Court of the Old Ones

A burned-out temple, the land around it scorched and salted. Nothing grows in the surrounding area, a dead zone ringed with grass and trees. Even with the southernly location, the air nearby has an unusual chill to it, as spiritual as it's physical. The area nearby to the dead zone is abandoned, left untouched by all races since its destruction.

Purpose / Function

The Court is abandoned, once serving as the place of worship for a powerful cabal of Warlocks in the past. With their destruction, any purpose that it served was lost with their leaders. However, it was often considered to be a place where deals and bargains were sealed through portals and other means of communication.

Alterations

The destruction of the Court caused many of its outer constructions to be gutted or collapse outright. The main temple was similarly gutted, and though sagging in places remains upright. The forces who destroyed it ransacked the location, destroying everything with fire and weapons. However, they failed to push into the underground areas, relying on the spread of fire and collapsing rubble to bury the secrets.

Architecture

The Court is constructed from an unusual material. It appears to be organic in nature but is as durable as stone, undamaged by the fire long ago. In places where it has collapsed, the exposed surface has congealed with an ooze-like material; in certain locations the ooze has flaked off, revealing undamaged material once more. Sagging locations have split in places, the same ooze hardened into stalactites hanging down from the gaps.

History

The Court was first created during the Creation Cycle by a cabal of Warlocks, appearing overnight without warning. For a while, it was tolerated by the rest of the kingdom as a place where studies into magic and more esoteric knowledge could be pursued. However, eventually, a conflict arose between the Court and the rest of the kingdom leading to a war between the kingdom and the Court.
With the end of the conflict, they attempted to destroy the Court, only to find that the material was near-untouchable. They settled for burning out the interior and tearing down the statues within, salting the earth around its walls and ordering it abandoned for eternity.

Type

Cathedral / Great temple

Parent Location

Bukhisal