Castle at the Edge of Time (GEP)

__TOC__
Ever heard of the Olefin Temporal Society? If not, it's no surprise-that group of graybeards died out well over 400 years ago and brought the entire Realm of Olefin down with them. No one really knows what happened, save for the mage who escaped safely, leaving most of Olefin's land mass to sink beneath the waves on the prime world where it was once situated. The wizard's name was Aionias, and he called himself the Sapphire Mage.
Chant has it that Aionias and a single apprentice saved what treasures and lore they could before relocating out into the Deep, where they built themselves an ethereal castle that still floats near the Demiplane of Time. In this way, the Sapphire Mage apparently continued the Temporal Society's research of time-related phenomena, augmented by his dose physical association with the legendary Demiplane of Time itself.
Aionias later disappeared under circumstances not entirely clear. His one-time apprentice Montgomery, now. a blood to be reckoned with after years under the tutelage of Aionias, claimed that Aionias evolved into a higher being and so had departed into the nearby demiplane, never to be seen again. In Aionias' absence, Montgomery assumed the mantle of the Sapphire Mage. The significance of the title "the Sapphire Mage" remains dark, but it's obvious that it gives Montgomery no little pleasure to introduce himself using the moniker.
Montgomery yet abides in the floating ethereal structure, which he refers to as "The Castle at the Edge of Time." In fact, the structure is a single cylinder (towerlike, but with nothing to tower over on the weightless Ethereal) built from matter brought from the Prime, measuring some five stories in height. The interior of the spire conforms to the normal weightlessness of the Ethereal Plane, and so instead of staircases, a central open shaft connects all the rooms from one end to the other. A decorative metal span runs through the very center of the shaft, glowing lighter or darker in response to the will of the castle's masterand providing light throughout. Windows appear along the periphery of each room, but the Sapphire Mage usually keeps them shuttered-especially those that look out onto the pearl and silver curtain marking the Demiplane of Time, the sight of which is rumored to age mortals beyond their time. In any event, every window is wizard locked against entry (or exit) at the 20th level of ability (Aionias' work).
Aionias, the original Sapphire Mage, constructed 10 golems out of stable protomatter to both guard the tower against unwanted intrusion and to act as general servants in times of peace. Aionias called them ether golems, although they conform to the description of a standard stone golem in all ways save for those noted below. The ether golems randomly wander the tower under normal circumstances, but gather together to defend the tower or take other actions as specified by Montgomery.
ETHER GOLEM (10): AC 5 {J}; MV 6 {12}; HD 14; hp 60; TIIACO 7; # AT 1; Dmg 3d8 (fist); SA Hit only by + 2 or better weapons, slow, become solid; SD Spell immunity, regeneration; SZ M (6' tall); ML fearless (20); Int non- (O); AL N; XP 10,000.
SA-Slow: Casts slow on opponents within 10' every other round. Become solid: Can pass back and forth between the Border and adjoining planes at will.
SD-Spell immunity: Immune to all spells save rock to mud (slows golem for 2d6 rounds), mud to rock (heals golem of all lost hit points), and stone to flesh (makes golem vulnerable to normal attacks in succeeding round). Regeneration: Regenerates 1 hp every three turns while in the Deep Ethereal.
==Approaching the Castle==
===OBSERVATION POINT===
Floating near the castle near the Demiplane of Time's curtain is a chunk of protomatter. Though the chunk is not large, it unaccountably exerts a gravitational field about one-third of what a body feels on most worlds of the Prime. Montgomery comes to the chunk from time to time to gaze into the curtain; in fact, the mage spends about 25% of his time here. Sometimes the Sapphire Mage extends test samples of both living and inorganic material through the curtain on long metal rods, then withdraws them in order to study the results, if any. Many 40-foot-long iron rods lie scattered about, some of which are strangely melted, corroded, and/or twisted on their hooked ends. Also, many small metal cages with metal eyeholes lie atop the protomatter chunk.
Most of the cages are empty, but 1 d4 contain the mummified. remains of nathri, while 1 d2 contain very upset but still-living nathri. Montgomery regards nathri as mere savages, and does not find it morally objectionable to experiment on them as he does. Of course, the opinions of others may vary.
===PATH===
A thin but broad strand of stable protomatter connects the Observation Point with the entrance to the Castle at the Edge of Time. Gravity slowly fades to nothing as a body travels from the floating chunk toward the castle.
==Castle Environs==
===ENTRANCE LEVEL===
At least two ether golems always patrol the hallway that leads from the castle's single entrance to the central shaft area. They escort visitors through the main hallway to the space below the shaft, to wait for an audience with the Sapphire Mage. Belligerent sods soon draw the attention of every ether golem in the structure, as well as Montgomery himself.
