286 rooms · levels 30–50
This is a very well kept road that leads towards the fabled city of Merilon. Due to the very large number of people making their trek to and from the city, it is very difficult to stand stationary in one spot.
This is a very busy and crowded road that leads to Merilon. You can faintly make out the roof of an extremely tall tower in the center of the city. Two large fields can be seen on either side of the road and there is a pleasant rustling whenever the breeze flows over the two fields.
Merilon's walls can now be clearly seen. They are so tall that you can only see the very tops of all the buildings that lie within Merilon's boundaries. A small path cuts across the main road and appears to lead toward the fields that produce the food for this magnificent city. Now, more than ever, the main tower in the center looms above you. The top can barely be seen through the wisps of clouds surrounding it.
The walls of Merilon cast huge shadows over the tables lining the entrance to Merilon. Several of the royal guardians watch over the bureaucrats that check the papers of all visitors coming into the city. The city can be entered to the north while going south takes you away from the city and past two fields.
This is the checkpoint area in front of the gates to Merilon. There are aged bureaucrats sitting at large oak tables quickly writing down information on the visitors. Behind the table floats a dark, silent hooded guardian. Just one of these fabled Duuktsarith looks like he could kill you with only a simple thought.
Two large arches define a small foyer between the inner and outer doors. Each door is opened and closed through the use of large chains attached to the top of the doors. Tracing the chains to their spools reveals that there does not seem to be anything to help aid in turning it. Opening and closing these massive doors are most likely accomplished through the mind power of the gatekeepers.
This is a small dirt path that goes around the western field. The path continues west and returns to the main road to the east. The field can be entered by going south, but it could be difficult to find your way around due to the height of the plants.
This is the center of the little dirt path next to the western field. The path continues west and east, but there is a bend in the path to the west. The field can be entered to the south if one likes to get lost.
Wheat twelve feet tall rises on every side, so thick that the sky is a narrow strip overhead. This is where Merilon grows most of the grain it eats and trades. A trampled row leads north back to the field path, and the wheat goes on to the east and south; to the west it thins out onto the path along the far side of the field.
The wheat here is enormous, the heads nodding high above anyone who walks through it. Every row looks like every other, and only the trampled stalks show the way back north. The field goes on to the east.
The way the tall plants close off the sights from all the directions making this spot an eerie one. The field continues to the north and to the west. . .you think.
This is a field with some kind of wheat that grows 12 feet high. This is probably where the citizens of Merilon get the majority of their wheat for eating or for trade. It is difficult to keep track of where in the field you are. A small path lies to the north and the rest of the field lies to the west and south.
The little path outlining the western field takes a bend here. The path continues back to the east and to the south. This is the corner of a large field. The plants are so tall that this path is probably to keep people from getting lost in the field.
This small path runs along the far side of the western field. It goes on north to the bend, and to the south it leads to a very curious house. The wheat stands like a wall to the east, with a gap trampled into it. There is no sound but the quiet rustling of the field.
The front of a house is here. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the walls and ceiling are formed by the outgrowing of giant roots jutting out of the ground. It is as if they grew out of the ground to form the house.
This is the main living area of this house. A small fireplace lies within the southern wall. The fire heats up a black pot that hangs from an iron holder sitting next to the fireplace. The lid of the pot is trying to rock itself off as the liquid inside bubbles and escapes.
This room is cold and barren. The only thing in this room is a small pile of straw with some ragged sheets and a moldy pillow. The person who has to sleep in here is a person that should be pitied.
This is a large room that is much warmer than the rest of the house. Standing in the center of the room is a king sized bed with very comfortable looking pillows and sheets made from the nicest material you have ever laid eyes on.
This is a small dirt path that travels around the eastern field. The path continues to the east and returns to the busy main road to the west. Sounds of moaning can barely be heard over the rustling of the field each time a breeze comes floating through.
This is a field of various plants that grow almost 12 feet. There is a small path to the north and the field continues to the east and south. A person could get confused in a place like this if they are not careful.
The field is very dense here and it is very difficult to tell which direction is which. Strange moaning sounds can be heard to the east, but it is not really something a person would be too eager to follow. The field continues to the north and to the east.
This is the center of the little dirt path next to the eastern field. The path continues west and east, but there is a bend in the path to the east. The fields can be entered to the south, but it might be easy to get lost considering the height of the crops.
This is a field of various plants that grow very tall. There is a small dirt path to the north and to the east. The field itself continues to the west and to the south. An ominous moaning comes from the south.
This part of the field has a small hill in it upon which stands a very menacing scarecrow. His arms outstretched, he looks like he is ready to jump down and attack at any moment. Perhaps this is not a good place to stay in for any long time...
The small dirt path makes a turn here and starts heading to the south although it does not appear to go very far. The path also returns to the main road quite some distance to the west.
This part of the path lies on the far side of the east field. The dirt here has not been walked on in a long time. The farmers of these parts probably only walk here during planting and harvest time. The path continues to the south where it seems to end and returns to the north.
The path around the east field ends abruptly here. The only way to go is back in the northward direction. A quick glance at the ground reveals that there was a struggle here at one point. Perhaps even a struggle for life, since there are large drops of dried blood here.
The small circular path that surrounds the small park begins here. To the north can be found some large trees that are bent at the base so that the trunks become seats for the quiet citizens of Merilon that like to sit and watch as the visitors pour in. The path continues on either side.
The path here approaches the corner created by a stone building meeting up with the city wall. A large archway leads to a hallway to the east, and the path continues on its way to the north and to the west.
This is the eastern side of the circular path. It leads further north and approaches a pavilion. Standing under the pavilion are two royal Duuktsarith, watching for signs of unlawful intruders.
Sitting off of the path here is a small pavilion that has been set up to relieve the two Duuktsarith of having to endure the blistering sun beating down on them while on duty. A larger pavilion like this one can be seen along the path to the west while the path also goes in a southward direction.
The path reaches its northern end here. It travels in a southward direction via the east and west directions. To the north is a small connecting path that leads to Mannan Walk.
The circular path here has a large pavilion erected next to it. This pavilion keeps the bright sun off of the two Duuktsarith that stand here watching for signs of trouble. The path continues south and east from this spot. Another pavilion like this, only smaller, is seen in the eastern direction.
This is the western side of the circular path. It leads further north and approaches a pavilion. Standing under the pavilion are two royal Duuktsarith, watching for signs of unlawful intruders.
The path here leads north and east. It also breaks off and enters a small hallway to the west. This hallway is heralded by a large sign hanging over the doorway. This sign shows a single symbol on a green background. The symbol was probably designed to be understood by people of all languages, but its meaning totally escapes you.
This is the entrance to a large building on the eastern side of Merilon. If it weren't for the fact that a majority of the citizens here fly, the echoes and reverberations of footsteps would be drowning. The hall continues east and returns to the circular path to the west.
The mighty Terinor hall continues deeper into the building. The walls are lined with small shelves that have small creatures standing on each one. Each little creature holds a ball of light that helps illuminate this hall. The ceiling has been ornamented with lush paintings of places and people. The hall continues west and east.
This section of Terinor Hall is not illuminated the same way as the rest of the hall. Instead, light pours in from a hole in the ceiling. With the fine weather that this part of the world sees there is no need for any glass to cover this hole. One odd thing about this hole, however, is that there is a chain going from one corner to the other. And on this chain hangs a sign that reads "This Entrance Closed."
Terinor Hall makes a 90 degree turn here and starts heading to the north. To the east lies a small door that has a handle on it. The first time you have seen a door with a handle in this city, to be exact. Beyond the door sounds of snoring can be heard.
You have entered the sleeping area of one of the many Catalysts in this city. She is sleeping in her little cot. Her skin is pale and her hair is messy. It looks like she has had a full day's work keeping her owner charged with mana. The desire to leave her sleeping is overwhelming. The door on the west leads back to Terinor Hall.
Terinor Hall now travels north and south. Here can be found several doors on either side. Each one closed to keep whatever is on the other side partitioned off from the traffic of the hall. Again, there are little creatures standing on tiny platforms. Their balls of light cast a slightly dimmer illumination. The hall gets darker towards the north.
This is a small room that has very little furniture. A small bed sits along one of the walls and a very small desk sits in the corner. A calendar hangs from the western wall, but looking closely reveals that it is several years old. The room can be exited to the east.
This is the small bedroom of a poor catalyst. On the walls hang many hand stitched pictures that mostly show trees being used in various rituals. Hanging over the headboard of the bed is a sign that has many words written upon it. And underneath the scroll is a blue ribbon with a woman's name embroidered onto it. Perhaps this is a favor given to the catalyst as a token of her love? The hall can be returned to by going west.
Terinor Hall begins to approach a dark dead end towards the north. While the lighting here is normal, flashes of light keep appearing to the north as if one of the light creatures was having trouble keeping its ball lit. On both sides are small doors. The door on the west has a very ornate emblem mounted on the center. The door on the east, however, is completely bare, but you think you can hear voices on the other side. The hall continues north and south.
