Heart of Ashara

In the cliffside caverns near Arkaya, a great stone vault was made by The Hidden One and The Chimera. This large cavern, 60 feet across, is composed of smooth black stone speckled with white. It is illuminated softly by unknown means, giving visitors the feeling that they are walking through the night sky. Its walls are smooth, soft, and cold to the touch, and echo with the sound of running water. Through its center runs a stream of water that emerges from nowhere and feeds into the caverns below, eventually falling as a waterfall into the nearby river. 
At the heart of the cavern is a pool some three feet deep and ten feet wide. At its center is a great slab of sparkling white stone. To touch the slab is to feel the presence of the Cat Heavens, as if they were present and watching but hidden by a thin curtain. To sleep in this chamber (or the night after drinking the water) will ensure a dreamlike communion with Cat Heaven for any species. And any non-cats who are slain here will be reborn from the water as a young cat. This is a chamber of prophecy, communion, and rebirth. 
The heart of Ashara is closely guarded by the Star Legion- the most devout and skilled warrior-cats in Desmia. Only those they and the resident cave cats approve of may enter the Heart. Many Desmians facing Gem Plague, old age, or a debilitating disease petition to be let in and ritually killed and reborn, but only the greatest warriors, richest kings, and those chosen by random lottery are allowed to have that privilege. Cats from across Desmia who feel distant from the Heavens come here in pilgrimages as well.

Founding Date

-1 DE

Alternative Names

Heart of Corvis, The Phoenix Chamber

Type

Room, Religious, Sanctum / Septum

Parent Location

Arkaya

Owning Organization

Empire of Avana