Potted plants and hanging artwork from a dozen prime worlds line the hallway. The area directly beneath the shaft is a comfortable audience chamber filled with painting and sculpture; the peripheral rooms include a kitchen and abundantly stocked food storage chambers.
===LEVEL TWO===
This level contains a dining room, an intimate parlor, a library, and a music room (even with years of practice, Montgomery remains an uninspired harpist). Montgomery normally spends about 25% of his time between one of these chambers. The library contains historical tomes from many different prime worlds, some few even claiming to record events that occurred more than one million years in the past! It's possible that a Jot of valuable chant could be gathered here with the permission of the Sapphire Mage and with much time spent in research.
===LEVEL THREE===
This level apparently doesn't see much use, if the layer of dust covering everything is any indication (the accumulation of dust on the Ethereal is a much lengthier process than on most planes). The level contains various guest quarters, each with a cunning lock mechanism that can be activated from the room's interior-the locks impose a -30% chance to all open locks rolls. The level also contains a small shrine to a lesser power named Deneir, a god of literature and art. By the dust present in the shrine, it's obvious that Montgomery reveres Deneir far less than Aionias must have.
===LEVEL FOUR===
Here lie Montgomethery's workroom and private study. Under normal circumstances, Montgomery spends about 25% of his time in one of these two chambers. Even when on this level, the Sapphire Mage keeps the doors to these chambers securely locked with the same superior locks employed on the guest rooms as noted above; however, Montgomery can also lock these rooms from the exterior. The workroom contains items common to wizard labs in many worlds, including such items as alembics, crucibles filled with exotic chemicals, distillation coils, scales, tongs, and a variety of strange specimens, including portions of mummified nathri retrieved from the nearby curtain.
The workroom also contains a chalked thaumaturgic circle on the floor, possibly appropriate for protection against summoned creatures, and various obscure charts showing alternative timelines.
The study contains a large desk, some shelves, and various comfortable chairs and couches. A variety of maps and notes regarding places in sundry planes and times can be found here, as well as Montgomery's spellbook. A successful find secret doors roll discovers a hidden, recessed cabinet in the desk, which can be made to open with a successful open locks check. The cabinet contains a mounted crystal ball with clairaudience. Removing the crystal ball from the desk has a 95% chance to ruin it.
===LEVEL FIVE===
Once Aionias' private chamber, the level is now inhabited by Montgomery, who spends the final 25% of his time here, sleeping or lounging. The room is grandly furnished with rich tapestries, more exotic plants and artwork similar to those found in the Entrance hallway, and wide windows looking out over the Ethereal and the nearby curtain (though these remain shuttered, as usual). The chamber also contains two permanently stationed ether golems, subservient to the Sapphire Mage's every whim.
The Sapphire Mage is friend to some, sage to others, and an implacable enemy to any who disrupt his research. His reception of visitors varies between hostility, indifference, and friendship, depending on what visitors wish of him or offer in exchange for their wishes.
MONTGOMERY THE SAPPHIRE MAGE: (Pr/♂ human/MlO/N): AC 2; MV 12; hp 33; THAC0 15 (with staff of striking); #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+3 + strike damage (staff of striking; +6 or +9 when 1 or 2 charges expended, respectively); SA Spells; SZ M (6' tall); ML average (9); XP 2,000.
S 12, D 17, C 15, I 17, W 13, Ch 13
Personality: Cautious, calculating, concerned with research first "no matter what the cost."
Weapon Proficiencies (2): dagger, staff.
Nonweapon Proficiencies of Note: curtain cognizance, direction sense, vapor weave, herbalism, illusion pierce.
Special Equipment: bracers of defense AC 5, ring of free action, staff of striking (66 charges), ring of materialization (on the Border, wearer can don ring, thereby materializing on the adjoining plane; when ring is removed, the wearer fades back onto the Border).
Spellbook (5/5/4/3/3): 1st-comprehend languages, dancing lights, detect magic, friends*, magic missile*, protection from evil, read magic*, reduce*, unseen servant*, wizard mark, write; 2nd-continual light, detect evil, forget*, locate object*, magic mouth, ray of enfeeblement*, scare*, web*, wizard lock; 3rd-blink, clairaudience, dispel magic*, .fireball, haste*, hold person*, lightning bolt, lob*; 4th-breathlessness*, charm monster*, dimension door, fire trap, ice storm, magic mirror, minor globe of invulnerability*, polymorph self, wizard eye; 5th-conjure elemental, contact other plane*, lesser etherealness, monster summoning Ill, stabilize protomatter*, telekinesis*, wall of stone.
: * indicates spells Montgomery has likely memorized.