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Online DaveIronside

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Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« on: July 01, 2018, 10:09:05 PM »
INDEX

This volume contains information about historic sites of Mundus which have been granted recognised status as culturally or historically significant. The Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation has meet to consider each of the sites and their significance not just to the nation in which they are held but to the whole of Mundus. The locations in this journal are presented in no particular order.

INDEX

1. Gods Forge - East Moreland
2. Old City of Tidar - Lakhzovia
3. Sky Temple of Stoneton - East Moreland
4. Luna Isle, Achkaerin
5. Valkyrian Orrery, Achkaerin
6. Wellow Ark Park, Bakkermaya




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« Last Edit: May 29, 2020, 03:49:37 PM by DaveIronside »

Online DaveIronside

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2018, 10:09:48 PM »
GODS FORGE- PORTWORTH - EAST MORELAND

 It is a site that covers several thousand years of ancient East Moreland history. Essentially it is a system of caves which have been inhabited and used for various purposes from around 8000BC - 1000AD. Amongst this cave system sits what is called the God's Forge. An almost perfectly preserved blacksmiths forge which has been dated to around 1000BC has been found and we have evidence of iron workings from the same period.

The site has been extensively studied yet researchers have still not cleared the whole of it.

Spoiler: 3D Computer Plan of the system explored so far • show



The site was first explored in 1801 and the initial discoveries were of a cave settlement, homes cut into rock. These showed incredible stonemason skill. Carvings of the various Gods and Goddess linked to the Cult of Helus.

Spoiler: Example of stonework • show

As you venture further into the cave tannery pits have been excavated. This gives us evidence of ancient leather workings. This and the iron work found leads us to believe the site was a workers settlement for an ancient arms factory.
Spoiler: ancient tannery • show

Once past the tannery we come to the forge itself. The forge was given the name The Gods Forge after the ancient East Moreland folklore legend that the Gods of Helus gave humans the secret of iron working, via his fellow God Jekar,  to help them create the first swords so they could defeat the evil Underlords. The forge was almost perfectly preserved by cave silt. Its fire pit is inscribed with the names of over 20 different Gods and mentions of ancient Kings. It is written in ancient East Morelandish and many of the Kings we are still discovering more about. The forge is one of the most holy sites to members of the Cult of Helus who honour the sword as a mark of faith and honour.

Spoiler: The Gods Forge • show


Once you reach the forge itself the age of the cave settlements begins to get older the further back we have excavated. Researchers have evidence of other industries taking place here the further back in time we go. One of the major industries seems to be pottery making. This has allowed researchers to take samples of  what goods where traded in the pots, these have ranged from wines to food stuffs giving us an excellent idea of what ancient East Morelanders ate and drank.
Spoiler: Pottery being excavated • show


So far researchers have only explored around 70% of the cave system as the rest is blocked by centuries of cave silt. Reseachers are still finding older and older artefacts. Most resently students and staff from the Royal Merriman University found cave paintings which are believed to date to around 8000BC. They also believe once they move even further back into the cave system we could uncover a further 2000 years worth of History.

Spoiler: latest cave paintings • show


Gods Forge  is a prime example of how industry and settlement have changed over a period of almost 10,000 years of human habitation. It has allowed us to examine the changes to society for a period from before written sources. The Forge itself is the most intact Blacksmiths forge from the beginning of the Iron Ageon this record. It shows a pivotal moment in the history of mankind.

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2018, 10:10:19 PM »
[big][big]
THE OLD CITY OF TIDAR - LAKHZOVIA
[/b][/big][/big]
The Old City of Tildar (The Rose City) was the ancient seat of power for the Tildaran Lakh Empire, much of the city dates from this period and is a prime showcase of the historical contribution towards the fields of art, science, philosophy and architecture the Lakh people of this period made.

At its height it was a significant center of trade and sciences with numerous academies affiliated with various schools of philosophy. The jewel in the crown of the city is the ancient observatory which was able to make incredibly accurate observations and includes an ancient sundial from which you can read seconds pass.

[/big]
Spoiler: Tildar Old City • show

View across the old city showcasing the outstanding architectural value of the site, the Rose City so called because the of the pink/red sandstone from which it is built, represents some of the best preserved examples of Tildaran Lakh architecture.


Spoiler: The Imperial Observatory • show

The observatory was constructed during the highest point of the Tildaran Empire, the instruments utilise various principles of geometry to precisely map the celestial bodies and stars.


