The War Royalty's personal shrine.
A large structure in the inner ring of the War Fortress, the family shrine of the War family is a traditional building. Unlike the rest of the Fortress, which is made of bright red stone, this shrine was crafted out of reinforced Cedar wood. Each plank has been stained crimson. Though made of wood, the shrine is one of the strongest structures in the entire fortress, as it has been heavily reinforced with magic, as well as iron. The presence of the wood is as much a sign of the power of the War royalty as anything else, as large amounts of wood are very hard to come by in the volcanic wastes of Ifaistelo Volcano, where the frequent eruptions cause a shortage of plants due to the heat and darkness.
The entrance to the shrine was a large, wooden gateway. Passing beyond the gateway if you weren't of Royal blood was strictly forbidden, and anyone caught doing so outside of the company of a Royal was an executable offense. The gateway was flanked by a pair of Ruby dragon statues, which were enchanted to sense if the approaching individual had royal blood. Beyond the gateway, a set of stairs rose to the shrine itself. A small cluster of trees had been painstakingly grown, giving the shrine a degree of privacy by hiding the actual buildings from the outside world.
At the top of the stairs, there was a small clearing in the trees. Two more Ruby dragons stood at the top of the stairs, their heads bowed respectfully to the Royal family. To the left, a small wooden structure held a collection of musical instruments if the visitors wished to use them. Next to this hall of music, there was another smaller building. It contained a single stone basin, which was filled by a magic well that stretched deep underground to draw up fresh water. The water was used to purify the hands before touching the shrine, and the mouth before speaking to the gods.
Across the clearing from the stairs, the main structure of the shrine is a large, two room building. The first room is drawn with many images representing the gods, all clustered around a statue of Vaerath. On the ceiling, there is a representation of the sky, with Vaerath's constellation in the center and prominently displayed. In front of the statue, a single long cushion stretches out. The shrine is not used for offerings to the god, instead being used for meditations and introspection by the Kings and Queens of War, and as such features no basin or slab for the placing of offerings. However, four holes in the floor in front of the statue can be filled with incense as a gesture of respect or worship to the god.
Behind the statue of Vaerath, there is a second doorway. On the other side is the Royal crypt, where statues and tombs for each member of the Royal family to die are maintained. As a reminder of the inevitability of death, each Royal must make a tomb for any children they have, meaning the shrine currently has five tombs. The first King and Queen of War are in the center, given the place of prominence out of respect for their creation of the country. Z'laenna's tomb waits on the right side of the firsts, and Vioroll's waits on the left. Next to his, a tomb waits for his daughter, constructed by hand by her father to remind him of the important lessons the demons learned long ago about life and death. Immortality doesn't mean invincibility, and the war twins count themselves very fortunate that they had not yet perished, especially when the other Royal lines had all lost members.
The crypt room is dark, only lit by a single torch and the points of light from burning incense if it is being used in prayer. The design of there being less light the further into the shrine one went was an intentional one, and behind Vaerath, the only light was that which the visitor brought with them. However, hidden behind the statue of the first King of War, there was a small door.
Behind the main structure of the shrine sat a hidden garden. Built to resemble the kingdom it sat in the heart of out of white gravel and stones drawn from deep in the volcano, the area remained warm, heated by the volcanic rocks, no matter how long they'd had to cool. In the middle of this representation of the kingdom was a series of stones that acted as flat platforms for meditation. Different colored stones were set on the edges of the garden, with deep blue stones representing the oceans surrounding them. A pitch black stone sat on the southern border, representing the kingdom of Death to the south. On the southeastern corner of the garden, there was a stone in a wilted, tan and brown color, representing the Kingdom of Famine to the southeast. On the eastern border of the garden, there sat a silvery grey stone, representing the kingdom of Conquest to the East. Outside of the garden itself, there was a stone that was an odd mix of black and white, set on it's own off the edge of the Conquest side. This stone represented the main temple of Vaerath. On the south, outside of the garden itself, there was a line drawn near the shrine structure. In pure white, the line represented the border of the demon's lands, the point where the demons' control was replaced by the power of their ancient enemies and cousins, the angels.