This is a very small and very bare bedroom. The only furniture here is a small cot. On the floor next to the cot lies two books. The northern wall has several dents in it as if someone had been kicking and hitting it. The eastern door leads to Terinor hall.
This room is the room that the catalysts living in this hall come to when they wish to hold small meetings or otherwise just want to get together and chat for a while. There is a small table in the center and several small wooden stools. Laid out on the table is a very crudely drawn map of the city. You see the scribblings of a few underground tunnels, but the map is so poorly done that you can't figure out where exactly they are. The west door leads back to Terinor Hall.
This is the end of Terinor hall. It is very dark here save but a few brief flashes from the light creature. Looking closer at this creature reveals that it has been injured very badly. It makes small whimpers as it struggles to relight its ball, but then cries when it immediately extinguishes again. The doors to the west and to the east are identical except that the west door has been painted with blood and looks like it has had to be re-hung on its hinges several times. The door itself is warped in the center as if someone or something pressed against it from the inside. A small vent on the northern wall looks like it just might be small enough for a person to squeeze through, but return via that route does not look promising.
This bedroom is strikingly bare. Not even a bed or a cot is in here, but there must be someone who lives in here because all the walls have text written on them. The text is all written in black except for the east wall, which appears to have text written in. . .blood?
This room is a terrifying sight to behold. The walls are painted with blood and all the furniture has been torn apart and piled up in the corner. Drawn with fingers in the blood are the words, "Dead is He." Before you have a chance to inspect everything about the room, you hear a rustling coming from inside the pile of debris.
This is the start of a hidden passage behind the bedroom. The walls are part wood and part dirt: it was once a small room, sealed off, whose floor has been dug through so that a tunnel could go down. There is very little light, but a slight breeze rises from the hole. The bedroom is back through the hidden door to the east.
This tunnel has been dug by hand. Broken spoons and splintered pieces of wood lie scattered about, as if they broke while it was being dug. It runs north, under the street, and a slight breeze comes from that way; a rough climb leads up into the hidden passage.
The tunnel runs north and south under Mannan Walk; now and then footsteps thump overhead. Bugs and worms crawl in and out of little holes in the ground, and the roots of a large tree hang from the ceiling, drying out. Strange rustling can be heard, and out of the corner of your eye you imagine that one of the roots is moving.
Here the dirt gives way to brick tiles. This tunnel must link two buildings, but for what purpose? It runs on a long way north, and back south toward the dirt tunnel.
Hundreds of small skulls hang from the walls: rabbits, snakes, all sorts of woodland creatures, and now and then a humanoid. The tunnel is back to the south, and to the east light shows around a doorway.
Except for the occasional footprints in the dust, this cellar looks as if it was forgotten long ago. Spider webs span the upper corners, but the spiders that spun them are long dead. A small staircase leads up into the building, and the tunnel is to the west.
This is a small rest area that allows the citizens and visitors of Merilon to sit down in a nice shade and watch as the people come and go from the city. Instead of regular benches, large tree trunks in the ground have somehow been bent at their bases so that they become suitable seats. The only way to exit this area is to the south, where the circular path starts.
The shade that this small pavilion offers is a pleasant one. The temperature here is easily ten degrees cooler than it is out in the sun. A cool breeze blows through adding to the comfort of the two occupants of the pavilion. The only exit to be found is to the south.
Jutting out of the ground here lies a large stump that once was a very big tree. It appears to be used by speakers to stand on while they address any crowds that are willing to stand and listen. Like many lands you have traveled in, it is the custom of a speaker to not let their feet touch the ground so as to symbolize that what words they say belong to them and not the city. The Circle Path can be reached by going south, while you can find Mannan Walk to the north.
This is a large pavilion that keeps the sun off of the guardians who stand watch here. The pavilion is void of all chairs, tables, or any other kind of furniture. The grass is dying slowly due to lack of sunlight. In the ground at the northern end of the pavilion can be found a small wooden door leading from the Royal Prison. It doesn't look like the prison can be entered here, but there must be a different way to get in. Strange shouts coming from the prison travel through the air from time to time. The only viable exit is to the south.
This is the entrance to Kaisdottir Hall. The hall travels north towards the majority of the hall. A large gallery can be seen to the west. While the western way is silent, there are numerous shouts, screams, and loud banging coming from the north. The circle path can be returned to by exiting east.
The front room of the gallery is smaller than the rest of the gallery, but even so it is very impressive. The floor is covered with a deep plush maroon carpet and all the walls are covered with polished wood. At the center of the room is a very comfortable round couch where guests can rest. The gallery continues to the west and returns to Kaisdottir hall to the east.
The ceiling of this room is easily 50 feet tall and it is painted blue with wisps of white fluffy clouds. It gives the illusion that this room is even larger than it is. On the south wall hangs a very large painting and on the north wall hangs two smaller paintings of local buildings. The gallery continues west and east.
Like the middle of the gallery, this room has an extremely tall ceiling. Once again, the ceiling has been painted to resemble a clear blue sky. Although the ceiling is real, you notice that the room has no windows or light fixtures yet it is very well lit. On the north and south walls can be found several portraits of the Royal Family. There are 6 portraits total, but a faded rectangle on the wall shows where there had once been a seventh portrait. There is an oil painting hanging on the western wall. The gallery ends here, but continues to the east.
This is a small hall that continues to the north and returns to its entrance to the south. A large cloak room can be found to the west. You can hear shouting drifting along the air from the north. Sounds like there is a major battle going on.
This is a large cloak room where visitors to the city can come and drop off their cloaks so that they won't have to carry them around all the time. A young woman sits here giving tickets in return for cloaks. There are hundreds of them hanging on pegs around the room. It is decided that looking through all of them would be hopeless. Kaisdottir hall can be re-entered to the east.
Here Kaisdottir continues north and south. A bend in the hall can be seen to the north and the loud shouts and banging can be heard even louder now. A small sign stands here in the center of the hall giving information to visitors.
Kaisdottir Hall takes a bend and continues to the west and to the south. The shouting and banging coming from the west is loud enough that words can just about be made out. It sounds as if some woman is shouting and screaming orders. A large red sign hangs from the ceiling here, demanding to be read.
This part of the hall is clearly intended only for the staff of the dining hall and the catalysts forced to walk in from the back way. Being neither a staff member or a catalyst, this room is a very dangerous one to stay in for any extended period of time. You have the very distinct feeling that you are going to get caught.
This small room is completely bare except for a small wooden water well that sits in the center of the room. The well most likely serves to supply water needed by the staff of the dining hall. Peering inside reveals a very clear liquid. The hall can be re-entered to the north.
This section of Kaisdottir Hall is very clean and well kept. A small red carpet along the north wall has been roped off so that the catalysts have somewhere dignified to walk on their trip to meet up again with their masters. The other half of the hall has a stained wood floor that has been polished many times. The hall continues west and east.
Kaisdottir Hall ends here at a very busy intersection. Numerous staff members run between the kitchens to the south and the dining hall to the north. You can distinctly hear a woman shouting orders at the staff and occasionally you hear the crash of pots being dropped by clumsy fingers.
This small section of hall leads directly to the large kitchens and the equally large pantry. Blasts of hot air come from the east -- probably from the numerous ovens in use by the kitchen staff. The entrance to an enormous pantry lies to the south and Kaisdottir Hall can be found to the north.
The sight before you is an amazing one. This is not only the largest kitchen ever seen, but there is a second one just like it to the south. Seven large fireplaces line one wall and in each one sits a large pot and a slab of metal used as a stovetop. There are several chefs in this room, all moving blindingly fast. In the center of the kitchen is a large wooden table which the chefs use to place dishes of food as they are created. Just as the table is to be completely covered, a waiter or waitress dashes into the kitchen and grabs as many dishes before running back out of the room. The second kitchen can be found to the south, and a hall can be reached via the west exit.
Just as large as the first kitchen, this one has 7 fireplaces being used to create the wonderful dishes being served to the guests in the dining hall. Along the western wall can be found 3 gigantic wooden casks. One holds wine while the other two hold mead. Next to the casks, sitting on the ground, are several bottles of the fluids contained in the cask. The sister kitchen can be entered to the north while a very large pantry can be entered to the west.
Shelves line every wall, stocked with just about every kitchen staple there is. Fifty-pound bags of flour sit in one corner with equally large bags of corn meal, rice and beans. Bottles of wine and mead fill one shelf, with herbs both common and rare on the shelf below. Loaves of bread, small pots of sugar and even popcorn sit beside them, and on the other side of the pantry are glasses, dishes, mugs and utensils: enough to supply the chefs for twenty major feasts. The second kitchen is to the east and the hall to the north.
You've been caught! Before you had a chance to notice, a member of the dreaded DKarn-duuk appeared from out of nowhere and teleported you to a small holding cell. There are no exits and all you can do is sit and await your doom while you curse yourself for the stupidity you have demonstrated so well.
