Temple of the Spirits

The Temple of the Spirits, located near Loefrett, is an ancient structure that was built prior to the Age of Strife.

Temple of the Spirits by Loreshaper Games

Nobody knows what gods, if any, were worshiped here originally, and none of the symbols found in the temple correspond to any of the deities worshiped in Roltam. In the early days after the Age of Strife, the temple was used as a gathering place, but following a cave-in over a millennia ago it has lost its original purpose.
There are six crystal shrines that correspond to ancestor spirits in the temple; their names and portfolio are as follows:

Atralar, Star Touched

Atralar is the legendary founder of Loefrett, and he is attributed with fighting against the vampires of the Empire of Egrondest, even though historians are quick to point out that Egrondest's borders only reached Loefrett centuries after Atralar's death.
Atralar is associated with a strong force-of-will, but also a great connection to the world around him; his heroic feat was sitting under the stars for three months without moving, demanding that they give him audience. Before they acceded to his request, he was confronted by Irkag, who was afflicted by a curse that allowed a demon to influence her. Instead of fighting her, he discerned the reasons for her hostility and banished the demon.
When they did, he unlocked incredible power that allowed him to protect his fellows against the dangers that lurk in the night, and Atralar and Irkag founded the town that is now known as Loefrett (then known as Laho).
Atralar's shrine is carved from yellow glowing crystal.

Elualan, Beast of the Fields

Elualan was the son of Atralar and Irkag, and was destined to help and secure Loha's future by clearing the lands surrounding the village. He went into the northern forest and chopped down the trees, working day and night in rain and snow until his task was completed, then he traveled west to the floodplains, where he was confronted by the Great Bear.
For five days Elualan wrestled the with Great Bear, even as her claws tore his skin and her jaws crushed his bones, but he would not relent. In the end, the Great Bear was killed by its own exhaustion, and so it was that Elualan made the land safe for mortals. However, the scars and injuries from his struggle made him hideous, and he would never return to Loha, instead living in the fields where he earned his title.
Elualan's shrine is carved from green glowing crystal.

Inamur, the Librarian

Inamur came from the Rift, at least according to the prevailing story, and brought an oracle's riddle to the town of Loha. The dark and dreadful future that it portrayed almost led the people of the town to turn on each other, but Nisab's grace and courage allowed her to defuse the situation.
In addition to bringing the riddle, which has been lost to time, to Loha he was attributed with bringing other great wisdom, including several spell formulae that still exist in the archives of Loefrett in the form of copies preserved by dedicated scribes.
Inamur's shrine is carved from lightning-blue glowing crystal.

Nisab, Heart's Desire

Famed for beauty and grace, Nisab was the daughter of Eshkur and granddaughter of Irkag and Atralar. She was talented in the art of spellsong, something said to be passed on to her by her unknown father. Nisab's songs were responsible for bringing the water's edge to Loha and settling the waves so that there would be a harbor for ships and boats around the town, and she attracted suitors from all three continents.
She helped to unite the people of Loha when they were divided by the arrival of the outsider Inamur, and to this day a statue of Nisab stands in the town center of Loefrett, a reminder of the value of peace and harmony.
Nisab's shrine is carved from purple glowing crystal.

Eshkur, Bear-Mother

The daughter of Irkag and Atralar, Eshkur grew up in Loha. When her brother, Elualan, slew the Great Bear to clear the fields north of Loha, Eshkur raised its cubs and trained them. When the people of Loha complained that the cubs would endanger them as grown bears, Eshkur took them to the east across the river, which she also built the first bridge over by cutting down a massive tree and setting it across the divide.
Eshkur returned to Loha later in her life with her daughter Nisab, and built the first walls around the town to help protect it from the very bears that she had raised.
Eshkur's shrine is carved from red glowing crystal.

Irkag, Fleeting Shadow

Irkag was the consort of Atralar. Before that she was a thief and blasphemer who had stolen from the temple. Doing so earned her a divine judgment that she would be possessed by a demon whenever she was under the stars. In one of these fits, she discovered Atralar alone, as he was engaged in his three-month quest for an audience with the stars. Attacking him, she managed to steal his vision and his hearing. Helpless and disoriented, but not witless, he realized that she was possessed and offered her his faith.
When she took the faith of Atralar, she found a devotion to the gods that she had lacked in her own life, and her curse was broken. She did not settle in Loha immediately when it was founded, instead going on one last quest into the underworld. She was successful and returned safely from the underworld cloaked in the abyssal splendor of the Rift. Eventually she wed Atralar, and gave birth to a son, Elualan, and a daughter, Eshkur.
Irkag's shrine is carved from blue glowing crystal.

Purpose / Function

Built to facilitate worship of six ancestor spirits, the Temple of the Spirits is also underground. There is a massive pit next to an altar in one of the side-chambers, though it is unclear whether it was used for sacrifices or has some other ritual purpose.
In one of the antechambers, four sarcophagi are in an alcove with an ever-burning flame. It is unclear exactly who is buried there. The inhabitants of Loefrett believe that these are four ancient heroes, though there are different versions of the story.

Architecture

It is immediately clear that this temple was built over the course of many generations. Hollowed into the earth, the entry and shrines to the ancestor spirits are cut out of the stone, though the area around the shrines is tiled the main areas are paved with loose stones. The Hero's Chamber is in ill-repair, and the floors here were never finished.
Continuing further into the temple, it appears that the lower level may have been built before the upper level; the stone here is ancient and engraved. The pool of water in the main corridor is only a half-foot deep, and a magical enchantment keeps it clean and replenished. Continuing down the passage is impossible due to a cave-in.
A side room leads to a ritual chamber containing a massive pit, which is cut directly out of natural stone.

RUINED STRUCTURE
180

Type

Temple / Religious complex

Parent Location

Loefrett