One of the subtler benefits of living out in the northern wilds: since the Crystal Palace was so tall and glowy, it made a nice, convenient landmark. Once you knew the mountains a little, you could triangulate your position, wherever you were, just by checking your location relative to the Palace. And of course, if you were heading for the Empire itself, well, all the better. At the moment, the very tip of the Palace was poking up above a mountaintop. It’d disappear toward the end of the day, but would reappear once they were around the mountain.