The main feature of the garden itself, however, was the reconstruction of the Ifaistelo Volcano. This expansive stone representation of the volcano glowed from within, casting an eerie red light over the entire garden. In spite of this, the meditation stones still seemed peaceful, surrounding a single pool of water. In the center of this pool, there was a single point of light. A light stone. Representing both aspects of Vaerath was important to the King and Queen who built the shrine. On the back wall of the shrine, at the northern edge of the garden, a representation of the sun hung. A stone carving, again out of Light Stone, it represented Vaerath's equal and partner, Haliea. In front of the sun, however, a representation of the moon, forged out of Darkness stone, was set out, casting the entire garden into an eternal eclipse. This was done to remind the Demons of exactly who they were, and why there were there. Former followers of Haliea, they had been shown the truth of the world by Vaerath during an eclipse, and had broken away. Haliea had never forgiven them, and most demons had not cared. They followed Vaerath now, and it was his word and will that directed them. No longer worshiping the sun and moon, this temple was designed to follow the god of light and darkness, and the demons had chosen their side in the conflict carefully. The shrine honored this, and was carved out of the dark. Dedicated to blood and darkness, the Royal demons of war held this place as sacred, a representation of their kingdom in service to their true god. And that was how it was meant to be. It made the land an invaluable place for reminding them of who and what they were, and for focusing their minds to the true tasks ahead of them.
Today, all the incense had been lit. Vioroll had come early, setting up the incense and offering the usual prayers for guidance and judgement. He had spent a long time arguing with his sister the night before, discussing many of the matters relating to his daughter's training. First and foremost, of course, had been that she needed to be educated on the political side of things, which he had tried to keep her out of for the most part. Z'laenna was much more experienced at it, and he was perfectly fine to let Charlotte sit it out. He knew she'd have to learn eventually, but he'd wanted to give her a bit longer with that kind of innocence before he was forced to take it away and show her how dark their kingdom really was.
At the same time, part of him was glad that she was being ascended to Heiress. Technically he was still in front of her in the ascension, but he wasn't going to stand in her way when it came time, at most taking a position as regent if it came down to it. Since this entire situation required Z'laenna to die, however, he had severe doubts that she was ever going to ascend in the first instance. Still, War had a habit of being prepared, even when it seemed unnecessary. It was why they had a well trained and well stocked army, even though they shared no borders with any enemy that they'd actually expect to fight. It was why Z'laenna always had plans in place for unusual occurrences, and why Vioroll had spread a spy network throughout all of Katakarthia. You didn't win a war by being the last to react.
It was his next task, then, to make sure that Charlotte was ready when the war inevitably came calling. The first step was training her in the family magic. Control magic was powerful, and something that every Royal in the family had put heavy stock in. It had basically built War, and they all knew it. Z'laenna's puppetry, his animal control, even their father's elemental manipulations, they were all the magic that had built and maintained the kingdom, and Vioroll knew Charlotte would need to access hers if she wanted to take control. Teaching her would be a difficulty, though.
Vioroll had unlocked his magic during intensive training with his own father. The man had struck at him with a blade he couldn't block. In a moment, he realized he was going to die and that he couldn't stop his father from killing him. In that instant, his magic pulsed outwards, branding a nearby crow, which swept down and threw itself in front of the blade. If he recalled correctly, Z'laenna had discovered her magic through careful study and planning, simply trying to push energy through a toy puppet when they were children until it came to life and moved at her direction. While Vioroll hoped that Charlotte would be able to access her power through study and practice, he feared she would be like him, and would require a severe, life-or-death situation to awaken her strength.
