Zelia's Shrine

Zelia's Shrine is located within the Zealot Village in the Perish Glen within the Lunule Weald, which is east of Ta'Vaalor.

Wonders of Elanthia Historical Discussion

This story is told by Nihela the Elven Scholar, who was assisted by Eniwein, the Elven Scholar.

"I am Nihela Emalle. I have the honor of being your commentator and guide of the Lunule Weald region. As you can see, it's a rather spotty place to be. Tonight we delve into the absurd and that which defies all logic and reason. Zelia can be described in many ways. Mad, unpredictable, spontaneous, demented, wild But perhaps she is better left as merely an indescribable experience. The area surrounding us houses the ruins of a Zelian settlement, created by monks who sought to escape religious persecution. The remains clearly display an honest attempt at civilization. However, amidst the simplicity of the town's layout, we find explicit evidence of a self-inflicted massacre. The grounds we are about to travel across are hazardous and rotting. Feel free to look around as we walk, but do so at your own risk of being separated from the group."

Nihela abruptly faces one of open-mouthed trees and says, "If you all would please keep your screeching to a minimum for the length of my tour. After staring pensively at the tree for a moment longer, she gives it a pleased nod.

"Mobiles, in theory, display a good number of Zelian principles in an artistic way. They involve collecting the random riffraff that you want to use and pulling it together in an often unexplainable way. Once the mobile is created, its only purpose is to hang freely, without any rhyme or reason to how the wind moves it. You can see all these elements, as presented here in the stick and bone mobile. Here marks the first place on our journey that is recognizably Zelian."

"This wooden bridge is not only chaotically stationed on the grounds, but if you all will turn your heads slightly, you will see that it is has a crescent shape. No doubt the design was intended to be a symbol of honor to the Lady Zelia. One might ask, "Why build a bridge here?". What we have here is no mobile, but there are similar elements present."

"It is difficult and nearly pointless to try to make sense out of chaos. However, for those of you that require it anyway, there is a slim possibility this area was once used for ritual work. The figure left behind here could be construed as evidence to support such a notion. Likewise, this area could have doubled as a practical workspace during the daytime. The stumps of the trees would provide the monks with sturdy working spaces for tool making, woodworking, and painting."

"Watch your feet for broken glass! And bumblebees. You know the funny thing about bumblebees is that..."

"A typical home for the monks consisted of a single room, decorated with simple pottery and furnishings. The doors were adorned in a traditional fashion with a crescent on a field of black. Interestingly, this door has been nailed shut, almost certainly after the massacre occurred. There are other homes and shelters located throughout the weald that appear to be either burned or hacked to pieces. Much speculation has gone into what exactly this fountain was originally.

"A scrap from an undated journal suggests a sculpted fountain of the lady in her chariot existed in some Zelian settlement, but scholars cannot be sure that it was in fact this one. Other scholars insist that, because of a similarly themed sculpture that exists inside the shrine, a replica would have been far too expensive to reproduce. These same scholars hypothesize that the fountain may have been a simple crescent-shaped statue. Both theories are supported by a gentle curve at the base of the sculpture, which could be the base for either a chariot or a crescent."

"If you will note, there is no trace of a home or establishment in this area. What we can assume is that the steps were built at random, possibly as an afterthought when the overall construction of the village was completed. The trio of stairs rises to nothing because they need not lead to anything. Just as the bridge we visited before existed merely as a bridge and nothing more. If you'll look closely, a number of esoteric markings have been painted onto the walls of what used to be another small home."

"Please turn your attention to the sign attached to the well."

In the Common language, it reads:
Toss in a coin and die!

"The message on the sign is peculiar, and may have been added after an accident of some kind, or after the violent madness struck the monks. I have personally heard that a monk somehow managed to toss himself in -with- the coin he was attempting to throw long before the start of their downfall. But, that is strictly rumor passed down by word of mouth."

Nihela snaps her head to the side and shouts, "I'll remember that the next time you try to get me to go!"

Speaking to Nihela, Eniwein exclaims, "Nihela!"
Nihela gulps.

Speaking softly to Nihela, Eniwein says, "Let us... continue, dear."

"Here you can see another establishment. The absence of outward violence in this room implies that all of the paintings could have been done by a single monk. The slapdash pictures, symbols and letters are further highlighted by an inventive use of kaleidoscopic colors. Whether or not this elaborate artwork was created as ongoing project or during the darker phase of madness cannot be said with absolutely certainty."

Nihela frantically waves her hands by her ears and shakes her head, a bit like a wet dog.

Eniwein rubs Nihela's back and softly whispers her name.
Speaking quietly to Nihela, Eniwein says, "Its okay, we can leave here....."
Nihela loudly states, "I do not like it!"

Nihela walks around in circles dizzily.

Wonders of Elanthia Discussion Questions

Speaking softly to Nihela, Belezia asks, "Who did you say made the mobiles?"
Speaking to Belezia, Eniwein says, "The monks."