Far out in the eastern wildlands stood a lonesome tower, clad in countless years worth of moss, lichen and all manner of climbing flora. But despite having been abandoned for years, there was an almost mystical aura of immutability to the structure. An aura that was made all the more striking by the evening sun which bathed the white marble pillar in a golden-rose light. An ethereal, almost dream-like sight out here where every other trace of man-kind had been erased.
Far less ethereal was the figure who sat atop a small horse just a stone's throw away from the tower. Clad in simple traveling attire with tools and gear hanging from its shoulders, it looked quite out of place in the picturesque scene. But there was a reason for its presence. The figure eyed the structure and its surroundings closely. Slowly and carefully it rode around the tower trying to spot any potential dangers or other interlopers. Human or otherwise. Finally, seemingly satisfied, it dismounted and tied the horse to a tree before pulling down its big hood to reveal the face of a young woman.
Lei was far from how you'd imagine an Outrider. Renowned for their resourcefulness and abilities, the highly skilled explorers were some of the very few brave enough to venture out into the far wilds. The fact that they were just as skilled at burglary and theft was mentioned more seldom, however. With her petite frame she looked very out of place out here in the wild, despite her heavy gear. Her shoulder-length reddish hair fell in soft curls around her round face strewn with freckles, giving the impression of a girl that seemed like it belonged on a farm or in a cozy tavern, rather than at the edges of the civilized world. But here she was, and she had a job to do.
As she started walking towards the tower she gazed upon the pillar of marble before her that almost seemed to burn in the ember light of dusk. It was a bit of a marvel that such a thing had not been found earlier, though with all the trouble that she had to go through to find this strange tower perhaps the true marvel was that anyone had found it at all.
She had been tipped off by an acquaintance. Employer? Friend for pay? Whatever Rag was. They were one of those people whose attitude towards you was wholly dependent on whatever way the balance of gold was shifting at any given moment. In any case, Rag had tipped her off to a find someone had made. Some random outlander had stumbled upon the place - gods only knew how. After a whole lot of digging, Rag had found out it had been the domain of some long gone disgraced Wizard, apparently exiled from Robeka. A mighty feat in and of itself.
There was no telling what kind of things might be hidden away inside. Of course, anyone with half a brain would stay far away from anything like a Wizard's tower -- but then again, not just anyone had a Black Spark. Lei opened one of her satchels and carefully brought out a dodecahedronal object, a strange device wrought from black glass and silver, with ornate carvings all over the surface. A little anti-magic trinket she had been gifted by a very grateful Artificer back in Bahtûn. Exactly how this thing worked was beyond her understanding, but she knew well how to use it to not get fried by whatever crazy traps might have been left inside.
As soon as she held it up she could see a faint glow along the carved designs. There was most certainly magic around, but that was hardly a surprise. She clasped the object with both hands, gazing through the glass as she scanned the tower. Here and there were vague bright spots, but the entire structure pulsated with a faint turquoise light. She'd need to tread carefully from now on. Slowly, she approached the tower, watching the surroundings meticulously. There was no room for mistakes - out here there would be no help coming if she messed up. As she got closer to the arched entrance what looked like an ordinary wood and metal door to the naked eye sparked and sputtered with magical energy when viewed through the device. It too was overgrown, covered in all manner of flora and growth, just like the facade around it. Yet for all that the door itself looked more or less pristine. For a moment Lei hesitated, pondering whether this device would inadvertently dispel some enchantment that held the whole damn tower up. But she had come too far to turn back empty-handed.
She fished out the second part of the device from her satchel, a three-legged little silver contraption with a violet gem suspended in the center. It almost resembled some outlandish insect, stretching its sharp forelegs towards the sky. With great care she placed it on the steps just in front of the door, then she retreated a few meters backward and with the device in her hands she took aim. Through the dark glass the little insect-like device glowed a sinister purple. At first it appeared as merely a wisp of color, but as she lined up the patterns to center in on the little device the color grew quickly in intensity. Within a few seconds the light was pulsating wildly, sparking and throbbing with menacing intent. And then, with a sharp crackle that made her hair stand on end, the device let out a small but potent explosion of anti-magic energy. The door was once again merely a door, showing not even a hint of light through the dark glass.
With the swiftness of certainty she got to work with her tools. It was a simple enough lock, that she probably could have picked with some time, but instead she busted it right open. It surrendered with a metallic shriek of pain, and then, the door swung open. Before her a short and narrow corridor opened up, shrouded in shadows. The white marble walls were ornately decorated with small tapestries and oil lamps hanging on chains. A few meters ahead, thick blue draperies concealed what lay further inside. Clutching the dark device in her hand the Outrider entered the darkness of the tower.
Through the device she could see faint spots of light in the rooms ahead, but nothing immediately beyond the draperies. Parting the fabric, she glanced inside. Only the faintest light slipped inside through the overgrowth covering the small windows, revealing what looked like a combined vestibule and workshop. The circular room seemed to have been constructed to serve as a greeting room, but was strewn with shelves, tables, and all manner of tools, papers and arcane oddities. What was even odder, however, was the faint sound of trickling water coming from somewhere inside. Strange, but hardly a concern. Once she was reasonably sure there were no immediate traps ahead, she stepped inside, ever watchful.
