Temple of All Faiths
Construction on the Temple of All Faiths, also called the Grand Temple, was begun in PS 552 and halted in 554.
A decaying, failed project, it is nonetheless an impressive sight, and has come to represent the Dragon Isles in the minds of many.
Purpose / Function
The Grand Temple was envisioned to be a unifying force and a celebration of the variety of life and faith on Noirox.
Architecture
The architecture of the Grand Temple was a source of contention among its designers. Sifumi Flatmaul and Broura Strokhak both advocated for a strong, Izaran style building with flat, slablike sides, thick walls, and narrow windows designed to create dramatic plays of light throughout the day. Reirduri Brume insisted that they follow the High Visavan style of towers and domes reaching into the sky in honour of the Celestial Radiance, while Thraven Stahlmer and Marienne Liefl thought that the new elven style would be best suited; new architecture, new start.
Defenses
It was generally agreed that the temple needed to be built strong, that it should be as resilient as possible so that it would never collapse, ideally so that it could survive the occasional drunk dragon using it as a bench. The Izaran design would be the most defensible, but the building was a symbol of peace and thus it was suggested that that might give the wrong impression.
History
The Temple was first conceptualised during the first meeting of the newly inaugerated Council of Wyrms. A team was assembled from the greatest archictectural minds across the three continents - it was sheer coincidence that four of them turned out to be dwarves. It was perhaps less coincidental that none of them were drakekin, although it's true that they are known better as shipbuilders than architects.
The initial layout for the temple was decided swiftly, as the different faiths it was supposed to represent all had their own unique requirements in terms of spaces of worship. The Divine Beasts needed either open air or buried vaults, Andrael Vas needed a forge, while Celera Swyf a place for goods to change hands. Hana and Soma needed growing space and a funeral parlor, Chimie a studio, Kerne a maze. The Visavan Myriad demanded high towers, stained glass, and a solar, while all the Satarans asked for was a large room with a woven floor and space for a shrine.
Magic was used to excavate the foundations, and construction began with an elven steel frame. Stone was quarried and cut, and the internal structure of the Temple rose relatively swiftly. Within two years, the majority of the work had been completed, and only the facings and roofs needed to be finalised.
This was where the project fell apart. The five archictects could not agree on the external, unifying design for the Temple. The main structure was build solidly using a combination of elven and izaran techniques to ensure that it would stand the test of time, but the facias had been intentionally left until last. The argument lasted for days, each representative growing more weary and frustrated until Sifumi let their temper get the better of them and struck Marienne for disparaging their work as 'brutal and inelegant'. Marienne, a first-generation immigrant and former soldier who had seen action in the End War suffered a flashback and entered battle trance, killing the other four architects with brutal efficiency.
Marienne was killed by council security forces who could not subdue him nonlethally in his berserk state.
Construction on the Grand Temple stalled for want of a finished design. Nobody wanted to take on the project, and while it was never officially cancelled, over time the funds allocated to its construction were redirected elsewhere. Every few years, someone raised the idea of finishing it, or perhaps demolishing it to remove the reminder.
The shell has gained a reputation for being cursed, and now few venture near it.
Founding Date
552
Alternative Names
Grand Temple
Type
Cathedral / Great temple
Parent Location
Owning Organization
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