High Temple
Initially classified as Adhara 51e, after arriving into the Adhara 51 system it was quickly discovered that A51e was not a super-jupiter gas giant as previously believed, but a massive artificial structure, consisting of two perpendicular “ring worlds” rotating about an artificial light source.
Each ring is around 140,000 km in radius, and 4000 km in width, meaning not even counting the myriad of tunnels, catacombs, caverns, and cities spanning the subsurface, the High Temple has about 15 times the surface area of Earth.
The rings have a rotational period of 6.69 hours, creating a centripetal acceleration of ~9.5 m/s^2, slightly lower than Earth’s and Crow’s gravity. This rotation has the added benefit of giving a slight boost to any spacecraft taking off from the rings. The atmosphere is 70% Nitrogen, 29% Oxygen, and 1% Xenon. The atmosphere is easily breathable to Han-Larn, whilst Yizith can breath it for a few days before needing trace amounts of Sulfur Dioxide (which they fill their hives with through artificial means, giving them a pungent “burnt” smell which may make humans nauseous). Humans thrive in this atmosphere, as the high oxygen levels and trace xenon act as both a red-blood cell stimulant and mild anesthetic, giving a general “relaxed and refreshed” feeling.
The light source, called Euongel by the Pangard (a name sometimes applied to the whole temple as well), seems to have its own internal power supply - however, it is currently “charging”, being transmitted power from a small dyson cloud of artificial probes in near orbit of the Adhara 51, a power system perhaps put in place by the High Temple’s builders. Still, it is hypothesized that the High Temple may be capable of long-range interstellar space flight, having enough charge to survive centuries without orbiting a star. Isotope samples do suggest that it was not built from materials from this star system, giving credence to this theory.
Euongel pulsates on and off every 27.39 hours, simulating a day/night cycle for life on the inner surface of the rings - however, as the light source is always directly overhead, it's always "High Noon" on the High Temple.
Defences
The archives and auto-factories of the Temple contain many templates for advanced weapons technology, and the temple itself is dotted with many large defensive turrets, and even automated sentry drones in the most vital areas of the station. Access to this advanced weaponry was part of the reason the Han-Larn and Yizith first began warring over the station, and to this day the Orga pay an especially very high price for stolen weapons templates.
The High Temple seems to possess some sort of advanced security system that can detect forceful entry to its systems and prevent access, systems that caused the early Han-Larn and Yizith armies no shortage of frustration - indeed, the Oracle and her Engi's ability to access the Temple's archaic technologies with ease, was one of the main reasons the Han-Larn and Yizith first began to pay attention to the peacemaking interlopers.
Still, the defenses of the High Temple do not seem nearly as advanced as they should be, compared to the science and lore contained in its libraries - some hypothesize that there may be more to the Temple than meets the eye, more than even the Oracle knows (or claims to know). Its true defensive abilities may be much greater than any have yet observed.
Industry & Trade
In the old days, Pangard would trade their technology and knowledge freely with the Orga and other civilizations of the Adhara Cluster. In exchange, the Pangard were given free access to travel and explore the great trade networks, and out of gratitude for all the gifts they provided, were generally given whatever they asked of their neighbors.
When the Orga began using Pangard's gifts for evil purposes however, they were cut off from access to the Temple. Nowadays, the Pangard generally look towards their own interests, only making and producing that which they need, creating little surplus or luxury goods.
The two most common occupations (especially for the multitudes of Yizith) are agriculture and asteroid mining, with many also working as artisans and auto-factory maintenance. Many Engi serve as clerics, monks, scholars and healers, sometimes staying with and teaching their own House, sometimes gathering in the great places of learning across the Temple. Han-Larn are most likely to be employed as hunters and knights, constantly training on how to defend Pangard from threats, as well as gathering meat and game (for such an advanced civilization, they strangely never discovered animal husbandry).
Occupations are not mandated, nor are they rigidly restricted to certain kindreds. There have been Yizith Knights, Han-Larn scholars, and Engi craftsmen - but in general Pangard society is organized around each kindred performing a certain role to the benefit of the other two.
