Altar of Self

Monolithic, enigmatic, and unsettling. A perplexingly shaped spire rises on the eastern peninsula in the Silver Sea. Composed entirely of masks, the Altar of Self is a confrontational structure. It is well known that masks cannot be removed and the death of the body on Maverot results in the dissolution of the mask - though the Mask Collector has seemingly found a way around this - yet here are thousands of masks with no apparent owners. No town or settlement, no graveyard or battlefield can be found for miles around; where have the people gone?
Standing before the Altar, the masked residents and visitors to Maverot find their gaze turned ever inward to the ego. The mask is the wall that protects the self; it is the banner and the flagship; it can become a symbol of power or an anchor which drags the soul ever deeper into its own bottomless desires. What connection has the Altar of Self with one's own mask? What purpose does this silent, peculiar monument serve? Where have the people gone?

Purpose / Function

obsolete **The Altar of Self is composed of thousands of souls from another world; soldiers who willing gave their lives to form a spiritual barrier between Aestrona and Maverot.** obsolete
The Altar of Self was created by Maverot as it died, a last ditch effort to save the souls of its Elanni. The Altar of Self serves a dual purpose; not only can Maverotians escape through it, they can also call out to living fragments of themselves nearby and summon them into the death dream. These fragments can help a Maverotian escape, or, failing that, will be required by the Altar to leave something of themselves behind. That which is left behind is living energy their Maverotian counterpart will gain, allowing them to exist a little longer in the dream before experiencing True Death, and possibly finding escape before then.
When it was discovered that destroying the physical bodies of the Selem-Vat who were invading Aestrona merely sent their souls fleeing back to Maverot - where they would simply fashion new bodies and return - Aestronans began desperately searching for a permanent solution for the malefic outsiders. The Selem-Vat were wreaking havoc on the population and several Guardians had been wounded. If these malevolent revenants continued to appear the damage would soon be irreparable. A plan was formed to create a spiritual barricade which would forever prevent spiritual entities from leaving Maverot.
Unfortunately, the barricade needed to be manned by an active ego strong enough to resist the challenges of the Selem-Vat. Several Aestronan Guardians volunteered, but this was widely rejected. Even irreligious Aestronans were loathe to cede to their children a world bereft of its protective spirits. Instead, throughout the coalition of armies opposing the Maverotian invasion a great number of soldiers were chosen who, upon suitably demonstrating their commitment, were allowed to act as sacrifices in a powerful ritual. Their souls joined together in one accord, these brave men and women created a great chasm between Maverot and Aestrona and established a mighty spectral guard there. As it was known that Aestronan souls were regularly ensnared in Maverot's spiritual gravity, the guard could allow Aestronans who passed through the Altar of Self safe passage back. The sacrifices themselves would guard the chasm and prevent spiritual entities native to Maverot from crossing over.
obsolete ** On Maverot, the egos of the sacrifices manifested as masks, as all egos do. They formed a strange tower as a sign to all lost Aestronan souls. It became known as the Altar of Self. ** obsolete
For a very long time, the area the Altar was located in was controlled by a wicked fey Solarcrat called the The Silver Siren. She actively interfered with souls attempting to escape through the gate and often misused her position and knowledge to manipulate or abuse lost Aestronans. However, the Siren eventually repented of her ways and sought to secure passage off Maverot for Aestronans and Maverotians alike.
Laying down her life, the Siren added her voice to the sacrificial egos that controlled the gate and became the advocate for Maverotians and the bridge over which they could cross and escape the doomed planet. She left her kindred soul the Silver Lady in her stead to act as guide to all who wished to cross over.
The gate will not open unless a person trapped on Maverot leaves a piece of themselves in the form of their mask at the Altar. Once they have rejected their ego they may escape the ravenous gravity of Maverot and rejoin the cycle of the living.

Type

Megastructure, Land based

Parent Location

The Silver Sea