These sunken hemispheres were used to help plot and calculate the predicted movements of various bodies.


The Great Dial was the crowning achievement of the Tildaran astronomers proving their early mastery of timekeeping, the enormous dial is able to precisely measure time intervals to the second.

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2018, 10:10:50 PM »
[big][big]
THE SKY TEMPLE IN STONETON, EAST MORELAND
[/big][/big]

Spoiler: The Temple • show




The Temple of Thiban was constructed in 1203 by the King of East Moreland known as Hugh of The White Horse. The God Thiban is the God of the Sea and Skies. The Temple in Stoneton is the highest temple to any of the Gods belonging to the Cult of Helus anywhere in the world. As well as being one of the oldest still standing Temples to this religion the Temple also uses a unique building technique. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name "stave temple". The four corner posts were connected to one another by ground sills, resting on a stone foundation. The rest of the staves then rise from the ground sills, each stave notched and grooved along the sides so that they lock into one another, forming a sturdy wall. As a result no nails, no glues or any other fastening is used save carpentry. Clearly this is a structure requiring an incredible amount of skill to make.

The interior of the Temple contains several inscriptions to the Gods, in particular to Thiban. These inscriptions feature the languages of ancient Seaforth, Moreland and Transvaal. As such this makes it some of the earliest evidence of the pilgrims who journey to the Temple even today. The Temple was later extended with a stone tower which houses the archive of the Temple which contains records going back to the 13th Century.

The Temple is one of the few surviving stave Temples in existence and is certainly one of the best preserved using the ancient technique."

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2018, 10:11:25 PM »
LUNA ISLE, ACHKAERIN


Luna Isle is the most sacred religious location in Achkaerin situated to the southern end of Foxton Lake where the holds of Rosemoor, Greencliffe and Silverlea meet. It has deep historical and cultural routes for the people of Achkaerin and is quite the attraction during the summer tourist season although only the temple section is tourist territory. The island holds the sacred sites of the Temple of the Trinity and most significantly the Courtyard of Life. Luna Isle is regarded as quite a tranquil place in fact it is better described as a holy village or town really considering what is located on the island.

The Monastery

The Luna Isle Monastery is the home of the Luna Isle Monks, this is where they eat, sleep and study. The order tends to be split by those who seek their own spiritual enlightenment and others who seek to help other people find it, this is why it is the monks that teach the other order on the island. The Monastery itself is the second oldest building on the island one of the great tourist attractions is often seen here on New Years Day when the monks process out and shout in their native tongue to the sky a prayer of thanks.

The Temple of the Trinity

The Temple of the Trinity stands as the spiritual centre of the Achkaerinese faith the temple houses altars to all three Goddesses of the Cult of Namis, Namis, Kisara and Xiaoyu it remains one of the oldest examples of this kind of building dating back beyond the founding of Achkaerin itself. The Temple still holds ceremonies according to the Cult with the High Priestess, Oracle or Queen of Songs presiding.

The Courtyard of Life

The Courtyard of Life sits right at the centre of the island, it's a pretty self explanatory place, a circular courtyard in the centre of which sits the Tree of Life, as the name suggests this is the Tree from which the Namis faithful believe all life energy flows from and where it all began. Each year the blossom of the tree are woven into the wreath of remembrance laid by the monarch on Memorial Day and every year on Life Day (25th December) the High Priestess addresses the nation from the courtyard. It is a place open to the public but due to the space limitations the numbers allowed in at any one time are restricted.

The Convent

The Luna Isle Convent is the home of the order of the Maiden Sisters, an all female order that learn the Rhythm of Life through learning various sword forms taught to them by the monks, the order embodies the cultural significance of Achkaerin's warrior heritage, a nation forged by, divided by and reunified by the sword, originally they were viewed as what might be viewed as the High Priestess's personal army however these days they are more of a ceremonial guard. There has been one notable exception to the all female rule, King Paul of East Moreland otherwise known as Paul the Explorer was permitted to study the Rhythm of Life and remains to date the only 'Brother' in the orders history. This does not mean that the order does not teach the Rhythm of Life to men such teaching is a frequent occurrence in the modern day it just means that in terms of initiation Paul remains the only male, though as part of the rehabilitation of the Samurai of Toshikawa this is expected to change. The courtyard of the Elements located in the monastery holds unique shrines or 'wells' as they're called by the order to the seven elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light and Dark these are the elements that make up the Rhythm of Life.

