Have you ever wondered what that large glowing tower is? The one that radiates brilliant blue at night in Limsa Lominsa, and that you can see from the Wolves’ Den Pier?
It’s not the Crystal Tower! It’s a lighthouse! It’s the lighthouse. No, not that one - I wouldn’t go into Pharos Sirius again, mean dogs live there. No, instead this is…
Pharos Polaris!
It’s constructed with white chalk mined from the very cliffs upon which Limsa Lominsa rests. However, believe it or not, no one outside of those who actually work with it, such as employees of Naldiq & Vymelli’s, knows how the lighthouse glows.
The light actually emenates from the very top, even though the entire lighthouse appears to glow like a giant crystal. That’s just how bright its light is!
And you might think it’s crytal, like the aetherytes or the Crystal Tower. That’s what I originally thought. That’s unlikely, though, as it does glow quite a bit brighter. There are a few other possibilities that sailors and dockworkers have come up with, such as that Pharos Polaris is actually the work of powerful thaumaturges, who use their powers to suck up light from the sun during the day, and unleash its glow at night. Which could also be the case, given that it does not glow during daytime. Aetheryes and crystals seem to keep their shine, always!
Another, darker rumor is that the chamber atop the spire houses an ancient voidsent bomb, which they’ve jerry-rigged into a cage to torment until it gets angry enough to burn blue light in the evenings. That’s pirates for you, but I’d rather not think about that possibility!
For the best views, you can see Pharos Polaris nicely from Middle La Noscea, or up close if you head into Limsa itself. There are a few nice vantage points, such as the stone path just south of the Aetheryte Plaza, or, for the closest view, by taking the steps down to the docks from Hawkers’ Round.
If you’re feeling extra bold, you can even sneak onto one of the pirate ships and take a photo from its stern.
And then if you’re extra lucky, you’ll get caught and forced to do unpaid labor for three hours until the captain goes to sleep!
