Tower of Magi
Prior to its destruction, the Tower of Magi is the center of magical learning in Avernum. It was destroyed in 833 IE. In 834 IE the Tower Colony was built on the ruins of the Tower of Magi.
| Cities and Settlements of Ermarian | |
|---|---|
| Tower of Magi | |
| Location | |
| Continent Region |
Exile Honeycomb |
| Residents | |
| Allegiance Administrator Major Industries |
The Kingdom of Avernum Kelner Magic |
History
Founding
Originally dubbed "The Tower of the Magi", the Tower was one of the first buildings to be constructed by the Kingdom of Avernum after the Five Magi were Exiled. The tower became home to four of the Five, Patrick, Solberg, Rone and Linda, and almost immediately became home to magic of all manners. The fifth mage, Erika Redmark, decided to build her own tower somewhere in the vicinity of the Abyss.
The Tower is located in the southeastern corner of Exile. It lies in the Honeycomb Province, some 120 miles south of Formello and almost 60 miles east of the Great Cave.
Its location was a valuable asset to the Five, as it is very close to Akhronath, the former home of Grah-Hoth. From this location, the Five were able to corner the Demon Lord before he was banished the first time.
During the early years of the Tower, its primary job was to provide a safe place to research new kinds of food that could sustain the Avernites. Thus, a new variety of mushrooms that could grow in very little light was created, and Avernum was given a new stable food source. Other plants created by the wizards at the Tower include lichen trees and cave trees. However, they did not create the glowing moss that lines the caves - that was already in the caves when they arrived.
During these years, the Tower began admitting people who had shown a gift for the magical arts. Training these students in the way they had been trained on the surface word, the Triad began sharing their knowledge to better benefit the other people of the caves.
Political Power in Avernum
A few years on, after Micah, the future King of Avernum was banished into the pit, the Tower became the centre of operations for Avernum, until the construction of the Castle was completed. In order to run Avernum, a trio, or Triad, of three mages, Patrick, Solberg and Erika was established. They maintained restrictions on magic in the pit and also coordinated attacks against Avernum's enemies.
The tower's greatest victory came when the Five Magi united with their apprentices and the Avernite Army to repel the Demon Lord Grah-Hoth from Avernum. After that triumph, the Castle was completed, and with Erika's help, Micah became King of Avernum.
First Tower Disaster
However, all was not well. In 817 IE, Linda, appointed to the Triad with 'X' when Erika and Patrick resigned, became obsessed with demonology. Solberg, sensing her desire to summon a demon, fled the tower and went into hiding in the North of Avernum, near Formello. Linda did summon a demon into the tower, and it was only after much death and struggle that a band of Avernites, under guidance from Solberg, managed to slay the foul beast.
During the Empire-Avernum War, the Tower became home to a large magical teleporter, which was used by a small band of adventurers to slay the Imperial Archmage Garzahd in 823 IE. The teleporter was overseen by the mage Mahdavi, and it was her expertise within this field that would gain her fame in years to come.
After the war, and during the time of great peace, the Tower was once again home to a magical teleporter. This time however, it lead to a series of caverns just below the world's surface. During this time, a new triad ruled the tower. Consisting of Solberg, Mahdavi and the mysterious 'X', the tower began admitting more and more apprentices to expand the centre of power in the pit, and to ready Avernum for a second Empire war which would never come.
Destruction of the Tower
Main article: Tower of Magi disaster
Still, the extra mages present in the tower would benefit it. Before the Avernites reclaimed the surface, the archmage Linda, formerly of the Triad, returned to the tower, after being banished for summoning a demon. Almost immediately she began summoning demons again. Unfortunately, she had set her sights on Grah-Hoth, the Demon Lord that was banished partly by her hand so long ago.
Planning to use her own soul to control Grah-Hoth, she began the spell to summon him. What happened though, was far from what she expected. Grah-Hoth manipulated Linda's soul, and used it as a portal to send his minions through. [Editor's Note: Far from being unexpected, her soul being used as a portal had been Linda's original intention. Her mistake was merely an underestimation of the power of Grah-Hoth, who was able to take control of the portal and use it for his own purpose.] These minions intended to secure the tower for his arrival, preceding a demon invasion into all of Avernum that would likely have been unstoppable and - since the Tower held the only portal to the surface - inescapable.
During that time, many were killed, including Mahdavi. Solberg and X managed to escape, but not before they helped a group of Avernite warriors disrupt Linda's soul and prevent Grah-Hoth's return. Linda died when the Surface Explorers used the Blessed Athame to sever her soul and stop the flow of demons.. [Editor's Note: According to some rumors, Linda was left without a soul, and she is currently under the care of Mother Clarisse of Formello.This is not true. Her physical form was crushed by the collapse of the Tower of Magi in the aftermath of the banihment of Grah-Hoth. Linda's continued existence as a soulless human is believed to have been added as an embellishment to the tale, probably in order to more effectively scare off magic apprentices from imitating.]
Partial Reconstruction and Abandonment
Despite the warriors preventing Grah-Hoth's return, the Tower was destroyed. After the Avernites returned to the surface, a grander, more magnificent Tower was to be built in its place and become not only a highly advanced school of magic but the new home and laboratory of the Triad.
Unfortunately, internal politics precipitated the abolishment of the Triad in 836 IE, and the new Tower of Magi remained unfinished. Near the abandoned ruins, the Tower Colony was constructed. Having replaced the Tower as the center of magical learning, it is populated by mages and run by the mage Kelner, but without the leadership of the Triad and the magnificent building, it can never reach its former glory.
In 862 IE, the Tower Colony was completed as the ruins of the old tower were removed and new building were built.