"...that's big! I knew it was big, everyone's heard the stories and, well, the statue of Diyoth the Judge is supposed to be the biggest in the world, but to see it up close? I feel so small! Which is the point of it I suppose. How he looks so stern, and judgemental. One can only guess what it feels like to before him for real."
At the entrance to the Halls of the Dead in
Belyos is a statue; at over 30 meters high, it is one of the largest in the known world and it dominates the entrance to the temple behind it. It depicts the
Lord of Order,
Diyoth, in his role as judge of the dead, surveying all before him in silent judgement. From its position, it can be seen across most of the southern part of the city. He stands upright, draped in a robe, only his gaunt hands and face visible, although even that is partially concealed under the hood of his robes. In his hands is his
Memoria Mortuorum; the black book of everyone's deeds and actions, that he uses to judge the dead.
It was erected in 1807, in the reign of Til-Kalit, and whilst the creator of the work requested to remain anonymous, it is widely assumed to be the work of Paulina Frania, who produced similar pieces across the Empire at the time, although none as large, and none of them religious. The whole thing is made of a dark basalt, quarried many kilometres away in the Edge Mountains, and at night is lit by the light of thousands of candles arranged around its base.
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