Starrise Spire

The Starrise Spire, the tallest building in Nerosyan, is located on the city's outer wall in the Confluence District neighborhood of Coopertown. It is topped by a celestial light that continuously shines in even the darkest of nights and never fades as long as at least one defender still resides in the tower. This beacon provided hope and relief to adventurers that crusaders still stood against the demons of the Worldwound, and continues to operate as a center of restoration efforts since the Worldwound's closure into the Sarkoris Scar. Before the Pathfinder Society was tasked to protect the city, the city's crusaders defended its walls.

The Starrise Spire's venture-captain is Jorsal of Lauterbury, a well-decorated Mwangi man with over 50 advances into the Worldwound under his belt. Jorsal delegates divine magic training and consecration of the Spire's holy sites to Seeker Ereth Brightmane.

Structure

Starrise Spire is a tall cylindrical tower built into the main walls of Nerosyan. Woundward Tower is nearby to its north. The structure supports temporary lodging for up to 1,000 soldiers, now occupied by Pathfinders, and three training grounds, five military forges, two alchemical laboratories, a three-floor mess hall, an underground library, and 20 permanent apartments. The spire also contains a cathedral to Iomedae and temples to ten other deities aligned with the causes of goodness.

The spire's library includes large collections of maps and the cartographic services of retired Iomedaean knight Sir Osbert Deloray. Under Jorsal of Lauterbury's leadership, the Society has also engaged in cataloging and recording the histories of Sarkoris's clans and gods, as well as compiling a bestiary of demonic threats and expanding the recorded history of Mendev.

History

The Spire was built soon before the Second Mendevian Crusade, when it was known as Starrise Citadel, and had already been completed when it was incorporated into Nerosyan's great outer wall during its construction. Crusaders have occupied the citadel in varying numbers for centuries to maintain its beacon.

Jorsal of Lauterbury served at Nerosyan's first Pathfinder lodge, a small structure led by Venture-Captain Thurl, when he first petitioned for a separate lodge of his own in 4705 AR. Jorsal's petition was inspired by Thurl's lack of compassion toward the Sarkorian peoples. However, Thurl was corrupted by demonic influences and subsequently engaged in several actions against the city and the Pathfinder Society, including a demonic siege of Nerosyan in 4713 AR for which Jorsal led the Society's efforts to defend the city.

In 4707 AR, Queen Galfrey of Mendev granted Jorsal of Lauterbury permission to quietly occupy the Spire as a Pathfinder lodge. Jorsal tasked Ollysta Zadrian with staffing the spire's barracks with Pathfinders of the Silver Crusade faction.

After the Worldwound was closed, Queen Galfrey abdicated the throne and became the herald of Iomedae, and the Pathfinder Society continued to occupy the spire. Queen Galfrey's successor, Chancellor Irahai, bears a more critical view of the Society's continued use of the spire, but is limited by the city's relative lack of defenses as crusaders' attentions shifted to battling the revived Tar-Baphon and Kyonin's war against the nascent demon lord Treerazer.

As of 4720 AR, Jorsal sought to maintain the Society's tax- and rent-free residence of Starrise Spire, which is the Society's largest lodge north of the Grand Lodge in Absalom, as the Society helps coordinate efforts to aid displaced Sarkorians and restore the Sarkoris Scar.

Rules

Pathfinders who entered Starrise Spire during the Mendevian Crusades against the Worldwound were required to abide by these rules:

1. The duty befalls all Pathfinders staying in the Spire to stand against demonic attacks against the city, and if needed, participate in strikes into the Worldwound. While a Pathfinder can join as many crusades as desired, the Decemvirate firmly stipulates that Queen Galfrey cannot draft any individual more than twice per year. Furthermore, all Pathfinders retain the right to purchase a waiver out of the Queen's draft, provided they pay for their accommodation for as long as they remain on her property. The cost of the waiver remains subject to the Queen's whim.
2. A portion of all lodge income must be paid to Queen Galfrey to help fund Nerosyan's military and for the general upkeep and maintenance of the city. The current lodge tithe is 15 percent.
3. Within the city proper, Pathfinders must adhere to city law. What happens within their lodge or beyond the city's walls remains their own business.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.