Ivory Tower

It was visible in the sky both during the day, bathed in sunlight, and at night, glowing beautifully with the reflected radiance of the moon. No one knew what the mysterious structure was and why it remained untouched by the obliterating force that destroyed everything else that dared to rise above the Chained Isles since no one had ever managed to withstand the ever-growing Crushing to get anywhere near it. Many even believed it to be a mirage. It is the only thing that seemed to be capable of withstanding the deadly pressure of the forbidden sky.^[2]

The soaring island was not very large, surrounded by floating slates of shattered marble. There was a meadow on the side of it, a grove, and a graceful gazebo built of the same white material as the Ivory Tower itself. The stone arch inside of it was also white and empty. It was peaceful and quiet.^[3]

From the island, the Chained Isles looked like pieces of a beautiful mosaic that someone had laid out on the backdrop of velvety darkness, with a scattering of radiant stars shining in between. The Crushing was still there, just that the Ivory Tower was not affected by it, as well as the island it stood upon and the small area surrounding it.^[3]

On the other side of the great pagoda was a clear lake, with streams of water flowing out of it and falling over the edge of the island. In the bright sunlight, it seemed as though the entire surface of the lake was shining with pure golden radiance. An intricately engraved bench is standing near it, cut from white stone.^[3]

Connected to the gazebo by a stone path, stood the magnificent great pagoda that had once belonged to the Demon of Hope.^[4][3] If Ebony Tower was somber and ominous, the original was the complete opposite. The Ivory Tower was beautiful, graceful, and slightly surreal, as if too sublime to exist in the mortal realm.^[3]

Wrapped around the base of the tower was what remained of the tail of some giant, dead creature. It was almost of the same color, but slightly less pristine, and made out of long and weathered sections. ^[3]

The gates looked very similar to those of Ebony Tower, with the main difference being the color and the absence of soot. There were skeletal remains of a giant beast lying in front of them, its serpentine body wrapped around the tower, its massive skull resting right near the tall white doors. Each of the terrifying fangs of the great beast was at least as long as Sunny was tall. Deep darkness nestled in its empty eyes. It was the weathered, snow-white bones of an actual dragon.^[3]

There was a great hall, bright light streaming through its tall windows. The air inside was infused with strange, shimmering darkness. In its center, were seven chains sprawled from the pristine white floor, as if growing out of it, each ending in a broken shackle. The shackles were inscribed with a myriad of runes and marred, their metal has torn. They were also the source of the strange shimmering, which rose from their surface in ethereal wisps. In the very center of the great hall, there seemed like a rift in the fabric of reality, one that could devour even light itself.^[3]

The fifth, pagoda's second-to-last level was separated into numerous halls and chambers, some of which had recently been renovated for various uses. Everything resembled the interior of a beautiful but fairly basic manor.^[6]

The tower's underground level was accessible through a stairway. Its roots were extensive and appeared to go all the way down to the island's core. A tapestry of exquisite carvings on the ivory stone covered the stairs, spiraling along the pagoda's outside wall. Long before the Kingdom of Hope was obliterated by the Lord of Light, the sculptures narrated tales of its golden age.^[5]

The chamber was suffused with light and on the floor carved a vast and inconceivably complicated runic circle. At the center of the chamber was a rough, radiant crystal floating in the air (Divine Soul Shard)^[5]

Main article: Tower of Longing

Ivory Tower, formerly Hope's prison cell, is the exclusive human Citadel conquered by Cassie, Effie, Kai, and Sunny following the events of Second Nightmare.^[7][8] It also became the citadel of the Fire Keepers and Nephis.^[9]

• Dark Seed
• Ivory City