The Bone Court

I saw it once, the remains of the Bone Court. What a magnificent sight it was to see! I could only begin to imagine what it was like in its former glory; the great lengths one would travel to visit such a significant place along their pilgrimage. If only Valashai had the numerous strength of today as there was back then, perhaps this sacred place would have been protected.

But just as I began to marvel at the remains, the Arks ushered me away as crimson beasts clawed their way from the stonework.

— Eres Parthi, The History and Worship of the Herald of Death

To the north, included within the Tveysha nations, once stood a vast and plentiful nation. Before the unification, it stood proud and strong, the original birth place of the Herald of Death, Valashai. While the exact cause of the downfall isn't entirely known, it is attributed to several various factors. This includes the attack of various demons, and the war between the gods and revenants. Now, the nation is barren, with the only life being monsters that crawl from the depths within. Still, within its center stands the ruins of the grandest of structures: a temple known only as the Bone Court.

Purpose / Function

Few records of the northern nation survived past the unification. Historians can only guess as towards why the Bone Court stands and what for. Engravings on the wall have gathered that the building was likely a place of worship for Valashai - casting it as the oldest temple in her honor. Some indications mark it as a possible burial ground, while others indicate it held regular sermons. Some even believe it was a town center and possible even a seat of senate power. There are even indications that people lived there - whether those were regular civilians, noblemen, priests, or something else entirely isn't clear.

Alterations

There has been much debate on the surviving structure. Many wish to make preservation efforts to let it be as it stands, while others argue that there should be restoration efforts - particularly since the discovery of it as a landmark to Valashai. Even stronger is those who think the area should be left abandoned and dead as the blight it seemed to suffer. While many squabble over the decision, it erodes more and more.

Architecture

Built of white stone native to the area, the Bone Court likely stood at 500 meters by 250, and the highest tower reached 350 meters high. Most of the building is in ruins, crumbled and impossible to navigate. Of the several rooms still standing, it is indicated that the building used to be highly decorated. The walls still feature crumbling paints in blues, reds, and purples. The building features no closed doorways except for the few that lead exterior - the internal ones blocked with moth-eaten fabrics.

One prized surviving room is a round ampitheatre, upon which the outer walls seem to painted with the story of Valashai. At the center is an elevated podium - indicated this was likely a room for sermons or gatherings of sorts. The back of the room features an old broken gate leading down to a subterranean level. This has been heavily collapsed in, but recent studies indicate it may have been a mausoleum or crypt.

The other most well explored area is a courtyard, of sorts. Within it, a strange statue stands in the middle, completely smooth and featureless except for a single eye on the forehead. It is surrounded by four statues holding their left hand over the matching eye and right palm face forward. Each of these statues is pitch black - a sharp contrast to the white of the area - and wearing distinct robes with intricate markings. The strangest thing about this courtyard is that - despite the decay and overgrowth of everything around it - each of the five statues remains in mint condition.

History

While there isn't much records surviving from the area, historians have done their best to learn what they can of the building. It is likely the temple was built at the height of worship and served as the main temple for Valashai. When it was built isn't known, but it likely dated several centuries before its destruction.

More is known about its destruction. It was the last hold out within the northern nations during the war of the gods. As they waged destruction in the south, a wave of demons descended from the north. The temple finally fell into silence around -56, marking the death of the nation.

RUINED STRUCTURE
56 bu

Type

Temple / Religious complex