large chests. These contain scrolls of rituals & spells, as well as about 7500 gps worth of coins, a random amount of silver, gold, mithril, and adamantium bars. Five magic rings are spread through them, and usually three random wands at any one time. One magical weapon, piece of armour, and/or clothing is found in these too. Various gems are found too of different types and worth. Spell books & grimoires are found too, with the most powerful found within easy reach of Emon Kanis. Also, htere are spell components stored throughout that can fetch a good price if sold.
Hazards & Traps
Wards are in place that throw up Walls of Force are throughout to prevent travel by enemies. These are scattered on the stairs, and built into the walls. This helps keep the tower standing if it is damaged at any time. Protective charms are built in too, to stop fiends, undead, elementals, constructs, fey, dragonkind, and abberants, from getting access beyond certain points. Some of the Walls of Force are programmed to push enemies on the stairs off into the centre of the tower and force them to fall down the centre. Others are also like that on the outer walls to stop the tower suffering the problems of a siege from outside.
Alterations
Additional wooded platforms have been built & strengthened on the inside.
Architecture
Originally built as a three layer tower with a large room at the base, a smaller room halfway up, and the personal rooms of a mage at the very top. It is very tall for it's kind and quite thin to most Romanesque towers. It is circular in appearance and has a pointed slate roof at the top. Windows are thin and are found at regular intervals going up to the top. The inside has stone steps, and a wooden railing going along the wall between the three levels.
Defenses
Magically strengthened to withstand most attacks, a number of wards exist that trigger Walls of Force are built in if hit hard with siege attacks. Barracks and storage is at the bottom and around the base to allow different troops & magic students to help with the defences.
History
Originally built by Roman garrisons living in the area of Aachen, about the late 300s AD, it was always used as a place to study magic. Any promising Roman citizen who showed magical talent was sent here. This was rare so little was added directly to the tower. It has remained for this purpose ever since.
Founding Date
367 AD
Type
Tower, Mage
Parent Location
Environmental Effects
Sometimes spells & rituals go haywire, so there is a risk of one of these having strange effects inside and around the local neighbourhood.
Owning Organization
Related Report (Secondary Locations)
Related Plots
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