The Black Reliquary

The Black Reliquary—palace of the Under Sanctuary—was as silent as ever. Unlike the Middle Sanctuary above, where life bloomed in every crevice, nothing living stirred here. The black marble walls, veined with white and silver, shimmered under the low glow of ether lights. This place lies beneath the realm of the living, ruled by Nelous, God of Death. His castle bears the same name: the Black Reliquary. Its vast halls echo with the endless wails of passing souls. The art here is somber, brooding—as bleak as the god who reigns.   A palace carved from obsidian, it sits deep in darkness itself. The sky above is false: a cavern ceiling glittering like the night sky, with millions of gemstones pressed into stone. Crimson-winged soulbats flutter around the towering spires. Rivers of souls, not water, flow in silvery currents around the palace. Along the outer walls stand sentries—hulking beasts carved from black marble, claws poised mid-slash. Those who work here whisper that the statues are not entirely stone... that the Death God watches through them. The air smells of petrichor, smoke, and ash.   Through shadowed corridors roam the Vesperites—death reapers clad in black, polished armor. Some are skeletal, others hauntingly human, spanning countless races and species. Most haunt the west wing, where the veil is thin. If you are brought here alive, pray that he only wants to speak with you. Some of Death’s cruelest curses have been uttered in these halls. A few have been left touched by living death—breathing, but never truly alive again. while others are hauntingly human, spanning numerous   You should not go to the Black Reliquary.
  You may not come back.
   

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