Bly’s Butte

Overview

Bly’s Butte is a solitary, mesa‑like prominence in the arid high country associated with the Concent of Saunt Edhar and named for Saunt Bly. From the nearby settlement of Samble at its base, a dirt road spirals to a compact summit long used for sky observing.

Notable Features

• Layered summit: The small, level top bears masonry and poured‑stone foundations from many eras, with remnants of aerial towers and polyhedral domes; the stone is stained ochre by rust from long‑vanished structures.
• Hand‑built telescope: A reflecting telescope with a hand‑ground mirror sits on a high plinth, fitted with a cobbled polar drive for tracking the sky.
• Habitations: The summit presently includes two small habitations. One is a secluded, “pinprick math”‑like cloister associated with Fraa Orolo; the other appears to be a family dwelling linked to Estemard.

Associations

• Namesake: Tradition ties the site to Saunt Bly; some accounts say local slines later turned on him after a period of contact.
• Edharian links: The butte features in Edharian observing lore and in planning and travel narratives connected to nearby maths and Ferals.

Recent Activity

• A traveling party reached the summit from Samble, inspected the telescope and habitations, and found Orolo’s work area cold and orderly but unused. A local source indicated that Orolo had gone north, and the visitors subsequently returned to the village green in Samble.

Status/Access

Access is via a rough, four‑mile dirt road that spirals up from a lot behind Samble’s ark; it is walkable and passable by sturdy vehicles. The summit remains in intermittent use by locals and visiting avout as a vantage for sky observation.