ToP Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two: Star Walk

Eliles, accompanied by the grumbling Artus, continues her relentless exploration of Skywatch, a mysterious location with an invisible dome and a starry sky that defies conventional physics. After weeks of fruitless experiments—walking the dome's perimeter, probing with staves, and throwing objects—Eliles and Artus test a new theory by firing arrows into the sky, discovering that the sky lacks a ceiling, as an arrow takes longer to return than expected. This revelation sparks Eliles' suspicion that Skywatch's sky is a gateway to other times or places, tied to ancient texts like the Book of Iote and rumors of oracles viewing past stars. Invoking the goddess Elinwe, Eliles manipulates the starry sky to shift constellations, briefly glimpsing distant locations tied to Ivin Choerkin and Solineus Mikjehemlut. Her experiment is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Touched, a cryptic figure who oscillates between playful banter and profound revelations, claiming to have killed the legendary King Priest Esreriun centuries ago and hinting at the Shower of Stars as a key to the Gate of Shooting Stars. The Touched also warns of a mysterious "eye" that has noticed Eliles, referring to it as "she" before vanishing. Left with more questions, Eliles discovers a hidden door in Skywatch’s floor, but her call to Artus goes unanswered, and the lit lanterns below suggest an unsettling presence, deepening the enigma of Skywatch and its connection to time, divinity, and hidden truths.

• ToP Chapter 31 — Dining in Time
• ToP Chapter 33 — One World Twice
• Trail of Pyres - Main Chapter Listing