The Exalted Island
"Behold the Exalted Island. The closest you can get to the Gods without dying."For as long as recorded history can follow, there has been a place where servants of the gods can gather safely: the Exalted Island. The island itself is nearly as large as one of the Empire's provinces, and is littered with temples in various conditions. Most people are aware of places of existing religions such as the Grand Circle, Mother's Forge, or the Eldest Grove. Fewer are aware of smaller shrines which are quiet or even forgotten, such as the Wolfheart Stone or Nameless Tomb. Strong divine magic keeps most people from starting fights, and those who bare steel with murderous intent are often made an example of. The gods do not often intervene on Erisdaire, but the Exalted Island is a place where their presence is consistently felt.
Many of the pantheons who are represented here have the leadership located here, since they need not fear any open problems. The only current exception is the Rhyliss pantheon of the Twelve, as the heads of each order are in Eva Valoria. There is also a curious claim by the dwarves of how the Mother's Forge is not the "heart" of their religion, as that has yet to be reclaimed.
Travel onto the island is mostly handled through passenger ships leaving from Eva Oceana or Saltbreeze Harbor. A few arcanists maintain teleportation circles for arcane transport, though this is treated more as an "emergency measure" in case of an evacuation or important business which cannot wait for a sea voyage.
Grand Circle
Walk with dignity and respect. The Twelve are watching.Located on the northern portion of the island, there is a large circular clearing which holds twelve temples within it, and a simple spire of sandstone representing the Rhyliss Empire's capital within the middle. This space is devoted to the Twelve, pantheon of the Rhyliss Empire. Built several centuries ago, there was a concerted effort to make certain no one temple here would be larger than another. This led to each temple being relatively small, staffed by a handful of clergy who maintain the grounds and meet with supplicants who make the journey.
The devotees of the Twelve maintain good relationships with others on the island by using their spare time to help maintain it. Sometimes there are delegations from the Twelve Orders present in order to do work on the island. This includes work such as doing repairs on streets or buildings, or lending their scribes to other temples to help maintain libraries or archives. One time when a visitor accidently brought a plague to the island, the Grand Circle stood mostly quiet as all available priests arrived to aid in an effort to keep it from spreading further.
Mother's Forge
We are made through fire and hammer, forge and anvil.The dwarves maintain only one structure, an underground set of chambers located within the mountain at the center of the island. Those looking to find it will find adamantine doors which are large enough to admit even giants. Dwarven guards are present with armor of a similar material, which have facial coverings depicting a stern dwarven patriarch. These guards are called the "Father's Sons", devoting themselves to this post for life. Their function is to open the gated for visitors, and turn away those who have no clear business within.
The central chamber of the underground structure is a chamber with marble walls and floor leading to a large forge of archaic design. There is a trough-shaped coal furnace, a simple anvil with little ornamentation, and a rack of various tools used to make things. This forge is always kept active, lending the chamber its heat while an open air tunnel above filters out the smoke. There are always dwarves working this forge, crafting objects from a variety of metals which do not have an immediately clear purpose. These items are never weapons or armor, usually resembling decorative elements. Those working the forge wear a mask, similarly to the guards outside, this time of a motherly dwarven woman. These are called the "Daughters of the Forge", devoted for life much as the guards outside. There is only one person here who speaks to visitors, a dwarf wearing a heavy adamantine mantle on their shoulders.
It should be noted despite the facial coverings of the Father's Sons or Daughters of the Forge, the dwarves can be of any gender and it is never questioned when an individual chooses to take on the vows. It is seen as a divine calling, beyond the influence of mortals, and one to be honored.
Eldest Grove
All things have their time to be born, to grow, and then to end.It is not readily known how the elves see their pantheon, the Will of the Seasons, but here it is very apparent things are not like the other gatherings. The Eldest Grove is said to have been around since before the elven people, and divination magic seems to bear this out. The "temple" is situated outside the main settlement, amidst the wilderness the elves maintain so the "wilder deities" may be more comfortable.
[br There are four paths to enter the grove, each one having a post watched over by guardians who gently interrogate visitors as to their purpose. Should it be judged they have a valid reason to be admitted to the Eldest Grove, they are given a ritual blessing and allowed to continue. Otherwise, the guardians warn the travelers they cannot enter - a literal truth, as the paths somehow will place them as leaving through one of the other entrances while seemingly never setting foot inside the Eldest Grove. Entering the grove itself will bring a different experience depending on the blessing bestowed upon the visitors, as the apparent season can vary. This is not an illusion, as people leaving the Eldest Grove at the heights of summer have tracked snow and shaken frost from their clothing. Visitors have spoken about being welcomed by voices whispering on the wind, with no visible source, and cannot clearly recall their time within the grove.
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