Seneca's Folly

It is worth remembering that the building of a Great Tower has been attempted before, by the magus Seneca at Durenmar. Most agree that Seneca was not in full possession of his mental faculties, and all the remaining evidence of his construction suggests that the wooden tower was poorly conceived, with a design that hinged upon Seneca's mood on any given day. While Seneca's aim may have been to build a colossal tower, records available in the library of Durenmar show that the tower never exceeded Durenmar's other structures in height. However, this does little to reduce the value of the story of Seneca's Folly as a cautionary tale of ambition and hubris outstripping capability.

towering high above sea level and surrounded by raw material that can be used to build the Great Tower, the mountains seem ideal.

But the difficulties are threefold. First, the elements will work against the project. It is hard enough just to survive in some of the higher regions, let alone build a supernaturally large tower. Second, while there may be plenty of stone to hand, the logistics of procuring all the other raw materials needed for the project would be daunting. Third, attracting, supplying, and retaining a workforce would be incredibly difficult, given the remoteness of the location and the harshness of the conditions.

But there are possibilities. There are thriving communities in the mountainous regions of Mythic Europe, and a tower built close to these could draw upon a hardy workforce. And magic can be used to both protect the growing tower from the elements and ensure that supplies are provided despite the difficulties (perhaps using the sky ships discussed elsewhere in this book).

As a further option, Chapter 2 looks at building a covenant within a volcano, a project which could be combined with building the Great Tower atop the volcano itself.

A Secluded Island

Magi with such an audacious idea may want to conduct their work away from the scrutiny of the mundane world and the interference of the Order. In that case, a remote and secluded island may prove attractive. The difficulties here will be in transporting the raw materials and finding the workforce to work on the construction. What's more, a secluded island will only remain so for a short while. Even many miles distant from land, the tower will soon start to become visible above the horizon.

Regiones and the Magic Realm

Existing in a layer above the mundane world, magical regiones may present an ideal location for the Great Tower. The aura in a magical regio is likely to be moderately strong, which enhances magical endeavors. The right regio may already be aligned in such a way that it further supports the building work. But the main advantage is that the work can progress and the tower can reach higher into the sky without exposing the mundane world to its ominous shadow. Echoes of the Great Tower are likely to be expressed in the regio levels around it, perhaps in more building work being carried out in the mundane level, and strange ethereal towers as the regiones extend to the Magic Realm.

Of course, there are difficulties with this option. Mundanes are not used to the strange cosmology represented by regiones and this could become disruptive. Also, regiones typically attract magical creatures, most of which are unlikely to take kindly to such an intrusion. The Great Tower itself, though in danger of

Magi must also consider whether their own efforts are likely to diminish the power of the aura or regio through damaging a site of natural purity or beauty. And what would be the effect of the regio collapsing into the mundane world, taking the Great Tower with it?

A Symbol of Mundane Power

While the other options allow the magi to construct their tower more or less free from mundane scrutiny and jealousy, this option could be seen as a direct challenge to mundane authority. The tower may grow out of a more traditional covenant location, perhaps absorbing or replacing the existing covenant buildings. In this case, the tower has more of an influence on the mundane world with fear, resentment, and affronted pride playing more part in the stories to be told. As it can be construed as a challenge to the mundane order, the Order of Hermes may take a concerned stance, which suggests political stories as the magi seek to continue constructing the tower.

This is also the option that has more chance of changing the dynamic of Mythic Europe, as the Great Tower could become a uniting force that brings potential mundane rivals together in the face of a larger potential threat.