Tomb of Danaetanera III
Il paura dour: I die not idle...
Das Anazhar the Dragon King traveled to the gates of Bainshaebo ready to tackle the universe and set the neighboring Thangiens as his first target. He expected them to bend knee and surrender before Thunthen's superior might but never expected their queen to confront him in person. She famously slit her wrists, spilling her blood around the perimeter of the entire city, vowing with her blood she had secured her people. Shaken by her sacrifice and disheartened at losing what could have been a peer and ally, he personally delivered her body to her daughter, Princess Alahaedra. The lake Deres had explored millenia prior but left unnamed would be named in Danaetanera's honor. White stone would comprise the exterior of the tomb, but in tribute to the fallen Queen, the Supreme High Overlord later personally delivered a stockpile of precious obsidian from his homeworld to adorn her sarchophagus.
Purpose / Function
The tomb houses the remains of Bainshaebo's first great queen as a monument to her devotion to her people, planet, and god.
Design
20x40x10 for the walls. Interior is entirely black obsidian.
Entries
Four arched doors in the center of each wall.
Sensory & Appearance
The room almost always appears dark both due to the lack of windows and the use of obsidian in the interior. Pilgrims must provide their own light, either torches or lanterns. The thick walls effectively soundproof the interior.
Contents & Furnishings
Mosaic portraits, paintings, tapestries, and wooden carvings portraying events of Danaetanera III's life adorn the interior walls. Cushioned benches line the wall while cushioned stools are positioned on all sides of the sarchophagus.
Valuables
Nearly all of the adornments are made of obsidian. Leftover fragments too small to be used for tiles were fashioned into jewelry or used to frame mosaics. A bust in Danaetanera III's likeness made of white stone rests on a pedestal in each corner. At first pilgrims would bring household trinkets as tribute but given the relatively small dimensions later pilgrims were told to offer flowers from Kundain insead. Urns to hold flowers are mounted on the corners of the sarchophagus.
Hazards & Traps
Angering the goddesses on this holy site is a hazard...
Special Properties
The site is considered a holy font and animals avoid the place entirely.
Alterations
Initially intended to stand alone on the island, three long stone bridges were built spaced equidistant of each other spanning from the outer shore of the lake to the inner shore of the island. Metal doors were added later to keep out the elements.
Architecture
The exterior itself is a fairly simple rectangular four-walled structure with ionic designs along the eaves and the roof tapering into a four-sided pyramid, mostly composed of white stone. Four open archways lead into the interior proper.
Defenses
No one would dare deface Danaetanera III's tomb, and any who dare try would get personally smitten by the Four Queens.
History
After succeeding her mother as Watch-Rider and taking the name of Queen, Alahaedra requested her mother interred in the wilds in tribute to her love of traveling abroad. Roth would not suffer a simple grave to honor her champion and collaborated with Eyurodin to design a structure that appeared both simple but spectacular. They selected the island at the center of the lake Deres had visited during his great trek as the site for the tomb. Initially Eyurodin intended to leave the island isolated so that only riders on pegacorn could visit, but not everyone had one and others preferred to make the trip on foot as a sign of humility. Eyurodin eventually conceded and created three stone bridges to allow for foot traffic.
Before Danaetanera III could be fully laid to rest, Das Anazhar returned alone insisting she be interred in obsidian he excavated from his own halls. Eyurodin had already constructed the sarchophagus but the two compromised and she fashioned tiles and scrolling made of obsidian to adorn the surface. Excess obsidian was used to adorn the interior of the tomb. Alahaedra originally intended to slit her own wrists and walk the perimeter of the tomb, spilling blood as her mother had. Das Anazhar strongly objected, suggesting they start with their backs to each other then walk until they met in the front. The Four Queens observed as the Dragon King and the new Queen spilled their blood together. Das Anazhar vowed as long as his line held he would not attack Thanged again and hoped lasting peace between their peoples could one day be forged.
During her rebellious phase before her harrowing, Cassatina ironically enough fled to her grandmother's tomb in an attempt to escape Alahaedra.
The lake itself would later be named as Lake Danaetanera, the second largest singular body of water besides the Winding White.
Modern Age
Ander got to pick Azuro and Aurora's names in tribute of the sky he loved and the strange light that brought him to Thanged, but Yainae insisted on naming their third child Danaetanera in honor of her ancestor. Much like her namesake, Chi Chi Lina, Danae has become a prominent envoy of the Thangien people, and alongside Bak Thraplek-a descendant of Das Anazhar-they hope to forge ties between their people as their ancestors once did.Tourism
The site remains a popular pilgrimage site to this day. Young women seeking to start families of their own or succeeding their mothers as Everlasting Mothers will leave offerings and prayers.
Tomb and Lake (VERY OLD) by Mardrena
"Most of Thanged’s water exists in underground reservoirs with the exception of a few rivers and lakes."-Rowen Hashiba
Founding Date
900 B.C. (2900 years Earth-Time)
Type
Tomb
Parent Location
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
“The only large bodies of water Thanged has are rivers and lakes such as the Winding White and the lake housing the tomb of Danaetanera III."-Rowen Hashiba
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