The Grand Temple of Io, Sunken

Rowing out from Orlain to the Shrine of St Juilet, you pass over the sunken Temple of Io, its pillars and major dome still visible through the water. No fishermen cast their nets over the ruins. It'd be pointless as no fish swim there. If you jumped into the Lauc you'd feel a freezing chill, ice forming on your skin, even in the height of summer. The curse of the temple only touches living things, drawing out life, warmth and love from any who dare approach.

Purpose / Function

No one visits the temple now, a hundred feet of ruined marble and granite. The wood has all but decayed. Now it serves only as a warning, although some tell of nobles who sink the bodies of former political enemies in the waters of the temple, and criminal organziations who do the same. Of course none of these bodies are prepared ritually, so who really knows what happens to them with exposed to that much malice and cold?

Alterations

The largest change is that the Temple is in ruins under water. Before that, it had been desecrated by the Gods Below as part of their incursion to the surface. Previously, the Temple was one of the wonders of the world, built on the island where Io blessed the valley around Orlain to be ever fertile.

Architecture

The Temple formerly consisted of a major dome dedicated to Io, surrounded by 12 pilalrs representing their 12 virtues. The Pillars were the first things smashed by the Gods Below, and when the temple was cleansed and swept to the Lauc, 10 of the pillars were swept as well. The remaining 2, Honor and Sacrifice, make up the archway of the Shrine to St Juliet.

History

The Temple of Io occupied the island where the shrine to St Juliet sits. The temple had become overrun by the Gods Below and was their major point of incursion. In her last act as a mortal St Juliet exhausted her power to attempt cleansing the temple, and as her body was assumed the entire complex was swept clear of the island and into the waters of the Lauc.