Veil-Piercing Observatory
Glimpse Beyond the Stars
Since time immemorial, mortals have gazed into the night sky and witnessed the vast expanse of the cosmos. Glittering constellations and vibrant nebulas sparkling amidst a deep, black void stared back. Many have been enraptured by its beauty, and many have been instilled with dread. The realisation of how tiny they truly are and how much they will never know has plagued myriad souls since the dawn of time, and will harry many more until the final moment. Pious and curious individuals have entreated with the Baelonmori Pantheon for enlightenment regarding the stars, yet none have been provided with a satisfying answer. Whether the Gods do not see the information fit to share or if they simply do not know is uncertain, but they always insist that it is better no mortal ever knows the truth.
Mortalkind, as is expected, was far too inquisitive to be content with not knowing. For thousands of generations, great minds have conceived methods to peek beyond the sky and witness its secrets. For millennia, they have failed. However, courtesy of a small team of exceptional scholars, this has changed. The Veil-Piercing Observatory is the first of its kind. It can allow its user to see deep into the unknown and perhaps understand what lurks where Gods cannot venture. The information that this invention will uncover could change the course of history forever.
Pride of Sevenshard
The Academy of Sevenshard was an illustrious a prestigious school dedicated to the teaching of Arcane Magic, with many great minds finding a home within its campus. Thanks to the abundance of prodigal geniuses and plentiful funding, a team of elite scholars were able to finally see beyond the sky. Their magnum opus, the Veil-Piercing Observatory, was expected to become the greatest achievement of the Academy of Sevenshard, overcoming some exceptional competition in that regard. Unfortunately, the Veil-Piercing Observatory was completed only days before the Invasion of the Enmanari. As such, its potential was never fully realised.
Creating such a sophisticated piece of technology required many specific materials. Although the schematics for its design are lost, a few aspects of its construction are known. Its over 700 lenses required eighteen different types of glass, an each pane was intricately inscribed with Arcane symbols. These aforementioned symbols were crafted with fine diamond dust, with each sigil requiring a hundred hours of masterful labour to create. The estimated cost for this project was astronomically large. The Veil-Piercing Observatory reflected light around a large room through these many lenses, before concentrating the beam into a cylindrical tunnel that stretched into the sky. By placing their eye to the machine, the user could stare down this tube of pure light and into the darkness beyond the veil.
Rife With Controversy
Throughout the lengthy construction of the Veil-Piercing Observatory, it was met with no shortage of criticism. Many alleged that the attempts to build such a machine were heretical, as it was believed that the Academy of Sevenshard would use it to contact unknown powers and pledge allegiance to them. Others worried that it would reveal things best left unseen. Such condemnations stifled the Observatory's development, but were ultimately unsuccessful in preventing its completion.
Since the Veil-Piercing Observatory was only first used shortly before the Enmanari's invasion, some blame it for inciting said affair. It is theorised that, by witnessing the quasi-divine horde, the Observatory unknowingly attracted their attention, leading them into Baelonmor. Such claims are untrue, however, as the the once-outcast God of Vigilance is recorded to have anticipated the Enmanari's arrival long before the machine was completed.
Lost to the Blightlands
Although the students and staff of the Academy of Sevenshard fought valiantly, they were eventually forced to surrender to the invaders. Since then, the Veil-Piercing Observatory has been lost to the Blightlands, far beyond where righteous mortals can access it. For this reason, it is unknown what, if anything, the technology revealed to its users. Whilst expeditions to the Academy have been launched, none have been successful. It is certain, however, that the machine is still functioning, as sporadic slender beams of light will cut through the sky above the Observatory's location. Perhaps the Enmanari's servants are using it to contact their fell masters, or perhaps they too are allured by the secrets of what lays beyond.
Comments