Valley of the Shrines
A valley in the southern end of The Jagged Peaks, just north of the Furrow Hills, which contains shrines to the two demi-gods and founders of The Knights of the Sun, Thyr and Muir.
In 1257 CY two brothers and a sister formed the Order of The Knights of the Sun after receiving
visions from Pelor himself. They were Thyr, Arrtenach and Muir. Thyr and Muir went on to
become demigods worshipped by those inside the Knighthood - especially Muir who is the Order's
patron saint. Arrtenach fell into the dark side and became a worshipper of The Demon Prince. Thyr
is the god of wise and just rule. He is normally depicted as a wizened king seated on a great throne
holding a rod of kingship in one hand and a chalice of peace in the other hand. His principles are
Justice, Order and Peace. He represents proper and traditional rule and as such was once
worshiped (at least with lip service) by all human royalty. He is the embodiment of the
enlightened human caste system where each person fairly has their place in a lawfully ordered
society aimed at the good of all people. His priests wear white robes trimmed with silver, purple
or gold, the colors of kingship. His symbol is a silver cross on a white field. The noble eagle and
lion are his sacred creatures. Muir is the sister of Thyr. Where he represents Law and Peace, she
represents the martial valor necessary to make that peace a reality. As such, she is the goddess of
the knights. She is often depicted as a darktressed maiden warrior in shining plate with an upraised
(often bloodstained) sword. She is noble and single-minded of purpose. The tenets of her worship
include Honor, Truth and Courage. A great order of knights, known as the Justicars, are sworn to
her service. She expects self-sacrifice, humility and charity as well as unswerving loyalty. Her
standards are extreme and she quickly turns her back on any who fail to live up to them. Her
symbol is a blood-red uplifted sword on a white background, symbolizing her endless fight against
evil. The falcon is her sacred animal. She is the tireless foe of all evil creatures and undead,
demons and devils in particular are her sworn enemy.
Over time the worship of Thyr and Muir-both demanding deities-waned in favor of the more
general god, Pelor. Unable to maintain the complex in the Valley of the Shrines, the priests of
Thyr and Muir sealed the northern shrines in the valley and returned their worship to the temples in Casden. Abandoned, the burial halls still remained sacred places, and small groups of pilgrims
continued to make treks to the sealed temples to pay respect to their fallen predecessors and to
peer into the crystalline lake. As the years passed and the worship of Thyr and Muir declined, the
shrines in the northern valley increasingly fell to disuse and ruin. Only a handful of devoted
priests, led by the high priest Abysthor, were left to continue the elaborate rituals of their gods.
Despite Abysthor's devotion, his temple and the worship of his gods waned. In his final years,
Abysthor spent many hours in commune with his deity. Declaring he had received a great vision,
he traveled alone-aged and infirm-to the Valley of the Shrines, claiming he would return soon and
that the glory of Thyr and Muir would be restored. The high priest Abysthor traveled alone-aged
and infirm-to the Valley of the Shrines, but never returned. Some said he had gone there to die and
had done so alone because no other priest could cast the spells necessary to consecrate him
properly. Many groups of priests followed after him, though none could brave the corruption that
had infested the burial halls since they had been abandoned. Abysthor's failed quest was taken as a
sign of final decline. No more paladins were ordained to Muir, the once-shining lady of virtue; no
more priests entered the worship of Thyr, the once-great god of justice.
Type
Valley
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