Temples of Ishtar

## Architect

* Knights of Ishtar
* 2G
* Grinsepaule
* Tox
* Zlatnik

## Affiliation

* Knights of Ishtar
* Ishtar

**Temples of Ishtar** were religious structures dedicated to the worship of the goddess Ishtar on Halfast during the Eleventh Era.

Warrior-priests of the Knights of Ishtar used the temples to distribute charitable goods among the populace and raise awareness of their religion across Novigrad; inevitably the structures also became targets for enemies of the faith during the Ishtari Conflict.

# Description

    Though the Knights of Ishtar issued no inviolable design requirements, Temples of Ishtar tended to share certain architectural characteristics: stairs climbing to a rectangular interior, an altar with a chest for public offerings and a spiritual inscription etched into wood, and an open-air pavilion with a stone colonnade supporting a roof. These characteristics were encouraged so as to evoke a shared sense of reverent unity across the entire religion.

FlyingPokemon, the High Priest of Ishtar, preferred that warped wood be incorporated into all temples, which he would provide upon request to devotees wishing to construct their own.

Thanks to the charitable donations of the Knights of Ishtar, the temples chests were often stocked with a variety of items especially useful to newcomers, such as emeralds, health potions, enchanted books, and food. They were also the exclusive source of Ishtar's Blessing.

# History

    Ground broke on the first Temple of Ishtar, also fated to be the greatest, in the earliest days of Novigrad. The Sapphire Spires of Sagacity served as headquarters of the Knights of Ishtar and the beating heart of the religion itself. This colossal megastructure remained under construction for most of the Eleventh Era.

A second Temple of Ishtar was built on 11E:31 by FlyingPokemon, the High Priest of Ishtar and primary architect of her Knights. Within weeks there were four temples within several kilometers of Skyloft Palace.

Many residents of Novigrad were first introduced to the existence of Ishtar by discovering one of her temples in the wilderness.

As the religion spread across Novigrad others constructed their own temples, either to show their support and devotion to Ishtar or to gain favor with her priests with the goal of acquiring lucrative trading relationships and rewards from their new benefactors.

    But not all embraced the new faith. Gabault replaced the reverential inscriptions in many temples with critical words of his own that the Knights of Ishtar deemed heretical. Others openly mocked the goddess or her worshipers, leading to swift and violent reprisals from her warrior-priests. As tensions rose, the temples became flashpoints for the ensuing Ishtari Conflict.

On 11E:84, during the consecration of the temple at Amanita Rock, Gabault attacked a gathering of the Knights of Ishtar, which he derided as "cult shenanigans," inadvertently killing Tox with his blade and making the man the first person to die on temple grounds.

Three days later, Gabault murdered AC1DCL4NPancke for allowing the Taiga Temple to be built on his property.

A wave of desecrations perpetrated by unknown forces ensued in the weeks to follow. As KOI's chief architect, Poke did what he could to restore them to a shadow of their former glory where and when possible. However, as his visits became more infrequent in the ensuing months, a number of temples fell into ruin. By the time the Novigrad borders expanded to 12 kilometers on 11E:257, both the Mushroom Tree temple and the Meadow Temple were no more.

# Known Temples

### Sapphire Spires of Sagacity

*Main article: Sapphire Spires of Sagacity*
First and foremost among all other temples, the Sapphire Spires of Sagacity was the center of the entire faith, headquarters for the Knights of Ishtar, and the holiest site on all of Halfast for true believers. The castle was located on an island in the heart of the Archipelago three kilometers southeast of Skyloft Palace.

The colossal megastructure was an opulent symbol of the vast wealth and power of their goddess. The mere sight of its many mighty stripped wood spires and their tapered warped crowns soaring into the skies above was enough to astound and inspire visitors.

Unlike the other temples, the Sapphire was closed to the public and heavily fortified against attack. On 11E:78, Jrod and Gabault besieged the castle in the first major battle of the Ishtari Conflict. A second, more decisive Second Battle of the Sapphire Spires took place there on 11E:135.

### Seaside Temple

The temple was located on an ocean beach one kilometer north of Gaia.

From the beachfront, spruce stairs led up to the temple's main platform, which looked out on an ocean backdrop that stretched horizon to horizon. The warped plank roof was supported by eight stonebrick columns. An altar, adorned with warped wood and pink tulips, bore a chest for charitable offerings and an inscription which read *"May Ishtar's blessing light your path stranger."*

Unique to all other temples, the Seaside Temple also provided a nearby wheat garden for visitors.

