Tarrakul Arhun
| Tarrakul Arhun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| District | Surn's Refuge |
| Settlement | Kar-Thal |
| Location | Inner sanctuary tier, near the harmonic caverns |
| Realm | Terasil |
| Constructed | Unknown; pre-dates civic calendar |
| Cultural Origin | Orasian |
Tarrakul Arhun, known as The Rooted Temple, is a sacred sanctuary carved into the inner tiers of Surn’s Refuge in Kar-Thal. Its central feature is a towering column of uncarved stone that rises from the living bedrock—believed by Orasians to be a raw and unmediated conduit of Oras’s presence. Unlike other sanctified structures, Tarrakul Arhun was not shaped by tools or tone. It was revealed, not made.
History
The sanctuary predates all known Orasian civic expansions. Early stone-seers discovered the column while carving initial meditation halls and halted further work immediately, citing a tonal stillness unlike anything encountered. Rather than extract or sculpt the stone, they structured the sanctuary around it—preserving its alignment, silence, and pulse.
Rites conducted here date back to the earliest harmonic intervals, and the site has never been modified. Several lore tablets suggest that even the earliest Rite-Keepers were required to spend a full cycle in its shadow before their initiation.
Architecture
The sanctuary is circular, carved concentrically around the column. The ceiling slopes inward slightly, creating a resonance chamber of profound stillness. No carvings mark the walls, and no light is introduced beyond faint natural glowstones. Seating alcoves are built into the outer ring for silent observance.
The central column itself—Arhun—is over twenty feet in diameter, matte in texture, and composed of a mineral composition found nowhere else in Terasil. The surface is untouched, its harmonic signature completely stable.
Function
Tarrakul Arhun serves as a site of vision, alignment, and inward descent. Worshipers press their foreheads or hands to the column during silent convergence, allowing the resonance of the stone to move through their breath. It is not a place of petition, but of listening—used primarily by senior Rite-Keepers, echo-seers, and citizens in need of deep orientation.
Cultural Role
The sanctuary plays a central role during Veshariin observances and echo-cycle transitions. While the public is permitted access, they must pass through a stilling rite beforehand and remove all items not born of stone.
Orasian artisans, judges, and lore-keepers frequently return here between major works or decisions. To consult Arhûn is considered a rite of humility—an acknowledgment that no echo we carve is final.
Interpretation
Some believe Arhun is the last remnant of Oras’s original shaping breath—the place where earth became form. Others see it as the heart-stone of the city itself, anchoring Kar-Thal’s resonance. While interpretations vary, all agree: to touch the stone is to be known, not to know.