Beacon of Knowledge

Ruler: The Council of the Heavens

Soaring several hundred metres off the ground and floating in a seemingly random pattern around Cantillia is a fearsome, black stone tower. Carvings and runes dominate the outside, the story of the universe’s creation told on its outer walls. Inside the walls over a thousand wizards study away, seeking to unlock the secrets of the universe and predict where the Starlight Rock might travel to next.

In the early days of Ianis, before the gods had to depart the world, Iambulus created a great tower that he might live and study inside. However, when Iambulus took on students, they played a trick on their master. Using the magic he had taught them, they unhinged the tower from the ground and caused it to float away. Iambulus was annoyed, but impressed, and gifted the students the tower. However, one does not trick a God and walk away. Iambulus blessed his students and all future students of the Starlight Rock with great knowledge, filling the tower with books, instruments and all manner of rooms. The floating curse that had been set upon the tower persisted and Iambulus strengthened it. The tower would no longer drift gently to the ground, but rather roam what would become Cantillia forever, effectively trapping the wizards within forever, at least until they’re studies allowed them to return to the ground.

The Starlight Rock is one of the more magical oddities on Ianis and indeed whenever it draws near there is always a certain charge in the air. The wizards within spend their time researching magic and if the rock is near a city, it will happily contract out its wizards to perform basic magic before the tower once again drifts away. Visitors to the rock are always welcome, however in keeping with Iambulus’s curse upon the tower, a visitor must always be prepared to arrange their own method of entry and exit. This alone means that the number of people in the rock who are not wizards is quite low. But nevertheless, a few intrepid souls have made their home near the base of the tower, forming a kind of ad-hoc town with the rock.

In charge of the rocks day to day operations and responsible for overall direction and restrictions on research is The Council of the Heavens. A council of 7 powerful wizards elected to the council once every year after a series of priests of Iambulus consult with his will. The will of Iambulus often changes and the council is largely never the same year to year. Members of the council are willing to believe that the lord of magic has a hand in the ruling of the rock, whilst those not chosen or ousted from the council are less likely to believe. The ever changing nature of the council means that the Starlight Rocks research aims are never particularly consistent, taking many years to complete even just one piece.

The council views the other members of the Lord-doms as valuable resources and partners, happy to trade and co-operate. Many other members however view the tower as somewhat suspicious, finding it all too convenient that the tower seems to drift away when it’s really needed. But with the tower seemingly impervious to all conventional weapons and magic and the floating curse showing no signs of abating, the tower seems set to float for many years to come.

Art by Jon Pintar
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