Kinloch Hold

BioWare

The Circle Tower, officially named Kinloch Hold, is Ferelden's regional headquarters for the Circle of Magi. It is located on Lake Calenhad, and accessed only by its docks.
Apprentices and the majority of the Circle's impressive library are housed on the first floor, while full mages live on the second floor, which also contains the stockrooms, enchanters' laboratories, the Chantry, and more libraries. The third floor consists mostly of meeting rooms and assembly spaces, as well as a few personal quarters, presumably for the senior enchanters. The templars live and train on the fourth floor, while the pinnacle of the tower, accessible only from the Templar Quarters, contains the Harrowing Chamber. Each floor is dozens of feet high. The tower also features a secure basement, which houses the repository, a vault for dangerous artifacts, and, prior to 9:30 Dragon, the phylacteries of apprentices. Beneath the tower there is also an extensive network of caves which part of it is used by the tower as storage space.
A small trading hamlet has developed on the shore to facilitate trade and to maintain a ferry to the tower, which was originally reached by a massive bridge (now in ruins). Visitors are few and far between, however, as most come either to learn magic or to watch over those who do.

Purpose / Function

As per Chantry and local law, human and city elf citizens of Ferelden with magical potential are brought here to be imprisoned for most of their lives and instructed in the legally-approved Schools of Magic, and (ideally) trained to resist demons (who seek especially to possess living mages).

History

More commonly referred to as the Tower of the Circle of Magi or the Circle Tower, Kinloch Hold existed long before the Circle was founded. Built by the Avvars along with some help from dwarves, it was long considered impregnable -- until the Tevinter Imperium drove the Avvars from it in a brutal campaign.
The tower was thought to be cursed, and was widely shunned even before the Circle of Magi moved there in 3:87 Towers after its tower in Denerim was razed.