Name: Grand Cathedral of Ashira
Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Samara_spiralovity_minaret_rijen1973.jpg
Classification: Temple
Location: New Santaissa, capital of the Eldorai Matriarchy on Tygara.
Affiliation: Tygaran Alliance (broadly), Eldorai Matriarchy (specifically)
Description: The Grand Cathedral is the largest structure of religious worship in New Santaissa. Even after the shocking experiences of the Great Exodus, worship of the Great Goddess Ashira and the other deities that belong to the Pantheon is an important part of life for many Eldorai. Thusly, the Grand Cathedral is the main centre of veneration in the capital, though there are many smaller churches, some of them dedicated to the worship of a specific deity in the Pantheon.
In terms of structure, the Cathedral is a massive tower made of white stone, with an ascending spiral conical design. The spiral contains stairs reaching to the top. The towering structure is located in the centre of New Santaissa, close to the ziggurat, which serves as the centre of government and residence royal family.
Its immense height makes the top of the tower practical for the call for prayer, which is when an Eldorai cleric instructs the believers to make obeisance to the Goddess. Before the required daily prayers, the priestess calls the worshippers to prayer from the top of the tower, reciting the declaration of faith: "Ashira is the Greatest. In her name I offer worship. May the Goddess' protection cover me. May the Goddess' light illuminate me. May the Goddess' wisdom enlighten me."
Believers are expected to maintain a certain standard of cleanliness and to purify themselves, and so the Cathedral's courtyard contains ablution fountains. The entry to the temple is lined with massive statues depicting goddesses and past heroes. Some of these were saved from Kaeshana before its destruction, whilst others are new. Those who enter the Grand Cathedral will be expected to submit any weapons they might carry on their person for the duration of their stay, for it is hallowed ground. The only ones exempt from this rule are the Star Queen and Angelii on duty. Even someone as illustrious as the Countess Kerrigan is not immune to this law, much to her annoyance. A Jedi who happened to visit was politely but firmly told by the guards that she would have to relinquish her lightsabre before she could cross the threshold.
Inside the massive structure, worshippers will soon find themselves in the prayer hall. The centre of worship is almost as impressive as the sheer size of the tower: Rows of pews, stained glass windows on either sides of the wall depicting the Eldorai goddesses and gods as well as saints, martyred warriors and past Star Queens, ambulatories and an imposing altar and elevated podium, from which the head cleric directs the ceremonies.
Man-height obelisks rise out of the ground, projecting lines of holy Eldorai texts in the archaic script of Old Eldarai. In most cases, prayer sessions are led by either a Cennobite or a Cannoness. On very rare occasions, this is done by the Star Queen herself. Ceremonies are always conducted in Eldarai. The Ashiran religion has not had many foreign converts, and those aliens who convert are expected to learn the Eldorai's language. Sessions can last for several hours, and consist of prayers, singing and recitation of psalms, and occasionally the display of religious relics. At the end, after partaking in the sacred meal, believers receive the Goddess' blessing from the clerics. The Cathedral is dedicated to all Eldorai deities, though Ashira is clearly preeminent.
Facilities exist for those who wish to confess their sins and receive guidance from one of the priestesses. Moreover, the Cathedral also performs a social function. Thus it possesses a clinic, a religious school, an extensive library and a gymnasium. Secular education has made inroads ever since the Eldorai opened themselves up to the rest of the Galaxy, but many Space Elves still receive their education from the Church. Many slaves who were liberated during the final battle against the Xioquo are now being educated by Ashira's priestesses here. Eldorai healers use a combination of Force healing and traditional medicine to see to the needs of the sick. In addition, there's a very nice garden.
The Cathedral is not a military installation, so it is only guarded by about ten regular soldiers whose loyalty is beyond reproach. However, the Angelii Citadel is not far, so the building would not be without defenders in cases of unrest in the city or foreign attacks. Moreover, the building is covered by the city's shield.
History: When New Santaissa was constructed, the Eldorai made a great effort to recreate an idealised version of their old capital city. They wanted their people to remember their roots to make the transition less painful, even as a new generation was being born that would only know of the homeworld through stories. Thus, the architecture remained as close as possible. Conveniently, a large deposit of white, marble-like materiel was found in the mountains, which was extensively strip-mined for building materiels for key buildings. This has resulted in the Cathedral being almost indistinguishable from its Kaeshana origins.
Thusly, the Cathedral was built in the likeness of the old grand temple that graced old Santaissa back on Kaeshana. Construction cost a fortune, but the Eldorai are an autocratic monarchy, though the present Star Queen is of the enlightened type unlike many of her predecessors. Since the Eldorai were a bit occupied rebuilding their entire civilisation and prosecuting a war against the Xioquo, completition of the building suffered from many delays, but it was finally finished by the time the Angelii stormed the Underealm. After Mystra's death, there was a great ceremony to celebrate victory and honour the dead.
The Ashiran Church is expected to serve the Goddess and spread her word, but it is also an important political and social actor. The Star Queen is the head of the Church and Ashira's viceroy, many clerics are influential players at court. Thusly, being the Cathedral's head cleric is a prestigious position. Sadly, intrigues are quite common at the upper levels of the Church.
Intent: To flesh out Eldorai culture and religion more by codifying their main temple.
Links:
Days Go By Development thread. Siobhan and [member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"] visit the Cathedral.
Eldorai
New Santaissa
