Arboreal Cathedral of Voga
Located in the center of Cindstroom, an immaculate and well-tended arboretum gives visitors the sense of having stepped out of the city and into another world. The centerpoint of the garden is the tree-like tower of the Arboreal Cathedral of Voga.
The cathedral stands proudly as a symbol of both Cindstroom's Elven heritage and the legacy of the Old Gods.
Purpose / Function
The Arboreal Cathedral serves primarily as a religious landmark and signifies a unity between the Elven cultural heritage of the area and the human settlement which changed the landscape. Services associated with the Old Gods are held within the cathedral, and religious pilgrimages to important sites for followers of the Old Gods often begin here.
The Cathedral also often acts as a central gathering place for the people of Cindstroom, with major festivals and important events being set up within the arboretum found around the cathedral proper.
Alterations
The appearance and structure of the Arboreal Cathedral have remained mostly unchanged through time, although some repair and restoration work has been necessary.
Architecture
The Arboreal Cathedral is a dark stone structure incorporating Elven grace, human grandeur, and inspiration from the natural world.
The main tower, slender and elegant reaches up to the sky like an immense tree. The surface of the stone from a distance appears like the ridges of bark, but upon closer inspection, the carvings are found to be intricate carvings depicting flora, fauna, and many sacred symbols.
Balconies are dotted along the height of the tower, resembling branches and nodules. They jut out like natural growths from the tower in an organic pattern and spacing, aiding the illusion of the cathedral's arboreal nature.
Atop the tower, a series of rounded roofs crafted from oxidized copper creates a green canopy, which casts its shade around the base of the tower.
Stone steps rise a short distance to the massive oaken doors that lead into the cathedral where lofty ceilings are supported by slender, elegantly arched columns. These columns end in carved stone branches, giving visitors the sensation of standing in an ancient forest.