The Temple At 12 Cults Flat

A Temple | A Prison

12 Cults Flat is the location of a massive battle between, you guessed it, twelve major cults. While there were many movements involved that remain uncounted, these 12 cults were the most influential, the most powerful, and the most zealous.
The battle was gruesome and bloody. Creatures fought beside the cultists, avatars of entities beyond time and space clashed until it became clear there could be no one victor. All of this bloodshed occurred over a building that rose from the salt flats in Utah, a temple.
The temple appears Greek or roman, as if carved from a massive chunk of marble. The original intent was to house a power, a literal Pandora's box. The cults fought merely to keep each other out, agreeing to stop their holy war when realizing no one intended to go inside in the first place.

Neutral Ground

You have to be careful here. If you so much as utter "Deus Vult" Without going through the hoops, you'll make youself some powerful enemies. Cults are funny like that...

— Casey Mccollough from The Squire

Due to its isolated position, civilization being many miles away, and its religious significance, the temple is used by all alternative religions to better their connections with each other and settle old scores. The salt just around the foundation of the temple is a pale red and orange, the blood spilled having been absorbed by the salt over the years, as if pulled to the temple by an unseen force.

The temple was repurposed, a symbol of peach and war alike. The temple stands as neutral ground for all those in The Commonwealth of Alternative Religion . This is where disputes are settled, sometimes through diplomacy, sometimes through holy war. The wars are fought in the temples shadow, always casting a sense of dread to those who wonder what lies inside. It's a prison now, and the nameless thing within must never be let free.
No one is allowed to study the temple, and being found near it without a reason is not a healthy life decision to make. Each of the 12 cults dedicate two members who monitor and patrol the temple, enforcing the rules of The Commonwealth.

Crusades and Constitutions

The 12 Cults created a complex system reminiscent of feudal society when forming The Commonwealth of Alternative Religion . They engrained themselves into the culture of The Web, whether The Web wanted it or not.
The Web is always in chaos when the cults go to war, unsure if they should intervene or let them fight. Siegfried is always on site when battles are fought, ready to bomb the temple from orbit should someone attempt to enter it. The fact that some horrible thing resides within the temple puts everyone on edge.
To the members of The Web, its only a matter of time until someone tries to go inside. They see cultists as insane, the followers of dark gods and darker agendas. They see cultists as just another villain. This couldn't be further from the truth, at least most of the time.

Fun Fact: Grail Knights

The Grail Knights are often seen at the temple, used to settle any disputes so that the cults can limit the deaths of their members. The cults contact The Suits of Four Seasons and hire the knights when a fight is the only option.
These fights rarely end in a knight's death, but it has happened on more than one occasion. Should a Grail Knight be killed within a mile of the temple, the ground rumbles, the salt cracking underfoot.
The cults and The Grail Knights are often interconnected, as both routinely offer aid as mercenaries for other members of The Web.

The Temple

The temple is made of marble, polished and radiant. The extreme climate seems to have little effect on the structure. When it rose from the salt flats, its beauty was unlike anything else. While no one has ventured inside, it is said to filled with all sorts of treasures. Relics and who knows what else from The Antediluvian Age are certainty there, as well their all powerful and terrible guardian.
The entrance is sealed, composed of two massive slabs of marble with a single seam that appears to have been filled with cement at some point over the years. This is strange, as no one really knows how to open the doors in the first place. There are no other entrances to the temple, no windows, and no indication of how to get inside.
The temple has a courtyard with statues and fountains that fill with fresh spring water. Flora grows in designated spaces and many bear fruit. No one knows how the plants are kept alive in the harsh conditions if the salt flats. The courtyard extends almost forty feet from the base of the temple's main building, ending in steps to the salt covered ground.