The Oculus Tharaxis
The Eye That Judges Beneath the Rift Moon
"There is no shadow in the Oculus — only revelation."
The Oculus Tharaxis is the sacred judicial chamber of the Magisters Arcanii, located at the heart of the Riftwatch Quarter in Nova Roma. It is here that the most solemn and arcane rites of the Exiled Imperium are performed — none more feared than the Rite of Severance.
More than a courtroom, the Oculus is a ritual crucible, an architectural invocation of balance, memory, and law. Its presence dominates the skyline like an orb of judgement — cold, unmarred, ever open.
Cultural & Religious Significance
Among the Arcanii, the Oculus is a place of reverence and dread — a sanctum where politics hold no sway and magic answers to law alone. To the citizenry, it is often compared to the Temple of Aeternum, but colder — a place where the gods remain silent while mortals speak judgment.
Some cults whisper that the Rift Moon gazes down through the Oculus as a second eye, ensuring n
Purpose / Function
The Oculus is used exclusively for the execution of the Rite of Severance, the induction of new Magisters Prima, and the rare Invocation of Binding Law, where entire schools of magic may be outlawed or returned to practice.
Custodians guard its perimeter at all times, though they never enter unless summoned. Entry is by codified writ only — and only the Prima may ignite the Flame within.
Architecture
The structure is circular, echoing the seal of the Codex Exilia. The floor is inlaid with twelve radiant seals, each aligned to a tenet of magical law. Above, the great oculus — a perfectly round opening — allows moonlight from Tharaxis to fall directly into the chamber, unobstructed.
Walls of black Riftglass reflect the proceedings, but subtly distort the faces of those within — a constant reminder that perception is mutable, but law must remain clear. Runes carved into the architraves pulse gently during trials, harmonizing with the presence of the Flame of Witness.
A central bronze basin — shaped like a split Codex page — holds the dormant essence of the Flame.
History
Commissioned in the 3rd decade AR by Magister Prima Aurelia Quint, the Oculus was designed to be more than a place of rulings — it was to be a sanctified threshold between sanctioned power and irreversible judgment. Constructed from Riftstone and veined obsidian quarried during the founding of the city, its completion marked the first formal codification of the Rite of Severance.
Over the centuries, it has borne witness to betrayals, revelations, and redemptions. Its floor has felt the weight of magisters who reshaped the Imperium — or were erased from its memory.
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