Sky's Song Planetarium

     While the West Tower of the Alliance seems small compared to the other grand towers of the castle, and almost not even a tower at all, don't let its light fool you!  For if you walk up those winding spiral stairs up and up all the way to its top you find that the trip to the top is well worth your effort!  The royal blood that previously owned Windseer castle included a son who lacked the pickle for the political and instead had a penchant for the planets!  Thanks to his interest in the sky and the stars we can proudly boast a Planetarium!

     Got up in the fashion of Galileo, the Sky's Song Planetarium has been aptly named after former Cleric's Word Magistrate Relina Skysong, who first brought its existence to my attention.  Since Windseer was abandoned back in the ages of old, just like the rest of the castle the planetarium isn't like many of the modern, ultra-space age technological laser light planetariums that you'll see around these days.  You'll find no Pink Floyd playing within these walls! 

     Good ole' fashioned star gazing gadgets are what you'll find instead, and the first thing you'll see when you push through the large wooden double doors is the north wall absolutely covered with an ornate tapestry of the constellations.  But this woven chart has much more than the locations of the stars, oh yes.  Walk up close and you'll see hundreds of hand-inked calculations, names and other details, presumably made by the royal prince himself.  Below that tapestry sits a large drawing table, upon which you'll find more huge sheets of paper complete with renderings and more calculations, these focusing on planetary orbits rather than star formations.  Upon this table the tools that made these renderings are still there, including various compasses, rules, t-squares and other rudimentary baubles.

     Besides the tapestried north wall, the rest of the West Tower is entirely lined with large windows that span three-quarters of the circumference.  In an ornate pattern similar windows span much of the otherwise stone ceiling, leaving many vantage points through which to poke the various antique telescopic tools, of which in this room there are large and small, so that the avid star gazer can see nearly the entire sky clear as a bell...and all from this tiny tower!  If one wanted to have at the windows at the ceiling and was brave enough to face the heights, a second level that is much like a catwalk around the perimeter of the tower was built out of scaffolding.  Accessible by two long ladders, there is room enough on the high walk for two people to sit in any one place, and while the scaffolding has proven to be sturdy it should not be tested by large groups of people