Shrine Ruins

From the outsideA sighting?There are legends of Shrine Ruins visitations by the Devanagari's avatarsKashi Ananda's shrineOld shrine keeper's hutShrine keeper's hut interior
> When I was young, I was convinced this place was haunted. Every time I came close, I heard a creepy voice beckon me closer!
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> I always thought it was the spirits of the Famed Four -- whose shrines were vandalised here -- who felt vengeful, refusing to pass on due to their wronged deaths. But I did a bunch a research, and found out that the place isn't haunted at all!
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> The shrine just has a keeper... this old man, who lives all by himself in the ruins. I found out, he is just very friendly and loves musing about this forgotten folk religion with anyone who has ears to listen. People just think he's a ghost.
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> Magic, untamed nature and undiscovered history is abound here. Who can resist?
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> Kapi

## Shrine Ruins

The Shrine Ruins are all that is left of a set of four shrines dedicated to the Famed Four. Located on Blue Mountain.

Most people avoid it, but those interested in the spiritual world or history and willing to make the somewhat arduous trek from the city may want to explore the ruins as there are rumours of hauntings, especially that of the ghosts of the Famed Four.

There is also an old man tending to the place. If asked, he will refer to himself as the shrine keeper and cannot remember his real name. He spontaneously forgets much of the detail of his past and isn't even completely sure why he is there. He is very friendly and eager to invite conversation and discussion the history and purpose of the ruins.

#### Points of Interest

* Four vandalised and ruined shrines to the Famed Four.
* A wooden hut where the shrine keeper claims to live.
* There are many carvings and sculptures related to the Famed Four: bat motifs around Kashi's, ornate cloud motifs around Sakinoor's, twisting rope around Fahreed's, and the head of an auroch over Leixi's.

#### Non-visual Details

This area can be quite uncomfortably hot and humid during the day in the summer months, and otherwise comfortably warm throughout most of the year. The snowfall from the mountain makes it quite cold during winter, but not as cold as the surrounding peaks. The place is eerily quiet as most wildlife avoids the area, a phenomenon some attribute to fear or respect for the Famed Four. If Detect Magic is cast, the place has a faint magical aura that does not belong to any of the known schools of magic.

#### Layout

The Shrine Ruins are situated north west of Xiaojiang on top of the Blue Mountain. In an overgrown clearing, four shrines sit in a square formation in various states of disrepair. One lonely, rundown hut is located not far off from the clearing.

#### History

***Spoilers ahead on the shrine keeper:***

After the Famed Four were executed, Wang Leixi's ancestral spirit, the Crimson Wolf Lord, chose to extend its protection over their shrines, preventing any further destruction from befalling her and her companions' legacy in death.

The shrine keeper was an old man from Xiaojiang that loved exploring these ruins. During one of his trips, he had a heart attack and died, holding onto one of the four shrines for support in his last moments. The Crimson Wolf Lord's protection activated, and his spirit was returned to the area. He now functions as a friendly tour guide, not realising that he is a ghost and forgetting it as soon as he is told. He appears alive to most people.