Pinnacle

First Appearance and Context

Observed during an Apert‑day ascent to the roof of the Praesidium, the Pinnacle is identified as the tallest, central structure of the Starhenge, its summit being the highest point of the Mynster. From its roof, a large quartz prism and a small all‑sky device are noted in operation or description.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• Noon synchronization: A quartz prism mounted on the Pinnacle channels sunlight down into the tower to correct the clock at local noon when skies are clear.
• All‑sky monitoring: A fixed fisheye instrument called Clesthyra’s Eye looks straight up to record the entire sky at once, useful for tracking fast‑moving meteor trails.
• Integrated rooftop works: As part of the starhenge, the Pinnacle and its instruments are mechanically coupled to the timekeeping systems rooted in the Praesidium and serve the observational and calendrical functions of the Mynster.

Relationships

• Setting: Stands at the center of the starhenge, near twin domes for the large telescope, several smaller domes, a windowless laboratory used for photomnemonic tablets, and a heated rooftop chapel used for work and instruction.
• Access: Reached by climbing interior stairs through the Praesidium to the roof, then ascending the Pinnacle’s own exterior stair.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• Form: A compact, high rooftop tower wrapped in a double‑helix of cantilevered stone treads with no railing; its flat stone roof carries fixed instruments rather than a moving telescope.
• Instruments on the roof: A south‑aimed quartz prism held in a carved holder admits a noon beam into the tower; a small glass‑domed, zenith‑facing lens (Clesthyra’s Eye) captures the whole sky in a single view.

Current Status/Location

Active and in use as part of the starhenge atop the Praesidium within the Mynster at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. It functions as both the highest accessible point of the Mynster and a mounting for the clock’s noon synchronizer and all‑sky sensor.