Mystical and Religious Sites

All across Adylheim there exists a rich variety of sites both holy and mystical, some of which are sites of pilgrimage and relics, others places to be shunned and avoided for fear of attracting the notice of someone you should never cross.

The August Choir of Magnificence
A grove in the vicinity of Nander is set aside for the priests of Tirell, the grove enjoys a constant summer as long as the priests there keep up their song. The song has continued uninterrupted for over 700 years, with each priest taking turns adding verses to it. The Choir draws birds and other animals inclined to sing from thousands of miles away to join in the singing. Poets, bards and all manner of other storytellers and entertainers make a pilgrimage to the Choir to learn their secret techniques and attain the blessing of Tirell.

The Cavern of Splendour
Deep beneath the Arameian Highlands lies a cave which has been carefully carved into an underground cathedral. Here the blind priests of Maadrth work and pray in the absolute dark of the underground cavern. Those few who have seen the cavern report it to be dressed in gold and treasure befitting Maadrth himself. The Cavern is occasionally visited by pilgrims, especially miners but also others seeking the favour of Maadrth.

Erina’s Home
Erina’s Home is a magnificent temple that is placed at the bottom of the Arameian sea. Those blessed enough to have joined Erina’s priests below the sea are the only ones who have ever seen it. On very clear days it is visible at night as lights deep, deep in the waters below the surface. Those priests of Erina who attend the temple consist solely of sailors who have been abandoned at sea or have drowned in her waters, they can occasionally be seen swimming alongside ships, though they carry Erina’s curse as often as Erina’s blessing.

Haven
The cathedral of Haven isn’t merely constructed by a crossroad, it is constructed on a crossroad. An ancient road runs through the cathedral, the paving stones themselves are considered sacred to Adienna. The cathedral has been covered with a mirror like stone, causing it to reflect The cathedral is located not too far north from Fort Resolve, placing it directly on the flash point between Starkwater and Arameia. While the road itself runs along what may be considered tunnels beneath the actual cathedral, the warrior priests of Adienna who have taken up residence here consider both the road and the cathedral sacred and anyone may seek refuge there, both from the law and from anyone pursuing. According to the priests themselves Haven will only fall to outside forces when those inside it no longer have faith in Adienna.

The Island Oracle
Despite being on one of the less accessible islands along the Slivers the Island Oracle is perhaps one of the best known islands on it. It is regularly visited by pilgrims and others wishing to learn what path they should take in the future. The Priestesses of Il’unnos who serve here take their wages from the gifts the visitors leave and have constructed a large, underground temple. The stone steps have long since acquired a groove in the middle where people have walked over the years. Down in a cave beneath the island itself, surrounded by water and torches lies the dreaming oracle of Il’unnos. She is considered to be the best oracle in Adylheim, second to none and many wealthy pilgrims have left this as one of the richest temples in Adylheim.

Temple of Luxor
The Temple of Luxor in Aram is the ruling seat of the Prelate of Luxor. It is a site of splendour for all who see it, the golden dome of the Temple itself is a wonder, having cost the imperial treasury at the time into a tailspin. It is a site of great interest for the various rulers in Adylheim as it is said to contain the blessed crown that Luxor himself gave to the Emperor and according to prophecy none may recreate the Empire and unite the fiefdoms without this crown.

The Necropolis
This half-sunken city can be found in southern Longmoor, though the only permanent inhabitants that live there are the half-alive priests of Maia. Priests of Maia often leave this city to collect specific corpses to add them to the collection in the Necropolis, who gets this honour and why is unknown except by the priests who are just as likely to choose a peasant as a nobleman. The priests who live here do so by their own law and have never been pestered by the local authorities, they do not allow necromancers to revive any of the corpses interred in the necropolis though, considering them all sacred to Maia. The Necropolis itself consists of a series of stone buildings, with it being built on swamp, each level has been built on top of another one as the buildings slowly sink. The priests often include bones and pieces of skeleton in their architecture. Being a priest in the Necropolis is an austere life spent serving Maia, with the corpses which are brought in being given more space and luxury than them. Every 1st of Maius pilgrims flock to the Necropolis because on this day the spirits of those interred there walk the streets of the Necropolis and much strange knowledge may be gained from these hallowed spirits.

