Spindle

Spoiler Warning: This article contains information normally only found in the course of advancing the main quest line.

The Spindle, encased in the Tomb of the Eaters, continues rising upward from the Tomb's apex and into the sky.

[ Barathrum the Old ]

The beacon confirmed my hypothesis. The Spindle is an elevator, engineered by the Eaters to convey freight to and from the vault of heaven. You see, nestling, in the earliest aurora of our past, the Eaters of Earth were joined by a great coven of beings that spanned the firmament. But the Eaters succumbed to some terrible temptation, and an injunction was placed on our world.

Since then, the stars were silent to us, and our world was left to molder and decay. But something changed. The signal affirms that an entity roosts atop the Spindle, and invites us to join it.

Dare I say, is the injunction at an end? It's too early to tell, but alas, there could be hope for our world.

The Spindle is an ancient structure that extends from the banana groves of Qud to the heavens above. At least to some denizens of Qud, such as the Barathrumites, the Spindle is perceived as an enigmatic beacon of hope and possibility. It is not clear exactly how tall it is and where it may end. Near the surface, the Spindle is surrounded by the Tomb of the Eaters. It is not clear exactly whether the tomb is itself part of the Spindle or if it was perhaps constructed around it. At the central zone of the Tomb's accessible levels, the Spindle appears to be constructed of solid burnished azzurum.

Plot Significance

Through the course of the main questline, the player will help the Barathrumites to identify and decode a strange signal. It is eventually revealed that the signal originates from an entity at the top of the Spindle, and Barathrum the Old explains that the signal is a "beacon of welcoming", and the Spindle itself is an elevator engineered by the Eaters.

Asphodel, Earl of Omonporch claims to own (or at least control) the Spindle, and the player must negotiate with xem during part of the main questline (The Earl of Omonporch). Barathrum the old tasks the player with leasing the Spindle from Asphodel, and then enlisting the help of Pax Klanq to build a climber than can ascend the Spindle.

Transformative Influence

The game includes narrative clues that suggest the spindle has unique power. For example, the descriptions of certain objects and creatures that reside in the region around the Spindle make reference to the transformative influence of "Spindle glitter". "Spindle glitter dots the peel" of Qud's bananas, and sun-dried banana, which is known for its powerful ability to grant Psychometry when consumed in certain recipes, includes a descriptive note that "Spindle glitter still alights the disc-chip." On the other hand, the adiyy portends a possibly more damaging influence of the Spindle with its description, which notes that "Spindle glitter ... sucked the hue from the bug's head, chest, and wings ... and left it to flit from leaf to leaf, half-blind and dirgeful." The Adiyy is also known for inflicting monochrome on creatures it bites.