Temple of the Seldarine (Penrith)

One of the larger temples on the grounds, this ringed building houses temples to the elven gods Angharradh (and her three aspects), Corellon Larethian , Rillifane Rallathil , The Undying Court , and Torm. You enter in to a beautiful reception area, cool and simple but perfectly elegant, with sweeping arched doorways and every corner of the place decorated with some texture, pattern, or colour. From here a hallway rings out to the right and left, and in the middle under a gorgeous lattice glass dome sprinkled with stars is a central worship area with a stage and seating for larger gatherings. From the centre, there is nothing but the sky above and walls and fixtures are patterned in abstract, no specific symbols of any one god can be seen.The seating is flexible and can be moved about for various tasks, and is usually set for small groups to sit and meet. Flowers and vines in a rainbow of colours drip from a planters both above and below, taking advantage of the sunlight from the dome - designed to capture as much of the sky as possible. The scene is just as spectacular at night, the lighting designed so not to spoil the view of the starry sky. There are lounging chairs in the atrium which are on some clear nights set up below to view and record the stars.

The central atrium is visible from the ringed hallway through carved pillars, the individual shrines to the five gods spread around the ring. Each shrine is behind two round wooden doors inlaid with the god's symbol. These doors are often left open to welcome worshipers. Between each of the shrines are well-appointed meeting rooms and offices for each of the shrines. The floor above goes around the atrium as well, with living quarters for the clergy, paladins, and visiting dignitaries.There is also a small shop near the entrance selling art, pottery both practical and decorative, and jewelry in a price range from quite low to rather extravagant.

Four great white marble statues flank the pulpit in the shrine of Angharradh- representing her three aspects and the goddess as whole. Sehanine Moonbow's statue is near the moon-shaped window, floating above the ground as her long robes trail behind her, hair flowing out around her face. She wears a crown and girdle of stars, one hand raised in a welcoming gesture, the other holding a curved moon-shaped sickle. Aerdrie Faenya stands to her side, her great eagle wings spread out behind her as her hair flows in the wind. She holds a powerful spear in one hand, formed in the shape of a lightning bolt, and her eyes look upward to the sky. Opposite, Halani Celanil looks down over the people in the room with a beckoning smile, her right hand holding out a bouquet of real flowers, the space under her feet scented with their fallen petals. She stands nude but for her long hair and flowing fabric scarf wound dramatically around her. She appears ageless, somewhat androgynous, and stunningly beautiful. Her left hand holds a jewelled sword at her side, and below her bare feet hardly touch the ground. Next to her is Angharradh as a whole, and here the three faces seem to have become one - the cheekbones of Hanali, Sehanine's eyes, Aerdrie's strong lips and jaw. She is winged but they appear as radiant light and she holds a spear with a sickle and sword both on her hip. She looks upward, but her hand reaches down as if she is beckoning you to take it, her long hair and gown flowing in beautifully sculpted waves. The room is done in the pale silver and midnight blues of the moon goddess, shot through with Hanali’s warm gold and Aerdrie’s cool, snowy white. The ceiling is a painted a dome of starry night, the large window meant to be the moon, fading to palest blue above the stone floors. The room is filled with heady scent of incense, and each piece in the room is a finely-detailed work of art. It evokes the sensation of cool night, awe-inspiring in its vastness, but still a warmth of love and connection to others through turmoil and change. Many of their rituals involve a low, hypnotic chanting alongside large bass drums, and passers-by have often found themselves standing outside the door, entranced simply by the sound.

