The Sanctuaries Below
The Exquisite Society of the Ceaseless Void was founded after the long and painful collapse of the dwarven empire. Long united, the empire divided in blood and fire. Amidst the ruins, the precursors to the current mortal realms developed and disappeared into the sands of time. It was during this tumultuous age that four great minds came together, two men and two women who identified the source of not only their sorrows but that of the entire world. They brought it all together into one, comprehensive philosophy. The lives and times of the four are recorded in the four Books of Death: Joy, Sorrow, Death and Nothingness. The teachings of the Four form the philosophical foundation for the two main sects of the religion commonly known as The Black Cabal. Their reach and popularity has grown steadily in the face of many challenges: belligerent Elemental Temples, the emergence of a philosophical enemy, and countless revivals of the Imperial Cult.
A cornerstone of success for the Black Cabal has been the creation of the Sanctuaries Below. Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the teachings of the Four and their descendents, these vast underground complexes are a place of contemplation and a guaranteed safe harbour for cabalists. Each sanctuary is unique in its layout and what it houses, but there tend to be patterns and commonalities. Of the numerous sanctuaries, there exist four greater sanctuaries beneath the oldest of the human cities. The correct term when referring to a specific sanctuary includes the name of the city that they are beneath. For example, the largest sanctuary is the Sanctuary Below Argento, the capital city of the Kingdom of Galada.
Each of these include a Void Altar, what can only be described as the central symbol of the cabalist beliefs. The void is central in the philosophy of the Four, thus these Void Altars are central to the design of the Greater Sanctuaries. A marble block of rock, carved ornately sits in the middle of a vast circular complex most closely resembling an amphitheatre. The altar’s dimensions vary from each location, from rectangular to circular, but each tend to be at least twenty feet long and six feet tall. At the center of the altar is a circular recess that is four feet deep at the middle and ten feet in diameter. Fortunate cabalists are interred here after death, their bodies committed directly to the Void. Incidentally, many others have committed suicide by stepping into the center of the Void Altar during collective meditations. As is the way of the Exquisite Society, those present try not to interfere with such an important decision, and hold that as long they trust the person to be of their own faculties that suicide is perfectly acceptable.
Deeply connected to the concept of the Void Altars are the meditaiton rooms, which house smaller representations of the void called Void Shrines. Small structures, almost furniture, created to house a harmless and immaterial sphere of anti-light. From simple and unpretentious wrought iron frames to extravagant works of silver and gold, the Void Shrines are focus points for meditation on life and death. Each sanctuary has multiple Void Shrines, each with its own room to facilitate peaceful meditation of its occupant. The Greater Sanctuaries can have dozens of these such rooms each with its own ornate Void Shrine. Usually, upon realization of their immediate mortality, an aging or stricken cabalist will commission a Void Shrine to be created in their name. They would then donate it to a sanctuary on the condition that their names be connected to that particular Void Shrine for as long as that Void Shrine exists. It has become more common for multiple people to pool their resources in their legacy donation, often providing funding for the mining of a new room for their Void Shrine and even donating the spartan furnishings for such a room.
Mausoleums, crematoriums and crypts are common additions to the Sanctuaries Below. Many devout members purchase a space for their remains well in advance of their passing, and entire crypts can be spoken for before ever a miner’s pick touches rock.
Legacy donations are not restricted to Void Shrines. In fact, most such gifts tend to be less grandiose but no less appreciated: a book collection, a musical instrument, artwork, jewellry, or even the inheritance of businesses or property. The most common legacy donation is money. As a result, some of the “clergy” in charge of the Sanctuaries Below tend to have great experience in handling money, appraising goods, and conducting business and trade.
The Sanctuaries Below are a reflection of the entire Black Cabal, all places and, more importantly, all times. Two stalwart additions to any Sanctuary is a vast archive and an even larger library. The Cabal Archives are some of the most meticulous collections of mundane and extraordinary information alike. They do not tend to be open to any and all members, but rather restricted to Cabal Archivists, Librarians and Moneychangers. Each library has its own filing system and some are absolutely byzantine in nature. For the Seeker sect of the Black Cabal, the archive and the library are of the utmost importance, second only to the Void Altars themselves. Cabal Librarians and Archivists are trained by a system of entrance exams and apprenticeship. They are some of the most active representatives of the Exquisite Society, and tend to refer to it by its official name to differentiate themselves from the regular membership. Almost all Cabal Librarians and Archivists are of the Seeker Sect, the line of thought followed by the author of the Books of Death. Their central tenet is that knowledge and understanding are the only objectively acceptable reasons for going on with living despite all the pain, all the hardship, and all the disappointment.
The majority of members of the Exquisite Society of the Ceaseless Void are of the Black Sect: mostly social members and hedonists. It is this sect that has given rise to the term “Black Cabal” and they hold to the popular reaction to mortality in seeking to fill their lives with as much pleasure and beauty as possible. They are deeply hedonistic in their outlook, and tend to believe in and value only the material things.
“Life is short and the void approaches. Steal as much joy as you can before you are forever lost.“
The life of a Black Cabalist revolves around the finer things in life: food and drink, comfort and music, and beauty and sensuality. The facilities devoted to these pursuits are some of the most common in the Sanctuaries Below. Kitchens, dining halls, wine cellars, and tea rooms abound. Salons for comfortable conversation, auditoriums and dance halls to appreciate and celebrate the beauty and harmony of music are common first additions to any Sanctuary. Art galleries, bath houses, and various forms of pleasure halls tend to round out the rooms generally available to any cabalist in any Sanctuary Below.
There also exist vast dormitory space for travelers, but many also include more hospitable spaces akin to rooms at an inn for a generous fee and a promise to follow the rules of the sanctuary. Cabalists tend to hold their own living spaces on the surface, but some find long-term, but temporary, lodging there — it seems that only dwarves can remain underground for any meaningful space of time.
Entrances to the Sanctuaries Below are well-known secrets. Classic entraces are through graveyards, well-traveled inns, and houses of ill-repute. Some people have paid for direct access to their sanctuary from their homes. If one wishes to gain entrance, it does not take much effort to find out where one may be without even having to utter the question.
