Salt Lake Temple of Akadi
The Salt Lake Temple of Akadi, so named for the nearby town and the god it was created to venerate, is one of the few ancient elemental temples still in operation. The temple was built to protect the Eyes of Akadi, and both the Eye and it's former head guardian, Akadi’s Wrath, played major roles in causing the Siege of Salt Lake.
Purpose / Function
Like all of the ancient elemental temples scattered throughout Faerun, the Temple to Akadi was built as a place of veneration to Akadi herself and to protect both a portal into the Elemental Plane of Air and the Eyes of Akadi.
The temple was created to force anyone entering to pass a series of trials or test, that could be as difficult or simple as the head guardian of the temple decided. This was done to ensure that only the truly worth would have the opprotunity to gaze open the Eyes of Akadi and the greater Elemental Plane of Air as a whole.
The temple is still in functioning today, unlike most ancient elemental temples which have fallen dormant.
Alterations
The interior of the temple is constantly in a state of flux, due to the manipulations of the current head guardian. At any given times, the temple's layout could include fights to the death, elemental based puzzles, riddles, or more. This had made mapping the temple impossible, but ensures that no two entrants face the same challenges.
Architecture
The one element of the temple that never changes is the final room, which lies beyond a portal into the Elemental Plane of Air. This final room has a floor and ceiling made of solid clouds, held in place by a ring of columns that serve, which allows visitors to view the Plane in all directions. The room itself overlooks an ever-raging storm. In the center of the room, a massive 20 ft. tall statue of a woman, presumed to be one interpretation of Akadi, rests. While the statue itself is impressive, the eyes of the statue house two magnificent gems: the Eyes of Akadi.
History
As far as the residents of Salt Lake are concerned, the Temple of Akadi, or more commonly "the temple outside of town," has always been there. Though every once and a while someone would brave the trials, Lakers generally kept away due to superstition.
By the 1400's, the head guardian of the temple was the air elemental Akadi’s Mercy, assisted by the water nymph Ripple-On-The-Surface-Of-The-Water.
In 1488, Artus Goldfinch, the Baron of Salt Lake, made his way through the temple and stole one of the Eyes of Akadi. This angered the head guardian, and he reforged himself into Akadi’s Wrath. Wrath used the power of the temple to bring a terrible drought to Salt Lake in hopes of forcing the return of the Eye. This action was opposed by his subordinate Ripple, who attempted to slow the spread of the drought. Artus hid the stolen jewel and told no one that he had taken it.
After two years of drought, in 1490, Mariana Goldfinch, daughter of Artus and unaware of his crime, and her cousin Gabriel attempted to reverse the drought by force. In the following confrontation with Wrath, Mariana received horrific lightning scars and one of Gabriel's legs was permanently crippled. Wrath did not kill them, his hand stayed either by Ripple or Akadi herself.
By 1492, the drought caused by the temple reached the peasantry of Salt Lake to rise up in rebellion. The revolutionaries were countered by Lord Dauner Ilzimmer, resulting in the prolonged Siege of Salt Lake. After the Breadwinners, including Mariana Goldfinch, discovered the hidden Eye of Akadi in the Goldfinch manor, they marched to the Temple to return it. Wrath had arranged the temple to be comprised of various challenging rooms, but, by his very nature and position, was forced to make them all solvable. Shortly before entering the Elemental Plane of Air and confronting Wrath, the Breadwinners met Ripple, who told them of her efforts to restrain the air elemental and gave the adventurers tools to help defeat the head guardian. The Breadwinners managed to return the Eye of Akadi and defeat Akadi’s Wrath, forcing him into a catatonic state and allowing Ripple to become the new head guardian. She promptly ended the drought.
In the years since the Breadwinners visit, Ripple has been the head guardian of the temple, assisted by her former boss, who reforged himself into Akadi’s Forgiveness.
Comments