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The Suriat of Ascension

The Suriat of Ascension, located in the western Dorroman Mountains, is a large Choranian temple complex built on a plateau located between the two primary peaks of Mount Agadir, the highest mountain in Arros.

Purpose / Function

A place of pilgrimage

When it was first constructed, the suriat served as a pilgrimage site, as it was believed to be in the location where Laris Choran ended his travels in Arros and ascended to the Heavens, hence the temple's name. The temple provided shelter and food for its visitors, while also serving as a imposing monument to represent Laris's legacy.

A deeper Connection

Not long after the temple was built, it was discovered that Soulbound mages could more easily connect to the Ether here than anywere else in Hysal, a phenomenon which was eventualy explained to be because of the temple's higher altitude, which brought the mages physicaly closer to the Ether, thought this theory still has a lot of detractors. Regardless of the reason, this massively contributed to the Suriat's current popularity and became a prime choice of visit for anyone wanting to perform the Dusastrica/Ascension ritual.

Current status

Today, while religious pilgrimages to the site are still numerous, avereging at least a few hundreds a year, these numbers are completly dwarfed by the amount of soulbound mages seeking the ritual, which number is the thousands.

Logistic

The Suriat's location hold immense religious significance to choranians around the world. However, being so high up in the mountains does bring its fair share of complications. The most evident one is the lack of oxygen. Many people need the assistance of an Air mage to even reach the temple, the cost of which prevent many from visiting. There's also the snow, which at this altitude, is a nearly yearly concern. During winter, the weather is unpredictable and violent, which is why traveling to the temple at that time is ill-advised, as the snow and ice can render the two paths leading in and out of the temple innacessible for long stretches of time. Most people, and criticaly, the vast majority of provisions and essential ressources, such as coal, wood, fresh food and grain, Ale, and meats, arrive during the brief summer months via wagons and carriages. Some deliveries are made year round, in tandem with brave groups of pilgrims using simple backpacks or onboard Jrokyas. All of those ressources are stored in a large storage facility, called the reserve, located just to the west of the Temple.

Alterations

Over the course of the many centuries since the suriat's construction, its interior has gone through many changes. The size and placements of the rooms inside were rearanged many times before settling on their current places configurations. The library, for instance, has grown considerably from its original spot on the first floor, as it has since eating up all of the commonfolk area on the second and third levels on the western side as the space became better used for books rather than visitors who never came. Smaller things, like pieces of furnitures carpets and curtains, paintings and plants were also added, removed or replaced countless. In contrast, the exterior has barely changed at all since its completion. That is because of the long held tradition by the headmasters, which is to try and keep the exterior as fateful to its original appearance as it can be, down to the shape and colour of new bricks.

Architecture

Overview

The main suriat building is a three story tall largely square construction topped with a large turquoise coloured dome and adorned with two massive towers near the front entrance. In terms of volume, it is considered one of the largest buildings of the arrosian continent.
First Floor
Second Floor
Third Floor

General Exterior Appearance

The suriat's intricate front facade contains numerous alcoves and collums, which support many sculptures and statues, most of them depicting various animals and is dominated by two large towers. These are located on either side of the building entrance and after the first floor, they become a bit more slender as they climb high in the sky, way pass the third floor and the roof, before tinning into a pair of spire topped with a moon insigna. Much like those two front towers, the rest of the building becomes a bit thinner beyond the first floor, taking on a more rectangular shape, as its eastern and western walls fall inwards. These walls contain most of the building's windows, which are grouped and separated by thin stone colums, which strenghten the exterior walls and enhance the look of the otherwise flat surface. The roof of the building mostly consist of low slopes along the entire outside and interior courtyard area, while a large dome covers the inner sanctum at the back. It is the highest point of the temple.

General Interior Appearance

While the exterior of the temple is marked by cold grey stone and metal ornaments, the interior gives in contrast a much more warm feeling to its visitors. The roaring fires of the dozens of fireplaces all throughout the temple provide ample warmth in an otherwise frigid climate. The floors in the living quarters, especialy the guest rooms, are made of wooden planks and carpets. Heavy curtains are drapped over the thick windows, to keep the warmth in, and the cold out.

