Vounill

The Vounill, or the Sunmount, is a holy place for the Aversarinas Aagiokratia. It is a great and ancient temple, built into the cliffs of the mountain Cyntrollias in western Opakhasia. Many smaller chapels and viewing platforms dot the landscape surrounding the central temple building, connected by pathways and bridges that cover most of the Mountain. The temple is under the custodianship of the Scarlet Chosen, a holy order of warrior priests and priestesses who maintain and reside in the temple, said to be able to divine the future by observing the sun cresting or setting on Cyntrollias. Every year, thousands of Aversarians make the journey every year to hear the prophecies of the Scarlet Chosen, though the temple itself is forbidden to all who are not part of the order themselves, leaving what wonders may lie within as a mystery.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Vounill, and almost certainly it's most famous as well, is a statue of the Purest, carved from the mountain itself. The statue is the largest statue on Aeras, once towering far above the surrounding landscape. However, like so many other of Aversaria's great works, it was broken in Frodbrokna, and repairing it is beyond the capabilities of the warring Aversarian splinter states. Indeed, doubt can be cast on whether or not Aversaria, even at it's strongest, was capable of constructing such a marvel, as the structure predates the Aautokrata itself by an unknown number of years. In fact, it is said by the clergy of the Aagiokratia that the statue was built by the Purest themself.

This is, however, untrue. The statue was in truth built by the Aelfir, a statue in the likeness of Aersanon, likely crafted through a combined effort of Aelfir magi and the sacrifices of an untold number of human slaves. What significance it held to the Aelfir is unknown, but it is likely that they simply built it to honor Aersanon. The grand temple was likely also initially built by the Aelfir, with the Aversarians later renovating, expanding, and replacing parts of the structure as they saw fit. The truth of the Vounill's history gives light to the most important aspect of it: the Vounill was the site of the initial outbreak of the human revolt that would become the Godherja, and the site from where the spell that would kill Aersanon was cast by the ancestors of the Sjalvolki, bringing an end to the Godherja, and leading to the state of Aeras as it is today.