The Crystal Palace

Deep into the Thousand Isles lies an ancient and massive fortress made of stone that gleams under the mid-day sun. I have never seen a more magnificent sight in all of my years of traveling. The sheer size causes me to wonder what armies could have prompted the building of such a formidable fortification? What possible motivation could the builders have had? It firmly ensconces an entire island, and can be seen for leagues around -- a sort of lighthouse for those weaving their way through the Isles.
Within the walls of the fortress lie some of the most powerful magical locks known to the world. The locking mechanisms of these doors and display cases are so advanced that some in the magical community posit that the fortress must be an ancient Morlu structure -- perhaps even a palace. So advanced are the spells that mages to this very day, after hundreds of years of study, have barely scratched the surface of the actual mechanism behind the spells. Extremely talented spell-crafters have managed only to engage and disengage the locks using a special "key" found within the bowels of the fortress.
Whatever the original purpose of the display cases and many locked rooms, they now house the most powerful -- and dangerous -- magical artifacts known to Ultor. So important is it that these artifacts stay under lock and key that many spell-casters of all races can be found guarding them, day and night. Elves, vampires, humans, goblins, and even two dragons (one bronze, one silver) can be found patrolling the area around the aptly named Crystal Palace.
As magnificent as the fortress appears from the outside, I know my curious readers (you devils), and I know that each and every one of you should yearn to look inside the fortress walls as well. Rest well then knowing that the guards of the palace in fact give tours! For only a small fee, any prospective student of magic may walk the halls of the Crystal Palace and be given an introduction to a few choice relics within the walls. The items for display change after each full cycle of the moon, and the guides are most knowledgeable about each and every item. Myself, I go routinely, as it seems there are always new items being discovered, and new information being uncovered about the already stored items.
One might be curious as to how a relic ends up at the Palace in the first place. Well, it is actually a surprisingly normal methodology: someone physically takes it there and asks them to keep hold of it. Although it is rather fantastical to imagine that some mage from the Palace is constantly on the hunt like some adventurer extraordinaire, it is hardly the case. Most of the items housed are brought by persons completely unaffiliated with the Palace at all, but who are aware of the massive power of the relic they possess. In some cases, the Palace does learn about some item that they must capture and attempt to take it themselves, but that usually occurs only after the item has been misused. Prospective vault items are then taken before a council of the highest ranking guards and administrators, and it is decided whether the object needs the amount of security provided by the palace, or if it is well enough off in a lower-security holding area (of which there are many).