Temple Farm of Melann

Blessed is her bounty, and honored is her sacrifice. In this holiest of places, may you feel her touch on the earth and hear the whisper of her celestial song.

— Shepard Bartholomew Howl, Holy Prayer of Greetings

At a Glance

The faithful of Melann, Goddes of Farming, dwell within a sacred temple nestled in the Farm Ward. It is a wonderous construction only made from that which can be grown or harvested from the verdant garden of nature. It has become a great pilgrimage site, and its position in the depths of the Farm Ward allows it a semblance of isolation and peace so close to the city center. The Temple Farm has a regular following from the local farming community and the Farm Ward. They receive daily visits from those followers giving prayer and offerings to secure their families and crops. The traffic tends to ebb and flow much like the weather and season. Predicted droughts and the onset of winter or summer providing a reminder and bringing an uptick in activity. While spring and fall provides an ease of activity as the community is less troubled. It is also a frequent destination for pilgrims and visitors to the city looking to sight-see something unique.

Visitors & Routines

The Temple of Melann is a sacred shelter at the end of a long trail of pilgrimage sites. Pilgrims from across the continent journey along Melann's Spine to reach this holiest of temples. The temple is an ever-shifting blur of foreign people, with few locals frequenting the temple. Her worshipper's dedication to the arduous journey to her cradle is a testament to her own sacrifices in the name of civilization.

• Shepard Bartholomew Howl - The temple's caretaker and a high priest of Melann, Shepard Howl is a benevolent man who has served his goddess for decades. His portly figure disguises a man who has diligently worked the fields of the Farm Ward since he was a child.


• Maiden Yara - An acolyte in service to Melann, Maiden Yara is an elven beauty and a gifted cook. The heavenly wonders she can create from the temple gardens can melt the soul and soothe its quiet passing. She is a comfort that there are few words to truly describe.

Alternative Names

Melann's Cradle
The Fae Gardens

Type

Temple / Religious complex

Parent Location

Farm Ward

Otherwordly Forces

Rumor has it that the thicket the surrounds the temple is inhabited by spirits of the earth and nature. Otherworldly creatures tied to elemental forces and prowling the outskirts of the temple, protecting it and its denizens from dangerous threats.

Description

Exterior

A dense thicket of gnarled trees enshrouds the Temple of Melann and shields it from the outside world. It is a place where the wild seems to have been cultivated to grow alongside its denizens. Every building in the small complex is perfectly shaped around the trees of its guardian thicket. Buildings weave in and around the trees with elaborate care put into preserving the natural world. Countless herbs and edible plants are scattered throughout the grounds, with alchemical flora and sensitive vegetation grown in carefully maintained conditions within the temple's walled garden. This protected sanctuary is home to the countless treasured gifts of Melann.
The main temple is a white stucco building constructed at the heart of the thicket in a small natural clearing. The holy building stretches four stories up into the heavens, with its last floor level with the treetops. Kitchens, pilgrim housing, storage facilities, and shrines surround the main temple with no real sense of order. The temple itself resembles the gargantuan roots of a bone-white tree clawing its way to the sun.

Interior

The outlying buildings have simple yet dependable interiors, with minimalist furnishings that provide comfortable accommodations for visiting pilgrims. All their furniture is made from carved wood or woven grasses and fibers. While twin clay chimneys rise from the temple's ovens and the kitchen bustle with a flurry of activity. Everything serves a purpose in these scattered buildings, with nothing ever wasted. Blended into all of this is the ever-present cultivation of plant life in the temple grounds.
The interior of the main temple is a marvelous work of Horticulture created over centuries. The complex series of planters and carefully manicured plants create a strange mimicry of the world. Sapling trees are grown into delicate swirls, hedges create the walls dividing rooms, while the impossibly dense limbs of spindly trees create the ascending floors of the temple. A rich earthy scent permeates the building and exudes an almost otherworldly aura of natural beauty within its mudbrick shell.