Temple of Aer'el

The lone peak of Grey Mountain looms over the deserted village of Aer'el, where once it was a beautifully busy place full of colors and music. Tattered awnings cover the leaning shops and kiosks, window shutters clacking in the breeze. At the base of the mountain, the graveyard is so full, it covers nearly a quarter mile square, with some gravestones dated only a few years from birth to death.


The trail leading up the mountain to the temple was once marked with violet and grey striped pennants, which have either been torn down or are fluttering scraps of faded material. The trail is full of pits and is simply missing in places as it climbs the mountain. Halfway up, the bridge from peak to peak has fallen, the detritus scattered over the trail. If one could only cross the bridge, they would be within an hour's trek to the summit where the temple sits.


The temple itself is mostly intact, though the iron doors are sitting open. Statues of Lyes'an that stood on each side of the doors have been broken, the Guardian's wings torn off and the iron staves wrenched from his hands, breaking his fingers. The fractured figures seem to look down upon the mountain in grief and there are cracks upon their cheeks that resemble tear tracks, adding to the forlorn look of the statues.


Inside the sanctuary, the stained glass windows have been shattered and the statues of the High Clerics defaced and pulled down. The halls leading to the kitchens and dormitories have been graffitied with insolent words and irreverent drawings, the dormitories burned and filled with debris. The kitchens and storerooms have been destroyed, the ovens torn apart, rotting food left in the storerooms or burnt. All of the banners and pennants that once stood proud in the sanctuary were tossed into the kitchen and burnt when the ovens overturned.


The sanctuary itself is the worst. benches were piled up by the altar where the High Cleric Nolen was tied, becoming the pyre upon which he was burned alive on the once pristine altar. The heat of the pyre cracked the marble altar and the relics removed and destroyed, including the iron Winged Staff that was thought to have been given to the first High Cleric by Lyes'an herself. The pieces of the staff have been twisted by the fire and are unrecognizable.


Of the fifty clerics and twice as many initiates, only ten remain; two clerics, four initiates, and four young village children about to take the initiate test. These ten had been on a spirit trek to test the children for magical ability during the attack. As they were leaving, the spirit form of High Cleric Nolen appeared before them, flames surrounding him. He warned them of the danger if they were to come back to the temple and implored them to remain where they were until the soldiers left. His prayers to Lyes'an faded into screams that still haunt the temple, echoing throughout the sanctuary.

Purpose / Function

The temple was built as a tribute to the Guardian of the East, Lyes'an. Until recent times, it was a place of magic, more specifically, mind and healing magic. Clerics are taught how to heal using magic, as well as meditation and starwalking. The best Healers are versed in magical and herbal healing. Citizens of a town blessed with a resident Healer rarely have illness-related deaths.

Starwalking

Starwalking is the ancient art of spirit travelling. A cleric will meditate, sometimes for days, and once they have reached the serene state of seiness, their spirit leaves their body to travel the spirit realm. This is a way to commune with spirits and Guardians. Starwalking can also be useful in Healing, to see problems that can't normally be seen.

Alterations

Fifteen years ago, the temple was nearly destroyed and the trail leading up to the temple was covered in rubble, making it too dangerous to climb.


A few surviving clerics have returned to the temple, having hidden in small caves on the mountain during The Cleansing. They are barely surviving, not daring to leave the mountain except to disguise themselves and trade herbs for food in Eastacre.

Architecture

The temple is built into the side of the mountain near the summit and so is built from the same stone the mountain holds. The great doors are built of iron and the stone is carved into flowing patterns that are said to represent the spirits of the four winds. Great painted glass panes represent the stars of the sky, placed by Lyes'an in memory of those who have passed. Each window has a different symbol of the Guardian of the East, Lyes'an: the winged Healer's Staff, a crescent moon with a star above it, the sign of the Twins (a star constellation), and a portrait of the Guardian dressed in a violet tunic and a grey robe. There are statues of all the High Clerics that have passed, save for the last one, High Cleric Nolen, as there are no stonemasons in the temple anymore. One of the surviving clerics has painted a portrait of Nolen and placed it in the space his statue would have been.

History

The Temple of Aer'el used to be a bustling community, the small village of Aer'el at the base of the mountain would supply most of the goods to the temple and the clerics would keep illness away from the village. Those who were considered of ill mind were sent to the temple for mind healing. The clerics of Aer'el were once highly requested when a negotiation took place, to instill a feeling of trust and goodwill between the two parties, especially when tension is high.

Entertainment

The clerics of the Guardian Lyes'an are also amazing entertainers, using their imaginations and magic to create scenes of historical events, as well as using music with the visual arts to tell tales of heroes past. Clerics were requested throughout the kingdom, and sometimes by Amarfians, to entertain at festivals and weddings. Their wedding visuals were especially beautiful, with spheres of light and flowers surrounding the happy couple and flowers dipping and twirling to the wedding songs played by the clerics.

Healing

The Clerics were the best Healers, trained in herbal and magical healing. Many without the touch of magic would travel to Aer'el to train in herbal magic to become village healers and wise women/men. Clerics make use of incense to calm the patients if they must remain awake through the healing, but can also use their magic to place the patient in a gentle, but firm sleep. For serious or invisible illnesses, the Cleric may starwalk to see the injury from the spirit world.

RUINED STRUCTURE
1180

Alternative Names

Temple of Air, Temple of Lyes'an

Type

Temple / Religious complex

Parent Location

Eirena