Meili Feng
Character
View of the Temple
- Intent: To flesh out the history and locations of Shuqui and create a location for RP
- Image Credit:
- Flag and Headers produced by me in photoshop.
- Top Image: Wallpaperbat
- Insight Stairway: Peakpx
- Pavillion: Gryphart | DeviantArt
- Death Valley: ArtAbyss | Eric Gagnon
- Farmlands: How to grow a Chinese Herb Garden | Chinese American Family
- Halls of healing: Chinese Village by Ming Fan | ArtAbyss
- Schools: Art Station | The Hall of Almagren
- Training Area: Deviantart | Samurai House
- Living Area: Artstation | Ancient Chinese Room
- Commercial Street: ArtStation | Marketplace
- Canon: N/a
- Permissions: N/a
- Links:
- Structure Name: Shanliang Tingzi
- Classification: Temple
- Location:: Shuiqui
- Affiliation: Auksifas Kal’Evos
- Accessibility:
In the past Shanliang Tingzi was a mystery, a place of legend, a hidden monastery in the mountains where the monks were skilled at both martial arts and healing. An almost mystical place that was the basis of fairytales and legends, the stories that inspire children across a planet.
In the past.
Overtime, the temples weren't able to hide any longer, stepping out of obscurity to slowly expand, becoming a centre of education and healing first for the surrounding area, then for the nation and then the planet. As the temple stepped out of the shadows the mystery surrounding it faded away. Everyone knew where the temple was, so it could no longer hide from the rest of the world, instead, Auksifas Kal’Evos decided on a new path, embracing the attention and using it to drag the spotlight away from himself.
The temple became known as a centre of healing and education, drawing patients and students from across the planet. Its location was widely known, and many pilgrims visited on a daily basis forcing the temple to grow from the small hidden enclave it had once been to become a vast sprawling metropolis larger than most towns. Due to its monastic nature there are no walls to the temple, indeed people are free to come and go however they want. However, access to the Pavilion is limited to those able to climb the stairs. Once you have reached the summit of the temple, only the compound and the hidden catacombs beneath it are off-limits, protected by the power of the disciples and their master.
- Description:
The largest temple on Shuiqui and the centre of the Astvarra religion Shanliang Tingzi is a sprawling complex and the hub of healing and education on the planet. Inhabited by the monks of Astvarra the temple has existed for thousands of years, since the arrival of Auksifas Kal’Evos. The Sith settled on the peak of Kunlun, building a temple there to start his life’s work, as the sithspawn he created spread across the planet Auksifas was willing to settle into the shadows, letting his temple become the object of myth and legend. Yet, slowly people were drawn to the myth, seeking him out for boons or healing and a support structure grew around the temple, villages and farms that supplied them with the herbs and food they needed to survive. As war raged across the planet Auksifas found himself feeling paternal to his creations, while he had created a war-like species, he wanted to guide them and protect them from as much harm as he could. The temple was the tool he could use to this end, so he turned his attention to developing it.
Almost a city in its own right, Shanliang Tingzi is filled with waterways and greenery, flowers and trees lining the streets. A peaceful and calming location, it has slowly grown and developed over the years into a haven amidst the turmoil and conflict that grips the planet.
Insight Stairway:
A long stone staircase hewn into the side of the mountain leading up to the pavilion. The steps are broad enough that walking along them proves to be no difficulty, even when the steps take you to the very edge of the mountain where only a sturdy handrail stands between you and the wide open air.
Even by itself, the long staircase would be difficult to climb, taking dedication to climb it, but that’s not enough for Auksifas Kal’Evos. He loves his creations, and is willing to help them, but direct intervention is rare. To that end each stair is hewn with sith runes that assault a climber's mind, testing their dedication and resolve. To climb the stairs, to meet the abbot requires dedication and resolve, a true desire to seek him out for just reasons. Many have tried to attempt the climb, and there is honour in the attempt, in achieving a certain level. However, climbing all the way to the top of the mountain is a feat that not many are able to achieve.
