The seat of the Alabaster Consortium is commonly nicknamed “The Tower”, for the tall spire jutting out from the heart of the bizarre architectural complex. It is often the only building visible from afar on foggy days.
Located in central Eskir, the Tower is the headquarters of the Alabaster Consortium. The exact floorplan of the building is unknown, as both Consortium members and the enlightened guests who have had the honor to visit it refuse to share a map. The esteemed Scientific Institution only allows visitors rarely, and only upon invitation.
Rumor is that guests are only shown the Council room, but many have reported glimpsing one of the stairways at each of the chamber’s four corners, which supposedly climb to the upper floors of the tower (who some say has been abandoned) or perhaps to the underground halls, nicknamed the Old Gaol, which are rumored to still be in use.
Others confirm that aside from the stone stairways, a network of wooden ladders and inner passages allows access to secret rooms, where the Consortium houses tomes both ancient and cutting-edge that they have refused to entrust to the Floating Archives, apparently out of concern for their safekeeping.
According to some, on days when the Consortium calls for a meeting, fog descends upon the building and does not lift until the last guest has left the premises.
One last piece of information: the draining of the moat surrounding the Tower, mandated by the city administration to prevent the spread of infection via stagnant water, has revealed strange markings. Popular legend immediately connected them to a strong Westerly wind that allegedly sweeps off any intruders who attempt to climb the Tower; they say the wind was strong enough to literally burn out the local plantlife. There was never a trace left of these intruders. This has never stopped meddlers from trying to snoop.
Hearsay has it that some dissident Alabasters have managed to steal a few sketches of the inside of the Tower. The ones in this page are reproductions of such images, who have never been officially authenticated by Consortium spokespeople.
On the author’s request, this article is published anonymously.
Contribution of a Master alchemist, on the way to Chrysopoeia.