He put all that out of his mind. For the moment, he had to think about mixing her two training regimens. Her magic and leadership. With any luck, she'd take to it well. As Queen, she'd need both.
The ritualistic purification of his hands and mouth was almost mechanical, too familiar and simple to even think about.
Vioroll walked into the shrine to Vaerath, then knelt on the cushion set in front of the statue. He prayed for his daughter, asking the god to illuminate her path so she could learn and realize her potential. He prayed that she would become a leader that War could be proud of. Then he prayed that he would be able to see the way to get her to where she needed to be.
After praying for nearly half an hour, he rose and made his way to the back of the room. He always made sure to visit the crypt if he went to the shrine. He and his sister had laid first his father, then his mother, to rest in the tombs in the back. It had been a humbling, and eye opening experience, to see his parents claimed by death one after the other, and be able to look over and see his own tomb, waiting open for him to join them. It had taught him to respect death more than a thousand clashes on the battlefield. And then, when Charlotte had been born and he had to build her tomb, he came to realize the full lesson the ritual had been meant to teach him. With this knowledge in hand, he had gone on to be her father, doing the best he could as her only parent, though he feared that he had not done well enough.
Putting those thoughts aside, he set a hand on his mother's tomb, looking at her statue for several seconds in silent contemplation. Then, he slipped out the back. Only the Royals were allowed into the garden. While they could bring anyone else into the Shrine, and even into the crypt if they chose, the garden was reserved as a sacred place of meditation and contemplation for the royal family. Anyone else entering was forbidden on pain of death.
He moved to the stone in the cener of the representation, on the northern side of the pool of water. He moved to his knees, leaning back on his feet and folding his hands over his thighs. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, getting lost in deep thought. He wasn't sure what to do, but if he waited long enough, he knew an answer would come to him. It always did.
Until then, he could also wait for his daughter. He'd sent a message to her, telling her where to meet him for her training, and he expected her to arrive soon enough. He wasn't sure how long it would take, and he didn't particularly care as long as she showed up this time.
A large structure in the inner ring of the War Fortress, the family shrine of the War family is a traditional building. Unlike the rest of the Fortress, which is made of bright red stone, this shrine was crafted out of reinforced Cedar wood. Each plank has been stained crimson. Though made of wood, the shrine is one of the strongest structures in the entire fortress, as it has been heavily reinforced with magic, as well as iron. The presence of the wood is as much a sign of the power of the War royalty as anything else, as large amounts of wood are very hard to come by in the volcanic wastes of Ifaistelo Volcano, where the frequent eruptions cause a shortage of plants due to the heat and darkness.
The entrance to the shrine was a large, wooden gateway. Passing beyond the gateway if you weren't of Royal blood was strictly forbidden, and anyone caught doing so outside of the company of a Royal was an executable offense. The gateway was flanked by a pair of Ruby dragon statues, which were enchanted to sense if the approaching individual had royal blood. Beyond the gateway, a set of stairs rose to the shrine itself. A small cluster of trees had been painstakingly grown, giving the shrine a degree of privacy by hiding the actual buildings from the outside world.
At the top of the stairs, there was a small clearing in the trees. Two more Ruby dragons stood at the top of the stairs, their heads bowed respectfully to the Royal family. To the left, a small wooden structure held a collection of musical instruments if the visitors wished to use them. Next to this hall of music, there was another smaller building. It contained a single stone basin, which was filled by a magic well that stretched deep underground to draw up fresh water. The water was used to purify the hands before touching the shrine, and the mouth before speaking to the gods.
Across the clearing from the stairs, the main structure of the shrine is a large, two room building. The first room is drawn with many images representing the gods, all clustered around a statue of Vaerath. On the ceiling, there is a representation of the sky, with Vaerath's constellation in the center and prominently displayed. In front of the statue, a single long cushion stretches out. The shrine is not used for offerings to the god, instead being used for meditations and introspection by the Kings and Queens of War, and as such features no basin or slab for the placing of offerings. However, four holes in the floor in front of the statue can be filled with incense as a gesture of respect or worship to the god.