After many hours of waiting, a DKarn-duuk comes and surrounds you by rings of fire and then leads you here. The room is very well decorated with many pieces of fine furniture and paintings. A desk next to a huge window has papers scattered upon it and behind it sits an older man dressed in elaborate robes. He introduces himself as Bishop Vanya and for over an hour drills you. Questions such as who you are, what your intentions are, and where your loyalties lie. After many attempts at explaining that you were simply lost, he decides that you are not a threat. Bishop Vanya says, "Forgive us for acting so strict. A dead man and his cult followers have been attempting to overthrow Their Highnesses and the Church." Bishop Vanya declares you to be a petty criminal and sentences you to some time in the Royal Prison system. All you can do is await the warrior version of the Duuktsarith, the DKarn-duuk, to take you to your prison cell.
This is the small, dirty prison cell the DKarn-duuk put you in. The ceiling, floor and walls are all dirt: the prison is underground. Cowering in the corner is a small man in a tattered robe and leather sandals, his white hair wild, who stares at you with wilder eyes and every so often screams something you can't quite make out. Before long a Duuktsarith opens a hatch overhead and lets you climb up and out into the city.
The small hall that leads from the kitchens ends here and a nice foyer to the dining hall is to the north. As staff members run toward the dining hall they screech to a halt here and, after fixing their clothes, wear dignified faces and proudly walk north toward the foyer and then into the dining hall. The kitchens can be found to the south.
This is the room that leads directly into the dining hall. The floor is covered with a nice carpet and the wood panel walls have a few pleasant paintings hanging next to shining candle holders. The doors into the dining hall are wood frame with clear glass in the center. These doors on the east side are open and you can see the large number of people eating. The kitchens and Kaisdottir Hall can be found to the south.
Seven large wooden tables stretch from the southern end of the dining hall to the northern end. The number of seats along each side of each table are too numerous to count. Above you exist large stained glass windows that let a large amount of colored light sift in. The sound of music can be heard over the amazingly quiet crowd. From here you can see that the staff and catalysts come in from a small entrance to the west. The dining hall continues to the north and to the east.
The rest of the large tables begin here and stretch so far north that you cannot see the ends. In the southeast corner sits 5 musicians playing lovely tunes to add a merry atmosphere to the feast. The dining hall entrance can be found to the west while the hall itself continues north.
The center of the eastern tables can be found here. Like the rest of the hall, all the seating around the tables are currently occupied by hungry people enjoying their feast. The hall continues to the north, south, and east.
This northeast corner of the dining hall is just as crowded as the rest of the dining hall. As usual, all the seats are occupied and the people dining are speaking to each other in a very quiet tone so as to maintain the quiet atmosphere found in the whole hall. The hall continues to the west and to the south.
This is the far north-western section of the dining hall. From here the ends of the seven tables can be seen. The middle three table ends are occupied by very regal looking people. The area around them is highly guarded and even a DKarn-duuk can be seen watching over them and protecting them from any kind of harm. As people approach the three royal people to give blessings, the DKarn-duuk turns slightly toward the visitors and solemnly looks them over and makes a decision whether a threat exists. The dining hall continues to the east and to the south.
From here the center of the tables are to be found. All the people seated are talking among themselves and the first empty seat you have seen so far is here. You notice people passing the chair, but never sitting at it. When asked, a young woman says that the seat was always occupied by Hertal but now that he has been arrested for theft, the chair is considered bad luck.
You have found a hidden hole that someone has dug underneath the floor of the dining hall. How someone could have dug a large enough hole that could be considered a room under an extremely busy dining hall is beyond comprehension. The floor is littered with crumbs of food that escaped the table and worked their way through the cracks of the floor. The only way out is to go up into the dining hall.
This room is directly south of the dining hall itself. From here you can see that there are 7 rows of tables that span the whole dining hall. It appears that all the seats are taken and you can see the staff coming in from some other entrance in the hall. Along with the staff arrivals are catalysts that either wait to be seated or stand silently behind their masters. The building's exit can be found somewhere to the east.
This is a crowded room full of people talking and laughing while they wait their turn to be admitted to the feast hall. While looking at the various faces in the crowd, a young catalyst walks in from the east and all talking ceases. Before the poor catalyst can get 3 feet into the room two large men hover in front of him and block his path. A few words are exchanged and one of the men raises his hand and his body flashes for a second as the catalyst is violently pushed out of the room. The men turn around and mumble something about some people not knowing their proper place. The entrance to the actual dining hall is off to the west while going east will take you back outside.
Mannan Walk ends here in front of the main entrance to the feast hall of Merilon. As you gaze at the beautiful engravings in the side of the walls and archway, several Merilon citizens silently float past you as they enter the building. Mannan Walk returns from where it came to the east and the building can be entered here to the west.
This part of Mannan Walk lies just to the west of its entrance and continues in a westward direction toward a very large building. To the north lies the giant tower that looms over the city. A small path for the poor catalysts exists to the north since they cannot take the easier aerial path found at the Mannan Walk entrance.
This road travels in a west-east direction and meets up with a large building to the west, and a smaller one to the east. To the north stands a mighty tower whose spires seem to reach the heavens themselves. Between this spot and the tower, however lies a very large pool of water. It can be seen that the tower can be reached via two small paths on either side of the pool or, if you can fly, by floating over the pool. This latter path looks to be the fastest way to get to the tower and you feel sorry for the large population of catalysts that must walk everywhere. By now it is quite apparent that the city is built to be convenient to only the magic using portion of Merilon's populace.
This part of the road lies just to the east of the entrance to Mannan Walk. A small path to the north leads towards the mighty tower, and many humble catalysts are treading down it now as they work their way to the tower. By the number of catalysts walking down this path and the number of magic users floating over the pool towards the tower it can be assumed that an event is taking place. Mannan Walk returns to the west while it leads to a small building in the distant east.
This is the southern end of the eastern trail, the long way round the pool for catalysts and visitors who cannot fly. The pool lies just beyond the trail's edge, and magic users make lofty, careless jumps across it. The trail goes on north toward the tower, and Mannan Walk is back to the south.
Halfway along the eastern trail, the whole front of Kiel Tower comes into view: an entrance at each side for those who walk, and between them the grassy hill that rises out of the pool, where the fliers land and stroll down to the Royal Foyer. The trail goes on north and back south to Mannan Walk.
The eastern trail ends at the foot of the tower. The eastern catalyst entrance opens to the north, and the Royal Foyer lies to the west. A young man has taken advantage of the cool breeze and the sound of the water to take a short nap against the wall. Mannan Walk is back to the south.
This is the southern end of the western trail that takes catalysts and visitors who cannot fly around the pool to the tower. The people walking it watch with disgust as the magical folk take the short cut across the water. The trail goes on north, and Mannan Walk is back to the south.
Halfway along the western trail, the tower fills the sky ahead. Walkers go in by the two side entrances, while the fliers come down the grassy hill from the pool to the Royal Foyer. The trail goes on north and back south to Mannan Walk.
The western trail ends at the foot of the tower. The western catalyst entrance opens to the north, and the Royal Foyer lies to the east. The trail runs back south toward Mannan Walk.
This is the top of a tall hill that starts out in the large pool of water. The hill is covered with a very lush breed of grass and a couple has decided to take advantage of it and hold a small picnic. Flying north leads down to the front entrance to the tower. Off to either side of the pool are small paths that the non-flying people use to get to the tower. Mannan Walk can be returned to via the southward direction.
This is the foyer of Kiel Tower, and the tower is entered differently depending on whether one can fly. The base of the tower and its stairs are to the north. Overhead, the foyer is open to a shaft that runs straight up through the tower, so that flying visitors can rise to the top at once. The grassy hill slopes up to the south, and the two catalyst trails meet the foyer to the west and east.
This small room at the foot of the tower only keeps the weather off the stairs. The base of the stairs is to the east, and the western catalyst trail is back to the south.
This small room at the foot of the tower is a buffer between the staircase and the weather outside. The base of the stairs is to the west, and the eastern catalyst trail is back to the south.
This is the base of the mighty Kiel Tower. Its top cannot be seen, and trying only makes your head spin. Catalysts and other walking visitors file in from the side entrances to the west and east and start up the stairs. The stairs that climb the whole height of the tower begin here. They are narrow and follow the curve of the wall in a spiral, and with no windows anywhere many a climber has been thankful not to see how high they are going. The Royal Foyer is to the south.
Only stone steps lie ahead, with a light fixture mounted in the wall now and then so that people don't trip and fall. A door in the north wall opens onto the Bishop's level; otherwise the only way is up or down.
The narrow stairs open into a small room here. In the room is a small bench where tired climbers can sit down and let their feet rest for a bit. The stairs continue up and down from here.
After all this climbing and seeing stone step after stone step, a new sight comes around. A very small wooden door leads north onto one of the floors in this tower. The stairs themselves continue up and down from here.
After all this time, the middle mark has been reached. People walking down laugh with joy as it dawns on them that their trip back down to the ground is already halfway over. People walking up to the top of the tower burst into tears when they realize that they are only halfway there.
A small door to the north breaks the endless sight of steps. A sign on the door signifies that visitors should keep clear of this level unless they belong there. The stairs keep going up and down from here.
