Tai-Pyramid
The Tai-Pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Shadows, is an ancient and foreboding structure that once served as the heart of the Thebachao’s dark experiments. Sunken deep into the tar pits and partially obscured by centuries of neglect, the pyramid was only recently excavated by the determined Grarag and his ally Sazer.
It stands out with its sharp, angular forms — a brutal, jagged silhouette that contrasts with the surrounding terrain, resembling the architecture of ancient civilizations with its steeply sloped faces and tiered steps. The pyramid's dark stone has weathered centuries of exposure, its surface cracked and covered in the tar's oily residue, giving it a menacing, otherworldly presence.
Ancient Artifacts and Secrets
Beyond the necromantic rituals, the Tai-Pyramid holds vast secrets of the Thebachao’s empire. Artifacts and relics from their age of power are said to be buried in the pyramid’s crypts. These artifacts could hold the key to understanding the true extent of their power — and potentially unlocking even darker magics that lie within the pyramid’s walls. Some even whisper that there are untapped sources of power buried deep within the pyramid that could grant whoever uncovers them unimaginable arcane mastery.
The keys that bind the tombs are said to be magical in nature, capable of unlocking powerful gates that could release ancient entities once held prisoner by the Thebachao. These keys are scattered throughout the pyramid in hidden rooms, and many believe that the key to unlocking the final chamber lies not in brute force, but in solving the puzzles and rituals the Thebachao left behind.
Purpose / Function
The Tai-Pyramid was once the laboratory and test facility of the Thebachao. The pyramid’s design is intentionally sinister, its architecture meant to inspire both awe and fear. The sharp, inward angles of the pyramid’s levels draw the eye downward, toward the deep abyss at its core, where it is said that terrible rituals were once conducted.
Research Chambers: In the pyramid’s upper levels, the Thebachao conducted experiments.
Tomb of the Thebachao: Deeper within the pyramid lie the tombs of the Thebachao, with the final resting place of Mangkong, their leader, located in the pyramid’s peak. This chamber is sealed with a series of intricate magical keys, each crafted to maintain the secrecy and the power of the Thebachao. Their decayed remains rest in stone sarcophagi, bound by dark spells that prevent their resurrection — or at least, that was the plan.
Architecture
Its architecture reflects a harsh, brutalist grandeur — geometric, intimidating, and deliberately unnatural. Towering angular tiers jut downwards like fangs piercing the earth, for the pyramid is inverted, sunken deep into the tar pits like a buried secret. Its shape echoes the divine severity of ancient power: sharp-angled platforms, deep channels for sacrificial runoff, and obsidian-edged stairs that vanish into blackness below.
The stone used throughout the pyramid is a dark volcanic basalt, quarried from beneath Gorm itself and scorched in ancient rites. The surface of the walls is rough and matte, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Faint etchings of archaic ogre script crawl across the walls, sometimes glowing faintly when blood is spilled nearby.
There are no adornments in the typical sense — instead, beauty is found in symmetry. Rooms are often framed by massive reliefs of the four Thebachao, their faces contorted in divine wrath or twisted serenity. Bones — some decorative, some functional — are embedded into thresholds and handles. In ceremonial chambers, black iron chains hang from ceilings, clinking when the wind howls through the deep.
Where color appears, it is always vivid and deliberate: deep red pigments smeared into carvings, tar-black banners bearing sigils, and blue-green shimmer from crystals once used in necromantic experiments.
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