Vrak Nashar
Character
- Intent: To create a fun sit along location that is not a part of the contest but inspired by it
- Image Credit: Christopher Balaskas, SWTOR Concept Art, "Sith" By Tara Reuping, DaniilAleksandrovich
- Canon: N/A
- Links: Athiss
- Structure Name: Harja, The Broken Temple
- Classification: Temple
- Location: Athiss
- Affiliation: Pureblood Sith
- Accessibility:
The Temple itself is nearly impossible to reach on foot for most humanoids, requiring a journey that takes at the very least several days. Once one draws near to the Temple however it is fairly easy to find it, the power of the darkside that lingers around it being enough to draw in all Sith Purebloods and even those who just hold a regular affinity to the darkside.
Oddly enough, when drawing nearer to the Temple electronic vehicles, such as speeders and ships, seem to fail, meaning that in order to actually reach the Temple one must sustain a grueling journey by foot.
- Security:
The structure itself has no turbo-lasers, no shields, and certainly no permanent guard. Besides this however, the Temple was crafted in a time of Ancient Sith, when the Blood was still strong and Sith Sorcerers were far more powerful than they are today. As such the Temple is haunted and guarded by dozens of powerful Sith spells that give it certain defenses ensuring it's survival.
These defenses apply only to beings 'not of the blood', meaning only those who do not carry the blood of the original Sith Species.
The spells that linger around the Temple are dangerous to even the most powerful beings, inducing extreme hallucinations while also gradually invading the minds of those who enter. The effects of these spells grow worse and worse the deeper one ventures inside. At the gates one might simply hear the rustling of leaves, but by the time they reach the central chamber they will see the worst of their own twisting nightmares that may cause actual harm.
It should be noted that these Spells do not work by infiltrating the mind of those who enter the Temple, but rather through projections of the inherent Sith magics found within the very walls of the structure itself. This means species such as Epicanthix and even Yuuzhan Vong are not immune to these nightmares.
Of course, these projections can be destroyed through a variety of means both light and dark. Force Artifacts born of the lightside, Force Light, and powerful Force Blasts can sunder these projections, though as stated before, the Temple seeps into the mind of infiltrators making concentration and use of the force somewhat difficult.
- Description:
The Temple itself resembles many of the ancient Pyramid like structures that were built by the Ancient Sith of Old. From the outside there is nothing that truly marks the Temple out from any other Tomb or Temple found on Coruscant. There are no statues, no dedications, not even simple reliefs that could denote it's particular constructor. Indeed, almost uniqualy the Temple of Harja is almost entirely unadorned, not dedicated to a Single Sith Lord, but instead all of them.
The one thing that marks Harja apart is a singular steam of inscriptions within the Pyramid itself.
These inscriptions are simple markings of the ancient Dialect, carved deep into the stone itself they denote the lineage of Athiss and all Purebloods everywhere. The Inscriptions act as a record of 'true' Pureblood heritage, and uniquely twist and change themselves with each new pilgrim that enters the Temple. Every member of the Pureblood species who enter the Temple gains a place within the inscription, the magic that binds the Temple shifting the stone as the descendant arrives.
Since the breaking of the Resurgent Empire and the final fall of Athiss, the Temple has changed.
With it's priests fleeing and it's magics going unchecked, the power focused within the Temple has slowly begun to break the structure apart. The central top of the pyramid has fallen to pieces, shattering and projecting a constant red glow of power in the valley surrounding it. This odd sort of glow however is not a Nexus of power, but instead a lure for those fool enough to venture to this now lost heirloom of the Sith.
The Gates: Located directly at the very center of the first floor of the Pyramid, the gates are the almost mislabeled entrance of the Temple of Harja. Containing no actual doors, the Gates are instead a massive open doorway that lead directly into the Pyramid's central lobby.
There are no adornments on the gates, no statues flanking it and almost nothing around it to suggest it as anything that might be special. Indeed, the only thing that makes the Gates 'grand' is the massive stairway that leads to the entryway and a single encryption cut directly into the floor before the doorway. The inscription sits within the language of High Sith, and simply reads 'Welcome, those of the blood.'.
Lobby: The Central Lobby of the Temple was at one point the most crowded and visited portion of the Temple.
It was here that everyone passed through at one point in time. Whether Acolyte or Dark Lord of the Sith, Servant or Master, no matter what you did or who you were your path would move through the Lobby. Throughout this grand hall sit dozens upon dozens of statues, each depicting a Sith Pureblood that had once walked through Harja. These statues show the cross of life that were the pilgrims of Harja.
Though some of the Statues depict Famous Sith such as Naga Sadow, Marka Ragnos, and others, there are still ones who depict simple servants and Sith who never made it past the rank of Knight. The Lobby is a contrast of the Sith people, an odd sort of look into the reverence of not only power, but the path that one must take in order to get there.
Central Chamber: Located beyond the lobby, the Central Chamber was long ago dedicated to those of the Blood who had risen far and above the others. It is here that one can feel the oppressive weight of the Legacy of the Sith.
Within the Central Chamber one finds more statues, though these have a far more nefarious presence. Here the great Sith of Stone and Marble seem to loom and look down upon those who enter, staring into the souls of those who dare step inside. The spells of Harja seem to be extremely powerful here, hallucinations becoming more powerful and pronounced. Often those who enter the central chamber will hear whispers of ancient Sith Lords, calling out for death.
In the very middle of this chamber sits a pedestal, a small marble slab that seems to be waiting for the return of something. Behind it sits a statue of the greatest Pureblood that has ever lived; the Sith Lord Tenebrae in his original form.