Amenities

The temple has numerous amenities which it offers its guests, such as 2-3 warm meals a day, a library stocked with books on subjects ranging from theology to mythology and even science, as well as extensive archives, although these cannot normaly be accessed by the general public and require permision by the headmaster. It also has public baths, which uses the warm water from a hot spring located under the temple and a few saunas, a specialty of Rumalia located just to the north. Finaly, the most important amenity of all are the guest rooms, located in the living quarters.

Living Quarters

The living quarters inside the temple are segregated into normal human and mage sections. The human, or commonfolk quarters are located on the eastern side of the building's second and third floor. The mage quarters are located at the back of the building, on either side of the Inner Sanctum and are further separated by the 4 different soulbound mage types. Because the population of shapeshifters is so much larger than that onther three types, their living quarters occupie all three stories.

Courtyard, Sanctum, and Inner Snactum

The courtyard is located in the centre of the building, and can be acessed by all cardinal directions. It contains a few alpine trees and bushes, rare in this altitude, as well as a fountain and seating area. Most don't enjoy it outside of summer, but it remains accesible year round. Balconies on the second and third floors offer a view of the yard below. The sanctum is located directly north of the courtyard, and acts as an intermediate between it and the inner sanctum. Once again, seating areas are offered, as well as carpets, set in rows for people to pray on. Along the walls, a half dozen stone statues, depicting Halin in animal forms described by Laris in the bekura. Finaly, a pair of heavy wooden doors leads into the Inner Sanctum. This room is the largest by volume of the whole temple. It is covered by a gigantic domed roof, painted to resemble a starry night sky and peirced by 12 large windows, allowing sunlight or moonligh to enter. In the absence of both, torches lined up along the circular wall can be lit up. Finaly, in the center of the room stands a large stone statue of Laris choran, smiling as he looks up towards the sky.
Map of Arros
A map of the continent of Arros, as of the year 370 AC.
 
by Ephraïm Boateng (Me)
Founding Date
Constructed between 1322 to 1309 bc
Alternative Names
The Ascending Suriat/temple
Type
Temple / Religious complex
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Contested By

Other Nearby buildings

The reserve

The reserve building is a large storage building, one story tall, and built of wood with a stone foundation. It, and the small suriat basement and storage room contain the resources that keep the suriat running all year.

The stables

The horse stables are, as the name suggests, stables, which houses the horses used to pull the jrokya up the mountain.The

Moon Tower

The tower of the moon, or the Moon Tower, is a small round tower located on the second peak of the mountain, around 1000 metres above the Suriat. It was built on the presumed site of Laris choran's ascension and is currently innacessible.

The Arch of welcome

Finaly, the last significant structure in the area is a large arch above the main path to the temple. Shapes of various animals are engraved onto the pillar's rough stone. Directly above the path, the enscriptions "Sùriate dei Osayor" and "Tampel av Voznefar" are engraved, which mean "Temple of Ascension" in Paxolian and Rumalian, respectively.
Gateway to the Ether
On the third floor of the suriat, a series of rooms, called Ascension chambers, are available to mages, where they are provided a bed, a table and a sitting carpet on the floor, where they will sit and meditate after taking dreamer's tea. The altitude of the temple helps soulbound mages connect to the Ether. Skylights and windows allows moonlight to flood the room, which are reflected on mirrors set up on the wall to mirrors are set up on the walls to enhance its strenght. This is done both as tradition, and because it is said to also help with the ascension process.
This section contains spoilers for book 2 and book 3 of the story. Proceed at your own risk. Click to reveal
Following the events at the end of book 1, Melwyn is afflicted with a case of permanent Ikshai possession. As his physical state rapidaly degrades, he and Sorah travel from Sargassin to Larasor to seek help from Makhlem. However, they are then ambushed and separated at the end of book 2. After (A bunch of stuff i don't want to spoil yet), they are reunited and continue their travels, now towards the Suriat, to get help. Melwyn arrives at the temple by the end of book 3, completing his first Arc.

Comments

Author's Notes

This article was written as an entry for both of these unoficial chalenges:

The longest journey - Chapter five
Generic article | Feb 11, 2025
January Prompt: Transition
Generic article | Jan 31, 2025
Go check them out!


Please Login in order to comment!
Jun 14, 2025 22:39

Belated congratulations on completing chapter 5 of "The longest journey". Here is a small memento to remember your journey by:  
  Thanks again for taking part in my journey!

Join me at the sandy beaches of Aran'sha for new adventures.
Jun 15, 2025 00:43 by Ephraïm Boateng

Thank you! <3