During the Ishtari Conflict, the temple inscription was defaced by Gabault to read *"NO"*. Eventually the temple fell into ruin when the columns were destroyed, the altar defiled, and the crops were pulled out of the garden.

### Mountain Temple

Located 200 meters southwest of mickdm's desert village, the Mountain Temple was built along the upper ridge of a mountain range that also contained the Mushroom Tree Temple some 300 meters east.

The temple's spruce staircase led to a raised devotional platform with commanding views of the surrounding landscape below, including mesa and jungle. The altar, bearing an inscription that read *"Ishtar, goddess of life blesses those who wander this world"*, had a chest for charitable offerings surrounded by a stone basin filled with holy water. Thirteen pillars braced a warped and stonebrick roof; lanterns hung from a stripped spruce log beam provided light for nighttime visitation.

A latticework complex of tunnels existed beneath the temple, perhaps serving as a quarry for the stone excavated to construct it. One such tunnel led to a narrow clay bridge over a chasm, the entrance hidden below a series of trapdoors inside the temple.

The Mountain Temple remained unscathed and intact during the Ishtari Conflict.

### Meadow Temple

The Meadow Temple was located in a field roughly 800 meters southwest of Skyloft Palace, making it the closest temple to Novigrad's entry point.

A dirt path from a nearby village led up to a stone staircase which ascended to a humble altar with a charitable chest flanked by stripped oak logs.

Gabault defaced the temple's inscription during the Ishtari Conflict, proclaiming *"Death to Ishtar"*

Over time the Meadow Temple was reclaimed by nature and eventually a grove of cherry blossom trees grew in its place, erasing all evidence it was ever there.

### Temple-on-the-Isle

Located 500 meters east of Gaia, the Temple-on-the-Isle was built on a small grassy atoll.

It was a stone brick structure adorned with warped trapdoors. The temple altar, etched with the inscription *"Blessed be those who visit Ishtar's sacred grounds"*, was made of uncut copper blocks and featured a chest for charitable offerings. Worshipers later added a bed and a tiny wheat plot.

Over time, the area's salty sea breezes caused the copper to begin oxidizing.

The Temple-on-the-Isle also served as a lighthouse, being easily visible at sea after dark due to twelve lantern posts that surrounded the build.

During the Ishtari Conflict, Gabault vandalized the altar's engraving to read *"death to ishtar"*. While it was restored by High Priest FlyingPokemon, newcomers Thweep and Dadinzolo would later deface it again with their names.

### Mushroom Tree Temple

Mushroom Tree Temple was located a kilometer east of the Emmey Cube. It was built at the apex ridge of a mountain range it shared with the Mountain Temple 300 meters to the west.

Worshipers reaching the top of the mountain had to climb a spruce staircase into the temple proper, decorated by rose bushes and bearing a charitable chest. The altar had no inscription.

The temple was named after the single mushroom tree that grew above the temple at the summit of the mountain peak, accessible by a stone brick that wound its way to the top.

Like its neighbor to the east, Mushroom Tree Temple initially escaped desecration during the Ishtari Conflict. However, at some point an unknown assailant savagely destroyed it with lava.

### Taiga Temple

Located in the spruce-covered bluffs above AC1DCL4NPancke's base, the Taiga Temple was built by FlyingPokemon at his request.

Built from primarily stone brick with a spruce wood floor, its columns supported a gabled warped roof with a single ridge. The altar carried no inscription but contained a solitary alms chest.

AC1DCL4NPancke was murdered by Gabault during the Ishtari Conflict for worshiping Ishtar and allowing the temple to be built on his property. Gab would later add an inscription that read *"Death to Ishtar"*.

### Windswept Temple

Windswept Temple was located at the highest point of a series of craggy mountains in a windswept savanna, two kilometers northeast of Gaia. It was difficult to reach without wings but not impossible.

The temple was more ascetic than most, consisting of a simple spruce roof with narrow supports and a lantern above a simple altar with a chest, bearing an inscription reading *"May Ishtar's blessing light your path"*.

A nearby wheat garden provided would-be worshippers with enough food for the trip back down the mountain.

### Temple of 2G3TH3RN3SS

*Main article: Temple of 2G3TH3RN3SS*
The Temple of 2G3TH3RN3SS was built by 2G3TH3R overlooking her home in what was then the corner of the world border, seven kilometers southeast of Skyloft Palace. It was built upon the ice cap summit of the largest mountain the area.

