===== The Spire =====
In the heart of [[thewinterlands:wintershield|Wintershield]] stands 'The Spire', a stone pillar that rises 300 feet into the sky in the city center, stark and unadorned, yet impossible to ignore. Radiating a constant aura of powerful abjuration and transmutation magic, the Spire maintains a temperate climate within the city’s towering walls and keeps its harbor free of ice; a warm oasis amid the endless tundra beyond. Scholars and mages have long studied its presence, yet none can explain its origin or fully decipher the arcane mechanisms at work.  The common folk, clergy and even most nobles believe this is a gift from the god of winter, Lazareth.  Indeed, it was this artifact that kept the city and its inhabitants safe as divine winter storms destroyed the humanoid hosts of Feng during the cities early days.  However, some scholars whisper suggest the Spire predates the city's founding by some time, and perhaps even the gods’ own withdrawal from the world at the end of the 3rd Age. 

Despite its power, the Spire bears no carvings, no sigils, only a faint hum that intensifies during blizzards. Locals treat it with quiet reverence, and travelers speak of strange dreams when sleeping near it. A gift from the Lord of Winter or not, the Spire remains veiled by the same mystery that keeps Wintershield warm.

===== Artist Rendering =====
{{ :thewinterlands:thespire.jpg?nolink&600 |}}