A Miscellany of Documents Concerning Retirement Towers
After the dragonewts betrayed the EWF, they set about provoking the people of
Pavis. They even drove out [name] the dwarf, for a time. He fled south, and
met Count Yamsur. The Count had no love for the Sun Dragon, because it had
seduced people from the right worship of [Yelmalio]. Count Yamsur was eager
to lead his great army to Dragon Pass, but feared leaving his lands
unprotected. In return for a home, [name] built the Dragonward Towers and
the Great Ballistae, to defend Sun County against the dragons.
[Yamsur was the son of Count Zebrokith, but never Count himself. The spear
thrower at Harpoon is the sole surviving Great Ballista]
The dwarf brought with him the secrets of the arms [aerial-defence towers] of Pavis. He erected cylindrical towers throughout Sun County, as watch towers and heliograph stations. We manned them, and our Star Captains reported directly to the Count, so he could coordinate his forces when the dragons came. We were respected in those days. We diligently researched the foe, so we might advise the Count when it came, but it never did.
As fear of the dragons waned, and the prosperity of Sun County declined, the expense of maintaining the Dragonwardens weighed heavy. Over the reign of several Counts the network of towers was slowly dismantled, and their garrisons reassigned. The mirrors were placed in the temple treasury, and the internal timbers reused elsewhere. Some towers were demolished. Most were left as shells. Retiring priests took to using them as hermitages, so now visitors call them retirement towers, and even the locals now use that name.
Orogurri the Bison loved drink more than ceremony. He melted down all the great mirrors in the treasury to make gold cups for his warriors.
The retirement towers of Sun County are in various states of repair, and broadly two styles. The oldest towers, judging by their weathering, were the best built, and some are still in better condition than younger towers. The older towers are usually taller and narrower, and always built from fine stone, but with little decoration. None of the brick towers are old. When retirement towers are grouped, no more than one is in the older style. The priests would not permit me to examine the interior of a tower. Lieutenant Belvani joked that I should become a Light Priest, then await decrepitude.
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #185
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