Next, Corellon Larethian’s room is intriguing, filled with light and music. The shrine itself is a rich theatre, with rows leading down to an orchestral pit before a stage. The round window can be covered by a thick velvet curtain, or opened to illuminate the players. Each aspect of the room is pure luxurious beauty and everything is covered in some kind of gorgeous pattern, Corellon’s crescent moon symbol portrayed aa hundred different ways. The statue of the god Corellon himself, a tall and handsome elf with long hair flowing in the breeze, sits looking attentively at the stage in a large balcony overlooking the theatre. The room feels warm and inviting, calling worshipers to enjoy its splendor and find hope and happiness in the appreciation of beauty. Local artists and visiting bards regularly perform here, and the shrine is often lively with music or theatre especially on the quarter-moon celebration.Magic is heavily in use in this room, but subtly worked in. Some of the instruments play themselves, the lighting is all magic (some of it colour-changing) and is easily altered. Aspects of the scenery can be moved or altered with a word, and the backdrop and stage are created with clever illusions. Mages of all types can be found demonstrating new magic, or giving lectures on specific schools or subjects. There are also duels arranged for the enjoyment of an audience (they are never to the death, and healers are always on hand to assist those wounded. The stage is magically warded so that duelists using weapons or magic cannot affect anyone outside of the stage or harm the building itself - a wizard could throw a fireball at their opponent and harm only the opponent. Still, most demonstrations are just that - a show of skill and proficiency, not conquest.

In contrast, the room for Rillifane is deep and dark, wood-paneled in heavy ancient oak wood, the pews appearing to have grown out of the ground itself. A mural painted cleverly on the walls make it appear as if this room is outdoors among other old oaks, and real plants and flowers grow among the pews and pulpits. the seasons cycle around the murals, spring to summer to autumn to winter and to spring again, each of the seasons is demonstrated in various ways. The shrine smells of old wood, fresh green plants, and hand-ground essential oils. The bright light coming in through the round window illuminates an ivy-covered statue of the god, tall and strong as an oak with a bow and arrow in hand, wearing hunting clothes that change with the current seasons. He faces the temple of his brother, Obad-Hai. The shrine is the cool, welcoming darkness of the ancient forests, the dappled light coming down through leaves both real and artfully sculpted. The window lets in the lazy afternoon sun, the room appealing despite its darkness, inviting those to come and contemplate nature. Here it is easy to forget there are people, the plant life in the room seeming to take precedence, until one catches the glimpse of one of Rillifane's monks climbing the vines, or their holy seers deep in meditation at the foot of a tree.

The shrine to the elven death gods of the Undying Court is a cool and quiet room, perfect for contemplation and meditation. The room is ringed with alcoves, one for each of the twelve gods, the round window the centre with six on each side. Rows of simple but elegant pews are arranged to be mobile, so they can face one alcove or the front of the room. The alcoves have planters for scented flowers underneath them, blooming brightly, the room filled with a garden of scents, underlaid by the heavy, amber tones of the preservation oils they use. Tucked in the back is a stairwell to a basement mortuary where those few who wish to have bodies preserved instead of the usual cremation - well ventilated of course and completely undetectable from above. There is a balance here in all things - of light and dark, warm and cool, colour and neutrality, pattern and smooth. Each alcove represents in subtle ways the virtues of that god, each of the statues themselves appearing identical - a robed figure wearing a mask. Starting on the left of the door is the alcove of Urien, the bastion of honor. Next is Nona, whose realm is beauty, then Theutrich who governs faith. Gillis follows, the judge of kindness, and then Arntzenius the judge of generosity, and beside the great round window is Barthélémy who governs love. On the other side of the window stand the other six members - Armonni who judges humility, Xanthia who governs appreciation of nature, Damjana the judge of respect, Liina whose realm is loyalty, Rooijakker the judge of forgiveness, and on the other side of the door, Arrigo, who rules over honesty. There are few formal services save funerals for the dead, but the room is usually lively with discussion and debate over various aspects of each of the judges. Despite the priests being morticians and followers of the gods of death, they are friendly and affable, doing their best to make life a celebration of love and beauty. A small studio is built in to the side of the shrine where the priests create the pottery, a small window opening in to the hallway so visitors can watch them work.

Torm’s shrine is dignified in its austerity. The focus is on an impressive statue of Torm riding a gold-coloured dragon. The walls appear to be ancient stone, everything in the shrine somehow looks both old and brand new. The pews are elegant and comfortable, but straight-backed and severe. The walls are decorated with painted scenes on shields from Torm’s stories, epic battles and rescues against terrifying creatures. The room feels safe and comfortable, like the shields displayed around the room are more than just decorations.