Encyclopaedia Elysia | Places / The Temple of Farahij

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The Temple of Farahij, also known as the Naharar's Temple, is the Zanaryan seat of government and the home of both its religious and secular leaders¹

Farahij² is built on a rocky island in the middle of the Deryad Sea, almost central to all six Zanaryan nations. Ferries from each Nahan-led nation dock at the base of the island once a month, granting access to new students and those wishing to apply for a pass to travel through the portal to Elysia — but the journey does not end there.

The climb from the harbour is a long and arduous one, taking the traveller through all four of the Zanaryan elements in a symbolic tour that serves two purposes: One is to give students a last chance to change their minds, not only in terms of which of the Shrine Lords they will serve but also whether or not they will even apply to study at the temple. The second is to remind travellers of the wonders of Zanarya, giving them one last glimpse of home before they leave — and to hopefully change their mind if they are considering making their emigration permanent.

The Naharar's Palace

The largest and most distinctive structure within the temple is a wide, squat, circular tower that has a green dome roof. Ostentatiously decorated with plenty of gold, marble and statues, it is set aside for the Naharar and his extended family.

The palace's roof spirals open by mechanisms powered by all four elements at once (supposedly ensuring that no one nation or Lord can assume too much power or for too long), giving residents a spectacular night-time view of Zanarya's five moons from the open ground floor and broad circular stairs.

The Lords' Palaces

The Shrine Lords are housed in identical towers that are set around the Naharar's Palace at the four points on the elemental compass. Though all made from the exact same materials and colours originally, they have since been renovated, updated and personalised almost beyond recognition and now bear the signature styles of several different Lords each. The result is a spectacular display of the elements to which each tower is dedicated, with waterfalls cascading from the roof of the Water Tower and greenery growing up the walls of the Earth Tower.

The Fire and Air Towers are less ostentatious, their elements being much harder to maintain without constant manipulation, but their Lords instead put on a nightly show as the sun sets to remind residents of their power.

The Academy

Similar to the Naharar's Palace in design and size, the Academy, marked by a bronze-coloured roof, is where the Lords' students live and study for most of the year. During their time at the temple, they also work as servants to both their Lord and the Naharar, usually earning just enough to survive on the island by running errands both in and out of Zanarya.

Dormitories house the students on the upper floors, while the lower levels are set aside for training and early practising. (Training moves outdoors as soon as the student is capable of controlling larger quantities of their element, rather than risk destroying the buildings.)

Watchtower

The Watchtower is the tallest structure on the island, topped by a large stone statue of Xanth. It was built in the early days of the temple, when Zanaryans still worshipped her fully, but has since fallen into disrepair.

As well as being a crow's nest of sorts for the palace guards, it is also a beacon of light — supplied by an Ifriit's flames — in the dark, acting as the island's lighthouse. It is also from here that the working day is called to start and end by a prayer to the four elements.

¹ The Nahani, the "princes" of five of the Six Great Nations of Zanarya, have palacial estates in their own countries, but the Naharar and the Shrine Lords live in Farahij. ⇑

² The name Farahij comes from the Zanaryan words for each of the four elements they control, symbolising the temple's neutrality. ⇑