The High Tower of Thalivar, also known as the High House of Thalivar[3] and later as simply the House of Thalivar after it was rebuilt in the late 15th century DR,[1] was a wizard tower in Leilon.[4][5] The top floor housed a powerful planar beacon, thus also earning the tower the name of Thalivar's Beacon.[2]
Location[]
The tower was located in the center of the town of Leilon atop a small crag. It rose significantly higher than the town's other buildings.[2]
Structure[]
The tower somewhat resembled a lighthouse. It stood 80 ft (24 m) tall with a rectangular footprint rising to a tall spire. It had two doors on the ground level, one of which was covered by a grand arched portico. The tower had few windows save for a series of high windows on the second story and two large beacon windows on the fourth story.[2] By the late 15th century DR, much of the northeastern side of tower had fallen away, the portico had collapsed almost entirely, and the spire was gone along with the roof and most of the fourth floor.[1] While the main structure was rebuilt in its entirety in the 1490s DR, the portico remained in ruins and the spire was replaced with a simple pointed roof.[2]
Interior[]
Each story of the tower had 20 ft (6.1 m) vaulted ceilings. The second floor was well lit thanks to the many high windows, but much of the rest of the tower used wall-mounted lanterns to provide additional light.[2]
During the late 15th century DR, the first two floors housed a garrison of soldiers from Neverwinter, with the ground floor serving as their storage and mess areas and the second floor serving as living quarters. The third and fourth floors were used by the resident wizard, Gallio Elibro, as his working and living areas. The third floor included an alchemy laboratory and a library, while the fourth floor was entirely dedicated to a contraption consisting of a planar beacon and special holding cells which together were designed to lure and trap creatures from other planes. The beacon itself was a 5 ft (1.5 m) tall glowing egg-shaped geode on a spinning bronze pedestal encased in a 10 ft (3 m) diameter crystal cylinder. This setup was recreated by Gallio based on Thalivar's notes.[2]
Although the tower's spire was never rebuilt, it continued to exist within the Ethereal plane. At the top of this ethereal spire was a snake-like pedestal that held the Ruinstone.[2]
Defenses[]
Prior to the Spellplague, the abandoned tower was known to be protected by mysterious magic wards and monsters,[5] although no one seemed to know the true nature of either.[4]
After the Spellplague, the wards and monsters were destroyed, but the powerful planar beacon at the top of the tower went haywire,[1] causing anyone who looked upon the tower to become magically paralyzed.[6] After this beacon was disabled in the late 15th century DR, the tower was defended by soldiers from Neverwinter.[2]
History[]
The tower was constructed in the middle of Leilon by the wizard Thalivar and his fey companion Soapwort sometime in the late 13th century DR. It served as the center for the wizard's research on the planes, predominantly the ethereal plane. The tower was fitted with a planar beacon, which lured extraplanar creatures toward it, and special holding cells which could then be used to capture these creatures.[1][2] However, upon Thalivar's discovery of a Netherese artifact called the Ruinstone in the ethereal plane, a wild magic surge disabled the protective wards keeping his captured test subjects docile.[2] The creatures broke free, damaged the beacon, and collapsed part of the tower onto the wizard, killing him.[1]
After a search party from Leilon disappeared when they entered the tower to search for Thalivar, the High Tower was consigned to sit abandoned in the middle of Leilon for generations.[1][6] By the mid–14th century DR, the tower was known to still be protected by powerful but mysterious magic, and to contain both valuable secrets and dangerous monsters. While the townsfolk avoided it, it served as a curiosity and attraction for adventurers[4] and an alluring source of magical secrets for organizations such as the Arcane Brotherhood.[3]
When the Spellplague swept across Faerûn in the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, it warped the remaining magics in the tower, unleashing the monsters inside to ravage Leilon[6] and reigniting the planar beacon's power, which was redirected into the Prime Material plane[1] causing anyone who looked upon the tower to be magically paralyzed.[6] Leilon was abandoned in the rush to escape the dangers of the tower, with the adventuring company known as the Swords of Leilon giving their lives to cover the townsfolk's escape and becoming bound to the ruins of the town as ghosts.[1][2] The paralyzing power of the beacon remained active for the next century,[1] requiring travelers along the High Road to find detours around Leilon through the Mere of Dead Men to avoid catching sight of the tower.[6]
Restoration[]
The High Tower of Thalivar during reconstruction.
Finally, the tower was torn down in the mid–1480s DR on the orders of Lord Protector Dagult Neverember of Neverwinter,[1] who sought to reestablish easy overland trade between Neverwinter and Waterdeep.[6] After the paralysis effect disappeared when the planar beacon was destroyed, the demolition effort switched course and the tower was instead rebuilt by Neverwinter soldiers under the supervision of Gallio Elibro. Gallio was a member of the Order of the Many-Starred Cloak, and had been given instructions to restore the planar beacon and continue Thalivar's research. At the same time, the rebuilt tower came to be used to house Leilon's modest garrison of Neverwinter soldiers.[1][2]
Upon successfully restoring the planar beacon, Gallio began experimenting with it. He soon discovered the Ruinstone, which was protected by a number of star spawn, and was instructed by his superiors to acquire it. He successfully used the beacon to capture a number of the star spawn, but ultimately decided to hire a band of adventurers to help him lure the remaining monsters into the beacon's light to clear the way to the artifact. Unfortunately, just as Thalivar before him had done, he failed to anticipate the surge of wild magic that would erupt from the Ruinstone, which rendered him unconscious and unleashed all of the star spawn he had previously captured. Luckily, two of the ghosts of the Swords of Leilon, Augusta Krul and Ogri Ninebeards, aided the adventurers in defeating the star spawn and claiming the Ruinstone.[2]
Inhabitants[]
After his death, Thalivar haunted the tower as a ghost.[1]
Once the tower finally became safe for people to enter in the late 15th century DR, Thalivar's ghost began possessing the wizard Gallio Elibro, taking control of him during nights in order to continue his old planar research. Neither Gallio nor Thalivar were actually aware of this arrangement, with the former believing he was simply having restless sleep and the latter believing he was still alive but trapped in a nightmare in which his tower was in ruins.[1]
During the day, Gallio Elibro acted as Leilon's resident wizard and sage. He charged 400 gold pieces for castings of the legend lore spell.[2]
Neverwinter Garrison[]
In addition to Gallio Elibro, the tower was home to fifteen soldiers from Neverwinter in the late 15th century DR.[2] They served as the local garrison while representing Dagult Neverember's interests in Leilon.[2]
Notable members of the garrison included:
- Sargent Hazz Yorrum, the corrupt and inept commander of the garrison. He met with visitors either in the mess hall on the ground floor or in his office on the second.[2]
- Erlum, a human guard involved in the tower reconstruction efforts.
- Gori, a timid dwarven soldier.
- Koz, a human guard involved in the tower reconstruction efforts.
- Vester Jessup, a human private assigned to patrol the High Road along the Mere of Dead Men to the south of town.[1]
In addition, the halfling brothers Tombil and Tug Breen served as the cook and porter for the inhabitants of the tower.[2]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Shawn Merwin, James Introcaso, Will Doyle, Bill Benham, Christopher Lindsay (2019-09-04). Storm Lord's Wrath. Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit. D&D Beyond. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2021-06-28.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Will Doyle, James Introcaso, Shawn Merwin, Bill Benham, Christopher Lindsay (2019-09-04). Divine Contention. Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit. D&D Beyond. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2021-06-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 slade, et al. (April 1996). “Cities & Civilization”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.