Tower of Solace

 

Background

The colony now known as the Tower of Solace is situated on a moon, and is currently the home of the group Sanctuary.

History

The colony was initially set up as a privately owned mineral-harvesting compound by the now-defunct Parichi Chemicals. With all the changes at the end of the first millenium, the company went out of business and the colony fell quickly into disrepair. It passed between banks for a couple of decades, losing value and slowly falling apart.   In 1082 Sanctuary Bought Solace and within two years they had reinstated some of the life support systems in the colony and were able to start construction on the Tower. The tower was originally 15 levels high, but they started by knocking down the top two in order to make the number of floors a Prime number.   It took almost 500 years for them to complete the Tower and the Domes to a standard they were happy with. They have since worked on the Outhouse and are considering what they can do with some of the other buildings.  

Purpose

The Tower of Solace is used by Sanctuary, a group of people who believe in the words of the prophet and are constantly striving to become Prime.   The Tower provides them with an escape from the rest of the universe which they know is breakinging and gives them a safe space for them to work towards their goal. This includes improving their grasp of Magic and accessing Ardency as well as working under the guidance of the Certitudes left behind by the prophet.  

Architecture

Exterior

The outside of the buildings are still very much the same as they were when they were initially built in the middle of the first millennia as a mineral-harvesting compound, and as such is not much to look at. The Tower is constructed from large sheets of plasti-metal alloy some of it transparent to provide windows. These sheets are insulated against the vacuum outside and are sealed to prevent the loss of oxygen and heat.

Interior

The inside of The Tower is more modern in appearance. The centre of the Tower is a hollow tube which runs deep into the moon's crust as it was originally used for mining minerals. This has been repurposed as an elevator shaft, which is easily wide enough to hold the four elevators they use. The rooms and floors vary depending on purpose, but all of them have something of a minimalistic aesthetic.
 

Structure

Below are two rough maps which show the structure of the Tower of Solace. First, there is, of course, the Tower, which is 13 floors tall. The Other Buildings, which are identified further down, sit to the south of the Tower. There are other structures but they are not habitable.  

The Tower

Level 1

Floor of Certitude
 

Level 2

Parent's Floor
 

Level 3

Audience Chamber
 

Level 4

Broken Floor
 

Level 5

Hall of Prime
 

Level 6

The Divided Floor
 

Level 7

Floor of Choice
 

Level 8

Floor of Light
 

Level 9

Floor of Levels
 
The levels in the Tower, also known as floors, are numbered starting at the top. Level 1 is the highest and is also the most important.   The Floor of Certitude is where the words of the prophet are kept, including the full documents of the Certitudes. Only the Parent and those they invite in are able to access this floor and the floor below it (the Parent's Floor where the parent lives.   Level 3 is home to the Audience Chamber where regular audiences and meetings with the parent take place.   The next group of floors are each dedicated to one of the Certitudes, starting with the First Certitude and working down. The Broken Floor is filled with textual, audio, videographic and holographic proof that the universe is breaking.   The floors dedicated to the Second Certitudes start with the Hall of Prime, a beautifully kept space full of flowering plants were holographs and videos of previous parents are displayed. It is a floor filled with aspiration. Next is The Divided Floor, a dark room on whose walls are written the names of those who have been Divided or are known Dividers. Their names are never spoken again and only recorded here.   The following floors are dedicated to the Third Certitudes, starting with the Floor of Choice, which is something of an art installation, displaying holographs of a commitment ceremony. This is where commitment ceremonies take place. The Floor of Light is a brightly lit room, filled with tiny bulbs, one for each person (apart from those who became Divided) who had made the choice to join Sanctuary. Finally, there is the Floor of Levels which shows the different levels within Sanctuary and the position everyone is in. It is something like a living map, showing people's ascent towards Prime, although it also displays any shameful backsteps as well.

Level 10

Ardency Floor
 

Level 11

Intellect Floor
 

Level 12

Spirit Floor
 

Level 13

Empathy Floor
 
The remaining four floors are twice as wide as those above them and are given over to the study and improvement of Magic.   The Ardency Floor is a general-purpose magical space with multiple rooms dedicated to practising spells and accessing Ardency. The Intellect Florr is given over to the improvement of Intellect, with books and puzzles and spaces for people to give and listen to lectures. The Spirit Floor is for the improvement of Spirit, and has spaces for yoga, meditation and music. The Empathy Floor is a communal space for improving Empathy, with quieter spaces for journalling and introspection.
It is worth noting that under the Empathy Floor is where the Journal Library can be found (although it is not shown on any map of the Tower and is not often mentioned). It is where everyone must keep their personal journals so that they may be accessed by the parent when necessary.  

The Other Buildings

Outhouse Floor 1

Guest Rooms
 
 

Outhouse Floor G

Media Rooms

Dome 1

Sleeping Chamber

Dome 2

Storage
  The other habitable buildings on the colony include a large two-storey building known as the Outhouse and two large domes.   The Outhouse Ground Floor is home to the Media Room, which is where information about the rest of the Universe can be found. It is also where a lot of the material that Sanctuary puts out is created. The Outhouse First Floor is where the Guest Rooms are for those visiting the colony and for cousins before they commit to Sanctuary.   Dome 1 is the Sleeping Chamber for all the older sibilings and siblings. Dome 2 is used exclusively for Storage.  

Nearby

As well as the unused buildings there is a functioning space dock which allows members of Sanctuary to receive delivery of supplies.

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Comments

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Dec 17, 2024 19:07 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

This makes me so uneasy. The journal room, the living map of where everyone sits in the hierarchy, etc etc. I love all the detail and thought you have put into each floor though!

Emy x
Explore Etrea | Summer Camp 2025
Dec 23, 2024 18:24 by Elspeth

Thank you! Uneasy is exactly right.

So many worlds to choose from...
Jan 21, 2025 04:37 by Absinthe

What an interesting article. I wonder if there might have been a debate about knocking down the two floors. Where there any who suggested adding four additional floors to reach nineteen?

Feb 1, 2025 15:04 by Elspeth

Thank you! Ooooh! Great questions. That's given me something to think about.

So many worlds to choose from...