The Twin Spires is actually a single stone fortress dominated by two immense stone towers that dwarf the rest of the castle. Indeed, the lower castle served as a mere foundation to the two great towers. Each tower is 32 meters (104 feet) in diameter and almost 160 meters tall (524 feet).
The Twin Towers are a monument to Irenni magical prowess. These two colossal towers rise like stony pillars above the forest. The east tower is intact with the exception of a few cracks and holes. The west tower is missing a portion of the top floor and has many more cracks. It is said that these two towers were built with Irenni magic and that it is Irenni magic still that keeps the strong and has allowed them to survive through the centuries.
The forest has encroached on the ruin and plants and vines cover much of the lower fortress. A thin shroud of mist hangs about the fortress.
The Twin Spires are located deep in the heart of the Mist Forest.
The Twin Spires served as the main Irenni military stronghold in the east. It's location held a great strategic advantage. This combined with the great Crystal Eye allowed it to monitor troop movements over hundred of kilometers. It served as the main command headquarters during the Great War against the Thullian Empire and later against the humanoid hordes that came from the Citadel.
The Twin Spires houses many hundreds of soldiers. Besides barracks, it also had massive grain stores, a hospital, a library, a map room, a wizard's school, several smithies and an underground lake where the inhabitants obtained fresh water. A small town surrounded the fortress and farmed fields immediately about the town.
The commanders and officers of this great fortress were entombed in a shrine beneath the West Tower with their weapons and treasures laid along side them.
The East Tower had a set of great copper bells at the top. These bells, which ranged in size and pitch, were ensorcelled such that they could control the weather. The greatest of the bells could summon storms. The next could summon lightning. Likewise there was a bell for rain, for wind and so on. The bells could also bring clear skies though the method to do so is lost. These bells were known collectively as the Cloud Breakers.
The West Tower held a huge faceted crystal held in an iron bracket which allowed the entire crystal to rotate around. The great crystal was enchanted such that peering through it allowed the person viewing to see great distances. It is said that any locale within a hundred leagues of the tower could be spied, even through mountains. Aptly, this device was known as the Crystal Eye.
The Mist Forest has become much more wild and overgrown in the last few centuries and the road to the Twin Spires has been completely overgrown. It's remote location makes it difficult to get to and the fact that the forest is mist shrouded in the center makes the towers impossible to see from a distance. Only a handful of explorers have sought out the towers.
Adventurers claim that a great serpent has taken up residence in the East Tower. It is said that the beast has made a great nest fashioned from the bones and armor and broken blades of those who have fallen before it. The fabled sword, Bonebreaker, once wielded by Kothadyn, a great borrellian chieftain, is said to be in the nest as well. It is likely that Bonebreaker is not the only magical treasure here.
One group of adventurers explored the West Tower and said they found that the great Crystal Eye was no longer on the top floor of the tower. They were unable to get past the serpent in the East Tower and so the fate of the Cloudbreaker Bells is unknown.
This website was last updated November 30, 2023. Copyright 1990-2023 David M. Roomes.