Erenhual
Erenhual is a complex of ruins centered on an ancient step pyramid of unknown origin. Some scholars assume it to be of Yuan-Ti construction, but even Yuan-Ti historians can find no evidence of the dynastic hallmarks that make more well-known sites more identifiable, and gathering further knowledge about the site is difficult as a result of the high elevation, difficult climbs, and extreme weather of the site.
Magical and alchemical attempts to date the structures of the Erenhual complex have mostly arrived at the conclusion that construction occurred at least 30,000 years ago.
Purpose / Function
The complex is dominated by the pyramid at its center, a pyramid with a passing resemblance to the temple pyramids of known Yuan-Ti sites, but bearing none of the elaborate reliefs those temples feature.
While the extreme cold and dryness of its latitude and elevation would be expected to act as natural preservers, very little seems to have been preserved in the way of luxury or comfort items, and it has been speculated that this austerity might indicate than Erenhual was a monastic site of some kind. On the other hand, evidence suggests the site to be more than 30,000 years old, which is plenty of time for nearly of everything of value or interest to have been plundered.
One mysteriously enduring feature is a small mithral rod at the peak of the pyramid, standing about chest height to a human man, with a small grooved fork at the top, as if to hold some circular object in position. The purpose of the object is entirely unknown, and its continued existence seems to rely heavily on the how much more cold-resistant mithral is than iron, as many other metalwork fixtures around the ruins have crumbled over the millenia.
In short, the purpose of the site is unknown, but generally assumed to be spiritual in nature in some way.
Architecture
The buildings of the Erenhual complex are composed of stone consistent with the region it lies in, implying that the stones were quarry from a near by location during construction.
Other than the step-pyramid dominating the center of the ruins, the buildings still standing all seem to indicate a tendency towards squat, vaguely cubic huts. Some residue contained in the ice encrusting these smaller buildings has been found to be consistent with intentional pigmentation, suggesting the idea that the buildings were once painted in various colors, but microglacial action by the eternal ice cover of the region has largely scrubbed the buildings clean.
Defenses
There is no evidence Erenhaul was ever designed with the intention of repelling invaders, and if invaders had ever been a concern, it seems the extreme altitude and difficult climbs would make an invasion brutally inconvenient. The complex features no curtain wall, draw bridge, or any other similar defensive structures.
History
Historical context for the ruins of Erenhual is difficult to establish. The idea of a temple complex surrounding a great step-pyramid is commonly found in Yuan-Ti ruins across Rhyduania, but Erenhual stands in a location vastly removed from the locations of any other known Yuan-Ti ruins. This, combined with the complete lack of any known dynastic indicators, means that even the assumption that the ruins are Yuan-Ti in origin is an open question.
Tourism
Owing to the harsh arctic climate of Scytharia, only the most well funded expeditions reach Erenhual, and tourism is nearly non-existant.
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