It differed in many respects from the other temples, being constructed from deepslate and overgrown with leaves, as well as having an interior that was sealed off from the outside elements by glass windows that kept out the cold while still letting in natural light. The altar, flanked by hanging lanterns, had two chests for charitable offerings and carried an inscription.

During the Ishtari Conflict, Gabault defaced the inscription to read *"XD"*.

### Black Forest Temple

*Main article: Black Forest Temple*
Black Forest Temple was built by Grinsepaule in Schwarzwald.

Rising 62 meters above the frozen forest, the step pyramid's scale rivaled the Sapphire Spires as an ode to Ishtar. It was was constructed by Grinsepaule to strengthen relations with the Knights of Ishtar after he suffered deaths at the hands of Jrod. FlyingPokemon was invited to help with the temple's finishing touches, including a sculpted snake relief on the lower levels.

### Blackstone Pyramid

*Main article: Blackstone Pyramid*
The Blackstone Pyramid was built by Shendell and his compatriots.

Though ostensibly constructed to "honor Ishtar", its sinister appearance led some to question whether or not its true purpose was to carry out secret sacrifices to darker corners of the pantheon.

### Temple at Amanita Rock

*Main article: Temple at Amanita Rock*
Built by Tox on his mushroom island in the greater Archipelago, the Temple at Amanita Rock was located within the Knights of Ishtar's sphere of influence a kilometer south of the Sapphire Spires of Sagacity.

It eschewed many of the design conventions of other temples, featuring an open gazebo layout with marble accents beneath an oxidized copper and prismarine roof supported by diorite columns. The altar, surrounded by warped logs and votive candles, bore no chest for charitable offerings but contained a religious text that read in part, "*For Ishtar, who gave us this archipelago, and knights to defend it.*"

On 11E:84, the Knights of Ishtar gathered there to consecrate the temple, which inadvertently led to the Battle of Amanita Rock. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Gabault launched an attack on what he deemed "cult shenanigans", resulting in the death of Tox.

### Zlatnik's Chantry

Zlatnik's Chantry was located on an uninhabitated isle east of Skyloft Palace.

The temple originated as a moss-covered stone brick ocean ruin built by some forgotten Halfast civilization. After being converted into a place of worship by FlyingPokemon, he offered the residents of Novigrad an open quest to restore the shrine to glory befitting Ishtar. Zlatnik accepted the quest, repairing the structure and adding some design flourishes. Its altar was inscribed to read "*Ishtar is the godess of life, be blessed stranger*."

### Cold Comfort

Cold Comfort was a simple sepulchre on a snowy slopes in Novigrad's northwest taiga.

Built by an unknown worshipper of modest means, the cobblestone and spruce wood temple bore an inscription that read, *"all hail ishtar the goddess of life and war".* Reaching the structure was a dangerous proposition at best as it was surrounded by powder snow many meters deep.

### Jungle Shrine

Located in the hills above the riverine home of HyperSilence, the Jungle Shrine was the smallest Temple of Ishtar in Novigrad. It was a simple stone brick structure with a single chest and a wooden inscription, *"Ishtar blesses you".*

Despite its proximity to his home, the demigod Hyper denied being a true believer and was quick to assert that FlyingPokemon had built the structure.

# Gallery

Seaside TempleSeaside Temple inscriptionSeaside Temple defacedMountain Temple inscriptionBlasphemy!Jungle ShrineThe Knights of Ishtar consecrate the Temple at Amanita RockTaiga TempleHeresy!Mushroom Tree TempleMeadow Temple desecratedTemple of 2G3TH3RN3SSSacrilege!Sharkberries reads the Temple at Amanita Rock's holy textMushroom Tree Temple's tree from base of mountainIshtar's charity at Windswept TempleFlyingPokemon offers a temple-related questZlatnik completes the questAltar chest contents at Zlatnik's ChantryMushroom Tree Temple destroyed by lavaDadinzolo and Thweep erase inscription and add their namesCold Comfort's inscription

# Behind the Scenes

*The following is out-of-universe information about real-world Halfast.*

Because of the loot provided by FlyingPokemon in the Temples of Ishtar, HyperSilence jokingly nicknamed them **Poke Dungeons** as a reference to his own Hyper Dungeons.

HyperSilence added the Ishtar's Blessing potion to the temple chests. Thanks to the Lootin plugin which created unique inventories for each chest, every player could receive the potion from a Temple of Ishtar even if previously looted by others.