Otto's Opulent Observatorium

* Artwork
* Map

Otto's Opulent Observatorium is an extra-dimensional structure centred around a large asteroid in the Astral Sea.

Accessible through use of a puzzle box called the C.U.B.E., it contains thirty-three known rooms, according to a map discovered by adventurers that first explored the structure at the end of 132WD.

## History

During the early days of exploration of the Ahlusian continent, the researcher Otto van der Velde VI came to be in possession of one of the numerous Wayfinder Stones scattered across the continent, and sought to utilise it as a powerful spellcasting focus brimming with Conjuration-magic. However, this process cast him into the Astral Sea, where he presumably subsequently came to construct the Observatorium by binding together structures of his own design with that of fragments scattered throughout the sea.

## Contents

While time often continues to pass within the Astral Sea as normal, individuals in the Transitive Plane do not biologically experience said passage, and so do age, grow hungry or tired at a normal rate. The parts of the tower seem to be warded by nature of their construction from the other effects of the Astral Sea, but nor is this passage of time consistent within all the rooms.

The rooms themselves do not seem to be constructed directly adjacent to each other, and opening a doorway does not seem to reveal the adjoining room's contents, instead only showing a shimmering veil of white silk-like conjuration magic. This magic only seems to transport individuals and objects once they are fully through the doorway, as so efforts to peak around corners or listen at doors are subsequently foiled. These doors likewise do not always manifest as doors - taking the form of cave entrances, waterfalls, paintings and elsewise through the manor.

### The Overlook

The location into which individuals are transported in activating the C.U.B.E., the Overlook is a balcony that gives new arrivals a sprawling view of the Astral Sea, as well as a glance at some of the further stretches of the manorhouse, including a group of eight marble-like structures filled with different colours and contents.

The door into the Cutthrough Court is protected by use of the *Arcane Lock* spell.

### Cutthrough Court

Compared to the austere, if not beautiful expanse presented by the Overlook, the Cutthrough Court is a trio of long narrow corridors leading towards a central round atrium outfitted with fountains filled with Enchanted Spring Water (presumably from the Hothouse), and a central podium enchanted with *Programmed Illusion* to respond to the arrival of guests - expected or otherwise. This illusion of Otto's head appears to be connected to the wider network of the house, as discovered when it activated H3NR1 as 'security' to deal with the band of adventurers seeking to rescue Arnica.

Both doors leading deeper into the Observatorium were found to be warded with abjuration magic, leading to either the Chance Chamber or the Cabins.

### Chance Chamber

Empowered with the wild magic infused focus of a *Wand of Wonder*, the Chance Chamber seems to be powerful enough to warp the connections around it, throwing of attempts to navigate conventionally while in its vicinity. No two individuals moving through the same doorway can expect to emerge into the same location - which is, more often than not, back into the Chance Chamber - which served to generate charges for the Wand mounted in the centre of the room and affixed in place through use of permanent *Immovable Object*.

Timbermitt managed to dispel the magic holding the wand in place, which has subsequently been claimed by Gwyneth, but not before the magic spawned a rhinoceros into existence, set both Casmaran and Rinn ablaze, and caused leaves to spawn across Gwyneth's head.

Although unpredictable, the Chance Chamber connects to the Cutthrough Court, the Hothouse and the Widepot Pantry.

### Hothouse

Filled with a warm heat similar to evenings in the height of Highreign, the Hothouse is large garden centred around a gold-tipped rod planted solidly into the earth at its heart. Although all the trees, flowers and bushes are conventional species, each seems to be an exaggerated, idyllic representation of them - with floral blooms growing as large as trees, fragrances several times stronger than elsewhere and each shrouded in a faint incandescence, which once again stems back to the central rod.

Running through the Hothouse is a stream that is filled with Enchanted Spring Water, capable of granting individuals that bathe in it a number of curious enchantments. Connections carved into the cliff faces lead to the Chance Chamber, Atelier and Widepot Pantry.

### Atelier

A modest workshop, the Atelier seemed to serve as a proving grounds for a number of the constructs operating throughout the manor, with notes pertaining to iron golems and the roaming H3NR1 discovered within, alongside a number of tools and alchemical reagents. When an adventuring party explored the room briefly in 132WD, they found a mass of shackled crystal encased within a bell-like structure, and upon loosening the chains discovered its natural buoyancy when it floated towards the ceiling to get caught amongst the rafters.

Both the doors to the Study and the Vivisectorium were found to be trapped with abjuration magic.

### Study

Decorated with a perpetually-burning fireplace and thousands upon thousands of books, folios, quartos and tablets, the study presumably serves as place for Otto to relax, muse over old tomes collected up over time, and should the fancy take him - retire to his sleeping quarters immediately adjoining. The study represents a vast wealth of the tower's contents, with the literary contents estimated to be valued at several tens of thousands of gold pieces, with a number of rare wines, scrolls and likewise contained within. A large glass-like window enchanted with evocation magic creates another overlook into the Astral Sea on a raised platform on one face of the hexagonal room.