From those people climbing to the top of the tower you can hear shouts of joy as the journey is almost over. From the ones going down the tower's stairs, you hear moans and groans as the fact that they will have to climb down stairs for an hour sinks in.
An elderly man sits in the corner here in exhaustion as friends and family fan him and give him water. People arriving from the ground take one look at him and pout in sympathy. The entrance to the Royal Court of Merilon lies to the south, and the stairs lead down.
This is the entrance to the court level. The stairs are to the north, the weapons rooms to the west and east, and the court itself lies to the south past the guards. A wide shaft in the floor drops straight down to the Royal Foyer: the short cut for those who can fly.
You have come across the entrance to a long forgotten dormitory that used to be the home to many catalysts while they studied their trade. There used to be doors in the north and west walls, but they have been boarded up and bricked off. The west door looks like the original entrance and you can only guess that the north door led to other parts of this building. A brass plaque has been mounted on the west wall and it has been recently polished by someone. Going south takes you to other parts of the building.
A door leading east appears to be the entrance to the first room in this dormitory. A little sign made out of slate hangs to the side of the door. The hallway continues to the south, where you can see it take a bend.
This room has a few candles on a table sitting in the corner. A very narrow bed lines the back wall and books are scattered all over. A small wooden mirror hangs on the back of the wall and a few pieces of clothing hang from a hook behind the door.
The door leading east from here has been painted with some kind of black paint. The original doorknob has been replaced with another one that is also black, giving the whole door an ominous look. The hall continues north and south.
Following suit of the door to this room, everything is black. There is a narrow bed along the wall, and a table with a single black candle burning on it. On the wall above the candle has been drawn a shaky diagram that has 7 points. Each point has been labeled with a strange symbol.
The hallway makes a 90 degree turn here and continues to the east. Looking down the hall reveals another hallway and a single room. You think you can hear voices coming from further down that direction. The hall also returns to the north.
The dorm hall branches off to another hall to the north and continues to the east. A single door can be seen off to the east. The branch hallway, which runs north-south, looks like it only serves to link up with yet another hall.
A door painted completely red lies to the north here. Closer inspection tells you that the door is painted with some kind of paint that doesn't dry. Oddly enough, however, the paint does not come off onto your fingers when you touch it. The hall continues to the west.
This is a small room that has been completely painted over with the same form of paint that the door is covered with. A large red mound in the corner suggests that the person who painted this room spilled a large amount of paint which dried as a bump on the ground. A narrow bed lines the wall, but that is all the furniture that can be found here. The only exit from this room is to the south.
This part of the branch hall approaches another hallway running perpendicular to this one. Every few minutes you think you hear a small girl giggling and saying something, but when an attempt is made to figure out what those words are, the voice vanishes.
The branch hallway to the south meets up with this hallway that runs east and west. Looking east appears to only reveal a dead end, but looking west uncovers a small spiral staircase that leads to the level above. The branch hallway returns to the other main hall to the south.
The hall ends here in a dead end and the only exit possible is to the west. This room is round in shape and in the center is a small stone bench. A number of green ivy is growing all over the walls and ceiling, yet there cannot be found a light source that would feed these plants with energy.
The only thing in this room is a small wooden spiral staircase that takes people up to the next level. The staircase does not seem to be put together with any nails. The designer and builder of this staircase obviously knew what they were doing, for you realize that only precision fitting of each piece of wood keeps the thing together. The hall returns to the east.
A hole in the very center of the floor looks down on the top of the spiral staircase. A room lies to the south, and a strange cackling can be heard somewhere.
This is a very humid room that has nothing in it but a large symbol painted on the south wall. A cool breeze can be felt coming in from the east where the room can be exited to. Another room lies to the north.
This hall has a large vent in the ceiling that is blowing out a large amount of air. The noise of the air's motion makes it hard to define what kind of screaming you are hearing to the south. The exits from this hall are to the north, west, and south.
The hall makes a right turn here and heads east. All that can be seen in that direction, however is a single door and then a dead end. The hall also runs south where you can see several branches.
To the south is a door painted so bright a yellow that looking at it too long makes your eyes ache. The hall runs back to the west.
The brightness of the yellow paint used to coat the walls in this room is so much that you are forced to squint and hold your hand in front of your face. A narrow bed lines the wall, but it is unclear as to whether a person could sleep in this room or not. The darkness of the hall to the north is very desirable right about now.
A small room branches off to the east here where a simple staircase can be seen going down into darkness. Another hallway that runs east and west can be found to the south and a screaming can be heard from that direction and also from the east.
There is a set of very plain looking stairs here that lead down to what appears to be only darkness. A warm current of air blows up from below and a feeling of apprehension and dread exists here. The hall can be returned to by making a hasty retreat west.
The short hallway makes a bend towards the western direction. The eastern wall keeps vibrating and loud screaming of some kind of creature emanates from it. Whatever is on the other side of that wall is not a happy camper. Looking west reveals yet another bend and another small room.
A door that has been painted with a whitewash lies to the north. The original doorknob has been removed and a long clear crystal has been placed in its stead. The door seems to be giving off a very calm aura. The hallway returns east where it meets up with another hall and west where it takes another bend.
This room is painted a brilliant white and a calm feeling overwhelms you almost immediately. A narrow bed lines the wall, which is the only piece of furniture to be found here. The exit to the hall is to the south.
The hall takes a turn here and now heads north and east. In the corner sits a small round table with a green rose resting in a glass vase. A green room can be seen to the north and beyond that you see a room that is very well lit with sunlight. The hall also returns from where it came to the east.
This room has been painted a vile shade of green and you feel ill just by looking at it. The only saving grace of this room can be found to the north where a large room flooded with sunlight is. The hall corner is to be found to the south.
A large window set in the ceiling of this room allows vast quantities of sunlight into this room. Three wooden benches, all painted different colors, are arranged in a triangular fashion directly underneath the window. The residents of this dormitory probably don't have many opportunities to get outside, so this must be their last link to the outside world. The room can be departed from either to the north or to the south.
The hallway that took you through the green room and the sun room ends here in a rather sudden way. The walls are plain and the wood used is substandard compared to the wood used in the rest of the dormitory. The wood of the north wall melts around the outline of bricks that once was a doorway to another part of the building. That direction will never be a viable one again, however. The only exit is to the south.
Only darkness meets the eye when looking to the north. The walls are covered with some kind of mineral deposit. A broken pipe coming out of the ceiling drips water on the mineral deposits which then produces a very rancid smell. It smells very much like pickles and the fumes may or may not be harmful when inhaled. The stairs lead up into light here.
From here, the only way to go is either south or east. Both directions lead directly to a simple wooden staircase that leads up into light. There are fumes drifting in from the south and there is a possibility that it would not be healthy to keep breathing them.
There is a set of plain wood stairs here that lead up into a dim light. The ceiling of the room upstairs can be seen and in the flicker of the light can be seen shadows that move in strange ways and constantly evolve from one shape to another. For the person who does not want to go up, the dark western direction is the only option.
This is a poorly lit room that wanders off to the south. There are no objects or people in this room and yet the walls have shadows on them that move and change over time. Quiet whispering can be heard all around but no discernible words can be made out.
This is a short hall that runs in the north and southward directions. To the north is a dimly lit room and to the south is a very brightly lit section of the hall that makes a sharp turn towards the west. A loud screaming can be heard from that direction, but it is very apparent that the screaming does not come from any creature you have heard or read about.
Fear and panic fills the air here as unseen forces try to push out away and north. The floor is sticky with some kind of substance and a few bones are scattered about. To the west you see another room that clearly has some kind of creature sitting in it. The screaming turns into a shriek and several strange movements make you want to go running away.
The wooden walls of this room are completely covered up by some kind of mineral deposit. The ceiling is also covered in this hard substance while the floor is coated with a slippery slime of some sort. Crushed skulls and shards of cloth are all that are left of previous visitors to this room. The only exit is to the east.
Mannan Walk goes on to the east and back to the west. Some way east, a small building stands next to a large one, and farther along a small path branches off the walk toward the far north. Few people walk on this part of Mannan Walk. Low in the southern wall is a small air vent.
Mannan Walk returns to the west, but to the east can be seen the side of a large building and, across from it, a smaller building that does not look occupied at the moment. A small path breaks off from here and heads due north for what looks like a very long distance.
Here the bricks that make up the walk change and look much older than the ones further west on Mannan Walk. It looks like this was once a very well used section of Mannan Walk, but now it seems forgotten. A small building looks like it could be entered to the north here, but it looks even more like it has been abandoned. Mannan Walk continues west and east here.
Mannan Walk ends here in a dead end. Nothing very interesting lies here except for a bloody footprint that starts in front of a small air vent coming out of the southern brick wall and heads west until it vanishes. Someone obviously came out through the vent, but upon closer inspection it is found that there is no way to go through it on this side.
