Introduction
You have come to the Wizard's Tower.
It rises high above the roar and din of the city as a spire upon the eastern wing of the ancient castle—yet it stands also nestled deep within the mists of the mountain and at the heart of the primeval forest. It is a place that exists in many realms at once. It exists within this world, yet outside of it.
You arrive road-worn, weary and cold, bearing the dust and rain of distant paths. Your cloak hangs heavy about your shoulders; your boots carry the earth of many lands.
You knock three times upon the old wooden door, and whisper the password you were given: In principio erat Verbum.
The door opens, and you step into the darkness within.
You pass the subterranean alchemy lab, where a vessel holds a substance being distilled above a soft flame. You then begin to climb the spiral stair, toward a light that shines far above.
As you climb, you pass many chambers, each one different from the next.
You pass the dojo, where a sword and shield bearing a golden lion rest upon the wall.
You see the Temple, frankincense drifting from its altar.
You note the library, its towering shelves laden with tomes of many sizes.
You keep rising and behold the Oratory—a bare chapel holding a single lamp, a plain cross, and one blood-red rose blooming at its center.
You climb beyond music chamber, where a lute rests upon a chair, and a faint music still echoes in the air
You ascend past the observatory, open to the heavens, with a telescope and charts of the starry sky.
You come upon a closed ancient oak door, fastened with an ornate lock. Yet still you climb higher….
Higher still, through a great doorway down a side hall, you glimpse an empty Throne, sitting in shadow in a vast and silent chamber — and beside it, upon a plain wooden table, rests a luminous crown.
At last you reach the top of the stair, where a small lantern hangs. There, a small, simple wooden door stands partway open. You push it gently and enter the Wizard’s study.
The circular chamber is modest yet filled with instruments of wonder: an astrolabe and armillary upon the sill, star charts pinned upon the walls, a globe, a skull,, a staff leaning in the corner, a crystal catching the firelight, and a deep red stone pulsing with inner radiance. A raven perches silently by the window.
The room’s sole window is opens unto a clear night with stars like diamonds around a delicate crescent moon.
The old Wizard sits at his desk, writing in flowing script across the pages of a great book lying open before him. He does not look up, but gestures with his off hand toward the chair beside the fire.
He completes the passage, and sets down his pen. From your chair you can read the last part: ”...and the prince, at the middle of his life’s path, at last found the tower. And so the true journey begins.”
The Wizard rises, uncorks an aged bottle, and pours two goblets of blood-red wine. He hands you one, then takes the seat beside you before the fire.
You drink, and the warmth stirs the spirit.
Together you gaze silently into the flames. The stillness of the night deepens and the world outside falls away.
At last the Wizard turns, and his eyes meet yours. They are a deep blue, and within them burns an ancient light — and you see there sorrow and joy, light and darkness, and all of life and the Great Mystery reflected.
Finally the Wizard says: "Welcome traveler, I knew you must eventually find your way here..."
He lifts the cup, and takes a slow draught.
"Now — let us begin."