Sundial of the Ancients

The central square in Ka-Tepi holds a large sundial on a platform raising it off the ground to ensure it receives daylight for the longest period possible. It is forbidden for any building to rise between this sundial and the sun, as this is the central timekeeping method of the town. The crystals within the structure of the carven basalt glitter as they reflect the light, and the sharp-etched brass of the sundial's gnomon, or pointer, appears immune to the passage of time and weather.   The sundial is of special note because it bears a minor enchantment. Even on the most overcast days, a faint shadow can be seen on the plate as if cast by the sun, and at night, a faint witchfire outlines the shadow and points to the hour. No surviving records exist of who built or enchanted the sundial, only that it has been in the town almost since its inception. It remains accurate year-round.   The sundial sits on a solid basalt base carved into a perfect square. Each side faces one of the cardinal compass directions, and is elegantly sculpted with the ancient likenesses of the four cardinal winds. The basalt rises above the base into a fluted column which flows outward to form the bowl of the sundial itself. The face of the dial is mirror-smooth and has the ancient Raurindi runes for the hours of the day incised deeply and crisply into the hard stone, while around the edge are carved scenes of life in the Raurin Empire from before the Fountain of Athis dried and the desert returned.   The townsfolk are fiercely protective of their unique timepiece, and requests to examine its construction are refused. Attempts to examine it without permission are met with determined opposition, up to and including violence, as they will not countenance any risk of the sundial's operations being damaged or disrupted.