In the southern foothills of the Iron Mountains, outside of the borders of the Kingdom of Endon, is a pinnacle of rock jutting up from the river below. Surveying the forest below, the pinnacle plays host to the Tower of Twilight, one of the waystations on the Himminin pilgrimage. At its peak shines the proud celestivere of Twilight, sharp and bright and bold as the day that it was forged in the Agdu-Ild.
The Tower of Twilight stands in the lands of the Lord of Loudwater, who employs a team of groundskeepers and engineers to ensure that the Tower remains in good condition. A team of scholars from the University of Talbot – the experts in the engineering that went into the Towers – was invited to examine it, translate the carvings on the inside, and try to find away to activate the celestivere. So far, however, they have been unsuccessful.
Long-Sundered
The Towers have sat as ruins, as stated, for centuries beyond count. When the Kingdom of Endon began its count of years, they were rubble. When the Ssthessic-Vrasa was born, they were abandoned and decrepit. But they represent the deep and abiding history of the lands of Endon, and the claim laid upon them by the pre-human civilisations.
However, many of the overlords of the lands have been unhappy at the existence of such an abject lesson in ownership: the yuan-ti preserved them only to keep the giants out of their war with the goliaths; the elves and dwarves avoid settling near them, understanding better than humans the nature of perpetual claims; and the Sunderking, trying to establish his claim to kingship over Endon, came to the Tower of Twilight to destroy it – first of the Towers that he visited, and last.
On entering the Tower of Twilight
"Dust and rubble from fallen sections of the upper floors create small mounds at the base of the towering walls, and creeping vines have taken hold in some of the cracks, adding a touch of green to the otherwise gray expanse. Here, more carvings dominate the walls, with higher levels reserved for depictions of celestial and arcane themes, including constellations, storms, and scenes of creation. Openings in the walls offer sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, their frames weathered but sturdy.
Though it now stands largely empty, the Tower’s vast, echoing chambers retain an air of reverence, as though the spirits of its builders still linger, watching over their monumental creation."
Skye-kyr Stables
This Tower, being one of the two on the Himminin pilgrimage, is host to one of the few examples of a skye-door and skye-kyr stables: wherein the goliath pilgrims and their Cloud Giant hosts might stable their mounts. There are no more skye-kyr in the lowlands these days, and there have not been in millennia, but the stables are still intact, and waiting.
A Note on Skye-kyr
Occasionally in discussions of the giants and their artefacts, one will come across mentions of the beasts known as the skye-kyr, or cloudbucks. They are only very rarely seen, and kept as pets and livestock by the Cloud Giants. According to legend, they look like enormous deer, with eight legs instead of four, and antlers that shine like starlight.
It has been said that the Lord of Loudwater intends to find and domesticate some skye-kyr, specifically for the purpose of filling the stable in the Tower of Twilight. It would indeed be a remarkable feat if he did so, considering that the largest number of skye-kyr are kept in the herd of the Cloud Giants, at the Himminin.