Standing before you is a very old looking building that has been boarded up and forgotten by the citizens of Merilon. It is unclear as to why the building was closed up. As far as you can see, the building's structure is still intact. Hanging above the differently colored brick rectangle that used to be a door is a small sign. Mannan Walk can be returned to by going south.
This is the western weapons room. An armed guard and a Royal Seneschal stand here to accept weapons and lock them away safely so that thieves will not be tempted to steal them. The only exit that you can see is to the east.
This is the eastern weapons room where an armed guard and an official Royal seneschal wait to accept the weapons of visitors. All weapons are locked away securely and the only key is held by the guard. The only exit lies to the west.
Four guards stand watch here and silently watch each and every visitor that passes through. One of the guards steps in front of a young woman and pulls her to one side. After a few words, the woman bursts into tears and removes the knife that she forgot to remove from underneath her inner tunic. The guard seizes the weapon and after a moment of thought allows the woman to continue on her way.
The Royal Court of Merilon opens out to the south. A session of court is going on, and people are filing in every minute; every so often the trumpets ring out as another royal decree is announced. The carpets, walls and ceilings are hung with the regal colors and banners. Two large balconies run the length of the court, reached by the wings to the west and east, and the guard room is back to the north.
A sign over the opening to the north says that the room is meant for catalyst visitors to take a few moments to meditate and regain their strength. The stairs up to the western balcony are to the west, and the entrance of the court is to the east.
Four large, thick tapestries hang on the walls here and act as a sound dampening agent. The sounds of the people and trumpets are blocked out completely in this room leaving a quiet atmosphere for catalysts. Holy artifacts and icons occupy three small tables and a multitude of white candles add to the overall peaceful effect here.
A sign here points out that to the north lies a room where catalysts may rest and regain their strength before going on with their duties. The stairs up to the eastern balcony are to the east; the balcony runs the length of the court and gives an aerial view of the proceedings. The entrance of the court is to the west.
Four large, thick tapestries hang on the walls here and deaden every sound. The voices and trumpets of the court are shut out completely, leaving a quiet place for catalysts. Holy artifacts and icons stand on three small tables among a multitude of white candles. The only exit is to the south.
The western balcony that overlooks the court can be reached by going up from here. The banister has been hand carved and varnished to a highly glossed look. The head of a gargoyle has been carved into the wall halfway up the stairs and you would swear that from time to time that it was looking at you. The entrance to the court can be reached to the east.
The balcony spans the whole length of the court and lets people look down at what is going on. Below are two sections of seating, a table laden with food, a line of people, and of course the Throne. The balcony goes on to the south, and the stairs lead down.
This is the middle of the western balcony. A few empty seats are set out for anyone who wants the aerial view. To the south stand three men with long trumpets that reach out over the people below, clipped to the railing so they cannot fall on anyone; seven yards of fabric hang from each, emblazoned with the Royal coat of arms. The balcony goes on north and south.
Three men here blow the horns after each decree of Their Royal Highnesses. They act as if they see no one and nothing; they are here for one purpose only. The balcony returns to the north, and a small ledge around the outside of the roof can be reached to the south.
This is a very frightening spot to stand in. The wind is much stronger than expected and there is only a thin metal railing to hold. The ledge goes on east, but walking is dangerous on a surface made slippery by a multitude of birds. Safety lies back on the balcony to the north.
The railing here has been damaged so the only way to hold on is to grab onto the occasional brick jutting out from the tower's wall. The wind here is high and very cold and there is a danger of getting blown off if you don't keep moving. There is a small ladder to the east that looks like it might take a person even higher up, but the reasonable exit is to the west where the ledge ends and the western balcony can be reentered.
A small ladder is firmly attached to the wall of the tower and it leads up to the very top of the tower. The winds howl and your sight is obscured from time to time as clouds roll past the tower. As the winds howl, an occasional moaning floats down from above. Is there someone up there?
The ledge here is treacherous due to the slippery ground. The railing rocks and squeaks if pulled on just a tiny bit, threatening to break off and let you plunge to your death. A small ladder can be seen to the west and the ledge has an exit to the east.
This small ledge is barely a foot wide, with a pitiful excuse for a railing, and the wind is strong enough to blow someone off. The ledge goes on to the west, and the safety of the eastern balcony is to the north.
This end of the eastern balcony gives the best view of Their Royal Highnesses. A long line of people has queued up below with their problems and requests. On the balcony across the court stand the men with the great trumpets, the heraldic arms of Merilon's royalty hanging from each. A ledge around the outside of the roof can be reached to the south, and the balcony goes on to the north.
This is the center of the eastern balcony that overlooks the court. Several small chairs have been set up here and a few very dignified spectators are sitting in them. As each person concludes with their audience, a few of these watchers lean over and whisper something about what they just saw. The balcony continues to the north and to the south.
This is the northern end of the eastern balcony, which spans the whole court. Farther along to the south some chairs have been set out for a small group of very important looking people. Stairs lead down from here.
The entrance to the eastern balcony is on top of the stairs here. The banister has been hand-carved and varnished to a high gloss. In the wall halfway up has been engraved the head of a lion. You have the eerie feeling that it is looking at you. The court entrance is off to the west.
Comfortable seats let visiting guests sit and watch the proceedings. People lean over the balconies on either side and wave at those below, and laughter fills the room as the citizens bask in the glow of their King and Queen. More seating is to the west, and to the south is as close to the throne as anyone may come without an audience. The line of people waiting for an audience starts to the east, and the way out of the court is to the north.
Those who want an audience with the King and Queen join the line here and wait their turn. The man at the very end is struggling with a dozen scrolls, picking up the ones that fall while the next ones slip. The line goes on to the south, and the seating is to the west.
In the middle of the line stands a young woman who has come for the blessing of her King and Queen on her unborn child. She is not dressed as finely as the others, but she holds her head up with dignity, though a tear wells up whenever someone behind her mutters about her bastard child. In front of her a man holds the designs for a building on the east side of the city that he wants to renovate. The end of the line is to the north, and it goes on to the south.
Everyone at the front of the line is trying hard to look mature, but being next to hold an audience with the King and Queen of Merilon has them ready to bounce and giggle like children. At the very front stands a cartographer with a course charted to a country of spices and exotic fabrics. The line stretches back north, and the King and Queen are directly to the west.
Two large wooden chairs stand here, and upon them sit the King and Queen of Merilon. The chairs are raised on a small step so that even seated the royal pair look down on their audiences, and a small pillow on the floor saves the knees of those who kneel before them. A very strong looking DKarn-duuk floats in the air and watches you closely, wondering why you have skipped the line. The line is to the east, the heralds' corner to the west, and the court opens out to the north.
Only a few feet away sit Grimner and Frigga, the King and Queen of Merilon, in very hard-looking seats, tending to the people who come asking for blessings, money and favors. A member of the DKarn-duuk, the warrior order of the Duuktsarith, floats beside them. The throne is to the south, fine food to the west and seating to the north.
A large table offers the guests of the court something to snack on while they enjoy the proceedings. All sorts of exotic foods are here, from hummingbird tongue to the caviar of the Great Worm. The seating is to the north and the heralds' corner to the south. To the east is as close to the throne as anyone may come without an audience.
These seats don't give as good a view as those to the east, but the people sitting in them don't seem to mind: a small group carries on a conversation of its own, safe from being overheard. Wonderful smells drift up from the table to the south, where an elderly woman raves to her friend about the food. From here a small group can be seen watching from the eastern balcony.
Four heralds keep this corner of the court. When someone approaches the King and Queen, one of them loudly calls out the person's name and business; when the audience is over, another announces the decision and calls the next in line, while the other two frantically write it all down in their large books. The throne is to the east, and the food table to the north.
This is a small ledge at the very top of Kiel Tower. The wind howls and screams, and the clouds are below you now. The whole ledge is coated with blood, and a human skull has been glued to the ground by it. With shaking hands and a nagging dread you look up and see a large living gargoyle sneering at you. A fight here could lead to certain death: the only safe way is back down the ladder. To the east the ledge narrows to nothing, and going near it means plunging to the earth below; at this height not even someone who can fly could slow the fall enough to live.
You frantically try to regain your balance!
You got too close to the ledge and an unfortunate gust of wind blew you off and you plunge to your death!!
This is the room that links the lower level of the tower to the staircase. Exits are to the east and to the west, but both directions bend after a short distance so it is unclear as to where they might both lead. The north wall has a symbol of a book, so this may be a library level of some sort.
This is a sharp curve that leads back east to the entrance and north toward yet another bend in the hall. These bends are still preventing any chance of gaining knowledge as to what lies down this hall.
The zigzagging of this narrow hall seems to be nearing an end to its fickle compass headings. The hall returns to the south, but a strange looking hall can be seen a short distance to the west.
This section of hall is very strange indeed. There is a small marble table sitting on the ceiling here. And on "top" of it sits a half of some kind of melon. Stuck in the center of the melon looks like a ceramic ear. A row of small trees no taller than 6 inches line the wall. Looking closer at one of these trees reveals a tiny abandoned campsite. The zigzag hall can be returned to the east, while the hall makes a straight path north.