The priests and priestesses of the temples give willingly their skills in healing, medicine and techniques, however, sometimes they are not up to the task. Some diseases, some afflictions are so great that even their abilities aren’t able to cure the afflicted. Legends abound though of parents and grandfathers making the climb seeking healing for youths in their family. A young child making the climb to beg for relief for their village or healing for a parent. All those that achieve the climb are met by the abbot and his core disciples, given succour and their requests are heard. Auksifas Kal’Evos has incredible powers, both in the force and influencing the social systems of Shuiqui, and for those who make the climb, he is willing to use them,
It is not only those seeking a boon who will climb the stairs, the monks of the temple would try to climb the mountain, seeking to learn from the abbot, or to just hone and test their psyche. To become a leader within the temple requires climbing the stairs, and visiting with the abbot. Even the emperor, before his coronation would climb the stairs, without any accoutrement or entourage to accompany him, would ascend the stairs to prove his worth, meeting with the Abbot in his pavilion to discuss the state of the system, the demands upon him and to receive his blessing before descending together to begin the coronation.
Pavilion - Meguras Natura:
Set at the top of the mountain the temple is built around the original temple that Auksifas Kal’Evos originally established when he arrived on the planet. What was originally meant to be a location where he and his acolytes could focus on his creations and the fulfilment of his dream. However, as the vision changed, so too did the temple.
When it was first built Meguras Natura was a typical Sith Temple, the kind that could be found anywhere around the galaxy. However, over time more and more of the native culture and architecture have crept in. While something about the temple remains otherworldly, remnants of its sith architecture gave it a foreboding visage to those who approached it.
However, once you step through the doors those Sith elements tend to fade away in favour of a much more welcoming and relaxed environment. Woods and a traditional decor make for an environment that makes anyone, from the most refined scholar to the most nervous farmer feel comfortable.
The temple has been converted into a pavilion, the residence of the abbot and his immediate disciples, to his guests and those he chooses to train and work with. A variety of bedrooms and suites are available for the various guests who are allowed to stay at the summit. For those who live there, or are regular visitors small houses exist built around gardens and courtyards filled with fragrant herbs and flowers.
At the centre of the pavilion is the main structure where the abbot's office is, where the kitchens and other support locations are located. The abbot’s personal library is located behind the main structure in a small compound where he resides, afforded the privacy he needs to relax and meditate.
It is underneath this compound that the true work of the temple takes place, the mountain has long been hollowed out into caverns and corridors, catacombs which extend through the landmark. One tunnel runs from the base of the mountain to the summit, used to transport the monks who work in the Pavilion and the supplies to keep it running. However, the rest of the mountain contains the labs and chambers in which Auksifas Kal’Evos created the species that populated the world, modifying and perfecting his creations. Genetics labs mixed with sith alchemy workshops to create a veritable cornucopia, an alchemist’s dream, if anyone knew about it.
Death Valley
While the valley Mergamus Natura is set in is one of the most picturesque on the planet, it isn’t without its scars. Set behind the mountain itself lies a forest-filled crater maring the otherwise green landscape. While a forest might not normally be out of place in a setting like this there is something about this forest that is twisted. The darker colour of the trees, the way the light never really seems to penetrate it or the shadows of twisted beasts moving under the shadowed canopy.
This shadow-filled forest is the site of the emergence of one of the Dashe into the real world, it was only a temporary incursion, only for long enough for Auf to obtain the samples he needed to complete his work on the dragon ladies. However, even that brief visit was enough to leave a scar on the landscape, taking the flora and fauna around it and twisting them into a mutated version of themselves. Luckily the creatures rarely leave their habitat, and when they do the monks are more than capable of handling them. The forest does provide a training ground for those wishing to test and hone their mettle and skills.
Farmlands
Surrounding the temple are vast farmlands given over to the temple by the emperor to support the temple and those who look to it for support. Many of those who come to the temple seeking sanctuary and succour find employment in the fields and farms that surround the temple proper.
Some of the farms produce a variety of crops such as rice and vegetables, while others were given over to the raising of animals. Some of the farms closest to the temple itself are given over to the production of herbs and flowers to be used in both the healing and around the temple itself.
Houses of Healing
Shanliang Tingzi had become known for two major elements across the planet, their healers and their martial arts.
In the ancient days of history, when states wared for supremacy across the face of the planet it was perhaps inevitable that the warlike Zanshi would focus upon the martial, finding vast improvements in the arts of war and how to kill one another. While the arts and sciences did prosper, there was a long period where it all revolved around the art of war for much of the planet.
