Tunnel of Babble
The Tunnel of Babble is an unfinished Edenian mega-project, the goal of which was to dig a path down to the purported subterranean home of the Sister Goddesses. In 268, just as the tunnel was reaching a depth of 0.75 miles, the goddesses Mira and Phina finally revealed themselves.
Work on the tunnel stopped immediately. But while most of the workers were satisfied that their project had achieved its ultimate goal, a small subset believed that the goddesses appeared when they did in order to prevent the discovery of some greater mystery.
In the years since, while they have helped to turn the tunnel into a tourist destination by helping to widen the opening, this small group of workers and their descendants have been secretly plotting to recommence digging—even over the strenuous objections of the Council of Five and the Sister Goddesses themselves.
Purpose / Function
The original shaft was fifteen feet in diameter and was never intended to be a tourist attraction. In fact, the first workers did everything in their power to avoid detection by the Council of Five and its agents. Though the original plan was to dig far closer to the western foothills of Dükuhüo Aüki, near where the River Lee empties into Mother’s Mirror, an alternate site was found on wooded private property nearby.
Alterations
Following the appearance of Phina and Mira in 268, the dig downward ceased and an excavation of the surrounding land began. The modern site is monumental piece of land art measuring 2.5 miles in diameter at the surface. The stepped and angled walls of the structure are sturdy and wide enough to accommodate foot traffic, though the use of ground vehicles is prohibited.
Tourism
The Tunnel of Babble, so named in reference to the Tower of Babel from the Earthling Bible, is a popular destination for pilgrims of many faiths. For the Wemu of Ni Hüre Lena, the Tunnel is a sign that the end times are near. The Wemu believe that the reason the Sister Goddesses stopped the dig when they did was to prevent the release of the Aiki I—the vengeful earth god whom the Wemu believe will smite all but those who show the proper love and reverence for the place where he has placed them.
I always love reading about a secret project, not many of them stop cause the ven they were looking for actually happens! Is the knowledge of it's purpose known to those who travel to it as a pilgrim or tourist?
Come check out some of my SummerCamp work if you need some inspiration ;)
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Oh, good question. I'll have to try and answer that one in revision. I think they know what the project was for. That's my gut instinct. But I need to think about it more.