The Great Temple Sul'ran
The Genasi people discovered the temple as ruins in the mountains. The old inscriptions and statues of the many gods helped to lead the first Genasi monks to reconcile the religions of the world into the modern pantheistic belief system much of the world has come to accept. Now it has been restored and is a major holy site. Except for during the Festival of the Elements, the monks are the only ones who spend time inside the temple, or anywhere near it for that matter, due to it's isolated location in the treacherous Kal'Un Mountains. All monks are trained at the temple, and the Great Monks spend their whole lives inside the structure communing with the divine powers, only ever emerging during the Festival of the Elements for the annual Revelation.
Purpose / Function
Built by the now extinct civilization that lay at the bottom of the ocean to the north of Sul'ban, it served as a place of learning, prayer, and religious ceremony. It is possible residents of the extinct culture would make pilgrimages to the temple. Now the Genasi monks use it to train, and the Great Monks live within it's walls in prayer, discerning the will of the gods and learning a divine revelation each year to share during the Festival of the Elements. Anyone is welcome within the temple during the Festival on the day after the Revelation. People will usually enter to talk with monks, pray, and provide offerings to the divines.
Sensory & Appearance
The interior of the temple is at a constant cool temperature, no matter what time of year it is. There is a perpetual mild scent of old stone and sweet incense. During the day, the low light streaming in through the windows helps the braziers keep the interior well illuminated with a mixture of cool white light from outside and the orange glow of the flames within. At night, the interior is dim, the braziers acting as the only light source. The styling of the walls and pillars seems to facilitate a natural cycling of the air inside the temple, allowing the warm air to move swiftly up to the ceiling and settle down towards the floor as it cools to a comfortable temperature.
Denizens
The monks that reside in the temple are always very polite and respectful, and reverently quiet. However, if an individual would disturb the divine atmosphere or any part of the temple itself, their manner would change quite drastically.
Contents & Furnishings
There is very little in the manner of furnishings within the accessible part of the temple. Benches and prayer stands have been placed throughout the hall and around the antechamber, but that is about all.
Alterations
After it's initial discovery, the Genasi have done the best they can to restore as much of the temple's architecture, inscriptions, and adornments as possible. They did so attempting to maintain an accurate representation of what had been, and the monks are responsible for the temple's immaculate upkeep.
Architecture
The temple is carved from the stone of the mountainside, appearing to be embedded in the rock. It is tall and somewhat narrow looking from the surface, with sweeping curved edges that converge and point up into the sky at the apex of the temple's roof. On the outer walls, each section of flat surface features a different god's symbolic representation and inscriptions of their most valued teachings. Within, the temple appears to be like a hall, with pillars supporting the ceiling, all edges and walls carved in the same curved, sweeping fashion as seen on the exterior. Tall, narrow slits in the walls serve as windows for low light to enter. The walls feature the lore, abilities, and responsibilities of each of the gods. At the end of the hall, there is a large circular area in the floor covered with runed stone tiles. Braziers hang periodically down the hall and around the circle of runes. In between the pillars and lit by the braziers, 60 ft statues depict the likenesses of each of the gods, set into large alcoves in the walls surrounding the circular antechamber. Opposite the hall across the antechamber is a large, pointed arched, set of double stone doors that leads to the area where the monks keep their living space. Only the monks are allowed past the doors.
Alternative Names
Sul'ran, The Gods' Temple, Hall of the Divines
Type
Temple / Religious complex
Environmental Effects
The atmosphere and surroundings featured in the interior of the temple create this subtle, yet powerful feeling of ethereal, supernatural power resonating throughout the hall and antechamber. The entire structure seems designed to command respect and reverence from all who walk within it's walls.
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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