Temple of the Eternal Sceptre

Located on Kildaroth Prime, the Immortal Temple is the primary place of worship for the Kildaroth, as well as an important religious site for the Annunaki. At the same time, however, it serves as the intergalactic headquarters of the Cult of the Eternal Sceptre. Though the government of the Thousand Worlds refuses to recognize the Cult as an official religion, many influential Kildaroth support the Cult, and their funding keeps the ancient temple operational.
According to records, the Immortal Temple was built sometime in the Third Age, before the ascendancy of the Annunaki and the unification of the Thousand Worlds. As numerous wars and natural disasters have occurred over the millenia since, the city and the Temple have been rebuilt many times, usually on the ruins of what had been built before. Because of this, the Immortal Temple is now a sprawling, multi-tiered city unto itself.
The Kildaroth Kings are traditionally crowned in the Temple's Court of the Chimera, while the Kildaroth holy days are observed atop the ziggurat. Just below the street level is the Shrine of Ashur, where the devoted flock from all across the Thousand Worlds. And - according to rumors at least - the Cult of the Eternal Scepter practice strange rituals in the lowest, oldest levels of the Temple. How many of the rumors are true is debatable, but as the oldest religion still in existence among the Kildaroth, it certainly makes sense that they would call the oldest parts of the Immortal Temple home.

Purpose / Function

Originally built as a place of worship for the Cult of the Eternal Sceptre, even the millenia the Temple has evolved in a holy site for every religious sect of the Kildaroth, and also became an extremely important site for the Annunaki, Uro tribes, and other peoples of the Thousand Worlds. It is also the site of the royal coronations for the Kildaroth rulers.

Alterations

Most historians and archeologists divide the Temple into either 12 or 14 levels. Judging where one phase of construction ends and another begins is very difficult, however, due to the extreme age of most of the Temple. The earliest portions of the Temple - the first four levels - are now completely underground, and largely unused except for the rituals of the Cult of the Eternal Sceptre. Three more levels are at street level, while the remaining levels rise above the city. The addition of the Temple's topmost ziggurat made the Temple the tallest building in the city. An important point to remember, though, is that each "level" is not a single floor, but rather a phase of construction.

Architecture

The modern Temple complex is actually six distinct buildings nestled among gardens, fountains, and artificial rivers and lakes. A circular wall, 15 meters high and covered completely in gold with platinum accents, encloses the complex. Each building within the wall exhibits slightly different cultural influences, but all but one feature some form of a pyramid or ziggurat shape in their design. The one exception is the House of Nergal, which is a simple, single-story shrine with a dome roof. The main ziggurate at the center of the complex rises a full 74 meters above the main level.
This main ziggurat is also a source of contention for historians, as some insist the ziggurat comprises the top two levels of the Temple, while others classify it as only one level. The contention stems from the fact that the ziggurat was built during the reign of two different kings, and features two very different grades of embellishment.

Alternative Names

The Immortal Temple

Type

Cathedral / Great temple