Hallowed Abbey
Overview
The Hallowed Abbey is the oldest and likely the most important religious site in all of Novus. It is the seat of power for The Council of the Hallowed Abbey and the focal point of various religious movements in Novus. It is located within the Meridian District of the Copper Ring. However its proximity to the Column and the Silver Ring cause many to see it as more associated with the Silver Ring.
Purpose / Function
The Hallowed Abbey is a focal point of religious worship in Novus. instead of being dedicated to a singular god, the abbey stands as an ancient library and reliquary to all of the gods. Chambers of worship to the various gods exist throughout the abbey's grounds, allowing for the quick access to clerics, activities, and sites of patronage to multiple deities. People in Novus who consider themselves merely religous seek to worship here as all of the gods in the pantheon are placed on equal footing here. The abbey houses a variety of monastic orders which hold to the gods and clerics of a variety of orders are commissioned here. In the days of pre-fall Novus, the new monarchs were coronated here and a variety of state functions were conducted in the sanctity of this space. Today, the abbey serves a a meeting places for high ranking members of the relgious elite, a place where dogmas are established or ended, gods or recognized, and orthodoxy is dictated for all of Novus. While the abbey is also the focal point of organized religion here, the abbey is a tie to the distant past. The libraries of the abbey predate Novus itself and are one of the few places left with such a wealth of information about Vespala. Clerics commissioned by the Council work tirelessly to discover, catalogue, and uncover the secrets of the past through these writings. All information about the pantheon comes from these records. Occasionally, a new insight will be uncovered, such as when writings about Mazarathes.
Architecture
The abbey is a massive cathedral like structure with high-ceilinged, buttressed chambers made of marble and refined metals. It is a sprawling strucutre, filled with several courtyards, gardens, reflecting chambers, worship halls, meditation rooms, libraries, and living spaces for clerics. The abbey is built around a single massive, circular chamber that serves as a common chamber for worship which contains statues and artistic depictions of the gods. Like spokes on a wheel, corridors spread off from these chambers, leading to separate wings of the temple devoted to specific deities. Unbeknownst to most is the existence of a sprawling undercroft of the abbey which contains the oldest and most secret places of the abbey.
History
The abbey is the oldest structure in Novus, with some theorizing that the structure was somehow built on terrestrial Vespala and lifted to Novus. Its place along the Column in the Meridian District is a clear signal of the place that relgion holds in Novus. It is core to the identity of Novus. The abbey was severely damaged in the fall, nearly entirely leveled. However, as reconstruction efforts continued for all of Novus, the faithful saw the need to put aside their differences about which god to patronize or difference in theology for the preservation of religion in Novus. Their efforts revitalized the cause of the gods in Novus, and set the stage for the state of religion in present day Novus. The abbey is both a place of reverance but also a place of secrecy where the Council acts with authority and solidarity in their motives to keep Novus faithful.
Type
Temple / Religious complex
Parent Location
Related Report (Primary Locations)
