Tarrakul Arhun
| Tarrakul Arhun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| District | Surn's Refuge |
| Settlement | Kar-Thal |
| Location | Inner sanctuary tier, near the stillstone caverns |
| Realm | Terasil |
| Constructed | Unknown; pre-dates civic calendar |
| Cultural Origin | Duranthi |
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 rising from the living bedrock—believed by the Duranthi to be an unmediated axis of Oras’s enduring presence. Unlike other sanctified structures, Tarrakul Arhun was not shaped. It was revealed.
History
The sanctuary predates all known Duranthi civic expansions. Early stone-keepers encountered the column during the initial formation of inner chambers and immediately halted further excavation, citing a stillness in the stone unmatched by any encountered strata. Rather than carve or alter the stone, they constructed the sanctuary around it—preserving its form, silence, and pressure alignment.
Rites conducted here are among the oldest preserved in Duranthi record. Lore tablets state that even the earliest Rite-Keepers spent a full cycle in its shadow before assuming their role, marking it as a foundational site of inward discipline and civic humility.
Architecture
The sanctuary is circular, carved concentrically around the central column. The ceiling slopes inward slightly, emphasizing gravitational symmetry and inward focus. No carvings mark the walls, and only minimal glowstone veins illuminate the chamber. Seating alcoves are built into the outer ring for silent vigil and presence.
The central column—called Arhun—is over twenty feet in diameter, matte in texture, and composed of a mineral not found elsewhere in Terasil. Its surface remains untouched, bearing no toolmark, seal, or inscription.
Function
Tarrakul Arhun serves as a site of convergence, memory grounding, and stillness. Worshipers and officials press their foreheads or hands to the column in silence, allowing the weight of the stone to ground unsettled thought. It is not a place of petition, but of presence—used by senior Rite-Keepers, council members, and citizens seeking realignment or ancestral clarity.
Cultural Role
The sanctuary is central during Veshariin observances and oath-year transitions. Public access is permitted only under stillness protocol; visitors must pass through a cleansing rite and relinquish all non-stone artifacts.
Duranthi artisans, judges, and archivists frequently return here between significant works or declarations. To stand at Arhun is considered a rite of humility—an admission that all memory must yield to origin.
Interpretation
Some regard Arhun as the last uncarved fragment of Oras’s original shaping—where matter first took form. Others believe it to be Kar-Thal’s true axis, a memory-anchor that keeps the city bound to its source. Interpretations vary, but all agree: to touch Arhun is not to seek understanding, but to offer oneself to be understood.