Behind the statue of Vaerath, there is a second doorway. On the other side is the Royal crypt, where statues and tombs for each member of the Royal family to die are maintained. As a reminder of the inevitability of death, each Royal must make a tomb for any children they have, meaning the shrine currently has five tombs. The first King and Queen of War are in the center, given the place of prominence out of respect for their creation of the country. Z'laenna's tomb waits on the right side of the firsts, and Vioroll's waits on the left. Next to his, a tomb waits for his daughter, constructed by hand by her father to remind him of the important lessons the demons learned long ago about life and death. Immortality doesn't mean invincibility, and the war twins count themselves very fortunate that they had not yet perished, especially when the other Royal lines had all lost members.
The crypt room is dark, only lit by a single torch and the points of light from burning incense if it is being used in prayer. The design of there being less light the further into the shrine one went was an intentional one, and behind Vaerath, the only light was that which the visitor brought with them. However, hidden behind the statue of the first King of War, there was a small door.
Behind the main structure of the shrine sat a hidden garden. Built to resemble the kingdom it sat in the heart of out of white gravel and stones drawn from deep in the volcano, the area remained warm, heated by the volcanic rocks, no matter how long they'd had to cool. In the middle of this representation of the kingdom was a series of stones that acted as flat platforms for meditation. Different colored stones were set on the edges of the garden, with deep blue stones representing the oceans surrounding them. A pitch black stone sat on the southern border, representing the kingdom of Death to the south. On the southeastern corner of the garden, there was a stone in a wilted, tan and brown color, representing the Kingdom of Famine to the southeast. On the eastern border of the garden, there sat a silvery grey stone, representing the kingdom of Conquest to the East. Outside of the garden itself, there was a stone that was an odd mix of black and white, set on it's own off the edge of the Conquest side. This stone represented the main temple of Vaerath. On the south, outside of the garden itself, there was a line drawn near the shrine structure. In pure white, the line represented the border of the demon's lands, the point where the demons' control was replaced by the power of their ancient enemies and cousins, the angels.
The main feature of the garden itself, however, was the reconstruction of the Ifaistelo Volcano. This expansive stone representation of the volcano glowed from within, casting an eerie red light over the entire garden. In spite of this, the meditation stones still seemed peaceful, surrounding a single pool of water. In the center of this pool, there was a single point of light. A light stone. Representing both aspects of Vaerath was important to the King and Queen who built the shrine. On the back wall of the shrine, at the northern edge of the garden, a representation of the sun hung. A stone carving, again out of Light Stone, it represented Vaerath's equal and partner, Haliea. In front of the sun, however, a representation of the moon, forged out of Darkness stone, was set out, casting the entire garden into an eternal eclipse. This was done to remind the Demons of exactly who they were, and why there were there. Former followers of Haliea, they had been shown the truth of the world by Vaerath during an eclipse, and had broken away. Haliea had never forgiven them, and most demons had not cared. They followed Vaerath now, and it was his word and will that directed them. No longer worshiping the sun and moon, this temple was designed to follow the god of light and darkness, and the demons had chosen their side in the conflict carefully. The shrine honored this, and was carved out of the dark. Dedicated to blood and darkness, the Royal demons of war held this place as sacred, a representation of their kingdom in service to their true god. And that was how it was meant to be. It made the land an invaluable place for reminding them of who and what they were, and for focusing their minds to the true tasks ahead of them.
Today, all the incense had been lit. Vioroll had come early, setting up the incense and offering the usual prayers for guidance and judgement. He had spent a long time arguing with his sister the night before, discussing many of the matters relating to his daughter's training. First and foremost, of course, had been that she needed to be educated on the political side of things, which he had tried to keep her out of for the most part. Z'laenna was much more experienced at it, and he was perfectly fine to let Charlotte sit it out. He knew she'd have to learn eventually, but he'd wanted to give her a bit longer with that kind of innocence before he was forced to take it away and show her how dark their kingdom really was.
