Temple of Sanctuary - [OPEN]

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

The Land of Moon is far from a secluded land. Many tourists choose to tour here, come to see the various sights and enjoy the rather temperate climate. Its mountains hold many secrets, and relics of days gone by. One of these sites is a temple that was once occupied by a group of monks, it is now long since abandoned. Here, the mercenary has made a home for himself, and allows those of kindred spirit to seek shelter here.

A ring of mountains forms a wall around the temple, nature providing its children with a wall of her own flesh. A valley cuts into the middle of the ring, a dense forest cut in half by a river that flows from the mountain the temple rests on. Half a mile in diameter, the river is fairly large and, as it flows directly from the mountain here, clean.

If one followed the river, they'd see that is flows down the mountain in a series of short waterfalls that each have a small, floating garden on them of basic food necessities. A path winds up the waterfalls, following the left side of the pools if you were facing it head-on. Upon reaching the top pool, a bridge gaps the distance between the pool and the temple, although the path does loop behind the pool, and the massive waterfall from the mountain's peak that feeds it and the river.

"We practice war in the sun, and celebrate under the moon!"

The dojo is a white painted and red trimmed ornamental facility seated on a shelf at the side of the mountain. It is a simple yet pretty big house of training. The front is a normal pagoda style temple, with big sliding door's which easily open to reveal a wide interior, which one finds has been carved right into the mountain. The inside is far wider than one might have believed, giving room to a stone floor which has been painstakingly chiseled to the flattest degree, with inlaid stenciled designs of monk's and dragon's at war under the image of a huge full moon. In fact there are also mysterious carvings all over the walls as well which were somehow carved into a dome like room that gives birth to a 5 story high ceiling, at the highest point. There is a shiny silver gong that looks like a moon sits hanging majestically above the floor.

There is an assortment of aged and old racks with replicas of a great multitude of weapons ranging from the katana to the poleaxe. These weapons, while perfect for practice, training, or sparring, are unable to truly inflict damage to others. While there are no guards, it is a taboo to take any item from this place. The weapons look aged and unique to this temple, well-worn grips and edges showing their common usage.

Across from the dojo is a small hut-like structure. Ornate, though weather-worn decorations stylize the pillars and roof of it, red, blue and green paint fading on the walls. Upon entering the small temple, one would be greeted by a small pedestal for kneeling or sitting in front of an ornate fountain. The fountain, which still trickled after all these years, showed the deity likely worshipped by the monks of old. The fox appeared to be curled around a small human child, water running from her mouth to the youngster’s head.

And finally, the temple itself. While time had certainly ravaged the structure- the red paint was peeled in some places, the designs of gods and legends inscribed on the walls losing their clarity, it remained a beautiful palace still. A long, sloping roof hung across the massive building, the curvature allowing water and other weather to flow easily down and out. The large doors that were the entrance were held shut by a large, golden lock- now spilt cleanly into two halves to allow the doors to be permanently cracked.

Upon entering the temple, one first sees the ‘lobby’. A wide room, and bare. Some tables rest in the center, and there is a small fountain and pad in every corner of the room. Two ornate stairways shaped like dragons lead up to the rooms of the temple, although many remain locked and unexplored for now.

One room, belonging to the mercenary, is open. Its Spartan in its decoration, with only a small cot, a weapons rack, a short wooden dresser, and a small table and chair arranged along the walls of the room. The center is taken up by a small mat, and is used for meditation and some training. The room is painted a dull white, similar to the outfit often worn by the man.