Infrastructure
The inner-surface of the rings (often just called "the surface" or "the overlands") resemble a planetary surface, having atmosphere, terrain, bodies of water, wildlife, etc. Littered across the inner-surfaces are the great holds and castles of the Houses, which generally extend underground or the benefit of their Yizith members.
Bellow the surface are a vast network of artificial tunnels and structures that ultimately connect to the outer surface of the rings, which are covered in fully enclosed habitats, cities, and factories of various kinds (generally called the "undercities"). Also on the outer surface are "eyes," huge, round domes of debated purpose, with 500 evenly space on each ring (1000 in total). They definitely seem to be some sort of observatories, and have been used for astronomy purposes - but the shear number of them, and the fact they are currently operating on minimal power, lead some to believe they may have an even greater purpose. After Eongel's "awakening," (see History) it was discovered that as well as being immensely powerful observatories, the eyes could also serve as powerful laser arrays, either for solar-sail propulsion, or for defensive purposes.
The Pangard, in their thousands of cycles of calling this place home, have expanded upon all of this - settlements and strongholds have been build all over the Temple, and many of the undercities have been expanded to fit growing populations.
They have also made the Temple more comfortable for themselves, such as the Yizith filling most of the tunnels and under-cities with trace amounts of Sulfur Dioxide, or the Engi using the advanced climate controls to put some areas of the Temple's surface in perpetual winter.
The power stored within Euongel is not known for certain, but known to be extremely high. The Temple possesses a fleet of power drones, that when deployed, arrange themselves around a star in a "Dyson Swarm" to observe incredible amounts of power - However, in the several thousand cycles of Pangard's existence and power usage, these automated drones have only deployed once, having set out to collect power just 30 cycles ago. This can only mean that Euongel's internal power storage is extreme.
Assets
The High Temple is littered with treasures and secrets - great libraries and data-centers dot the sprawling catacombs, as well as advanced machinery and automated factories. The technology and knowledge left behind in this ancient library are priceless, and for centuries the Pangard traded access to the archives to other civilizations in exchange for whatever they desired (though nowadays the Orga are more content to steal than trade).
With plenty of light and surface area for agriculture, and almost fully automated factories with a variety of pre-programmed templates, the Pangard live largely need free in what some observers have labeled a "post-scarcity economy." As long as the High Temple's factories are provided enough raw materials and low level maintenance, most basic material needs can be produced plentifully.
The Temple is however extremely complex and advanced, with only the Oracle seeming to possess an innate knowledge of how to operate the station - indeed, before the coming of the Oracle, neither the Han-Larn and Yizith were able to get anything other than minor systems functioning, nor were they able to access any major data archives. Some hypothesize that the Temple only responds to those with a certain genetic code, or that that it has some other way of recognizing Vari, and preventing access to all others.
History
Unknown to the Pangard, and indeed even unknown to the amnesic mind of the Oracle, Euongel is not a space-station, but a ship, but a living ship at that. Belonging to a species of massive and incredibly ancient cybernetic life-forms called Ophanim, Euongel "the Tetramorph" was a heavenly messenger capable of traveling via primordial wormholes to almost anywhere in the cosmos. Commanded to travel to what would one day become the Adhara Cluster in preparation for the fulfillment of prophecy, Euongel lay dormant, remaining in deep slumber for billions of years.
The Heroes of Pangard would eventually discover Euongel's true nature - the Temple was in reality a living creature, long dormant, that would awake when all "4 kindred" were gathered. At the climax of the Sarn siege of the High Temple, the heroes used the genetic material of Engi, Han-Larn, Yizith, and finally, Human, to awaken the Tetramorph. The Oracle took charge, guiding the Tetramorph and directing them into battle, and together they destroyed the Sarn forces currently attacking.
The 4th kindred having at last joined, Euongel revealed to the Pangard their true purpose - to travel across the universe in search of the "the Uplifted Serpent," a mysterious hero that would bring about "the final death of all that is evil." Thus began the adventures of the Great Pangard Mission - travelling across the cosmos to wherever the Oracle feels called, the Pangard now search for their true king, helping those in need and righting wrongs on every step of their great journey...
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