Old Medeea, Mexiira Temple: Report #4
Written by Oncali Spearfront, appointed Archivist of Elder Voros' team
On the 7th day of our expedition, we prepared ourselves to explore the remaining rooms of the Mexiira temple complex that can be easily accessed. This included the areas marked Main-08 through Main-11 (Addendum #1, Section #2), excluding the auxiliary buildings outside of the main temple. In order to access the (possible) lower levels of the complex, we would need to spend too much of our time and resources; we have decided as a team that the best course of action is to return at a later date with equipment or team members better suited for excavations such as this. These explorations filled the following four days of our expedition, leaving next to no time for the external structures of the complex.
Main-08: The room resembles chambers Main-02 and Main-03 (Report #1). Their symmetrical placement and the similar symbols/wall decorations (Addendum #2, Section #5) might indicate that the rooms had been used for similar purposes. The team managed to recover a well-preserved relic (Addendum #3, Section #41), the first one we found in this temple. The relic is a large stone slab that is lightly chipped along the sides, leaving the written text intact, much to our surprise and excitement. The tablet measures 5 fahrii in width and 10 fahrii in height, making it nearly impossible for any Meridish. Markit proposed the idea that the slab was used to keep some form of general information, a text or set of textes that are simultaneously important enough to require this form of preserving and complicated enough to not be memorized by the templars. While half of our team carried the slab back to our camp, the other re-examined the rubble inside rooms Main-02 and Main-03 and found possible fragments of other slab relics (Addendum #3, Sections #42 through #48).
Main-09: Same as Main-08, only that the room was completely ravaged. We couldn't find any relics or relic fragments under the rubble. No signs of armed conflict can be found on the walls; Elder Voros pointed out that a surface mana reading could reveal more information (Addendum #4, Section #302).
Main-10: This chamber is positioned very close to what we think is the sanctum of the temple (Main-01). A collapsed doorway on the left side of the entrance might lead to the back of the sanctum, a portion of the temple that is hidden, but should definetly exist, since the outside measurements of the site do not correspond to the interior measurements (Addendum #1, Section #1). Elder Voros theorized that this special hidden room was used by the templars that would conduct their rites inside (Addendum #4, Section #312). The many shelves carved inside the stone walls suggest this chamber served an utilitarian purpose; it is interesting that no there are almost no signs of relics, utensils or other such items. If there were, they must've been taken by the templars, which could mean that the destruction of Old Medeea was a longer processed than the Exarhi community believes. Another possible interpretation can be that these ruins were simply looted by bands of tomb raiders and thieves (Addendum #4, Section #481).
Main-11: This circular room is situated in a part of the temple we have called the "Hall of Gods" (Addendum #1, Section #3), as all available evidence points to these seven rooms being used to express devotion to one of the seven gods of the Old Religion. Chamber Main-11 is the only room accessible at the moment, but the others have a sigil present above the (blocked) entrances, each sigil representing a different deity (Addendum #2, Sections #10 through #15). According to Salazia, by process of elimination and because of its central positioning, the deity venerated is called the Stranger. That would make the sculpted figure (Addendum #2, Section #20) that oversees the room a depiction of this deity, although it appears the exposed entrance was detrimental to its preservation. The figure's face is completely smooth and somewhat oval, resembling a filenal pumpkin held upside down; nobody has any ideas under what circumstances could this happen. From his palms flows a water stream, possibly linked to a subterran river. The water flows around the perimeter of the room, making a full semicircle before disappearing into what might be a sewer or drainage system. Elder Voros and Salazia bowed in front of the statue, then washed their faces with the water and drank a few sips; Salazia told us afterwards that this was a custom from the Old Religion. Both of them reported a feeling of pleasant light-headedness and spiritual relief for the rest of the day (Addendum #4, Sections #387 and #390).
This concludes the third report of the first Mexiira temple expedition, conducted and overseen by Elder Voros. I expect this copy of our report to reach the closest Exarhi Gate in three-five days; by that time, our team might either be cataloguing the relics and correcting the addendums, or even be back on the road, making its way to the Academy. The full document will include said addendums, as well as the other raports. I will submit the work to the Head of Library as soon as we arrive, for proper formatting and preliminary publishing.
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