Abandoned Temple

Abandoned Temple
Region	Hawkethorne
Accessible from	Hawkethorne
Neutral Hub	Yes (after Tutorial)

Written by Savin

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The Abandoned Temple is the site of the portal that begun the events of the game, where Master Tollus and his cultists sacrificed Calla and Kasyrra forced her way into the plane. It also hosts a magical conduit that has been attracting various groups of ill-intent since it was abandoned during the Godswar. The Abandoned Temple is ruined following the events of the tutorial, but can be remodelled during Divine Pussy.

"The pale elves used to have druidic temples all over the Marches, and that site was one of them. It was abandoned in the darkest days of the Godswar, when the elves drew back entirely to their bastions in the Frostwood. Since they never returned, their temple fell into ruin with the passage of age. It's been that way ever since."
—The Baroness

Description

Exterior:

You stand at the foot of a pair of huge, sweeping marble stairs leading up to the entrance of an ancient stone temple. The arched entrance is flanked by monstrous stone gargoyles, each holding a barbed trident and shield in its hands; the filigree on the shields has long since been worn away by time, though you think you can vaguely see the outline of a hawk on one of them. The temple's roof seems to have caved in at some point, letting in the fury of the elements; wind howls and whips through the open-standing doorway.

Interior:

You stand in the heart of the abandoned temple, surrounded by collapsed bits of roof and marble pillars. The rubble has been cleared away from the center, however, around the radiant, glowing plane of the portal in the center of the structure. An altar of stone has been erected around the magical gate, stained darkly by sexual fluids of countless dark rituals to the cult's masters. The whole place gives you a disquiet, fearful feeling.

Characters

• Calla (during the tutorial)
• Kasyrra (during the tutorial)
• Master Tollus (during the tutorial)
• Quintillus (unseen, during the tutorial)
• Unnamed Cultists (during the tutorial)

Interactions

Tutorial

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"The sacrifice?" She says, as if refusing to humanize their captive. Their sacrifice. "The Master has taken her to the temple, of course. The ritual... the conjunction of worlds is tonight. Our dark lady demands sacrifice for her blessing!"

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In the tutorial, you and Cait chase retreating cultists up to the Abandoned Temple. There you find Master Tollus standing over a captive Calla, who is to be sacrificed into a portal. You and Cait do battle with Tollus but are unable to prevent the cultists from hurling Calla into the portal and into an unknown plane of existence.

Tollus and the cultists make their escape before Kasyrra emerges from the other side of the portal, causing an explosion that decimates the temple and would have killed you if not for her intervention. Whatever choice you make, you wake up a week later in The Frost Hound.

Quest Related

Divine Pussy

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This quest is centred around building a Temple of Mallach in the ruins of the Abandoned Temple. Once you obtain permission from The Baroness to use the site, you bring Barney, Cait, and Salwah to survey the ruins. You discover a magical conduit under the altar, which left unchecked could spell disaster for the town of Hawkethorne. The portal spews strange monsters as you try and stabilise the unstable magic, but if you hold the line long enough Barney is able to render the site dormant.

Once you've funded the construction, Garth will hire a team to remodel and reconstruct the temple in Jassiran fashion. If you visit the site before the temple is constructed, you can see the progress being made.

Temple of Mallach

Temple of Mallach
Region	Hawkethorne
Level range	4+
Accessible from	Hawkethorne
Neutral Hub	Yes

Written by The Observer

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Following Divine Pussy, the Abandoned Temple is extensively refurbished, becoming a beacon of Jassiran hospitality in a frozen land. Some measure of hospitality is freely available to any petitioner, while others are available for a tithe to the upkeep of the temple.

"This place is absolutely marvellous. I couldn't imagine that ten days was all it took to spruce it up, mend all the pillars and seal all the holes — looking at it, you'd never know that it used to be an old elven ruin. Both Garth and Mr. Zethra did a wonderful job, and I'm really blessed to have such a comfortable place to do my missionary work in."
—Grand Cleric Salwah

Description

Entrance

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Floored with white and pink marble in a checkerboard pattern, the chamber is suffused with a light, sweet smell, barely perceptible unless one is looking for it; heavy, gold-trimmed draperies hang from the walls, keeping out the cold of the marches. Save for the couple of braziers doused with aromatic oils and dancing with flame, the rest of the entryway is lit by crystal lamps, no doubt imported all the way from Tychris at great expense; a glass-domed roof lets in the sunlight after suitable filtering.

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The grand entrance, promising comfort and succour to any who enter. Grand Cleric Salwah waits here, poised to greet anyone entering her temple.

Reception

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A Mallachite temple is a place of passion and comfort, of warm fragrances, whispered nothings, gentle touches and soothing sights; the reception chambers promise all of those and more while a depiction of Mallach in stained glass, large enough to take up the height of one wall, gazes down upon all who would enter. Soft glowing crystal lamps, brought in all the way from Tychris, hang from chains and hooks, casting a quiet, sensual glow to the hallways that lead away from the main entrance chambers; the echoing of numerous footsteps rings in one's ears and down the passageways.

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Rune can be found here just beyond the entrance, propositioning petitioners looking to get intimate in the name of Mallach.

Performance Stage

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An exquisite, carpeted lounge, made for poetry recitals, musical performances, general appreciation of the arts which lie within Mallach's domain, or simple relaxation. Guests remove their shoes as they step in from the adjoining tiled hallway and take up repose either on one of the many heavy cushions on the ground, or on the padded recliners — both look equally comfortable, if in different ways. The room's designed to allow sound to carry from the raised stage to the rest of the chambers, filling the entire place without needing to be overly loud up front.

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A place to sit back and enjoy the creative arts. The minstrel Amina can be found here, as well as her watchful brother Imad.

Cait's Chambers

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Compared to the lavishness possessed of the rest of the temple, Cait's own pad is quite bare — the hallmark of a girl who spent most of her life growing up as a temple acolyte, then lived on the road for a while. It doesn't look any different from a room at the Hound, to be honest, and it's probably better for the acolytes involved that their matron doesn't live too differently from them despite her station. There's a desk and chair, as well as several cupboards and shelves for holding records and the like that come with the running of a place like this.

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Where Temple Matron Cait kicks back her heels when she's not adventuring with you or spreading Mallach's love in a more direct manner. Researcher Darius is set up near here as well, so as to have better access to the dormant portal.

Characters

• Amina
• Temple Matron Cait
• Darius
• Imad
• Rune
• Grand Cleric Salwah

Interactions

The interactions at this location are all through the various temple staff. You can also trigger new scenes on approach, announcing the arrival of a new character to meet at the temple.