Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Aug 17, 2003 19:37:27	How many Towers of High Sorcery were there? Was there only the three or was there more in years past? (I think I recall something about them being destoyed by the people for some reason). How many are left in both the 4th Age and the Age or Mortals and could someone tell me their titles in the two ages... Thanks Arandur
#2 talinthas Aug 17, 2003 20:13:21	five. one in wayreth, one in palanthas, one in daltigoth (destroyed), one in istar (destroyed), and one in goodlund, now called the ruins (destroyed, as seen in book 2 of the kingpriest trilogy). Currently, the only ones left are Wayreth and Palanthas, though the tower in Palanthas was moved to Nightlund, near Dargaard Keep.
#3 zombiegleemax Aug 17, 2003 20:26:21	Was there any reason why there was originally five? Is there any novels that deal with the Towers more specifically? And is it possible that the Tower in Istar survived at the bottom of the Blood Sea (I'm assuming that it was destroyed with Istar) Arandur
#4 talinthas Aug 17, 2003 20:32:59	there were supposed to be seven, but book 2 of the dwarven nations trilogy explains why there werent. The Last Tower SAGA supplement has a bit, plus all the stuff in Legends, Defenders of Magic, Kingpriest Trilogy, war of souls, and tons of short stories. Oh, and Kendermore, but no one but me likes that one =) The Tower of Istar may have survived. I doubt it though. Nothing is said yes or no, so go ahead and use it =) I used the tower of Daltigoth in my campaign, and had tons of magically mutated monsters around it =) Course, you could always wait until december/january for the book on the towers...
#5 zombiegleemax Aug 17, 2003 20:54:12	Yeah I think I like the idea of incorporating one or more of the lost Towers into my campaign. I have always been intrigued by the ruins of Istar so I'll incorporate it later in my campaign when my players are a higher level (the new generation is still at 1st). I'll more than likely buy the book and add ideas I like from it to fit what I've already described in the campaign Thanks again Talinthas, ye are a gentleman and a scholar Arandur
#6 talinthas Aug 17, 2003 21:15:10	i was just talking to matt martin about bringing the tower of istar to the surface, as the White Tower, balancing Wayreth and Palanthas, and have it just floating in the middle of the blood sea, now that the maelstrom is gone =)
#7 zombiegleemax Aug 17, 2003 21:24:03	You know that is an excellent idea, though I would probaly use it as the 'Red' Tower. They should never have gotten rid of the Maelstrom, I love that little piece of geography and the raising of the Tower might just be the way to return the Maelstrom to it's rightful place... Yeah I know it's 'unnatural' to love a geographic feature in such a way, but I do... Arandur
#8 Granakrs Aug 18, 2003 0:14:03	Well, If you followed the DC comic books, there was one lost tower that was sent through several planes of existence. Also in the Tales trilogies, there was reference to Kalaman being a potential site for a new tower of high sorcery. You know. it makes me wonder, could a tower of high sorcery be turned into a flying Citadel. :-) Yeah I know it's 'unnatural' to love a geographic feature in such a way, but I do... Nah. I like the Maelstrom too, but the big problem is explaining it. For example, what makes the maelstrom work? i.e. is something swirling that thing, making a giant whirlpool? or is it a giant hole, and water is draining from the planet? if so, will Krynn end up as dry and lifeless as mars? if not, what is replacing the water that's dried up. Is there some nasty underground river? The novel Conundrum seems to suggest that the water that gets drained in the maelstrom, ends up in the New sea.
#9 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 0:16:30	but wouldnt it be hella cool to have the tower rising from a whirlpool in the center of the maelstrom? Part of the Test is just getting there =)
#10 Granakrs Aug 18, 2003 0:32:19	but wouldnt it be hella cool to have the tower rising from a whirlpool in the center of the maelstrom? Part of the Test is just getting there =) Oh man. i can see it now. We're going to storm the new Tower of High sorcery atop the Maeltrom! I can see the tower's protective grove of forgetfulness! Wait.... Why are we here? What is that tower doing floating in the air? Why is it over the Maelstrom? Why is the sea swirling? Why am i flying over that swirling hole? Why am I flying? How do i keep myself from falling? ARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! *Splash* *glub glub glub* *flush* oh yeah.
#11 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 0:33:02	I agree Talinthas, I could almost see it... A small outcropping of basalt rock with the Tower of High Sorcery rising from it and the crimson waters smashing against cliffs. The more I think about it the more determined I become that I will use it in the campaign. As for explaining it, it will be either the Tower was stuck in the plughole and when it is pulled out the water starts to drain or heck I'll just use the old GM chestnut of 'IT'S A MAAAGICAL TOWER' and wave my hands mysteriously in fornt of the players -fools em every time ;) Seriously though I guess the water would drain to wherever it drained to before, never explained it then so I guess there is no need to delve into that now. Arandur
#12 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 0:49:44	Hmmmm if there is a mention of a Tower floating through the dimesions then perhaps it could be found in Iyesta's realm (City of the Lost). I think somewhere in the corridors of time, the idea of a floating Tower is making Par-Salian a VEEERRRY happy wizard. I remember using a floating temple of Tahkisis in a campaign before during the War of the Lance and that was so much fun. But the idea of Wizardlings learning to cast fly spells while Par-Salian nudges them from the tower kind of like a mother bird is kind of amusing to me too Arandur, Head Warden of the Palanthus Funny-Farm for Kender Mimes.
