# Location: The Beacon (Pilgrim's Shelter) A holy site and massive library tower owned by the Salen Republic, built upon the island of Pilgrim's Shelter over a thousand years ago. ## Overview The Beacon is an internationally renowned place of learning and worship that has strong ties to the Salenian Church. It is not, however, directly operated by the church, having been granted a degree of autonomous independence in a series of ancient laws, which allows for more religious liberties than would be found in the republic. ## The Structure The Beacon itself is a large megastructure in the form of a **great tower over 3000 feet tall**. At the top of the tower burns an **eternal winter blue flame**. The building contains: - **The Grand Edwin Library** - One of the largest libraries by number of works to be found on Gryth, containing thousands of scrolls and tomes that can be found nowhere else - **Vaults** - Containing priceless artifacts - **Rooms of worship** - **Halls for initiates to the Silent Order** - **A small but permanent access point** for higher members of the Legendarium ## History ### Foundation (~1200 years ago) Pilgrim's Rest was uninhabited until around 1200 years ago, when a contingency of Elvish Monks settled there. These monks declared a series of important tenets, most concerning: - The free flow of information - The outlawing of religious oppression ### Political Status The Salenian Church has decreed the site a place of potential heresy, even though they technically own the land through the government of the Salen Republic. This strange position has left the Beacon in a kind of political limbo, wherein they receive minimal support from Salen, but are still technically part of the Republic. ### The Final Tenet (over 100 years ago) The final tenet at The Beacon was made to **allow the free dissemination of all written materials within the library, without fail to anyone who asked**. After this, the monks and scholars reorganized themselves into a new group called **The Silent Order**, and took an oath of complete silence. They still refuse to speak to this day. ### Recent Developments In recent years, to help with costs, the island has opened itself up to: - A fishing company - A mining company (collecting natural resources from the island) ## Geography **Pilgrim's Shelter** is a desolate and frozen hunk of ice and rock, adrift in the Salenian Ocean. Though not the most northern island of Edaria, the freezing winds which blow down from Norn keep the island around **ten degrees colder** than lands at a similar latitude. Other than the Beacon and resource extraction operations, the island contains little else. ## Access & Travel Direct ships to Pilgrim's Rest from the Salen Republic are controlled strictly by the church - only high ranking officials may travel without a direct seal and order. A ship service from **Bonedagger** is unregulated but costly, bringing religious wanderers and pilgrims from across the continents to the frozen island. The small port village of **Silverdocks** receives guests but is known to be raided by pirates and rogues in particularly cold months. Travellers are warned to keep themselves guarded, as the island does not benefit from the enormously strong security and military forces of the Republic. ## Significance The Beacon is a holy site not only for religious individuals, but for scholars and wizards also, due to the Grand Edwin Library's unique collection of knowledge found nowhere else in Gryth. ## Organizations - **The Silent Order** - Monks and scholars who operate The Beacon and maintain an oath of complete silence - **The Legendarium** - Has a permanent access point for higher members - **Salenian Church** - Owns the land through the Salen Republic but has limited control