Unreviewed Highrock Jedi Temple | Quarzite (THR)

[Pillar of Valor]

HIGHROCK JEDI TEMPLE
JEDI SATELLITE OF QUARZITE

​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To expand upon the culture of Jedi within the High Republic.
• Image Credit: Deviantart, edited in photoshop. Clothes generated in NovelAI.
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: N/A

SETTING INFORMATION

• Structure Name: Highrock Jedi Temple
• Classification: Temple
• Location: Quarzite
• Affiliation: The High Republic, Jedi Order
• Accessibility: Low. The Highrock Jedi Temple is hidden away in the caverns of Quarzite. One must travel through the extreme pressure of Quarzite's upper atmosphere into the depths of the planet, where they must then navigate the planet's inner labyrinth to get to the temple.
• Description: A structure made from solid basaltic, carved into the caves of Quarzite themselves. The entrance to the temple was made under a natural waterfall, which has formed a shallow pool at the mouth of the entrance. Two giant statues flank either side of the entrance. The temple is made to reflect the geography of the cave system. Hallways are asymmetrical and jagged, seats and tables are carved from stone and protrude from the ground. Lamps constructed from purple gemstones, which form locally within the caverns, line the halls and adorn the various chambers within the Temple. The floors of the Temple have been polished smooth, but the walls have been left course to remind all who dwell within that they are a part of the planet, not separate from it.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Great Crystal Chamber: This room was constructed around a giant Force Crystal which hangs from the ceiling, the gemstone easily three stories tall. This chamber is dedicated to mass gatherings, which are held below the crystal on a multi-purpose stage. Knighting ceremonies are held within this chamber, and many Jedi travel from across the galaxy to meditate within.
• Path of Gnashing Stones: The Path of Gnashing Stones is a vertical obstetrical course made to test the agility and strength of Jedi initiates. It is a series of large gemstones and jagged stalagmites/stalactites that ascend to a lone rock garden atop a natural plateau within the caverns. The drop from the top is roughly 100 feet, and initiates are required to be equipped with proper safety equipment. Some Knights and Masters choose to climb without any equipment. Water dripping from a natural spring above makes many of the platforms slippery. The Path of Gnashing Stones gets it's name from it's appearance, looking like a toothy maw when viewed from the bottom looking up.
• Path of Chattering Grit: This is an artificial path that has been laid with grit, ground up stone. Audio sensors have been installed along the path, keeping track of the decibels created when the path is walked along. Aspiring Jedi Shadows, who regularly come to Highrock Jedi Temple to train, practice light-footed walking here, a necessary skill for avoiding detection.
• Dripstone Chamber: The Dripstone Chamber is a small room where natural water has been allowed to drip from the stalagmites above. Initiates are tasked with sitting below the dripping water for as long as they can, enduring the minor irritation. The room has been outfitted with sensory deprivation techniques to amplify the annoyance of the water. The goal is to be one of many steps to help prepare young Shadows for psychological torment.
• Hall of a Hundred Hands: The Hall of a Hundred Hands is a large tournament chamber, a martial art's hall made to allow for fifty combatants to stand within it. While lightsaber duels can occur here, martial arts are the preferred art of the temple. Shon-Ju, a martial art which utilizes the Force, is practiced in this space. It is not uncommon for those of those of the Kage Warriors to visit the temple and spar with Jedi at the temple.
• Standard Facilities: Halls of Healing, dormitories, mess hall, classrooms, lightsaber workshop, starship simulator.

SECURITY

High: Due to the difficulty of traversing Quarzite to arrive at the temple, the fact that the structure is carved into the planet, and the presence of Jedi, the Highrock Jedi Temple is difficult to penetrate. A regiment of Temple Guards are stationed here as well to defend the facility.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The Highrock Jedi Temple gets it's name due to it's elevation, positioned within the cavern chamber located closest to the surface of the planet. As such, the air can seem heavy for those first visiting the temple. The structure was carved by hand two-hundred years ago by a now unknown Jedi Master, who served a sentence of exile in this place and befriended the Kage Warriors, those of the Kage race who had taken up arms to throw off their dictator during the Clone Wars. Nobody is quite sure how it was the Temple was carved into the stone of the cavern, but this mysterious Master returned from his exile and invited others of the Jedi Order to come train with him. Many believe that the Master of the Jedi Temple was a prolific Jedi Shadow who purposefully hid his identity. As such, it is tradition for the current Master of Highrock to take a vow of anonymity. This individual is simply known as The Raven.

In the modern day, Highrock sits within the territory of the High Republic, and is thusly associated with its Jedi Order. It serves as the prime location for those seeking to walk the path of the Shadow, made to test the patience, endurance, and agility of those who enter its halls. While being a temple specially suited for training Jedi Shadows, it is not exclusively a Shadow Temple.

CULTURE

The culture of the Highrock Jedi Temple is the most competitive of any satellite. The Jedi of this place are seen as brash and cold, a product of their rigorous curriculum. Many joke that, because Highrock is inaccessible by starfighter, that the Jedi of this temple are poor pilots, but it does have a state of the line simulation space. Generally, such is considered to be a myth. Inspired by a long-standing relationship with the Kage Warriors, light armor and darker fabrics are encompassed into the robes of the Jedi at this temple. Hoods are used the shroud faces, making it a more utilitarian usage when compared to the standard Jedi cloaks. Pant-legs are often baggy and large to not restrict movement, and sleeves are often swapped out for a body glove. As a means of familiarizing their initiates with taking aliases, Jedi who attend this place receive simple code names, such as "Left, Stone, Pass, Seven, Guard, etc..." Many Jedi who depart from Highrock seem to form a connection to and continue to use their given alias even after their training is complete. To many, the Jedi of Highrock are considered to be elitist. There is a perceived superiority complex amongst those who attend, as though they see themselves as better than other Jedi. Perhaps this is true, but many suggest that the isolationist nature of the satellite may also influence social misunderstanding.

When a one graduates and is knighted, it is a custom within the temple for their juniors to ambush them and douse them in Jogan Fruit juice. If the young Knight can successfully evade all attempts made, they receive a special marker which they may display on their armor or clothing, typically an Aurebesh number representing the number of attempts made to douse them on that day. This is not an official test, but many initiates of Highrock see it as their final exam.

ROBES EXAMPLE