At the same time, part of him was glad that she was being ascended to Heiress. Technically he was still in front of her in the ascension, but he wasn't going to stand in her way when it came time, at most taking a position as regent if it came down to it. Since this entire situation required Z'laenna to die, however, he had severe doubts that she was ever going to ascend in the first instance. Still, War had a habit of being prepared, even when it seemed unnecessary. It was why they had a well trained and well stocked army, even though they shared no borders with any enemy that they'd actually expect to fight. It was why Z'laenna always had plans in place for unusual occurrences, and why Vioroll had spread a spy network throughout all of Katakarthia. You didn't win a war by being the last to react.
It was his next task, then, to make sure that Charlotte was ready when the war inevitably came calling. The first step was training her in the family magic. Control magic was powerful, and something that every Royal in the family had put heavy stock in. It had basically built War, and they all knew it. Z'laenna's puppetry, his animal control, even their father's elemental manipulations, they were all the magic that had built and maintained the kingdom, and Vioroll knew Charlotte would need to access hers if she wanted to take control. Teaching her would be a difficulty, though.
Vioroll had unlocked his magic during intensive training with his own father. The man had struck at him with a blade he couldn't block. In a moment, he realized he was going to die and that he couldn't stop his father from killing him. In that instant, his magic pulsed outwards, branding a nearby crow, which swept down and threw itself in front of the blade. If he recalled correctly, Z'laenna had discovered her magic through careful study and planning, simply trying to push energy through a toy puppet when they were children until it came to life and moved at her direction. While Vioroll hoped that Charlotte would be able to access her power through study and practice, he feared she would be like him, and would require a severe, life-or-death situation to awaken her strength.
He put all that out of his mind. For the moment, he had to think about mixing her two training regimens. Her magic and leadership. With any luck, she'd take to it well. As Queen, she'd need both.
The ritualistic purification of his hands and mouth was almost mechanical, too familiar and simple to even think about.
Vioroll walked into the shrine to Vaerath, then knelt on the cushion set in front of the statue. He prayed for his daughter, asking the god to illuminate her path so she could learn and realize her potential. He prayed that she would become a leader that War could be proud of. Then he prayed that he would be able to see the way to get her to where she needed to be.
After praying for nearly half an hour, he rose and made his way to the back of the room. He always made sure to visit the crypt if he went to the shrine. He and his sister had laid first his father, then his mother, to rest in the tombs in the back. It had been a humbling, and eye opening experience, to see his parents claimed by death one after the other, and be able to look over and see his own tomb, waiting open for him to join them. It had taught him to respect death more than a thousand clashes on the battlefield. And then, when Charlotte had been born and he had to build her tomb, he came to realize the full lesson the ritual had been meant to teach him. With this knowledge in hand, he had gone on to be her father, doing the best he could as her only parent, though he feared that he had not done well enough.
Putting those thoughts aside, he set a hand on his mother's tomb, looking at her statue for several seconds in silent contemplation. Then, he slipped out the back. Only the Royals were allowed into the garden. While they could bring anyone else into the Shrine, and even into the crypt if they chose, the garden was reserved as a sacred place of meditation and contemplation for the royal family. Anyone else entering was forbidden on pain of death.
He moved to the stone in the cener of the representation, on the northern side of the pool of water. He moved to his knees, leaning back on his feet and folding his hands over his thighs. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, getting lost in deep thought. He wasn't sure what to do, but if he waited long enough, he knew an answer would come to him. It always did.
Until then, he could also wait for his daughter. He'd sent a message to her, telling her where to meet him for her training, and he expected her to arrive soon enough. He wasn't sure how long it would take, and he didn't particularly care as long as she showed up this time.