This section of the hall looks like it is open to the outside. The walls, the ceiling, and the floor all shine very brightly and even put out an enormous amount of heat. The hall continues north and returns to a strange looking section to the south.
The walls of this section of hall are all covered with thin slices of gigantic trees. Unlike regular trees, however, the rings radiate out from the center in a spiral pattern. These slices of wood have been varnished so that these spirals are very apparent. Walking straight through here is slightly difficult due to the spinning sensations you feel due to the spiral patterns. The hallways returns south and continues north.
This section of the hallway feels warm, but there is ice everywhere. There are large icicles hanging from the ceiling and ice stalagmites jutting up from the ground. There is snow piled up against the bottom edges of the walls. Given the fact that the ambient temperature of this hall is warm and that the ice is not even melting, you come to the conclusion that these hall sections are all just illusions. The hall continues north and south.
The hallway composed of weird, strange, and unique sections comes to an abrupt end as it makes a right angle and starts going east. Looking in the eastward direction reveals that this hall makes a U-turn. The hallway returns to the south.
The hall makes yet another 90 degree bend, making a U-turn and continuing a short distance to the south. The hall returns to the west where it turns and heads back south. Looking southward, you see that the hall ends at two doors.
The walls in this section of the hall have a few paintings hanging on them. Between each painting is a candle holder holding a large white candle that burns slowly but steadily. The floor here is carpeted and the extra sound dampening effects of it makes this a very quiet and still room.
There are two small doors here. One leading south and one leading east. The carpeting here gets just a little more plush and the silence here has increased many times. The hall returns to the north.
This appears to be a lecture hall. There are around fourteen chairs arranged in a semi-circle here and a large table stands in front of them. Each seat has a small piece of slate that has been bordered with wood and on each slate is a piece of white chalk. The large table has various geometric shapes carved out of solid wood. Hanging on the wall behind the table is a much larger piece of slate and a very religious set of notes have been written on it. Among various topics included is "Life Force", "Energy Channeling", and "Servile Humility." The only exit from this lecture hall is through the north door.
This is a small living room of what looks like a small personal library and study room. A small but effective woodstove sits in the corner and in front of that sits a wing chair and foot rest. On the floor next to the chair is a short stack of books that the owner must have been reading last time he or she was sitting here. There are no items hanging on the wall which would make this room feel very barren and depressed if it wasn't for the coziness that the warmth and plush carpeting affords. The living room exits into another room to the south and returns to the hall to the west.
The walls are lined with shelves full of books. Like the living room, the floor is covered with the same deep plush carpet that adds to the overall warm and comfortable atmosphere. Two tables stand along one wall and four stools are sitting in front of them. A large pedestal has been erected in the center of the room and laying open on top of it is an ancient book of information. The living room is to the south and another room lies to the south.
This is a modest bedroom that has a bed, a small desk, a chair, several scrolls hanging on the wall, and a small shelf of books that hang over the desk. The bed does not look like it has been made in weeks and the desk has parchment scattered all over it. The ink well set into the desk has sprung a slow leak and the ink has been working its way down the side of the desk, leaving a dark black stain. The room exits to the north.
The hall begins a series of zigzags here making it impossible to tell exactly what lies further down it. The entrance to this level can be found to the west and seeing as going forward could lead to possible danger, returning to the entrance would be the best idea.
This part of the hall is in the middle of the zigzagging that causes the indeterminable destination of the hall. The hall continues on its journey to the east while it makes its return to the south.
The hall stops its insane behavior and decides to become a straight one. Although the entrance of this level can be found on the other side of the series of turns to the west, looking north shows a strange set of sections.
This section of the hall is as dark as a night without a moon. In fact, it looks like you are floating in the middle of space. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor cannot be seen although they can be felt. All that you can see is an endless field of stars. The only thing keeping you from feeling like you are floating is the sensation of the floor pushing back up against your feet. The hall continues north and south.
This section of the hall is poorly illuminated and all around you are sounds of moaning. The direction of the moanings can not be determined but they sound like the people are in this very room. A sensation of fear makes the hair on the back of your neck start to slowly rise up and stand on end. The hall continues north and south from here.
The walls and floors of this section of the hall twists and turns in a maddening way. The floor is higher in some spots and much lower in others making it very hard to keep your balance. A slow, loud creaking sound emanates from the boards as the hall constantly changes its shape, making it even harder to walk. To the north and to the south are sections of the hall that appear to have been built by a more reasonable carpenter.
The hall returns to a normal attitude here and makes a right turn towards the west, where it then takes yet another right turn so that it takes on a southward direction. The series of strange hall sections are to the south and lie between this part of the hall and the entrance to this whole level.
This corner gives the hall a south and east direction. Another bend in the hall is found to the east where it begins to head in a southward direction while going south eventually leads to a door and another hall that branches off from this one.
The hall ends here in front of a door that leads south. Another hall branches off here to the west and after a very short distance heads in a northward direction. There is the sound of humming coming from the westward direction. This hall returns to the north.
This is a room that has been filled with many small desks. In front of each desk is an uncomfortable looking stool. A small cup with a candle in it has been placed on the corner of each desk and a small piece of slate has been left in the center of the desk. A library can be found to the south while going north will take you back into the hall that brought you here.
All the walls are covered with book shelves and two reading chairs sit in the center of the room. All the books have a thick layer of dust that have been the result of many years of neglect. All the books appear to be here except for 4 of them. All that remains of their past existence are the slots that they used to occupy when they were still members of this library. The only exit is to the north.
This is a short connecting hall that links the hall to the east with a very large library to the north. In the upper southwest corner of the room hangs a large mirror that allows someone or something to monitor the traffic of people entering the study and library to the east.
This is a very large library that is three stories tall. Two wooden spiral staircases on either side take people up to the upper two levels of the libraries. There are no chairs or desks in this room, only the books. A skylight has been placed in the center of the ceiling and allows sunlight to filter through and illuminate the room. The sunlight coming through the window causes light beams to strike the hundreds of small particles of dust floating silently in the air. A small room can be entered to the north while the library exits to the south.
This is a small room devoted to the meditation and prayers of those religious people that visit this library. A small pillow has been attached to the center of the floor for the intent of supplying a soft spot for a person to kneel before the large altar up against the northern wall. Hanging on the west and east walls are full sized paintings of the King and Queen of Merilon, respectively. The frames around these paintings have runes carved deeply into them and they have then been covered with gold leaf making the frames look as if they were made out of solid gold. The only exit from this room is to the south.
You have come across a hidden altar. Smaller than the altar in the room to the east, this one is also a bit shorter. Pieces of a broken sword have been set on top of the altar and a cross-stitched sign hangs above the altar. The only exit from this small room is to the east.
The room here is very small indeed, but there are several chests sitting in the corner here. This must be the treasure room for the tower, if not for the royalty.
This is a small room that has many hooks along the wall where visitors can hang their cloaks up and not have to worry about dragging them around. The staircase lies to the south and the theater can be found by going east.
This is a short hallway that, when followed east, will lead the many visitors to the entrance of the theater that has been placed in this tower. The carpeting becomes plush here and the sound of a play can be heard drifting in from the eastward direction.
On this level of the mighty tower has been placed one of the last things anyone would think of. The citizens of Merilon come to this theater to soak in a little bit of the artistic side of this city -- everything from plays written by insane men to full orchestrations of the music in a woman's heart. At this time, the sounds of the musicians playing the background music to a play can be heard. The theater can be entered to the north while returning west will take you back to the staircase.
This is the first room that visitors coming to the theater come through. The walls of this room have been left bare and it lacks all kinds of tapestries or paintings. The sounds of the music coming out of the stage area echoes around this room and gives a very interesting feeling of a dream sequence. The hall exits to the south and continues to the west where a refreshments table has been set up for the patrons of the play.
A large table has been set up here and on top of it rests several platters of small bites of food for the people who have come here to see the play. On one end of the table sits a wooden cask that people draw a very sweet smelling mead from. All kinds of bread has been sliced thinly here and even exotic types of cheeses have been laid out in a very decorative spiral. The room continues to the west and to the east.
This part of the room has been set aside so that attendees of the play can stand around and hold small conversations with one another during the intermission. Since the play is going on at the moment, this part of the room is bare, but scraps of food and a sticky spot on the floor where some mead was spilled indicates that intermission of the play has already come and gone. The room returns to the east and the space reserved for intermission continues to the west where the entrance to seating is also found.
The area reserved for people to stand in during times of intermission continues here. Again, the floor has been littered with leftover pieces of food that people have dropped while talking carefree with their friends. A man had decided to take a quick nap during the last intermission, but he was failed when it came to someone doing him the common courtesy to wake him when the play resumed again. He sleeps here still, clutching to a crumpled program and the stalk of a rose that may have been beheaded by an angry wife at home. The room continues to the east.
A booth has been set up here at the opening of a narrow hallway that leads into the theater's stage area. Since the play has not only started, but past the halfway mark, there remains no person here to watch for people trying to sneak into the play without doing the honorable thing and paying the measly price of a ticket. The lobby is to the south while the hallway leads north.
