The Ascending Ground
The last vestige of the Ziguy Mountains before they completely fade into the desert. A curved wall of rock forms a basin of sand, littered with rock formations jutting up from the desert. Dozens of small stone tombs are scattered among the rock formations, most of them nearly buried in the sand. Within each, the body of a young girl who was bound in linen and entombed while still alive.
This is the Ascending Ground, the final resting place of every girl chosen for The Ascension to Rekeh. The morning of the final day, the king in waiting sets out with the freshly drugged and wrapped sacrifice from Yakilu, the nearest town. Residents of Yakilu will have already prepared a fresh tomb. The girl is then left here to die.
The Ascending Ground is one of the holiest locations in Tanish. The ground is sacred and any who enter it with dark intentions will be cursed by the spirits of the sacrifices. Those with a less reverent opinion of religion say that when you stand there, you can still hear the sobs of dying girls begging for water or release. But, that's probably just a quirk of the wind.
The large arch at the entrance to the basin is thought to be a doorway to the realm of the gods. If you walk through it, probably nothing will happen, but you shouldn't chance it in case the gods decide to open the door for you and you can never get back.
