Crystalbarb Pinnacle

There are many enigmatic buildings throughout Karos, and The Far Reaches are no different. Ruins of magnificent empires span the world seeking treasure hunters and would-be despots alike. In the Reaches, however, perhaps the most mysterious building of all isn't a ruin at all but rather Crystalbarb Pinnacle, the tower of the The Archmage of Frosthold.

A Paradoxical Pinnacle

By the time that immigrants from the east entered the Reaches 70 years ago, the Archmage and his tower had already inhabited the land that would become Frosthold for several decades. The new arrivals chose to settle in the shadow of the Pinnacle despite their abhorrence of magic. It might have been the ideally defensible location around which the tower was built, or they might simply have believed that the powerful wizard would protect them in the face of an attack - after all, even in Karos, the devil you know is generally preferrable to the other kind. The settlers took the Archmage's lack of objection as a tacit approval (or at least tolerance) for their decision.

In the intervening decades, the tower itself has become a paradox in Reacher culture. A symbol of what many consider to be the most detestable force in the world - one that very nearly wiped out civilization - the tower simultaneously offers the people of Frosthold a sense of protection in a land that is far from tamed.

A Heart of Mystery

Despite rising from near the very center of Frosthold, little is known about Crystalbarb Pinnacle. The Archmage has never shown any interest in the city's people, and none have seen him, though gossips swear that he occasionally makes contact with truly special Reachers through his various familiars and servants. If it weren't for the rare lights in the tower's higher reaches in the night, most might not believe the tower is inhabited at all.

The building itself is no less mysterious than its master. It appears to have no doors at all and no windows lower than 80 feet. Though many a curious Reacher has inspected the base of the tower, either out of curiosity or malicious intent, none has ever found a way inside. The edifice is ornately carved with bipedal lizards with malevolent glares and sharp teeth, some of which glow with inner light once the night falls.

Undesirable Real Estate

Even as the city of Frosthold has flourished with new arrivals and then new generations of Reacher children, the area immediately around Crystalbarb Pinnacle has remained largely unused. The average Reacher, it seems, maintains his wariness of magic enough to keep a healthy distance from the enigmatic tower. The land that incircles the tower has been built into a park, and sculptors within the city have erected statues that mimic the reptilian beasts that adorn the tower itself, either as thanks for his perceived protection or appeasement for their intrusion. Interestingly, the most detailed of these statues have also begun to glow in the night.

Few visit the park. Most are too afraid that they will disappear or be eaten by an arcane reptile. This makes it an excellent place to meet without being overheard - at least by anyone other than the Archmage himself. This has made Crystal Keep Park a hub of less than legal activity within the city. Thieves and cutthroats sometimes frequent the place at night to plan jobs and split scores. For his part, the Archmage seems as uninterested with these goings on as he does with anything else that happens within the city.