Situated at the westernmost end of the Crescent League lies the island known as the Tower of the Veils. It is a relatively small island, measuring roughly 4 by 3 miles across and is covered with many small, steep sided hills. Not a single tree grows on the island. Only a few herds of goats graze among the hills. In the middle of the island is a 30' diameter, 120' tall tower, which also goes by the name Tower of the Veils. The tower, and the island, are named for the fact that the tower is almost always surrounded by a thin view of fog that flows in a circular pattern around the tower. No matter how windy it may be, the fog continues to stay close to the tower. High winds only seem make it flow faster. Only a relatively small number of people have seen the tower without its protective view, and they say it is a rather plain tower, made of brown stone and festooned with many windows.
Generally speaking very little is known about the residents of the tower except for the fact that many of them are wizards, some of whom have families. There are also a fair number of servants that reside in the tower. Either there is more to meets the eye with the tower, such as the possibility of dungeons, or it is one seriously crowded place. Based on the number of different individuals known to reside here it there would have to be roughly 8 people per floor, and that leaves little room for libraries or laboratories.
While the residents are not hostile in any way, they are not exactly the most outgoing of people. They will gladly wave to you from the shore or while flying over your ship, but anyone who lands on the island is met with stern looks and even sterner questions. They will answer questions, but their replies are quite terse. They will gladly help people in need, but often for a price as they consider such services an interruption to whatever they are working on. There are no docks on the island but the waters off the shore are really deep and most large ships can get close enough in a few spots to extend a gangplank. A few local and a few far reaching merchant ships are under contract to bring in regular supplies and they are always welcomed warmly, after they have proven to be reliable in their services. One exception to their treatment of unexpected visitors is anyone with unique spells and/or magic items. They will always welcome the chance to study or discuss these.
There may not be any docks on the island, but the residents are known to have some ships and other vessels for traveling around. Some of these include boats that fold up to the size of a small box, flying carpets, horses with magical horseshoes that allow them to travel on water, a sea chariot drawn by dolphins, and a flying chair. These vessels are not regularly seen around the other islands as the mages prefer to use intermediaries for supplies and such, but sometimes they need to visit other islands for themselves, especially Anthony's Tower on Lookout Island. Of course, there are other magical means that allow them to travel unseen.
One feature about the island and the tower that stands out is the "lighthouse" that is a familiar site that all travelers see. Floating about 50 feet above the tower is a massive collection of multi-colored lights that dance and bob and weave in an endlessly random pattern. No one knows how many lights there are, in fact the number sometimes seems to change, but at night the lights can be seen from at least 50 miles away in good weather and 20 miles in foggy weather. One strange aspect is that the lights do not shine brightly down on the island. The few people who claim to have been on the island at night say that from that vantage point they are about as bright as faint stars, but even 100 feet from the island they shine brightly. Ships passing by at night will get as close as they dare and lay out a few fishing lines hoping to snare a few fish that are attracted by the lights.
Not all of the residents are so standoffish. A few are very friendly and very outgoing with strangers, though they are still secretive about their fellow islanders. One such individual is Ian of West River, a somewhat eccentric, rather youthful human mage who can often be spotted sitting out to sea in a high backed sella curulis of Saraian origin, fishing and enjoying a small feast from a selection of dishes on small tables on either side of his chair. His furniture sits on top of the water, rising up and down with the motion of the sea, and he is seemingly unaffected by the water. He has often been known to walk over to approaching ships to converse and despite walking on water he is always dry. A few ships passing by have claimed to see him talking with sea elves or dolphins, but if they approach too closely his visitors quickly slip back under the water.
Another outgoing resident went by the name of Gisela. An elderly elven female, she was old even by elf standards. She could often be found standing on a large rock that marks the easternmost point of the island, seemingly waiting for ships heading westward from the rest of the Crescent League. She waved at all she saw, and while most ships as a general rule avoided the island a few of the regular merchant captains and crews had gotten to know her. When they approached the island they would slow down and approach to within a few hundred feet and Gisela would suddenly appear on the deck of the ship where she was welcomed with tea and her favorite treats, small ginger cookies made by the resident baker at Redaxe Tower. Everyone who knew her loved her and treated her like their favorite grandmother. She knew the names of all the regular crew members and their families and would provide small gifts for those who had young children and she was always eager to know new crew members. After a brief or long visit she would magically depart. And she was always there to greet her friends, no matter the time of day.
While she may have been old she was also extremely powerful. A few years past she learned that pirates had attacked Gisela’s Delight, a merchant ship that was named for her by its Captain and crew. She disappeared for a few days and found the ship and the pirate ship that had captured it and killed everyone onboard. She later appeared at the city of Ironcrest aboard Gisela’s Delight, using some sort of magic to man the sails and steer the ship. In tow behind the ship was a giant ball of crushed and broken wood, the remains of the pirate ship and its crew. Those who saw it said that it looked like giant hands had picked up the ship and wadded it up into a ball. A few limbs poking out from among the timber and canvas gave mute but grim testimony to that description. She was particular fond of that Captain and his crew. The Residents quickly burned the wreck and after a few days rest Gisela sailed back out to sea on her namesake and she was never seen again. Her friends still approach her rock and as they do so they lower down a boat made of folded parchment that holds a packer of her favorite cookies and a cup of tea.