However, isolated on its mountain top temple the monks of Shanliang were able to focus on the arts and medicine protected as they were by the magics and prowess of Auksifas Kal’Evos. It’s small wonder that under the auspices of the Sith they were able to extend and develop medical capabilities that seemed like magic to the rest of the planet. Even after the empire was formed, putting an end to the warring states period, and the arts and sciences were able to flourish the monks still somehow seemed to be able to preform miracles that science wasn’t able to reproduce.
Many pilgrims visit the temple every year, rich and poor alike, seeking healing for themselves or others. It might be an ailment that the doctors are unable to cure, or one that you can’t afford to have healed anywhere else. The monks welcome all pilgrims, and each are looked after on their own merits. They may ask for the gift of a single penny to cure a disease or a home-cooked meal to fix a broken arm, a year of service in their fields or simply a hug.
The monks adopt a holistic approach to medicine, aware of the importance that one’s psyche can have on their physical health. Rather than the compact medical complexes that can be found in other cities, the halls of healing constitute the largest part of the temple, a spread-out campus with green spaces and open views built into it. To enter the halls is to feel relaxed and at peace, almost at one with nature. The halls themselves are low-built affairs, where patients find clean comfortable accommodations during their treatments. While single rooms exist, most of the patients are housed in pairs or larger groups, engendering a strong sense of community within the halls, the patients coming together to provide mutual support during their convalescence.
For those who are unable, for one reason or the other, to be a part of this community healing small private residences exist. Houses were built around a garden, a courtyard where they could relax and enjoy the sunlight and nature within a controlled environment. Beyond the housing were the hospital buildings, scattered through the area, rooms where the monks could bring their advanced knowledge to bear. If it was the creation of medicine or the use of herbs, surgery or other medical, the facilities are readily available to the monks. While a large central hospital facility does exist near the edge of the temple, a location where the pilgrims seeking healing can gather, but for those patients who require long-term care the facilities are nearby.
Schools
The temple is not only a centre of healing but also an educational centre for the entire planet. The smaller satellite temples that the monks have set up around the planet act as local schools, providing the children of farmers and workers who would be unable to otherwise afford some level of schooling. Shanliang itself has a large school that provides education to the children of the villages and orphans who call the temple their home.
The education provided by the temple is not, however, limited to that provided to children but instead stretches across the board. The temple is home to researchers and teachers of the sciences and arts, gathering them into one of the premier universities on the planet. The most important aspect of the education provided by the temple, however, is the training provided to the civil service. When the first emperor was looking for an impartial means to administer his empire, to create a system of bureaucrats who could guide the empire. He turned to the temple, seeking to create a training system which would impart their ideals to his bureaucrats, creating the seed of the university. Now, any applicants who pass the imperial examinations are sent to Shanliang Tingzi to complete a course of training before being accepted into the civil service.
Training Area
While many pilgrims and students come to the temple seeking education or healing there is a third reason that people are drawn to the temple or its satellites. Yuanquan is the oldest martial art on Shuiqui, and one of the most dangerous. It focuses on balance and control of both yourself and your opponent using their own force against them while protecting yourself. Yuanquan is considered so deadly because, under the guidance of the Grand Abbot, the monks have constantly adapted and innovated the style as new challenges and techniques were developed. This allowed Yuanquan to develop a reputation as an almost living martial art that drew admiration and students from all over the planet. While the satellite temples did teach the basics, it was only at the temple that more advanced techniques were taught.
The martial arts at the temple are centred around a large teaching hall surrounded by several courtyards. These courtyards can be used for teaching, or set up for specialised training since every monk and many of the pilgrims and students who journey to the temple are expected to take part in at least basic classes The hall itself opens into a large traditional training room where larger classes can be held. Behind the main hall are a series of smaller training rooms for classes and individual training. Behind the training rooms are a series of classrooms where theory and philosophy are taught, At the back of the training hall is a meditation garden and small rooms for individual use by the masters and their more advanced students.
: Market
As the temple grew, so did its influence over the local area. No longer able to hide in the shadows the farmers and townspeople of the surrounding area started looking to the temple for guidance and for help. Becoming the administrative and economical centre of the region brought significant problems for the monks to handle, there were some advantages; the most important of which was the market that had developed near the edge of the city. Several entrepreneurs had opened shops that provided goods to the monks and other occupants, providing them with goods and luxuries they might not otherwise have access to. More importantly, is the large open-air market and stalls which are set up around the commercial district. Farmers and craftsmen from the nearby villages bring their goods in for sale and a host of trinkets, cottage goods and traditionally produced artefacts are available. Many auction houses, nobles and off-world traders come from all over the planet to purchase these goods.
