The Turning-Stone Observatory
The astrolabe abruptly locks onto a missing person's location, but the portal will remain open for only one minute.
- A rotating stone dais engraved with twelve constellations
- Three brass astrolabes, each tuned to a different plane
- A cracked dome showing an impossible night sky
- A curious invisible servant that polishes the instruments and answers simple questions
- Occasional explorers, scholars, or creatures drawn through a temporary planar aperture
- Rotating the dais to align the seven dimmest stars opens a concealed stairway to a sealed archive
- The observatory records every planar breach in a hidden ledger, including one scheduled to occur soon
- A silver star-compass worth 150 gp that points toward the nearest active portal
- A crystal lens granting advantage on one Arcana check involving planar travel before it clouds
The observatory once charted planar conjunctions; its magic still reacts to travelers, revealing glimpses of places touched by their memories. The chamber is stable, but every activation subtly rearranges its exits.
The astrolabe abruptly locks onto a missing person's location, but the portal will remain open for only one minute.
A circular chamber opens beneath a cracked glass dome, its floor inlaid with a star map that slowly shifts beneath your feet. Brass instruments point toward different skies, and cold starlight spills through fractures overhead despite the daylight outside.
GM Notes
- Arcana or Investigation reveals that each astrolabe corresponds to a different destination.
- Activating an astrolabe may aid the party, summon a visitor, or strand someone on the far side.
- The invisible servant becomes helpful if treated respectfully, but refuses commands phrased as threats.