Sablea · Sablean Desert Edge · Ancient Sacred Ground
Gateway to the Winding Veins · Guardian of Sablea's Oldest Secrets · Site of the Celestial Possession RitualIt has stood for centuries as a silent witness to the rise and fall of rulers, the birth of rebellions, and the relentless churn of Sablea's history. Its surface is reverence. Beneath it is something else entirely.
Its construction is attributed to the Firstborn Sableans — an ancient civilization deeply attuned to the dual moons and their mystical influence. It predates modern Sablea itself. Yzmina's ritual took place within its Celestial Hall. She has guarded it ever since.
The monastery rises like a dark sentinel against the horizon. Its weathered stone walls are forged from a mix of ebony-black basalt and obsidian — materials enchanted to resist the elements and time itself. Sharp, angular spires and narrow arched windows give it an imposing and otherworldly aesthetic. Under the light of the twin moons, its polished stone surfaces cause the entire structure to glow faintly.
Inside, the monastery is an intricate labyrinth of vaulted ceilings, torchlit corridors, and vast chambers filled with towering bookshelves, stone statues of forgotten deities, and intricate mosaics depicting the history of Sablea. The air is thick with the scent of aged parchment, wax, and faint incense. Moonstone lanterns imbued with eternal light illuminate the halls, casting an ethereal glow on carvings of Sablea's storied past.
The Moons' Pathway is a stunning expanse of polished ebony-black obsidian stone, perfectly smooth and reflective under the shifting light of the twin moons. Stretching for a ten-minute walk from the Outer Gates to the Moons' Stair, it divides into four symmetrical quadrants segmenting the main courtyard into smaller intentional spaces. Walking off the Pathway is a mark of profound disrespect to the monastery's traditions and the celestial forces it honors.
The Moons' Pathway divides into four symmetrical quadrants, each segmenting the main courtyard into smaller intentional spaces. At its intersection, the Pathway forms a central point where rituals of alignment and reflection are performed. Walking off the Pathway is a mark of profound disrespect — not forbidden, but immediately noticed.
A grand staircase carved from the same black obsidian as the Pathway. 75 polished ebony steps ascending to the massive entrance of the monastery. At its summit: the Moons' Embrace — colossal double doors engraved with the phases of the moons, believed to open only for those deemed worthy.
Faceless Red Monks and visiting clergy members walk the Pathway and murmur prayers, their voices mingling with the desert wind. They are the monastery's enforcers and ordained servants — both ceremonial presence and executioners when the monastery's rules are broken.
The colossal double doors at the top of the Moons' Stair are engraved with lunar phases forming a celestial map that aligns with the skies above. Their carvings glow faintly under moonlight. To pass through them is believed to be an act of submission to the will of Ara and Ira simultaneously.
Their surfaces are inscribed with glowing red runes that shimmer faintly in the light of Ara and Ira. Arranged in deliberate symmetry and divided into three thematic groups. Reading them in sequence tells the full history of Sablea — for those who know how to read runes and have the patience to stand there for several days.
Eastern Position · Foresight · Wisdom · Order
Representing foresight, wisdom, and order, these obelisks chronicle Sablea's greatest moments of insight and governance — from its early foundations to its rise as a center of power. The stories of the first Oracles, the founding of Sablea, and its golden ages are etched in intricate detail. These are the obelisks most studied by scholars. They are also the least dangerous to read.
Western Position · Chaos · Passion · Change
Embodying chaos, passion, and change, these obelisks depict Sablea's turbulent history — its wars, betrayals, and revolutions. Scenes of the fiery rebellion against Sablea's tyrannical rulers and the raw power of Ira's influence dominate these carvings. Among them: the Purge of Old Sablea, rendered in detail that eyewitness accounts confirm as accurate. Yzmina reviewed the carvings herself. She made no corrections.
Central Intersection · Balance · Hidden Truths · The Cosmos
Dedicated to the enigmatic force that binds Ara and Ira, these obelisks depict the mysteries of the Veil — the balance of opposing forces and the hidden truths of the cosmos. Their runes are the most cryptic of the nine, readable only by those attuned to the spiritual resonance of the Moons. What they actually say has never been publicly documented. Yzmina reads them occasionally. She has never shared what she finds.
The outer ceremonies of the Northern Monastery are relatively restrained compared to the darker rites conducted within. The Crimson Pools serve as both physical and symbolic representations of the sacrifices made to the Moons. But it is the Chamber of Moons' entry rule that the Red Monks enforce with absolute finality.
Bordered along the main courtyard, their surfaces shimmer as though alive. Worshippers slash their palms and press their bloodied hands to the bases of the obelisks, allowing their offerings to drip into the pools. These small blood sacrifices — the Veil Greeting — honor the twin moons and maintain the balance of Sablea. The act is considered relatively restrained. What happens inside the monastery is not.
The grand staircase of 75 polished ebony steps ascends to the Moons' Embrace — colossal double doors engraved with the lunar phases forming a celestial map. They are believed to respond to the will of the Moons, opening only for those deemed worthy. Their carvings glow faintly under moonlight. To pass through them is to be enveloped by the will of Ara and Ira simultaneously.
