Over a century before the closing of the gates of Keridwyn, tall grass swayed in the breeze of a great plain, unburdened by roads or walls. One day, the sun set on this peaceful plain, and when it arose the next morning, the sunlight illuminated a great tower. Smooth grey walls reached into the sky, warm to the touch. There are no windows to glimpse the interior. The only entrance is a single set of massive double doors on the ground floor.

None know who, or what, constructed the tower. All they know is that each day the tower permits a single group of up to six brave challengers to enter. Upon entry, a voice emanates from the tower that each guest hears in their native language promising that any who reach the top will be granted one wish. The best guess from those who study the tower is that it contains one hundred floors.

Each floor presents a new, potentially dangerous challenge, after which the tower asks if they wish to continue, allowing the option to leave safely should any so prefer. Choosing to continue earns various rewards, magical and mundane alike, that may be kept should the group survive. The challenges and layout of the floors change each day.

Shrines to various gods have been built against the sides of the tower. Food offerings always disappear when no one is looking. Chalked up to petty theft by some, others consider it to be a sign of blessing from the deity before entering.

The allure has drawn every species and creed to gather at the tower. And where people gather, towns soon emerge to supply food, lodging, and entertainment. The diverse challenges of the tower have drawn the strong of mind and body alike. Mercenaries offer their services. Merchant and smith guilds supply equipment. Ritualists provide enchantments. Trainers and tutors prepare the strength of resolve of wish seekers. Scam artists and cheats swindle the seekers with fake artifacts from the tower, or ‘secrets’ that will help them beat the tower, all worthless. And of course, taverns provide the most basic necessity of adventurers.

Other guilds exist within the city beyond suppliers of adventurers. Wizards study the tower and the artifacts earned through its challenges to discern what the tower wants and learn insights about the nature of magic. Some wish seekers have united to share their knowledge and insight with one another to improve their chances. These Schools of Solving, as they call themselves, each have a different idea of how to best approach the tower.

The breaking of the alliance has had profoundly little impact on Symtar and its city. The greater will of the city pushes toward peaceful solutions. They value research, discovery, or personal empowerment over political power, but with a weak central authority in Symtar, the occasional charismatic individual convinces enough people to attack other cities, often with the stated goal to enlighten them, or because they believe they will somehow earn favor with the tower. Defensively, the city has a meager wall and lacks an official army, but the tower attracts many of the adventuring profession. There are always many capable people around to defend the town. An attack was once directed toward the tower itself. Once. The resulting char took weeks to scrape up. Since then, any attack has been directed toward the city only.

A Human with curly brown hair and a short beard owns a little shop near the entrance to the tower. What does he sell? He sells success. Some say that a Human can survive and make a profit anywhere. Nati emphasizes this idea.

For Nati, opportunities abound. He was born in Dafed where his business acumen secured him apprenticeship under a high-ranking dye makers guild leader. He moved to Hesit before the war, where he picked the mindset of wasting nothing. He excelled at finding creative applications for damaged goods and restoring broken artifacts. He trained an apprentice to take over his shop in Hesit and proceeded to set up more shops in the World Tree, Cavurous, and Enviro before the wars started. Now he runs the Tower Emporium in Symtar, his most successful shop yet.

Of the meager committees which hold Symtar together, Nati is a prominent voice and advocate for peace. Most likely to protect the aforementioned shops. His voice holds much sway politically in Symtar. His popularity stems from constantly turning problems into something useful. The steady supply of equipment for challenging the tower doesn’t hurt either.

Nothing is more important in life than the pursuit of knowledge. Vael, a dark feathered Raptorfused with owlish features, was always known to be eccentric and reckless in this pursuit. He has had bounties on his head for breaking into private libraries to read rare tomes, though they somehow never stick. Any topic of study holds his attention with razor focus, making him aloof to all else. Vael’s studies often cause him to disappear for long stretches of time. He once spent a year with a goblin tribe to attain their understanding of Fire. He returned with masterful fire casting ability and a bonded phoenix, which can occasionally be seen flying around the city.

He teaches a class in Symtar. The topic is meant to be about magical construction, though you never know what his lectures will actually end up being about. He often gets distracted in thought during his lectures, and some days he doesn’t show up at all. Students put up with his eccentricities, as when he does manage to lecture, he shares deep insight and rare knowledge.

Vael has repeatedly entered the tower, but not for a wish, for his wish has already been granted. The tower itself is an endless font of knowledge. He drinks deeply with each excursion.

He fights to defend Symtar in battle as his manor is there, and more importantly, his personal library and laboratory. To let harm come to such things would be unthinkable. After battles, Vael is often seen walking about the battlefield taking notes.