|
| Shadow Temple | |
| Construction Information | |
|---|---|
| Architect | |
| Year of Construction | |
| Class |
Temple |
| Technical Specifications | |
| Height |
300 meters |
| Width |
700 meters |
| Floors |
70 |
| Rooms |
1,000+ |
| Equipment |
Planetary Shield Generator |
| Usage | |
| Roles |
Headquarters |
| Location | |
| Affiliation | |
| Exodus Information | |
| Creator | |
- "Lose your way, lose your life."
- — Common Cult of Shadow Saying
The Shadow Temple is an enormous structure on the surface of Arcanix that was built by the Cult of Shadow to serve as their headquarters. The temple was initially constructed by the first members of the cult in a much more modest form, but as the Cult of Shadow grew, so too did the size of the Shadow Temple. In fact the temple has always been in a state of constant construction from the start, with additional wings being added as needed.
After the first Labor Lords were built, the massive droids helped to speed up the construction of the temple, but the progress never seems to be fast enough to accommodate all of the cult members. This is done on purpose so as to create an antagonistic atmosphere between the cult members, forcing them to be aggressive to survive.
Moreover, the new wings are constantly being added without apparent thought as to how they'll affect the flow of the rest of the temple, but this is also done deliberately. As the temple has grown, the new additions have made the structure increasingly complex and labyrinthine inside. Learning to navigate inside the Shadow Temple has become something of a test for cult members and it's often said that those who get lost are rarely seen again.
The Shadow Temple had the distinction of being the only structure visible on the surface of Arcanix, but this changed after the Schrai built their hive. The two structures currently rival each other for size.
Layout[]
Interior of the Shadow Temple
The Shadow Temple is a massive building that contains living quarters, classrooms, arenas, archives, laboratories, landing bays, and all of the other various facilities required therein. Only the core of the temple, home to the oldest parts, resemble any kind of order. The rest of the temple is built around the original structure in a circular fashion.
This deliberate maze-like layout not only forces cult members to learn how to navigate it to survive, but it also helps to stymie possible spies before they're caught by the Shadow Keepers. While some parts of the temple are more distinct than others, the rooms are often highly uniform and any kind of decorated carvings static and repetitive. There's nothing in the way of directories or a map inside of the temple to guide someone to their destination. Asking for help is often a good way to end up dead since it's considered a sign of weakness by the cult.
Furthermore, the redundant layers upon layers approach gives the temple a kind resiliency not seen in other building designs. Essentially all of the really important rooms are at the heart of the temple, and each new layer is built with a strong exterior wall to protect it from the elements of Arcanix before they are in turn built over with the next layer. These mundane rooms, filled with living quarters, classrooms, mess halls, training rooms and the like form a kind of ablative armor for the temple. Even if a section of the temple is damaged in an attack, it is likely that it will do little to cripple the cult’s operations since the chances of it making it through all those rooms to something important is minimal.
Notable Areas[]
The Shadow Temple isn't without its important features. There are certain sections that differ from the uniform layers that dominate most of the structure, especially the closer one gets to the center.
Sivter's Inner Sanctum[]
Sivter's Throne
The pulsing heart of darkness of Arcanix is the Inner Sanctum that Sivter has within the Shadow Temple. It’s located amongst the lowest levels of the temple and considered to be at the very center of the structure (relatively speaking). As such it is perhaps one of the most well-protected areas of the Shadow Temple and is in fact structurally reinforced to withstand the complete collapse of the rest of the temple upon it. In the event of such an occurrence, the Inner Sanctum has an underground bolt hole that will safely let out several miles away. The only way to access the Inner Sanctum is by being summoned by Sivter himself. Teroch’dha guards stationed outside will frequently kill anyone who dares to approach without Sivter’s permission.
The inside of the Inner Sanctum is a half-sphere with Korriban Crystals inset into the ceiling to assist Sivter in his meditations. A large obsidian throne is the only furnishing of note, but it contains several hidden compartments that can house anything from weapons, to artifacts, to copies of ancient Darksider tomes not found in the Main Archives. Intricate locks that can only be manipulated with the Force from the inside secure the compartments and make then virtually invisible to the naked eye. If one tries to force open a compartment or messes up the lock sequence, a small explosive device will activate and seal the compartment forever. The outside of the throne itself is alchemically treated to resist lightsabers.
Although the Inner Sanctum is equipped with lighting, Sivter frequently likes to keep them all off to better intimidate anyone who enters.
