(4) The Temples & Stones

If you have ever seen the Dragons' Cove Map, you might wonder why sections of Dragons' Cove appear to be entirely made of ice, and yet not far from these white deserts come the dunes of the Nusfarian deserts. In the south west you have bountiful growth, in the south east wetlands are predominant and then in the north west, thunderstorms are always to be found.
Why is it that historically some lands were believed to be blessed with enlightenment in their people, others with the most influence and other lands still had reputations for cheating death?

Magic Potential is everywhere, and it can be influenced by arcanics. So what if those arcanics were, and are, the largest on the island; when entire buildings or great stones act as arcanics? That is where the Triad Temples and Balancing Stones come into play and they shape many facets of the island whether the inhabitants are aware of them or not.


The temples are said to represent the triad magics of blood, light and dark. The balancing stones represent the basic magic types of wind, water, lightning, fire and earth.
Nowadays only the effects of the stones are seen unless you were to travel to the heart of one of the triad temples.

Triad Temples

+ Their existence and locations are presently known only to the Guardian Dragons.
+ Entering directly to the heart of a temple will have a profound effect on the traveler, for better or worse.
+ They show the natural state (or if you prefer, "mood") of the avatar dragon.
+ Their power relative to one another changes depending on events on the island.
+ They can increase the power of triad magic type spells.

Balancing Stones

+ Their locations are widely known and well fortified, though most are completely inaccessible.
+ They sculpt the look of the landscape around them.
+ They force all free form magic naturally occurring from dragons' cove into controlled form.
+ They always have equal power to eachother.
+ They can increase or decrease the power of basic magic type spells.

Temples are focused points of either light, dark or blood magic. Unsurprisingly, there are three of them and there is one for each type of magic. Unlike stones, when you are near or within a temple, its magic type will have direct effects on you for better or worse.
Also unlike the stones, which are always equal in power to one another and do not change, temples can become more/less focused with their magic type and often there will be a strongest temple at any one time. The actions of inhabitants on the island (and particularly those of the innately magical races) decide the strength of the temples.

Their existence is hidden from the present-day natives on the island as it is believed knowledge of them would cause unrest, which would then send the "balance" between the temples too much to one way or another, with potentially terrible effects.
Note well: Temples show the state of the "avatar dragon"; this will be explained in this page and the next thread.

If you enter any of the temples there is a good chance that any of the effects listed in each section may happen, the nearer you are to the focus point of the magic, the more probable it is that a large effect will take place.
Regardless of whether the magic is free or controlled (ie whether there is a stone suppressing the free magic or not) all these effects will tend to permanence, unless spells are used to revert them, in which case, good luck.

Temple of Light Light magic is the magic of the conscious being, it has the power to give or take away sentience, it can create or destroy memories and knowledge. It is reason and patterns, and on a more mundane level, light magic, unsurprisingly, can manipulate the intensity of light in an area. Found deep within the Nusfarian desert, the temple is a very tall, pointed and narrow building. It is an elegant composition of white and golden coloured columns and arches. It once was said that the many spiraling steps around it symbolised "ascending to knowledge". Its most focused point of magic is at the pinnacle beneath a domed roof, held up by arches, where an intense cluster of light magic sits. It is said that were it not for the mirage effect bestowed upon it, which keeps this temple hidden from sight, its entire form would glow eminently into the desert night. Mild and Medium effects: + Understanding or gain of an idea/Loss of understanding of an idea + New false memory created, inheritance of a memory from someone else/Loss of any memory, giving away a memory to another. + A strange "glow" kept over the body + Extremely powerful sight/Blindness + Increased capacity for speech/decreased capacity for speech Large/Extreme effects: + Full insight granted to a subject or concept/Retraction of all insight on a subject or concept + Completely new set of memories given/complete loss of all memory + Gain of sentience/Loss of sentience + Intense gain of much historical knowledge and understanding of many concepts/becoming vegetative. + Proficiency in speech and communication/Losing ability to communicate and all speech
Temple of Dark Dark magic is said to have control over the things shrouded in most mystery or things that do not fit rationality. It rules emotion, personality, instincts and the subconscious, intrigue, influence over others and even morality. Naturally, it also has power over the relative darkness in an area. Once upon a time, it was revered as a temple that could cure evil in the hearts of people, grant peace in the soul and free the selfish from greed. In equal measure however the temple was said to corrupt and sever ties to other people. Most bizarre of all consequence were when the most basic of instincts in beings were changed or removed completely. The temple itself is better described as an abyss. It is at the heart of the azure caves, down through an unassuming, yet narrow crevice in the floor. This crevice leads to a platform with only one direction - down a spiral staircase much like the light temple's, though the steps in this one are steep and uneven. There are no torches in this temple or banisters - so one must feel their way slowly down one step at a time, or slip and plummet to the bottom prematurely. There is not a single crack of light in this temple. At the bottom is the focused point of dark magic which clusters in a ball over the soft mud of the basin. Mild and Medium effects: + Change of feeling on a person/moral/idea + Appearance or disappearance of a moral/feeling/personality trait + Alteration to an instinct or motive + Darkened skin/dullness over the body + Heightened senses (except vision)/Blunted senses (except vision) + Increased influence over others/Decreased influence over others + Some change in views on friends/enemies Large/Extreme effects: + Addition/Removal of entire instinct(s) + Large change in feelings/morals/traits + Large change in views of friends/enemies + Gaining a sense of all enemies and friends/Losing a sense of all enemies and friends + Complete inversion of all values and feelings + Greatly increased influence over others/Greatly decreased influence over others
Temple of Blood Blood magic is the physical magic of living things - it forms and destroys tissues, can give or take away vitality and strength. Most critical of all, it gives or takes life the easiest of any magic type. Its powers are the most simple to understand of the triad, but no easier to deal with. Of all the temples on the island, the blood temple was often seen as the most fear inspiring. Historically, when the temples were known to the populace, heroes were made or broken over the Temple of Blood. The greatest warriors would seek its power to become stronger, longer lived and laugh in the face of death. Often however, they would contract terrible disease, become weak and frail, immediately die or perhaps have their bodies strangely twisted and changed. It has been said that the blood temple is responsible for several chimeras both fascinating and unnerving. The temple itself is the most unassuming, as it is only marked by a large, tightly coiled spiral of stones on the floor of the ice plains, at the tip of the lake to the east of the River Glace. The focus point of magic is not actually visible, as it is beneath these stones, though when the temple is strong, thick blood appears to rise up in the cracks. Most telling however is the clustering of dead creatures in various states of decay around the temple, predators and prey alike. Stranger still is when you catch a glimpse of a wolf or other animal, not far off, appearing to be half eaten alive itself. This is the work of the blood temple. Mild and Medium effects: + Increase/decrease in physical capability + Increase/decrease in vitality + Curing of mild disease/Appearance of mild disease + Change in appearance, development/change of new tissue or features. Large/Extreme effects: + Incredible gain/loss in physical capability + Incredibly increase/decrease in vitality + Curing of severe disease/Appearance of severe disease + Instantaneous physical resurrection/death + Drastic change in appearance and large development/change in new tissues and features.