The Temple of the Rotting Leaf
This strange stone temple in the depths of Nerin is known for its order of Smiling Priests, each of them wearing a large, fixed smile at all times. The obsequious priests live in a large temple carved out of a single block of greenstone, there are four entrances but no windows in this temple. In this oppressive and darkened temple, the Smiling Priests stand out by wearing brightly coloured clothes. Living amidst them in the temple are thousands of rats, cockroaches, flies and other vermin, causing the entire place to be covered in a constant stench of ammonia. Pilgrims rarely venture here except in the most dire of circumstances, when hoping to free their towns from the grip of plague they often come to give large offerings to the Smiling Priests in the hope of reprieve.

The Crown of the Heavens
The Crown of the Heavens is a series of interlocking metal spears sticking out of the ground. How deep beneath the ground they go is unknown, but any effort to pull them up even by the strongest ogre has failed. Digging under them has also proved futile as the soil will magically return overnight, or as soon as the backs of those watching are turned. This has not deterred it from being a place of pilgrimage for those who worship Periap-Thon, who believe that this crown was his work. As a result, the Crown of the Heavens is generally a good place to go to get something repaired as it is one of the best places to meet master craftsmen in Adylheim. Priests of Periap-Thon are said to have to pilgrimage there at least once in their life to retain the favour of Periap-Thon.

Eirwin’s Seat
Eirwin’s Seat is a large, elaborate stone throne situated deep in the Ribs to the north of Starkwater. It is said to have been enchanted by Eirwin himself on one of his sojourns through reality, anyone sitting in the seat is said to be able to see anywhere they wish. The only route to reach Eirwin’s Seat is to ascend a steep stone staircase to the top of the mountain it is located on. Gaining passage through the barbarian lands filled with Ursidaen and savage Threakians is not without a certain danger of its own though.

The Faerie Court
The Faerie Court is something of a peculiarity. It exists in a remote region of the foothills of Nevros. It is not easy to find as no priests maintain it and no roads lead up to it. It is marked only by a circle of standing stones, inside which are four more upright stones. One of these four is separately and is known as the Audience Seat, the other three are the Maiden Seats and the Throne. Each of these four seats serve a specific purpose. The Audience seat has a groove worn in it, after thousands of years of people sitting in it. Like the other three it is a simple upright stone, but it is set apart from them. Flanking the Audience seat are the Maiden Seats, both are standing stones much like the Audience seat but bear no mark of anyone sitting in them. The final seat is the Throne, which is also a standing stone, albeit taller than any of the others, it bears no mark of anyone sitting there. On the 16th of Adiennus though, after nightfall, a night usually marked by a boisterous heat throughout Adylheim the standing stones are transformed, with the Throne becoming an actual Throne made of woven gold and the Maiden Seats becoming pillars of silver. All manner of faeries wander around the standing stones, but none may harm a man on this night. Anyone sitting in the Audience seat on this night may plead their case before the Queen of the Faeries. Some have even been known to ask a boon of her, though such favours rarely come cheap.

The Ice Arena
The Ice Arena is a natural amphitheatre which has later been added to and altered throughout its thousands of years of use, currently it is one of the largest arenas in Adylheim. Capable of housing as many as 20 000 people. It is situated on one of the taller mountains in Starkwater, the year round snow and ice which has been known to cover part of the arena is the reason for its name. Every year, on the first of Theriumnus a champion from among the priests of Therium and one from the priests of Arthium meet in this arena and battle to the death. Deciding who will be superior for the next year. The event has never failed to fill every seat in the arena.