The Temple of Hecate

"There is something hiding within that wretched temple, yet I cannot seem to be able to drive it out into the open. One must wonder, what lies in that foul place? Do the priestesses of Hecate refuse the embrace of death, or did Helios not actually kill the dark goddess?" ~Church Paratir, Grand Archivist of the Authenian Archives.

The ruins of Hecate's temple are over a thousand years old, and it has been left a lifeless ruin for over eight hundred years. Though the ruins appear empty, few can deny the feeling of dread that washes over them as they approach the remains of Hecate's destroyed Temple, the site of her death.

Purpose / Function

"Some of my peers question my intentions. Do not question my disgust in the attrocities committed in the name of worship." ~Church Paratir, Grand Archivist of the Authenian Archives.

The Temple of Hecate was made to honour the dark goddess. Her followers would sacrifice their fellow mortals to earn her favour, and perform unholy rituals in an attempt to gain power. Many of Hecate's followers became vampires thanks to her dark gifts, so that they could drain the life out of innocent mortals in order to prolong their own existence.

Alterations

"Most religious groups like to build temples. I've got to hand it to the Order of Helios, I did not expect them to tear one down." ~Levoith Silverscribe, Head Researcher of the Authenian Archives.

A once structurally strong temple, Hecate's former place of worship is a shadow of its former unholy glory. Scorch marks litter the walls of the inner rooms, thanks to the divine radiance of Helios and his Order of Paladins. The fight between the two gods has left many building as mere rubble.

Architecture

Hecate's temple was built into the side of Stone Axe Mountain, and because of this, most of the rooms within it are underground, and made entirely out of solid stone. The entrance to the temple was once a large steel gate lined with black adamant, though that gate crumbled under the might of Helios' forces.

History

The Temple of Hecate was built in the year 108 by the followers of Hecate, and it became the headquarters for their cult. For the next four hundred years, the temple would be used by Hecate's faithful, where they performed mortal sacrifices and bloodlettings in order to gain favour from their goddess. Many used dark rituals to become vampires, undead creatures that fed on the blood of mortals in order to prolong their own life.
That was until the year 511, when The Order of Helios assaulted the temple. The Paladins of Helios breached the temple walls, and made their way into the inner sanctum, killing every follower of Hecate and Vampire in their path. As the Paladins slew more and more cultists, the High Priestess grew desperate. She pleaded to her goddess to destroy these invaders, and Hecate answered. Hecate herself was summoned to the inner sanctum, guaranteeing the doom of the Order of Helios. Or so it appeared. This is exactly what the paladins had wanted, for among them was Helios himself, in a mortal disguise. Helios took his true form and fought Hecate, and a battle between Light and Darkness ensued. Hecate wounded Helios, though she was no match for the Titan God of the Sun. Helios used his rays of divine light to burn away Hecate's very being. Hecate's death is the most recent death of a god.

RUINED STRUCTURE
511

Founding Date

108

Alternative Names

The Grave of a Dark Goddess

Type

Ruins

Environmental Effects

A thick, inky black vapour fills the insides of the temple, emitting a stench similar to that of rotting flesh and making it hard to look around within the temple. Some find breathing within the temple to be difficult. Some say that the more evil a person is, the easier it is to breath in the wretched air.
It is unnaturally cold within the temple. The moment someone enters, they can already see the condensation of their breath, and all but the most resilient will find it difficult to resist the urge to shiver.

Related Historical Events

• 511
  Death of Hecate