Astral Scope

The original Scope was referred to as the Nefoeddtelf - an illusory planetarium, built similarly to many of Zisnera's other major citadels across Uthilith. During the day, an enchantment was placed on the glass ceiling to illustrate the Astral Sea when it was made invisible by the presence of the sun; however, at night the enchantment would subside to reveal an enhanced vision of the actual sky.

In the late 1500s, the Zisneran Church sold the planetarium to the Council of Aldermen so they could construct a far larger citadel in the Old Town neighborhood. Ezekiel Grassbottom, the then-alderman of the Goldenrod neighborhood (and grandfather of current alderman Malachi Grassbottom), made the decision to install a gargantuan telescope. This telescope - with the assistance of a cleric of Zisnera or a powerful wizard - could easily pick out singular astral bodies within the Astral Sea.

Often, graduate students at Severnia University utilize the Scope as a part of their extraplanar research under the supervision of one of their professors. The astronomy department currently has a lab of students working to map out the topography of the moon, which is due for completion within the next decade.

The original construction of the Nefoeddtelf was built similarly to a lot of Zisneran architecture, utilizing the typical glass onion dome attributed to her worship. However, upon its reconstruction, the center of the dome was removed and replaced with a large optical tube that runs the height of the building. An intricate series of lenses and mirrors amplified by divination magic makes up the bulk of the interior of the tube, allowing for intense magnification of celestial bodies.

The Severnia Convention of CY 1110 was signed under the roof of the Nefoeddtelf by representative members of the U5, which established humane uses of magic in times of war. At the time, the Rex Arcan declared the building's union of land and sky to mirror the union of the five nations, thus leading to an uneasy global peace for the next few centuries.

On Tuesdays between the hours of 3 PM to 8 PM, Severnian residents who show proof of residency can enter the Astral Scope for free (as can students showing valid ID). Otherwise, it costs 1 GP per person.