Firmament 0204 — Ancient Artillery

A frighteningly mundane intrusion into the ethereal landscape of the firmament. A tower built of slabs of metal, all showing signs of fire damage, rises as though stabbed into the glass like a dagger. Much of one side has been torn away, revealing the inner workings that once rotated a massive gun that remains sitting atop the badly damaged highest levels.

The tower is inhabited by an order of Ancient Astrologists dedicated to studying and understanding the firmament, the events that have shaped it, and what lies above and past it. 1D4 are present at any given time, though others wander this and other worlds. The cosmic forces they touch regularly have reshaped them into something larger, stranger, and longer lived than the humans they once were. Ancient Astrologists have stats as Witch-Trolls from Only Monsters Here.

The Astrologists can provide services similar to that of an earthly mage’s guild or cult, though their eyes have been upturned for so long that any information they bring to light about the mundane world is wildly out of date. It is unclear to them that the kingdoms that once spanned the wilds ever fell.

The first floor of the tower has entirely intact walls. It is kept dark, enterable by an airlock, and is where the inhabitants sleep standing up, their wolf companions curled patiently at their feet. The second and third floors are for work, littered with notes and using the tear in the tower’s armor to allow for star-and-sungazing. The fourth floor holds the remaining ammunition for the cannon atop the tower (6 massive shells), and the fifth the cannon itself. It is still operational, and could be made to fire on any location within 10 hexes, though it would take a crew of at least 5 to operate and extensive study for one unfamiliar with it to learn its operation, and a mechanical malfunction means it is only able to be aimed south to southeast currently. The Astrologists know how to operate it, but refuse to do so.

In a basement is a store of treasure held in common by the Astrologists, which any of them may freely use:

Ancient Astrologist’s Stockpile (as Magic User III hoard from &treasure)
300 coins bearing the face of Runalt
800 coins worth of wine
1 artifact: copied codex
1 map — accurately leads to a Magic User IV hoard, location and contents TBD
1 magic item: Beached Plate