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Spin Cycle for Shadow World: CoA pt. 2

5The Citadel of Ardor.

What is it? A 9 level tower of black “marble” stone. Interior features with familiar SW elements including iron/steel/laen tracked doors, glowing glass panels. There is even a lower level cavern hall.

How and where to use it in Shadow World? The tower feels A LOT like the Loremaster’s Tower of the Winds with its High Council Chamber and the lower cavern could be the repository for the Master Orb. (MA p.72). But the elements, materials and craftsmanship certainly evoke LoE or 2nd Era style.

General Ideas:

A tower for a powerful Priest of the Unlife, a Mage or local Lord/ruler. If you need to drop in a powerful adversary, this layout may be perfect for their stronghold. The lower cavern works well as a room for summoning or ritual magic. Like the CoA plot, the PC’s can try and stop a dark ritual or sacrifice.

Empty fortress to explore. If you need a floorplan for an abandoned tower this could work well. The entrance gate may need to be open or the PC’s could access the lower hall via an Earthwarden tunnel or the Ash Lairs.

Lords of Essaence (LoE) facility. There hasn’t been many, if any, LoE towers detailed—most of their surviving structures have been underground. It’s certainly possible to attribute it to the LoE, but has subsequently been taken over another ruler, powerful individual or organization.

Earthwardens (EW). The stronghold seems too polished for the EW but the lower cavern could be built around a Foci and the tower could have been built over the site later in the Interregnum or 2nd Era.

Specific Ideas:

Some of these locations are only noted in the map keys without any other information. However, if the PC’s are exploring Emer than the Citadel may be great layout to quickly insert for the following:

  1. Tower of the Church of Zanar. Isle of Fire, Emer.
  2. Tower of the Spider Queen. Haestra I. Map A #1
  3. Red Moon Tower. Haestra I. Map A #4
  4. Tower of Kelstro. Haestra I. Map B #2
  5. Amethyst League Tower. Haestra I, Map C #3
  6. Blackforest Tower. Haestra I, Map C #17
  7. Xa’Chaak Mentalist School. Haestra I, Map C #19
  8. Tower of Silver Ice. Haestra I, Map C #20
  9. Tower of the Five Moons. Haestra I, Map D #3
  10. Earthwarden Ruins. Haestra I, Map D #8
  11. Tower of the Warlock. Haestra I, Map E #7
  12. Tower of the White Sorceror. Haestra I, Map F #3
  13. Vog Ien. Northern Falias
  14. Tower of Magic. Ebon City Govon.

If you have any ideas on re-purposing the Citadel of Ardor please add a comment! Stay tuned for Part 3!