Gates of Gol

The Gates of Gol is the name given to the main pass leading out of the Erul Steppe into central Casiphon between Mount Morthar and Mount Kharthar, which was heavily fortified by the Erechine and Taorminite empires. It is also the location of a major temple precinct left over from the Third Cycle.   The two fortresses were first built by the Erechine empire to contain the increasingly numerous and dangerous Erul raids, and consisted of a twenty-foot high double wall of local basalt with towers, and other forts above the pass to prevent attackers climbing around the pass. A major military highway and several smaller towns further to the south supported the fortification.   Ancient Wonder: the Temple-Precinct of Gol   The temple precinct contains temples to all the titans and gods of the elven pantheon, including Hades Zagreus, Poseidon and Persephone/Hecate. All the temples are built of adamantine obsidian, the same nearly-indestructible material as the Thousand Towers. The temples were buried under up to a hundred feet of volcanic ash, and were excavated at enormous expense by the Taorminites. The temples soon became a prominent site of pilgrimage for individuals from across the empire. During the negotiations that led to the Breaking of the Pact and the dissolution of the Taorminite empire, the allowance of pilgrimage to the Gol temple precinct was a major consideration.   Natural Wonder: the Grand Cliffs of Gol   The cliffs on either side of the Gates of Gol rise five hundred feet from the base of the pass, with huge crags and menacing overhands of dark volcanic stone. Outside the gates, two active volcanoes (Mount Morthar and Mount Kharthar) often erupt, shaking the ground and showering the region in ash.