The Children's Temple

A short wall with a broken gate encircles a grimy courtyard. In the courtyard you see a simple water well, a reddish half-orb about three feet in diameter set into the stone, and a three-story tower, the two large double doors hanging askew. The wood that made up the two upper levels of the tower has been eaten away. Almost nothing remains of them. Inside, a pile of rubble has been pushed toward the far wall. Certain things seemed to be affixed in place, such as the trunks on either side of the door, one of which is broken and one of which is intact and sealed, and three tapestries with words embroidered onto them which hang on one of the walls before a podium. RIDDLE 1 Those who attempt to cross me Carefully watch the horizons. These cannot live without me: Turtles, horses, and lions. Hint: None of these animals walk on feet. A: Sea RIDDLE 2 Whether I grow short or long I never gain great height. Yet for all I'm such a little fellow, Beware my charm, my embrace, my bite. Hint: Neither does this animal walk. A: Snake RIDDLE 3 What must you break before it can be useful? A: Egg

Purpose / Function

The Children's Temple was a temple school to which children were sent to train them in the history and mechanics of the island. These were usually the children tapped to become apprentices to the island engineers and novitiates to the Servants of the Kandra. Therefore, the Children's Temple is set an easier distance to the Manse. The ground level served as a classroom and was equipped with any number of practice instruments, Old Nornian grammar books, and other projects. (The three embroidered riddle tapestries were a class project.) Pupils roomed in the third story, with the resident instructor rooming in the second level to keep them from wandering downstairs at night.