Medium
At first glance Shanliang Tingzi has no visible defences or security, the temple lacks exterior walls or any kind of security force to protect it. Planetary law has established a no-fly zone around the temple and its environs. No air speeders are allowed within the area either, protecting the temple as a site of important cultural heritage. This no fly zone is enforced by the military from orbit, however they don’t have forces on the ground.
Any issues within the temple have to be handled by the monks or other locals. Each monk, in addition to their other training in healing, logistics, literature etc also undergoes martial arts training. Each of them is capable, if required, to protect themselves and those around them.
For true existential threats to the temple, Auksifas Kal’Evos, his acolytes and the Shinu can descend from the pavilion to fight. These individuals are amongst the most powerful martial artists and force wielders on the planet, when they step into a battle few foes are able to stand against their might.
While the temple may look like a tender morsel resting in an open palm, the layered defenses and powerful individuals who call it home make it a very tough nut to crack.
Excerpt from the biography of Lu Yun Xi, senior priest at Shanliang Tingzi
It was early in the day when we started approaching the temple, my mother had woken me up from my sleep in the hotel where we’d spent the night. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to wake up, didn’t see the point of it. We’d been to so many doctors, so many monasteries that I had given up hope. I’d been born with a twisted leg, deformed beyond the ability of surgery to fix, and on a planet where combat was so central to everyday life I was destined for a life of the fringes, no matter how smart I was.
Bless her, my mother never gave up hope, not even after my father had given up, after all my family had turned their backs on us. We barely made do with all the payments she made, the medicine and doctors but she never complained. That day though, I’d had enough. My bed was warm and I just wanted to stay there but she drove me out of it. Got me changed and out of the door, joining a crowd of pilgrims on the road.
That was perhaps the first moment I realised there was something different about the temple, I saw monks on the road. They had little stalls handing out drinks and breakfast, where in between the crowd helping the old and unwell. Everywhere else we’d been, you came to them seeking their knowledge but here I saw them everywhere, there were monks in the fields along with the farmers, helping plant and fix fences. And all of them were smiling. I still remember what it was like the moment one of the monks looked over at me, he couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me, standing knee-deep in a rice paddy as he hesitantly raised a hand, and I raised mine in return. Everyone my age was so worried about perception, about fighting and combat and here he was helping to pluck the rice out of the water.
We were past them in a few minutes but that image has always stuck with me. Although, it's as nothing to what came next. As the road curved around the bend I saw the temple for the first time. The morning mist still clinging to the buildings like ghostly fingers melting away under the morning sun and I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Hope.
It took us the best part of an hour to reach the temple, but all around us, there were smiling faces, well-tilled fields and the sounds of animals lowing. If it wasn’t for the datapads, the communicators and lights everywhere I would have said that it was almost like stepping back through time. Perhaps it was some kind of portal into a place where the old and new melded together seamlessly. I saw students walking to class in the same street as a farmer carrying his good to the market. Neither seemed to look down on the other, to think they shouldn’t be in the same place. It was...it was almost like I was looking at a vision of a utopia that I didn’t think could exist before.
The monks were everything that I’d been promised, kind, generous and utterly unable to help me. I was more comfortable than I’d ever been, and was in the least amount of pain possible but I wasn’t cured. It was there, my deformity, my curse, waiting in the wings like a predator biding its time. They could keep it at bay while I was there, lying in the halls but as soon I left it would be waiting for me. The monks were willing but...I wanted more, to be free of this and they told me of a way.
The ascent up the stairs was the hardest thing I’d ever done, I can’t remember much of it and what I remember...I don’t think I want to. I saw things, horrors and futures urging me to turn back. Five of us started up the stairway that day, only I made it. They tell me I had clawed at my cheeks, and was dragging myself on ravaged fingers when I finally made it up but I do remember a face. His face. A smile that seemed to accept all the pain I carried and the touch that took it away. My time in the pavilion was like a dream but when I came down I was walking on my own legs. I don’t think my mother has stopped crying since.
As for me, I don’t feel I ever left that place, not truly and when I returned as one of the brothers I’d finally come home.
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