At the base of the Moons' Stair, a smaller carved doorway leads into the hidden Chamber of Moons. Though one may enter this way, no one is permitted to exit through it. Only the newly ordained Faceless Red Monks are allowed to pass through this entrance upon completing their initiation — a tradition as sacred as it is fearsome. Any breach of this rule results in immediate execution in the courtyard's crimson pools, carried out by the Red Monks themselves. This rule has never had a recorded exception. It is not expected to develop one.
Beneath the monastery lies one of the hidden entry points to the Winding Veins — the network of tunnels and caverns that snake beneath all of Sablea. The monks and archivists who have maintained the monastery have also safeguarded its connection to the Veins for centuries, ensuring that only the most trustworthy — or cunning — travelers gain access.
Central Prayer Hall · Behind an Ordinary Stone Altar
Deep within the monastery, behind what appears to be an ordinary stone altar in the central prayer hall, lies the entrance to the Winding Veins. The altar slides open with a precise combination of movements — a dance of hand gestures, spoken phrases in the ancient tongue, and the alignment of moonlight shining through the high windows. All three conditions must be met simultaneously. Missing any one of them produces nothing. The altar does not warn you it is about to produce something worse.
Spiraling Stone · Pale Red Glyph-Light · Growing Cold
Beyond the altar lies a spiraling stone staircase that descends into darkness. Lit by enchanted glyphs glowing faintly with pale red light, casting eerie shadows on the walls. As one descends, the air grows cooler and heavier, the scent of damp earth mingling with the metallic tang of iron and blood. The scent intensifies with depth. There is no measured count of the steps. Those who have tried to count report losing track around forty and finding themselves at the bottom anyway.
Grotesque Carvings · Two Masked Sentinels · Enchanted Scimitars
At the threshold of the Winding Veins lies a massive iron gate adorned with grotesque carvings of serpentine creatures and crescent moons. Two masked sentinels, clad in dark robes and wielding enchanted scimitars, stand watch at all times. They do not speak. They do not shift. If you approach without the passphrase already on your lips, they will already be moving.
The True Heart of Sablea · Below Everything · Always Active
Beyond the gate: the Veins spread out like the arteries of a living organism, connecting distant corners of Sablea. This is the true heart of Sablea's shadowy operations — sheltering a society that thrives in the darkness. The surface city is a maze of secrets. The Veins are the maze beneath the maze.
A population. A government. A graveyard. The Winding Veins are not simply tunnels — they are a second city operating entirely outside the surface's awareness, with their own hierarchy, their own sacred sites, and their own laws.
Criminals, exiles, and those who have forsaken the surface world — drawn to the Veins by promises of freedom from the rigid rules of Sablean culture. Life in the Veins is harsh and unforgiving. The surface Sablea does not ask about those who disappear into them. It knows where they went.
The most secretive dealings of Sablea are conducted in the Silent Vaults hidden within the Veins — political conspiracies, trade of forbidden goods, rituals involving blood magic. The Council's true operational center is not the Eastern Ebony Tower. It is here.
Within the Veins, there are shrines dedicated to ancient deities banished from Sablea's official worship. These shrines attract zealots and power-hungry mages willing to risk damnation for forbidden knowledge. Yzmina is aware of their existence. She has chosen not to purge them — yet.
A macabre arena where disputes are settled in brutal duels — often to the death. The walls glisten with streaks of crimson ore. The scent of blood lingers perpetually. What passes for justice in the Veins is decided here, and the decision is always final.
Accessible only to those with specific blood-bound keys, the Vaults are protected by layers of glyphs and serve as meeting rooms for the Council of Shadows. Places where the fate of Sablea and other realms is quietly decided. There are no witnesses. There are no records. There are outcomes.
In the deepest reaches of the Veins — towering gates carved with ancient glyphs and symbols that pulse faintly with red light. Rumored to lead to either a prison for forgotten gods or a portal to another realm. Heavily guarded and shrouded in myth. The Four Secrets crossed through one of them. They have seen what waits on the other side.
The Ancient Northern Monastery is a crucial waypoint for Lady Crysen — serving both as a source of knowledge and as a testing ground for her courage and intellect. What she uncovers here will reshape everything she believes about Sablea, the Sisters, and the fate of Mai'leah.
Crysen's exploration of the monastery's tomes and scrolls will reveal vital truths about the Sablean Sisters, the Winding Veins, and the origins of Sablea itself — including the Third Generation records of Yzmina's possession that most living Sableans have never read firsthand.
Crysen's ability to decipher the passphrase to enter the Veins will test her mastery of the ancient languages of Sablea — particularly Nythari, the Deception Tongue. Her failure could cost her soul. Her success will mark her as a worthy adversary in Sablea's shadowy power struggles. There is no partial credit.
The monastery serves as her entry point into the underworld of Sablea — where she will uncover the darker truths of her foretelling and the fate of Mai'leah. The monastery is not her destination. It is the last familiar ground before everything becomes unknown.