The Catacombs[]
The Catacombs are actually a series of ancient maze-like crumbling lava tubes located underneath one of the older parts of the Shadow Temple and are considered to be the lowest level of the structure despite the fact that they weren't built. Through processes either guided or accidental, the tubes have become an extremely potent focal point for the Dark Side, fed by the activities of the Cult of Shadow in the temple above.
Although there is nothing of value within the Catacombs, the area is kept sealed off since the concentration of Dark Side power has somehow given birth to Force-entities dubbed “wraiths” by the cult members due to their similarity to Space Wraiths. The wraiths are seemingly semi-sentient and will attempt to torment anyone who ventures into the Catacombs with their worst fears made manifest before feeding on their life energy. The creatures themselves, however, are not that strong and can be dissipated by a competent Force-user. As such the Catacombs are often used by Disciples as a way to test their power – a test not all of them walk away from.
Central Database[]
The Central Database is a computer that contains comprehensive information on all Cult of Shadow operations across the galaxy as well as a current roster of active members, the fate of ex-members, information of all but the most top secret projects, and an assortment of various other details pertaining to the organization. The Central Database isn’t hooked up to any other system, meaning that it can’t be sliced through outside means. The rest of the cult uses a more restricted computer system that is entirely separate from the Central Database and contains only essential and non-classified information.
The room housing the Central Database is located on one of the lower levels of the Shadow Temple, near Sivter’s Inner Sanctum and is heavily guarded. Only Sivter and the members of the Inner Circle can use the Central Database, though Overseers or the occasional Dark Lord may be allowed access with permission from either Sivter or an Inner Circle member.
Main Archives[]
The Main Archives are, in essence, the single greatest concentration of knowledge located within the Shadow Temple (though it pales in comparison to Sivter’s private study). Just about every bit of information the cult has collected is stored within the Main Archives. Smaller ancillary libraries dot the temple, but the Main Archives house the most powerful knowledge available and in fact one must be at the level of Dark Knight to be allowed access to them at all.
With the exception of pieces that Sivter has taken for his personal collection, nothing is allowed to leave the Main Archives. Any information taken must be copied and transferred to datapads. This is partly due to necessity and partly due to practicality since a great deal of the information is written on ancient materials, requiring careful storage while the knowledge is transferred to databases.
A small group of cult members, known as the Scholars, serve as caretakers and guards for the Main Archives. Not only do they dutifully run the place, but they also have the responsibility of deciphering any ancient writings brought to them and entering it into the Main Archives computers. When they’re done, any such artifacts are placed in protective storage.
Seer Sanctuary[]
The Seer Sanctuary is a location that only Seers and Sivter himself are allowed to enter. It houses the entirety of the Cult of Shadow's Seers and is specially designed to cancel outside influences so that the Seers are able to try and divine the future without distraction.
The Forge[]
The Forge serves as the headquarters for the cult’s material alchemists – who specialize in the non-biological aspects of Sith Alchemy. The majority of the cult’s weapons and armor are crafted at the Forge as well as other creations such as the Eradicator-class Droid. Despite what the name implies, there are actually multiple forges within the Forge, some more advanced than others, to take into account the varying experience levels of the material alchemists.
It was in the Forge that the Dark Lord Arksis Nan crafted Necroban.
Main Specimen Lab[]
The clinically labeled Main Specimen Lab is an enormous holding facility that stores live creatures, and sometimes people, for study and experimentation by the cult’s biological alchemists – who specialize in the living aspects of Sith Alchemy. There are many smaller laboratories set up within the Main Specimen Lab which house various projects as the Cult of Shadow works on exploiting the natural world for its benefit. The pens and cages located within the Main Specimen Lab are large enough and strong enough to hold rancors and other enormous creatures, but are also equipped with safeguards to keep the captive specimens under control.
Planetary Shield Generator[]
Arcanix’s Planetary Shield Generator actually started out as a separate building, but as the Shadow Temple grew, it ended up incorporating the structure into itself. The generator draws power form the depths of Arcanix, tapping into its unlimited geothermal energy to create a shield that is powerful enough to deflect any prolonged bombardment. The generators themselves are deep underground in a specially shielded area designed to contain the force of their explosion so that the rest of the Shadow Temple remains unaffected in case they’re ever destroyed. It is one of the most heavily guarded areas on Arcanix, heavily monitored by both the Shadow Keepers and the Teroch’dha.