Difference between revisions of "Tor Alfa"

Latest revision as of 16:10, 4 January 2024

Tor Alfa ("Tower of the Elves") is a term used to refer to Alfar mage-towers, especially the seven greatest of these towers, built in the oldest days of the mortal realms. Some of these towers are still standing, while others lie in ruins. All are said to be places of great magic, filled with untold treasure and knowledge.

The Seven Towers

In the primordial days of Midgard, the first Elves were said to be skilled in all the ways of magic. They constructed mage towers at the meeting places of ley lines, the crossroads of the oldest Alfar highways. The greatest of these were the Seven Towers, or the High Towers. They were, or are, as follows:

Tor Sara, the Tower of Light

Possibly the first and thus oldest of the Seven Towers, Tor Sara was said to be a great spire of white and gold located somewhere in the foothills of the Jagged Edge. It was in this tower that the Ljosalfar accumulated mystical knowledge and trained their magi. But their hubris eventually got the better of them, and a magical experiment caused the tower and surrounding walls to shatter. The great elven city at the foot of the tower was left exposed, and the Armies of Chaos took advantage of this moment of weakness, devastating the town. There are rumors that the elves used powerful magic to spirit away what was left of their tower, but these stories have never been confirmed. The ancient, uninhabited city ruins still lie somewhere in the mountains near the Immortal Wood.

Tor Aia, the Tower of Air

Also nestled somewhere in the cliffs of the Jagged Edge, far to the south of Tor Sara, stands Tor Aia, the Tower of Air. Said to be made of ivory-colored stone lined with silver, it still stands to this day, though it is all but unreachable save to its current inhabitants, the Mountain Elves - which is exactly how they prefer it.

Tor Vala, the Tower of Fire

For hundreds or even thousands of years, Tor Vala, the Tower of Fire, lay in ruins somewhere in the forested mountains of the Southwestern Wilds, destroyed long ago in an all-but-forgotten war. In more recent times, the Red Elves decided to rebuild it and make it their home. They claim to have renovated it to its former state of grandeur if not better, decorated in redgold and crimson gemstones. These claims are difficult to confirm, since the Red Elves allow precious few outsiders - especially non-Elves - into their city. They hope to one day restore the Elven empire to its ancient glory, with the mage tower of Tor Vala as its capital.

Tor Orda, the Tower of Earth

Better known by its shortened name of Ord, Tor Orda (the Tower of Earth) was once a place of learning for those skilled in spiritual and nature-oriented earth magicks, Tor Orda and its surrounding city are now only ruins. According to some records and elven lore, they were the birthplace of the Dark Elves. It was in Tor Orda - which they renamed to simply "Ord" - that the Svartalfar first fell to consorting with demons and practicing the darkest of arts. Seeking to purge their corrupting influence and prevent a demonic incursion into the mortal realms, the other Elves attacked the city, eventually driving its inhabitants underground into Nidavellir. The ruins of Ord are said to still lie somewhere in Achaea, possibly hidden in the Iron Pikes or even underneath a modern Achaean city.

Tor Mera, the Tower of Water

The location of the Tower of Water has been lost for untold ages. It is believed to have submerged beneath the ocean in a great flood, or at least partially submerged, and is now home to the Sea Elves. But since the Sea Elves are notoriously reclusive and tight-lipped with their secrets, they have never revealed its location, and though some sailors have claimed to see its pinnacle rising from the sea, none have been able to locate it a second time upon returning to the same place.

Tor Danu, the Tower of Creation

Also called the Tower of Life, or more recently, the Tower of Fay, Tor Danu is sometimes speculated to be even older than Tor Sara, though the Ljosalfar deny this to be true. Regardless, they acknowledge that it was one of the mightiest, and its disappearance was such a tragedy for the Alfar that they sometimes refer to it as the First Fall. The mysterious elves who guarded the tower whisked it away with magic to another realm - the Fay realm - and became the Fay Elves or fairies. Some believe that a vestige of the tower still exists in the mortal realm and can be used to travel into the Fay, where Tor Danu still stands in all its timeless glory. But to seek out this realm is considered sacrilege to the Ljosalfar, who believe that all Elves should seek ascension to Alfheim.

The Tower of Shadow

The last tower, the Tower of Shadow, is fittingly shrouded in mystery - so much that its real Elven name remains unknown. Some believe it may never have existed at all, since most references to it merely conjecture its name and purpose based on the term "Seven Towers," which itself may not be technically accurate. The most ancient Elves may know, but they are not famous for sharing such knowledge. It is forbidden, some say, to speak of it, for its fate was even worse than that of Tor Orda. A few scholars conjecture that it became one of the great strongholds of the Chaos races, possibly Dhuum.

The Eighth Tower

In the immortal realm of Alfheim stands a tower said to be greater than all those on the mortal realm, sometimes called Tor Alfar. This is the place which to which most elves, especially the Light Elves or Ljosalfar, seek to someday ascend and live eternally. Since it does not exist in this world, however, it is not considered one of the Seven.