The aisle that takes visitors to their seats and the stage workers to their destinations starts here. The aisle is delimited from the rest of the floor by a thin deep blue carpet that has been tacked onto the floor. Seating is to be found to the east while the dressing rooms, musician's pit, and stage can be found to the north.
This part of the aisle brings the stage into view for the first time. There are two very poorly drawn trees cut out of cardboard and erected on either side of the stage. A giant statue stands in the center of the stage while the actors run about like silly trolls that have had too much to drink. This play could be considered a comedy, but with such bad acting it is hard to determine without some amount of reasonable doubt.
This part of the aisle places you directly in line with the center axis of the stage. Behind you to the south is the main seating area and it seems to be relatively empty. Now that the stage can be seen in a more direct manner, it becomes apparent that the current play that is in progress is a very bad one that is further injured by bad acting. To the east and up can be found the box seating that some rich people have occupied so as to give them a better location to shout back insults and jokes at the actors.
This section of seating is right in front of the center of the stage, the best view in the house. Its only drawback is that the only way in is here, so the heads of people coming and going hide much of what happens on stage. More seating is to the west and east, and the aisle is back to the north.
This section of seating is not as good as the section to the east, but it still gives a fairly good view of the stage. Not many people have showed up for this play's presentation and therefore most have been able to find seats in the better section to the east. This has opened the window of opportunity for two young teenagers to find a secluded corner so that they can lavish affections on one another without the fear of too many people watching.
This seating is laid out the same as the other sections, but they are not even close to being the best place to be when it comes to seeing the stage without difficulty. There are a few chairs here which have been coated with a sticky liquid that has been left to dry. The box seats stick out from the wall and restrict your view to just below the top of the stage. With the small partition hiding the seating from the aisle, spectators sitting in this section get a very box-like view of what is going on down on the stage.
The aisle moves you out of sight of the stage here and takes you into a side area of the theater. A carpeted staircase leads silently upstairs to where the box seating can be found. A felt rope has been strung across the bottom of the stairs and a sign hangs from the center. The aisle returns to the west where the general seating sections can be found.
This is a little tiny room that links the staircase that leads back down to the theater's aisle with the box seating. Continuous chattering can be heard coming from the seating where several young people are seated. Although you are quite sure that their parents never taught them to be silent during events like this, the fact that the play is so painfully bad makes you give these young people a little more leeway.
This is the box seating section of the theater. From this spot the stage can be completely viewed without any risk of having something or someone obscure the view. There are five very comfortable seats here and the price for these seats must be much higher than the price of the general seating. Seated here are five young members of Merilon's society. They look like the typical rich brats that you would expect to come from a very high-class family. Their behaviors, however, are far from high-class. Each time an actor tries in vain to say a line as it was intended, one of these young hoodlums shouts down some smart-aleck remark about either the actor, his actions, or what he has just said. The box seating can be exited to the east.
The aisle ends here as does the carpet that was laid out for the benefit of the patrons of this theater. Sounds coming from the musician's pit can be heard to the east and peering in the northward direction reveals an actor running between the stage and the dressing from time to time. The entrance to the theater is to the south.
Here can be found the source of the music you have been hearing throughout the theater. There are five musicians sitting here, diligently playing their instruments. The music is by far the better part of this pitiful play. If the music had been of a poor quality, it would surely mean that not a single soul would have come here at all. The pit can be exited to the west.
The stage itself can be entered to the east and from here you can see the play from a sideline view. Actors running off of the stage pass you on their way to the dressing room in order to do a quick strip and dress in the clothes needed for the next act. The dressing room is a short distance to the north, stage right is directly to the east, and the entrance can be found to the south.
This room has been painted a very unappetizing green and serves as a place where actors ridden with stage fright can calm down before the performance of their lives. One woman sits in the corner with a face the color of the wall she leans against. Her mouth hangs open, and with weary eyes she watches her fellow actors come through on their way to and from the dressing room to the north. The stage entrance is back to the south.
This room is filled with racks and racks of clothes that the actors wear during their performances. Four tables line the back wall and are lit by candles placed in front of circular pieces of metal that reflect and focus the light down onto the faces of the people frantically trying to put their makeup on. Each table has an irregularly shaped mirror hanging on the wall above it and larger mirrors are obviously needed as the actors keep pushing one another out of the way in an attempt to catch a glimpse of their reflections. The only exit from this room is south to the green room.
This is as close to the stage that you can get without actually going out and witnessing the limelight first hand. Two actors dressed in outrageous costumes stand here, shaking in their feathers, for the visual cues that will usher them out and into their character's place. The current act of this pitiful play offers to the uncaring audience a woman singing off key about statues and their sandals. Looking east, straight across the stage, you can see the other sideline of the stage and a few people peering out like the two actors here are doing. The stage can be left by going west.
Now the insanity of this play becomes crystal clear. Two pitiful cut-outs of trees are propped up by two people crouching on their knees. A large statue has been stolen from who knows where, dragged to the center of this stage, and covered with pieces of string. Here it stands, akin to a fool as the actors dance around its base as they make fun of it. The statue looks remarkably real, and you fancy that you can see a tear glistening in one of its stone eyes. The play is so unorganized and ludicrous that no one even notices your intrusion. The stage can be exited to the west and to the east.
Two young actors stand here waiting for their turns on the stage. They giggle and laugh and tell each other how well they think the play is going, despite what the audience must think. Unlike the other side of the stage, this side is full of ropes and pulleys. A rope ladder hangs from a catwalk that has been suspended above the stage. The only exit from this place is either to go up to the catwalk or cross the stage again.
The rope ladder ends here on a solid wooden platform that has been built into the theater's stone wall. Three strong ropes have been strung from this platform over to the other side of the stage. Upon the bottom two ropes lie a long row of wooden planks, forming a shaky catwalk. This catwalk is used by stage-hands to drop things onto the stage at the proper times. The catwalk continues west, and going down will return you to the safety of ground.
The catwalk creaks and sways slowly as it tries to compensate for the added weight and movements that you offer to it. Holding tightly on one of the ropes for support, you can look straight down onto the stage and realize that the man playing the lead part has a very shiny bald patch on the top of his head. The catwalk continues to the west while it returns to a more stable state to the east.
The catwalk is slightly more stable on this end since the ends of the ropes have been firmly attached to the wall. Directly below can be seen the off-stage portion of the stage that is closest to the major exit of this stage. Two people are standing down there while they wait for their cues.
This is a hill that overlooks the border of what the people of Merilon call the Beyond. It is a giant wall that marks a boundary between this world and the world beyond. Very few people come here as it is the site of banishment and the Turning. It is believed that any magic user that crosses into the Beyond is ripped of all their power and go insane, never to be seen again by living eyes. Due to the fact that the catalysts are not magical, they are punished with the Turning. They are placed upon stone pedestals and are turned into stone so that they must endure an eternity of staring at nothing but the Beyond. These poor souls, referred to as the Watchers, can be reached to the north while going south will take you back to Merilon.
The sands here continue in all directions. To the north they lead to the Watchers. To the south can be found a hill and beyond that the trail that leads back to Merilon. The winds howl and the small particles of sand try to lodge themselves into your skin as you peer around you.
The long stretch of sand that lies directly behind the Watchers continues here. The winds swirl the sand up and into the air where it makes it difficult to breathe without inhaling some of it. One of the older Watchers is directly to the north here.
The sands go on and on, but the sand is too deep to walk any farther west or south. The eldest of the Watchers stands directly to the north, and the sands go on to the east.
The high winds throwing large amounts of sand into the air makes seeing difficult. You have to hold your hand over your eyes to help prevent being blinded by the dry sand. A Watcher stands silently to the north here, while the sands themselves continue west and east.
The sands effectively stop here due to the fact that the depth of the soft sand is getting deep enough that walking any further is just about impossible. To the north you can see one of the newest members of the Watchers. The sands continue to the west.
The sandy ground becomes a little more packed here making it easier to walk around. Not as much of the sand blows here making it easier to see and breathe. A large stone pedestal sits here and atop it stands one of the catalysts sentenced to the Turning for some infraction of the law. Other members of the Watchers can be reached by walking west or east. The site where they banish magic users can be found to the north, while returning south will eventually take you back to Merilon.
Sitting at a slight angle is a stone pedestal that supports the catalyst who was condemned to a life of living stone. Someone has been digging in the sand at the base of the pedestal which has caused the ground to erode in the winds and allow the pedestal to shift. More of the condemned can be found to the west and to the east. To the north lies the Border.
This is the first Watcher ever made by the unjust laws of Merilon, and the pedestal it stands on has almost worn through, threatening to crumble under the weight of the stone catalyst on top of it. The rest of the Watchers stand to the east, and the sands are back to the south.
Standing on the edge of the sands is a Watcher that looks like a recent addition to the collection of condemned men. There are a few out of the ground at the base here due to a lack of taking proper care of this area. The other Watchers are to the west and the Border can be found to the north.