The Study connects to both the Atelier and the Abode.

### Abode

The bedchambers of the room marked Abode are well stocked, akin to that of a noble standard of travelling accommodation. Fine linens of deep red folded neatly beneath a pile of cushions adorn the bed on the far side of the room, while cabinets, shelves and a wardrobe decorate the other walls. The only confounding factor is that everything in the room is perhaps a fifth of its conventional size. It was discovered by an adventuring party that upon removing the contained objects from the room they return to their normal size, resulting in numerous torn pockets, bludgeoned hips - and a great deal of ruckus.

Several magic items were gathered up from this room, including enchanted pillows and sheets, a Wand of Magic Missiles kept on the bedside table "just in case", as well as large mechanical safe containing a collection of exotic materials especially valuable as spell components, worth 1750gp, and loose coinage to the sum of 600cp, 7000sp, 2400gp and 170pp.

### Widepot Pantry

Accessible, albeit unpredictably through the Chance Chamber - and more conventionally by means of the Hothouse and the Grand Hall, the Widepot Pantry is made up a central corridor with two adjoining rooms. Though the one dedicated to storage was wrecked and damaged by a marauding rhinoceros spawned into existence by the Wand of Wonder, the other room was found to be in the process of creation of all manner of dishes when explored in 132WD. Tended to by a small army of *Unseen Servants* and *Chef's Cullys*, it was noted that all the food present appears conjured, rather than being conventionally grown or cultivated.

### Great Hall

Built into a perfectly cuboid room, the Grand Hall is the most aristocratically-decorated room thus far discovered in the Observatorium, fed an ever-replenishing supply of food by the Widepot Pantry. Miniature palm fronds flank the central table, enchanted to produce soft and sweet melodic ambience, while the walls are decorated with weapons, shields and armour decorated with the regalia from a number of the old Realms of Ahlus (specifically that of Anorcor, Duchies of Tynd, Kingbourne, Lachlen, Atralran, Mol Boramm, Empire of Raq, Tulis, Sunstone, The Giado Territories, Codorne and Gawylthlan). While several members of the party found themselves interested in the armament, after it was noted that all possessed a sheen of transmutation magic, it was ultimately decided against.

The Great Hall connects to Widepot Pantry, the Brokery and the Cogyard.

### Brokery

The Brokery is a roughly triangular room with no apparent doors. A very long and narrow table takes up much of the floor space, alongside a diorama of the Planes of Existence as per the arrangement detailed in the tome Of Coterminous & Remote. The walls are less measured however, and covered in dozens of paintings of various topics - landscapes, creatures, people, objects - all mounted in frames of ornate precious metals. The paintings appear to be affixed in place with some kind of arcane adhesive, and thus cannot be conventionally removed - or adjusted, much to the annoyance of those that would look upon a wonky frame and seek to adjust it.

It was discovered by Gwyneth that some of the paintings within the room serve as the doorways into the adjoining chambers when she stumbled through a painting depicting a Sphinx standing in front of a large padlock and found herself in the Tollman's Gate. It is currently uncertain which paintings connect the chamber to the Grand Hall and The Cabins, both of which appear to be connected to the room according to the map discovered.

### Tollman's Gate

Emerging through a waterfall - although curiously not sodden as one might expect, the Tollman's Gate is a chamber of two adjoining domes. A thin layer of water but a few inches deep covers the stonework, defying gravity as it covers not just the floor, but also the walls and ceiling, leading towards a large stone circle with a central pit covered in arcane and divine runes. The tollman in question is an mechanical sphinx, programmed to demand a toll of knowledge from any wishing to depart the location. As an adventuring party discovered during their unexpected foray into the Observatorium in 132WD, the Sphinx was unwavering in the need for payment, comparing it to visiting the theatre for an evening's entertainment, but was willing to allow an individual to pay the toll for their companions. After paying the toll, an individual was free to step into the mists, finding themselves on the first floor of Köstlich Wunderturm.

The toll seemed to drain the potential of an individual's intelligence, manifesting as a yellow crystal akin in appearance to that of a Shard of Divinus, albeit smaller and much less refined. For individuals that resisted the toll, the process of claiming liable to deal a deal of psychic damage to the payee, additional abilities were also leeched, seemingly at random. The long term effects of this claiming of intelligence are unknown, given that the party quickly sought out priestly healing for use of *Greater Restoration*.

### Unexplored Rooms:

* Cogyard
* Armoury
* Vivisectorium
* Thredding Room
* Ironmill
* Looking Locks
* Erwin
* Dockyard
* The Cabins
* Pyroclastic Kiln
* Riverside Quay
* Lucky Dip
* The Hive
* Screaming Stones
* Sparking Stones
* Dynjagnæfa
* Chapel of Souls
* Firnfell
* Atoll
* Tönndalr
* Brass Bastion