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.
History
The sanctuary predates all known Duranthi civic expansions and was believed to be used by the Orasians long before the Great Migration. 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.
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. 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, meditation, and stillness.
Cultural Role
The sanctuary is central during Veshariin observances. 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 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.