The Cathedral of Saint Ursola

The city of Delta can claim possession of fewer structures more impressive than the Cathedral of Saint Ursola. A glorious wonder of arcane metalwork and handcrafted stained glass, the Cathedral is a jewel in the city's crown and a point of pride of its people. Though it sits in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, the First District, the Cathedral itself is a more modern construction, built in 530 YC in honor of the achievements of its namesake saint. Its style draws from the architectural traditions of the region but with a decidedly contemporary twist; its elegant, arching silhouette is unique within Delta, and because of it the Cathedral stands out against the strong, angular geometry common among the other buildings nearby.

Up until the destruction of Delta in 714 YC, the Cathedral of Saint Ursola was a functioning temple of the faith of Dichotomism. The Cathedral served a broad swath of Delta's population, and daily masses drew crowds of thousands of worshippers. Thirty-two pastors served at the Cathedral as of 714 YC. Three of those pastors were known clerics: Alatara Florentin, a skilled healer and generalist pastor; Aloisio Loro, a former soldier turned devoted preacher; and Elena Sevilla, a pastor specialized in the study of the Huntress and the Thief.

Architecture

The Cathedral of Saint Ursola is a product of arcane architecture modeled after the local style, but loosely so. A sweeping, curvy structure, the Cathedral stands out against the blocky geometry popular throughout the rest of the city. The walls are sleek white marble and silvery metal, with brightly-colored stained glass standing in for the bands of patterns that traditionally adorn structures' edges and vertices. A seven-section roof reminiscent of billowing sails arches over the top of the Cathedral, vividly bright in the sunlight.
The interior shape of the building is fanlike; a large central nave extends from the main doors and leads to the worship hall. Additional wings spread out on each side. On the left are the quarters of the pastors that live at the Cathedral, as well as study halls and libraries. On the right are private rooms for consultations between pastors and those that worship there. There is also a lower level, a smaller and more private worship hall that also contains the reliquaries associated with Saint Ursola.

History

The Cathedral's construction began in 527 YC, shortly after the death and canonization of Saint Ursola. After her death, it was determined that a cathedral be built to host her relic, the Staff of Saint Ursola. Construction of the Cathedral took three years, and by early 530 YC, the Cathedral was open to the public; huge crowds flocked to the first several weeks of masses.

Saint Ursola

In 526 YC, the Cathedral's namesake saint was a Dichotomist pastor living in the First District of Delta. In the early summer of that year, one of the most brazen attacks by the Other in Delta's history took place in the northern side of the First District. A massive mob of horrible Other creatures swarmed the Archival Hall, an ancient library tucked away amidst the First District, killing nearly fifty civilians as they swarmed the streets. Saint Ursola, then known as Pastor Ursola Torrellas, lead a group of thirty up against the pack of the Other, and in the chaos of battle, her companions falling around her, called out to the gods to empower her to end the fight. With a flash of divine radiance, Ursola instantly obliterated the remaining Other creatures, but shortly after perished herself as the massive exertion of power took its toll. Widely viewed as a martyr, word of Saint Ursola's remarkable act circulated quickly, and in under a year, she was canonized as a saint.
Left behind after her death were two significant relics: her ever-radiant corpse and her staff. Both are preserved at the Cathedral, though the staff has become a much more important relic over time. Though her corpse remains perfectly preserved and faintly luminous, it demonstrates no obvious magical power. A touch of her staff, on the other hand, is said to be able to cure terrible wounds and cure untreatable disease.

The Staff of Saint Ursola

A reliquary in the lower hall of the Cathedral hosts the Staff of Saint Ursola. Once a six-foot-long staff of willow, the staff was split into two sections at the moment of her death. The upper half, about two feet long, is carved with totem-like figures, while the other four feet that make up the lower half is unadorned. It is the upper half of the staff that is recognized as capable of healing, though both halves are kept safe in the Cathedral's reliquary.
In 602 YC, the staff was purportedly used by Francisca Leobo, a pastor at the Cathedral, to banish a powerful Other from the city.
In early spring of 713 YC, the staff was stolen from the Cathedral by a merrow that entered the Cathedral through an old drainage pipe. Two City Guards were killed in attempt to retrieve it. The next day, a squadron of five Watchmen of the Nightwatch recovered the staff; no official statements have been made regarding what is believed to be the motive behind the theft.

RUINED STRUCTURE
714 YC

Founding Date

530 YC

Alternative Names

The Great Temple; the Cathedral of Delta; the Cathedral

Type

Cathedral / Great temple

Parent Location

The City of Delta