The Shrine of Yve

Across the island there are shrines to the nine Sacred Beasts born of the Goddess Namis- Okan the Basilisk, Rotorth the Griffin, Kovrien the Stag, Malzrucrid the Gorilla, Brerin the Chimaera, Aydel the Raith Cat, Evna the Fox, Yve the Phoenix and Fryseirth the Dragon. These are open air shrines and are mostly visited by pilgrims. The Shrine of Yve has an additional attraction for the flame that burns at that shrine is otherwise known as the 'sacred flame' or 'eternal flame' and it is this flame that is used to light the Mundus Games torch each year.

The Accommodation

The Island is the home to a lot of people, the monks, the Maiden Sisters, the Trinity Choir and of course the three female leaders of the Cult of Namis the High Priestess, the Oracle and the Queen of Songs. Each of these homes serves not only as their living quarters but their place of work. A notable part of the home of the Oracle is the Vault of Prophecy, a place where all the prophecies of all the Cult's prophets are kept recorded for consultation, the High Priestess's home has within it's walls the Vault of Knowledge   where one can find numerous writings on the Cult's history and its teachings, finally within the Queen of Songs home the Vault of Song can be found here can be found all the sacred songs of the Cult.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2020, 09:31:07 PM by Achkaerin »

Online DaveIronside

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2018, 10:11:50 PM »
[big][big]Valkyrian Orrery, Achkaerin[/big][/big]

"The Orrery dates to the early sixteenth century in fact it is most likely turn of the century, it operates by clockwork and is still working to this day thanks to painstaking care and maintenance. As I'm sure most people are aware religions and science have at times had a less than cordial relationship, this Orrery was in its time seen as heretical because it charts the movements of planets and identifies stars and constellations, seemingly taking the wonder out of the universe. Eventually of course understanding prevails and what was seen to be taking away the wonder is now seen as emphasizing that wonder. And if I may just say two more things- firstly the map of the heavens that this Orrery has is very detailed which for its time is impressive and secondly never once has it stopped working which shows remarkable craftsmanship.

It stands as not only a fine example of what it is but also as a symbol that culture and science can work as one."

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Re: Cultural Exchange Treaty Guidebook
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2020, 03:48:50 PM »
Name of Site:- Wellow Coastal Instillation Park
Location:- Wellow, Bakkermaya


Description of Site:-

Constructed in the period 1900-1920 the Park was an attempt by the artistic community of Wellow to bring art to everyday life. The art community set about building twenty homes around a series of terraces and plaza's each of which was influenced by various themes from the islands mixed history of having been part of Lodja, Paracambi and Bakkermaya during its history. Today the twenty homes have become part of the local council with one having been converted into a Temple for Marissa. The 19 other homes are today museums dedicated to the area and the artists who helped create it.

Why is the site significant beyond its own nation?:- 

1. The park is one of the best surviving examples of attempting to make art part of an urban landscape from the modern period. The park has been immaculately cared for in its 100 or so years of history.

One of the 19 houses that still survive. It has fantastically shaped roofs with unusual pinnacles,however fits in well with the use of the park as pleasure gardens and seem relatively inconspicuous in the landscape when alongside the flamboyance of other buildings within the park.


2. The design of the park includes several attempts to incorporate art with functional transport. The park is criss-crossed by a series of viaducts that are mainly built one on top of the other and wide enough to accommodate a motor vehicle the size of the average early motorcar. The top roadway works its way clockwise around the park area while the lower one goes counter-clockwise. There is even space beneath the roadways for pedestrians to walk in the shade. It marks a unique attempt at the art being equally as important as function.


The viaduct system from ground level.

3. The park also features a number of examples of how it was possible to create an artistic environment while facilitating public facilities. One such great example are the tiled benches that are dotted around the area. These are constructed by the Wellow born artists Maxwell Grondel and once more combine signature artistic styles with function. The serpentine nature of the benches allowed people to sit in the plazas while the curves allowed them to have privacy. The tiles were also angled to allow water to drain from the benches rapidly allowing them to be used without getting wet shortly after any downpours.


The fact that despite 100 years of use on a daily basis the park remains in such fine condition and is perhaps one of the most well preserved examples of the artistic movement of the early 20th Century that sought to combine art and practical living solutions makes it something of importance to Mundus.