Tower of the Magi - Complete Variants Set

COMPLETE PRINT DOWNLOAD
COMPLETE VTT DOWNLOAD
KEY & DESIGN NOTES
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This is the complete set of variants for this weeks maps. It includes Day, Night, Sandstorm Clean (unfurnished), and Transparent Tiles (no background) versions of the maps.

This map set is part of the Samarahd series

Background

The Order of the Magi are the most learned and gifted members of each of the desert’s tribes. The Order formed very early on in Samarahd’s history to share their knowledge and continue to learn for the sake of the city and its people. They regularly advise the senate on sensitive matters and are in contact with other similar institutions and guilds through the continent.

Although not a requirement of becoming a member, the vast majority of the order are magically inclined in some way or other, and a large focus of their work is in the study of the arcane. The Tower of the Magi is the Order’s home, and much of their study is undertaken here. The Tower, or really towers, are situated on a small island in the centre of the city’s largest oasis. All access, whether by boat or using the teleportation circles located at the base of the towers, is only with permission of the Order and that is hard to come by.

The towers themselves are visible from all sides of the great Oasis. Although somewhat hard to make out due to the distance, many onlookers have noted that the height of the towers seems to change occasionally. It has never been witnessed happening directly, but some days certain towers seem taller or shorter, although the central ‘Star Tower’ always remains the highest point.

Grid Information

GRID SIZE – 51x44 (300DPI)
VTT SIZE – 7140x6160 (140DPI)
RECOMMENDED PRINT SIZE – A0/ANSI E x2

Design Notes

Tower of the Magi - Courtyard

• 01 – Dock – Outside of senate members, it is rare for guests to be allowed onto the island. Most of those arriving by boat are cuffed and blindfolded high-risk prisoners being transported to the magically reinforced cells deep below the island.
• 02 – Security Checkpoint – Anyone arriving by boat must pass the security checkpoint before being allowed access.
• 03 – Guard Barracks – Directly across from the security checkpoint are the guard barracks. The small, but highly trained guard patrol the island perimeter and interior at all hours.
• 04 – Courtyard – The courtyard connects all 5 towers to the ancillary buildings. The plants grown around the central Star Tower are used in the alchemy lab.
• 05 – Star Tower – The tallest of the 5 towers, and the only one with an official name. The tower primarily acts as an access point to the upper floors of the other towers. A central stair winds all the way up to the observatory platform at the top. A hole is cut from the centre of the floors for those with the ability to fly or levitate.
• 06 – Teleportation Circles – These four arcane circles are connected to other locations around the continent, but their use is solely for the Order and the limited few they give permission to.
• 07 – Check-In – Anyone entering or leaving the island, including the Order members, must check in and out. Although the order seeks new knowledge and technology for the betterment of the city, they closely guard their secrets to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.
• 08 – Office – All records of comings and goings to the island are stored here.
• 09 – Lobby
• 10 – Dining Hall – Communal mealtimes are a longstanding tradition of the Order, starting from their nomadic origins. This is often where most information is shared and new ideas formed, in the informal meetings and happenstance conversations around shared food.
• 11 – Lounge – When these informal conversations become deeper and more involved, they will often move into the lounge for further discussion.
• 12 – Kitchen
• 13 – Reading Nook – Sometimes you just need a quiet area to sit with a book and watch the world go by.
• 14 – Guest Quarters – Occasionally other prominent scholars and individuals are invited to the Tower to aid in the orders research. Lodgings are provided on the island to ensure there are no leaks in information.
• 15 – Bedrooms
• 16 – Guest Bathroom
• 17 – Groundkeepers Lodge – The order hire very few staff, and only employ those they can trust. Most of the day to day to tasks on the island are handled by the members themselves, often through arcane means. However, the groundskeeper has lived and worked here for as long as anyone can remember. No one is entirely sure who initially hired them, but everyone agrees they do a fantastic job

Tower of the Magi - Rooftops

• 18 – Star Tower
• 19 – Sky Bridges – These floating bridges connect the central Star Tower to the outer towers, and they are the only way to access the upper rooms. The outer tower rooms have a tendency to rearrange themselves at whim, and occasionally disappear or reappear, causing the towers to grow and shrink to accommodate the changes. This is an added security feature that makes it almost impossible for an outsider to break into a specific area.
• 20 – Study – Most of the order members have their own study space for personal research.
• 21 – Meeting Room – Usually used to meet with senators or guests, as Order discussions tend to take place more informally.
• 22 – Nephrite Lab – The study and use of Nephrite is a huge part of the Orders work. The stone has only been found in the mines below Samarahd and has inherent arcane properties.
• 23 – Classroom – The Order is not a school in the traditional sense, but members will often pass on their expertise to one another through formal training, to ensure no knowledge is at risk of being lost.

Tower of the Magi – Towers A

• 24 – Star Tower
• 25 - Sky Bridges
• 26 – Orrery - A useful simulation of the alignment of the nearby planets and moons. Some arcane rituals require a particular confluence.
• 27 – Library – Most of the books contained here were written by members of the Order. It is a repository of centuries of work and research.
• 28 – Arena – Some members choose to focus on the study of offensive and defensive magics, as well as tools and equipment to enhance them. This room is magically protected to allow for rigorous testing.
• 29 – Alchemy Lab -

Tower of the Magi – Towers B

• 30 – Star Tower
• 31 – Sky Bridges
• 32 – Bedroom – Most of the members choose to live on the island and bury themselves in their work, often taking it back to their rooms to continue. There are multiple bedrooms and personal chambers in the towers, but they are generally inaccessible without their owner’s invitation. If all rooms were to be present on the material plane at once, the towers would more than double in size.
• 33 – Library Mezzanine
• 34 – Arcane Focus – Some members of the Order are researching how to use refined Nephrite to enhance spells and magical objects.
• 35 – Specimen Room – When new spells require testing on live subjects, the Order generally prefers to use small animals before testing on humanoids. There is much contention about the ethics of this within the Order.

Tower of the Magi – Spire

• 36 – Observatory Platform – The highest point on the Island, and within the City. While ostensibly used for studying the stars, it is also a useful lookout platform to keep an eye on the island’s immediate surroundings.