This is the most current pedestal of all the Watchers. It still shines as if it was chiseled from the quarry only yesterday. Flowers have been placed on the ground before it, but there is no Watcher standing here! The deep gouges in the ground leading away from this area suggest that some cruel pranksters must have stolen it. Thoughts of a family coming to pay their respects to find their loved one stolen occupies your mind.
A large circular clearing has been sectioned off and covered with slate. Positions have been marked off for the 25 catalysts required to feed the executioner with enough energy to perform the Turning or banish a convicted magician. The area can be exited to the south and the very edge of the Border is directly to the north.
From here the infinite height of the Border looms over you. The Border of the Beyond looks like a soap bubble, except that behind it lies only pitch black darkness. Part of your reflection can be seen as if the Border was a vertical pool of perfectly still water. The winds that blow here cause slight distortions of your shape. The point where criminals are forced to cross the border can be seen to the east.
Looking straight up the Border yields no view of a top. The Border must continue upwards forever. Your reflection can just about be seen, but it has a sheet of pure blackness behind it. Your shape shifts and changes as the winds that howl blow against the Border. The banishment site can be found to the west.
The Border to the Beyond almost touches your nose as a deep rooted fear takes over and tells you not to continue north and pass into the Beyond. Thousands of years ago, the original inhabitants of Merilon came from the Beyond. Tormented and unwanted in their world, they went on a search for a place to call their own. The only souls that cross the Border now are those magicians condemned to banishment. No one knows what lies on the other side, for no one has returned to tell their tale.
The cells of your body feel like they are spinning on their own axes as they undergo the magical forces inflicted upon them as you pass through the Border. The Beyond, a frontier between universes, spans an infinite distance in all directions. No sounds are heard except the beating of your heart and the deep rumbling coming from your lungs as air is forced in and out. There are two clouds of light in both the west and eastern directions. Pushing southwards will let you do something that no one has done before: return to Merilon.
This is the center of a mysterious cloud of light and colour. Not a soul is in sight, but you can feel their presence. The souls that once occupied the bodies of many a criminal are locked into this place and are forced to relive their past over and over for an eternity. The only way to leave this cloud is to go north or east.
This is the center of a mysterious cloud of swirling light. You cannot see anyone, but the sounds of lost souls freed from their mortal bodies moan and howl all around you. Forced to witness the terrors, pain, and sadness of events destined to happen to all the people in the world, they exist in turmoil. You can exit the cloud to the west and you can enter a smaller one to the north.
This is a smaller spherical cloud that is not as bright and only has varying colors of gray. Here the souls endure the agony of all the pain and suffering they inflicted on others in their mortal lifetimes. Looking eastward reveals the odd sight of a stone floor floating in the middle of nowhere. On this floor stands two shadowy figures.
The hardness of the stone floor underneath your feet proves to you that this is not some kind of illusion. No furniture stands here, only two figures that watch you in silence. The figure of a young woman stands slightly behind the man with long dark hair. She looks about her as if she is in part somewhere else. Her eyes shift and focus on unseen objects while a smile crosses her lips from time to time. The man wears a simple T-tunic, with a belt of rope around his waist. He says not a word to you, but never lets his eyes leave you.
This smaller cloud hangs beside a much larger one. Here the lost souls endure all the fear the people of the world have of the future, unable to escape, in misery for all time. The larger cloud is to the south, and a stone floor floats in the nothingness to the west.
This is a very lonely small path and after a considerable distance turns into a very sandy one. Far off to the north the clouds in the sky turn dark and stormy. Traveling south for some time will eventually meet back up with Mannan Walk.
This is the entrance to the Bishop's level. Two muddy cloaks hang from a hook, and several pairs of sandals and shoes line the wall. A foyer lies to the north, partly closed off by heavy material hanging from the ceiling, which keeps the warmth of the level from escaping into the cold staircase that spirals up Kiel Tower. The stairs are back through the door to the south.
It is much warmer here than at the entrance. A plush purple carpet begins here and leads north, deeper into the center of the level. Heavy curtains hang at both ends of the room, making the foyer an airlock that lets out no more warm air than it must. The entrance is back to the south.
The foyer ends here at a short hall running west and east. The purple carpet goes on only to the west, as if it is leading visitors that way. The foyer is back to the south.
The hall ends here at a corner, and a small dim room opens to the south. A large painting of the Bishop of Merilon hangs on the eastern wall, painted so that its eyes seem to follow your every move with grave intent. The hall runs back to the west.
This small room is lit only by a few white candles on shelves set into the wooden walls. A small altar against the south wall holds a small oval painting of the Bishop. The only exit is to the north.
The hall goes on west to a short line of people waiting for a few words with the Bishop of Merilon. A very small room lies to the south, where people go to meditate or pray for the strength to come before so high an official of the Church. The foyer is back to the east.
This small room is lit by a few white candles burning steadily in little niches in the wall. A small altar leans against the south wall, and above it hangs a small painted portrait of the Bishop of Merilon. The only exit is to the north.
A small sign nailed to the wall tells those who come in to take a place at the end of the line and wait patiently. The purple carpet turns here and goes on north. Several people sit on uncomfortable looking chairs and stare at you with nervous eyes. The hall is back to the east.
The line of people waiting to see the Bishop ends here, and the knuckles of those at the front turn white as they grip the arms of their chairs. Stress and anxiety fill the room and make your stomach churn, as if you were waiting to see your father after doing something very wrong. The Bishop's chambers lie nearby to the east, and the line runs back to the south.
The door that leads directly to the chambers of Bishop Vanya is to the east. Off to the west you can see a few people in line leaning over to watch you with wide unblinking eyes. The distinct smell of cloves floats in the air here and somehow conveys a serious environment.
This is the chamber of Bishop Vanya. The room is very well decorated with many pieces of fine furniture and paintings. A desk next to a huge window has papers scattered upon it and behind it sits an older man dressed in elaborate robes. A small wooden stool has been placed in front of the desk so that each person visiting him has someplace to sit down. Standing against the east wall is a very old looking bookshelf that only has a few items sitting on top of it. A quick glance at the base of the bookshelf reveals that it seems to not be touching the ground. The only exit from this room is to the west.
This is part of an escape route built behind the chambers of Bishop Vanya. The north wall is stone, plainly the outer wall of the tower; the floor, ceiling and other wall are unfinished wooden planks. A single torch gives just enough light for a hasty exit. The escape route goes on to the east, and the Bishop's chambers are to the west.
This is the corner of a dark secret passage between the main hall of this level and the chambers of Bishop Vanya. A chair sits in the corner for whoever stands guard. The passage goes on to the south and the west.
This is the start of a very dark, very small secret passage behind the painting at the end of the main hall. There is no light here, but a soft glow from the north is just enough to keep from tripping. The passage goes on north, and the hall is back through the painting to the west.
The pedestal of another Watcher stands here, turned at an angle as if someone tried to shift it. Broken sticks lie on the ground, used in a vain attempt to get some extra leverage. Other Watchers stand to the west and to the east, and the sands are back to the south.
This room has a few candles on a table in the corner. A very narrow bed lines the back wall and books are scattered all over. A small wooden mirror hangs on the wall. Above the bed is a hole that leads north; looking into it shows only darkness, but it is large enough for a person to fit through. The door in the south wall has been barricaded with long wooden boards, making it impossible to open.
This small room used to be another bedroom, but its door has been sealed off and it has become a store for countless gold coins. This is probably where the underground catalysts hide the treasure that pays for their weapons and supplies. A small vent to the north leads out onto Mannan Walk, but there would be no coming back that way.
This is a small room that has no light save for a small fire burning steadily in a fireplace. There is no furniture left, as it has all been broken apart. Tapestries that once hung with pride have been slashed with a knife. A portrait of a woman has been ripped into several pieces and thrown on the ground. A large piece of cloth showing a heraldic emblem has been partially burned and coated with splattered blood. Screams and moans emanate from the walls, ceilings, and even the floor. The occupant of this room probably has gone insane and tired of life. . .longing to be in a better place.
DEATH IS THE LAST HOPE OF A LOST SOUL
This is the area that poor captive mobs are brought into for the sole purpose of fighting to the death to the amusement of immortal beings. There are no exits! The fight is to the death!
You stand in a room that is so beautiful that you decide you want to spend all of your time here. Giant tapestries hang from 3 of the walls while set inside the fourth is a 20-foot wide fireplace that has a roaring fire going inside it. Above the fireplace exists a mantle upon which the fabled Darksword rests. On the wall above the fireplace hangs Serrah's coat of arms -- A black shield with a white band going from the upper right corner to the lower left, 2 linked silver rings above the band, and a gold rose under the band. A small crystal case sits on top of a table in the corner. Inside the case rests a single red rose. On the other side of the room is a table that carries many hand-carved drinking horns. A giant winged chair stands in front of the roaring fire and on the ground next to the chair lies a box filled with several rubber balls. Four torches reach out from the walls, each being held by a ring of bunny skulls. Misty portals exist in all directions taking you to far away places.