#13 ferratus Aug 18, 2003 3:18:20	I'm looking forward to building new Towers of High Sorcery, or seeing them being built. I rather like that the wizards don't have access to their old ones at present, but wizards and towers go together like horses and carriages.
#14 brimstone Aug 18, 2003 9:25:34	Originally posted by talinthas and one in goodlund, now called the ruins (destroyed, as seen in book 2 of the kingpriest trilogy). This used to be known as the Tower of Losarcum (since Goodlund didn't actually exist until the kender founded the nation after the Cataclysm). But...like Tal said...it's just "the Ruins" now.
#15 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 12:05:54	I kinda fancy the idea of the Knights of the Thorn & Skull raising the lost tower of Istar from the bottom of the ocean on an old-school flying citadel. In the midst of this massive whirlpool and maelstorm a floating Tower of High Sorcery rests in a pocket of calm air. The maelstorm itself is the 'grove' so to speak... You could explain the maestorm away as a somehow favor of Zeboim, and then make it a major point of opposition for the Wizards of High Sorcery.
#16 cam_banks Aug 18, 2003 12:24:41	I find it interesting that other people have had this idea. I was talking to Dragonhelm about the very thing the other day - the Maelstrom as "grove", the Tower floating above the Blood Sea reflecting in crimson light, etc etc. Great minds and all that. Cheers, Cam
#17 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 12:32:22	thanks tobin, couldnt remember the town name =)
#18 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 22:36:18	Hm, I believe that the new WoHS will be forced to rely on "new" Towers. The first towers will be weak magically in that only a handful of mage will retain immense power. Chances are only a handful of elves, Dalamar, and perhaps a very very small handful of humans will be powerful enough to create binding enchantments. Perhaps after the building of a tower that seems to pale in comparison to the power of the old Towers of High Sorcery an unforeseen lunar conjunction will occur. The Eye shines down upon the Tower warping it causing it to grow and shimmer with a new light. Trees pop up in the surroundings emerging from the ground fully grown with a violent lurch. And the new Tower of High Sorcery would be born.
#19 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 22:47:04	i was thinking about this all day. Think about it. A tower, half submerged, emerging from the center of the blood sea, with bright red rock walls, and white and black minarets reaching for the sky... A whirlpool/mini maelstrom surrounds the tower acting as a 'grove', and the forgetfulness aura keeps people away. The more i think of it, the cooler this could be. PCs could be recruited to free this tower for the WoHS and take it from the grasp of a minor overlord who is controlling and raising the tower....and evil dargonesti and dimernesti wizards in the lower levels. Hell, we can even have people like sahuguins and koalinths and things down there =) *starts writing a proposal to sovpress...*
#20 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 22:51:26	Perhaps Talinthas, we will find that the Tower needs no explanation because it has always been there, everyone who has seen it has just forgotten it was there... Perhaps it has some strange guardian? A spectre of the last master of the Tower. A shapechanged Dragon who has forgotten he is a Dragon because of the grove and believes himself trapped at the Maelstrom's centre? Arandur
#21 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 23:08:52	wow. toss in an intro adventure with pirates and stuff, and this could be a total winner =)
#22 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 23:25:31	Let me just run down the list of what we have so far: a) The Maelstrom, a swirling whirlpool the colour of blood created when the displeased gods smote the world..........Check b) A lost Tower of High Sorcery at the centre of the Maelstrom protected by a powerful enchantment that erases itself from the minds of those who has seen it...........Check c) An enigmatic guardian, the spectre of the Last Master of the Tower who died when the Gods rained fire on Istar.............Check d) A Dragon (of unknown colour) who is marooned on the small island surrounding the tower and has no recollection of who or what he is.............Check d) Blood thirsty Pirates or even Minotaurs who chase the party into the Maelstrom bent on their Slavery or detruction (or perhaps bent on claiming the Tower for themselves.................Check e)Sahaugin (no explanation need, they are just too cool)............Check f)The night of the Eye (or other astral phenomenon), a conjuntion of the Three moons when the enchantment of the Tower receeds and it can once again be seen by mortal eyes..........Check Looks like all the basic ingradients of a damned fine story to me hmmm, perhaps a Doomsday cult (maybe undead) who worship the Kingpriest as antagonists? Arandur
#23 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 23:27:01	aside from one thing. The tower was actually the personal residence of the Kingpriest at the time of the cataclysm. Can we say undead clergy? =)
#24 zombiegleemax Aug 18, 2003 23:31:08	LOL check the edited last line... Cam was right about Great minds ;) Arandur
#25 talinthas Aug 18, 2003 23:57:14	i'm so gonna run this =)
#26 zombiegleemax Aug 19, 2003 0:00:32	Ditto
#27 zombiegleemax Aug 19, 2003 0:07:55	Yep, definitely going to run this, much to good to let it get away Arandur
#28 zombiegleemax Aug 19, 2003 0:15:47	Me too, Great idea. I have an undead template called the Istari that I have running around down there too. In my campaign, Winston's tower has already been made into a 3rd opperating tower, but I think I will use that idea for a 4th.
#29 randpc Aug 19, 2003 0:24:04	I rather like the sounds of running an adventure based around the tower, I'll have to keep it in mind for the future though as I've another project idea at hand for now.
#30 zombiegleemax Nov 09, 2003 16:41:12	II was under the impression that the Blood Sea had calmed during the Summer of Chaos.