Meditation Hall: Located to the left of the Lobby, the Meditation Chambers are the primary reason that most made their pilgrimage to Harja in the first place. It is here that hundreds, if not thousands of Sith Purebloods once gained greater insight into themselves and their futures.
The Meditation Hall of Harja is a massive chamber with dozens of raised marble pads, each surrounded by four 'pylons'. Each of these pads seem to concentrate and focus the innate power that is found within Harja and Athiss itself. None of these pads, nor the Temple itself, acts as a Nexus of power, but instead as a focusing point for the Sith's own power as well as the lingering remnants of those who have walked the Temple itself.
Training Grounds: Opposite the Meditation Hall lay the training grounds.
This small piece of the Temple is an odd sort of reflection. While most of Harja is calm, and in a twisted sort of way, peaceful, the training grounds were clearly meant to be anything but. Located within this section of the Temple one finds a massive open arena decorated with spikes, skeletons, and other hazards that had clearly once been used for the training of acolytes.
Along the ring of the arena lay dozens of ancient chambers, each one dotted with nods and what can only be described as miniature torture devices.
At one point and time the Training Grounds were used for the raising of Massassi, where many of the Kissai bred the warrior race that served as the frontline of the Sith Purebloods.
Broken Peak: Located at the very top of the Pyramid of Harja, it is this feature that now draws fools, adventurers, historians, and aspiring Sith Lords to the broken Temple.
The Broken Peak was once home to the top and most significant chamber of the Temple. It was within this chamber that the Purebloods of Athiss convened and kept their most valuable tomes. Hundreds of Powerful Sith Lords had walked through and occupied this room. Within they studied Holocrons, Datacrons, Sith Tomes, and everything else that one could imagine.
It was this chamber that was held most sacred, here where ancient Sith Magics were cast, and here where even the spirits of old seemed to be almost naturally drawn to. Within this chamber the veil was thin, and the darkside flowed with an almost unnatural focus. The chamber served almost as the ultimate meditation chamber, allowing for the better focus and draw of the darkside.
This very feature later lead to the chambers destruction.
When the Temple was abandoned and the last Pureblood fled, the power that circled and welled within Harja began to expand and break free. Unconstrained and unreleased the power within Harja eventually released itself, the sacred mount of Harja sundering itself and ripping itself apart piece by piece until the chamber and all within it were rendered completely destroyed.
Within it's place stood something far more similar. Though ostensibly empty, the room remained, an almost constant red glow fading in and out, casting over the valley. The haunting light shone bright, a lamp within the darkness, drawing and pulling in the Old Blood and new in hopes of renewal.
Other: Though the Temple has many 'large' locations, it also has many small.
Harja was in essence a place of education, learning, and training. As such it has many more locations and points of interest that simply cannot be listed for the sake of brevity. These locations included but are not limited to dorms, cafeterias, smaller and more private torture chambers, as well as some other simpler rooms dedicated to various other purposes.
For centuries, and even Millenia, the Temple of Harja stood as the pinnacle of Sith worship upon Athiss itself.
The Temple was sacred to anyone and everyone, Massassi, Kissai, and every other sect making long pilgrimages to witness the grand Temples exuberance.
It remained much the same for as long as anyone could remember. Even as Empire's rose and fell, as the darkness waxed and waned, always there was Harja. For the Purebloods of Athiss this Temple was central to the way of life. Those who wished to gain power would make the pilgrimage, those who sought power would visit with the spirits within. It was taken as fact that no matter who you were, your aspiration was to lay eyes upon this place of great worship.
Hundreds of thousands of Sith ventured through Harja, all Pureblood, all attempting to gain some semblance of greater power.
It is impossible to say who exactly ventured through the halls, though it can be assumed that those who have statues within the Lobby are just some of the few.
For eons Harja served as a central place of worship, and beyond that a place of knowledge. Ancient Holocrons, scrolls, and other tomes of knowledge were kept within Harja, bits and pieces of the Sith culture that even the most powerful of Purebloods craved to look at.
It was this above everything else that drew Sith both strong and weak to visit this place.
Even after the fall of the Great Empire Harja survived. Under the care of the Purebloods of Athiss the Temple was looked after, it's power harnessed to look after the training of new and old Sith.
From time to time the wards and spells around the Temple were tested. Sith not of the blood were sent inside, Humans, Zeltrons, and even a few true 'aliens' were test. Each one was sent to run the gauntlet, given rooms within Harja and even supplied training. Slowly however they all fell to the hallucinations. Some took weeks, some mere hours, but no matter what those who did not have the blood of 'true' Sith fell to the will of the Temple.
Many of these test subjects were found ripped and torn apart, effects of Sith Magic plain upon their body. Others were found with evidence of self mutilation, cuts to their throats or arteries, ropes around their necks, anything that would push away the hallucinations they suffered.
It was these effects of the Temple that kept it safe and 'pure' even as the Resurgent Empire began to grow and allow for the inclusion of more beings.
Harja remained a sanctuary for the Purebloods of the Sith, a place of worship that no one not of the blood could survive for long. Even with the Resurgent Empire at it's height the Temple stayed this way, and after it's fall the effect only increased.
When Vrak Nashar and the Council fell, when the Resurgent Empire suffered it's end, Harja remained. Though abandoned by it's keepers and forgotten by those not of the Blood, Harja remained. It's power unchecked and it's ancient knowledge forgotten, the great chamber erupted and broke apart, sundering itself into the broken peak.
It is this peak that now draws back those of the Blood and those not, seeking occupants and victims.
Harja calls, desperate to be remembered.
