The Sunken Temple

The **Sunken Temple** is a building that resides in its own reverse-side location. Although the building seems to be very old, it has a modern appearance and serves as the headquarters of the Echo Division of the Federal Bureau of Magical Affairs (FBMA).

## History

The Sunken Temple came to the attention of the Federal Bureau of Magical Affairs during the Telephone Network Incident. In 1962, the FBMA began investigating the disappearance of 15 people in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. During the investigation, a large surge of ether was traced to a nearby payphone, and after experimentation, an agent of the FBMA managed to travel through the Telephone Network to the Sunken Temple and return.

The FBMA established the Echo Division to begin investigating the Sunken Temple. The FBMA did not establish a permanent base in the Sunken Temple until July 1964 when the Shallows were identified to be relatively safe.

## Layout

The Sunken Temple is divided into 3 parts: the Shallows, the Deep Sector, and the Abyss. The Shallows can be generally described as both residential and commercial with numerous offices, while the Deep Sector is far less... describable.

The Sunken Temple suffers from events known as building shifts. These events cause the layout of the Sunken Temple to change, often unexpectedly and in violent ways. Building shifts often occur within the sections, rarely crossing the boundaries between the Shallows and the Deep Sector.

### Exterior Environment

The Sunken Temple resides in an isolated reverse-side location accessible only through the Telephone Network. Although the surrounding area is visible from the front entrance, the environmental conditions are detrimental to any foreign material. The area is soaked in an endless rain that is capable of degrading both organic and inorganic materials aside from the exterior of the building. The rain also seems to disrupt telecommunications or magical means of communications, preventing the use of remote imaging to explore the area. There appears to be other buildings in the area, but there is currently no way to access those buildings safely. There does not appear to be life outside of the Sunken Temple.

## The Shallows

The Shallows are the upper levels of the Sunken Temple, comprising all of the aboveground levels and the first two sublevels. The Shallows serve as the headquarters of the Echo Division. The Shallows suffer from fewer building shifts than the Deep Sector, but building shifts are not unheard of, and several agents have been lost or killed as a result of unexpected building shifts.

The Shallows feature a brutalist aesthetic. The walls and floors are made of plain concrete with the ceilings often open with steel beams. Hallways between offices frequently feature long carpets over the concrete, and interior walls are created using moveable plexiglass panels, isolating spaces into rooms. It is possible to hang things from the walls, and the FBMA often hangs advisory posters from the walls, warning the agents of the dangers that exist in the Sunken Temple.

### Residential Sector

The topmost 5 levels are occupied by residential units for various members of staff that live in the building. There are enough residential units to house approximately 50 people, though the permanent population numbers in the 20s, less than half occupancy. The individual residential unit is made of semi-permanent walls to isolate areas of the floors.

There are three types of residential units. The most common type is the single bedroom style, and the rarest model is a 3-bedroom style. Each unit has at least one full bathroom and a kitchen, and in the cases of the 2- and 3-bedroom styles, a large common space in addition to the individual bedrooms.

The other 15 aboveground levels house the offices of the various departments of the organization and includes the entrance to the Sunken Temple. The offices are made of plexiglass panels that can be moved to suit the needs of the various departments and workers. The panels are etched with spells that stifle sound or can be activated to turn the plexiglass opaque to provide privacy for the people inside.

Although the Shallows are characterized by the offices and residential units, it is sometimes invaded by creatures from the Deep Sector. The Shallows have a small unit of armed soldiers that are capable of hunting and destroying these creatures from the Deep Sector.

The Key was found within the Shallows, and the Director of the Echo Division lives in a residential unit on the 20th floor of the Shallows. The abilities of the Key are strongest while within the Shallows.

### Research Sector

The Research Sector is comprised of areas on the 4th through 7th floors, though it does not cover the entirety of those floors. The Research Sector is characterized by a number of laboratories dedicated

### Maintenance Sector

The 2 sublevels are made for the maintenance department. It lacks the finished appearance of the upper levels and has numerous vents and conduits along its walls and ceilings. The power system for the offices and residences above is located within the maintenance department. The being known as the Janitor lives in a small set of rooms on the second sublevel.

## The Deep Sector

The Deep Sector starts at the 3rd sublevel and continues to the 20th sublevel, where the Abyss starts. Each floor has its own geography and ecosystem, though the floors connect to each other through various passages.

Ether levels in the Deep Sector are higher than standard, and they increase with depth, reaching lethal levels after the 20th sublevel. Below the 5th sublevel, the high ether levels can inflict harm to the human body, though it is possible to reduce the effects of the high ether levels through the use of specialized clothing.

Long-term residency in the Deep Sector can cause physical and magical changes to the human body. These changes are often fatal to the person though in very rare cases the person may survive. Often these people suffer severe physical and magical difficulties and frequently retires from service with the FBMA.

Although animals introduced to the Deep Sector rarely survive for long, the Deep Sector is not devoid of either fauna or flora. Each level of the Deep Sector has its own number of plant and animal species unique to its own, and some species seem to be able to move between levels, sometimes rising to the Shallows. Many of the creatures are capable of using magic to a limited degree as well as being relatively immune to the effects of the high ether levels that plague the Deep Sector.

### The Abyss

The Abyss is the deepest part of the Sunken Temple. Few people are capable of visiting this section of the Sunken Temple due to the excessively high and lethal levels of ether that exists here. It is unknown what resides in the Abyss, though its seems like many divine spirits reside within the Abyss.

The Abyss is believed to be the last level of the Sunken Temple before reaching the edge of the Echo. Due to the high levels of ether, it is impossible for any attempt at exploration into the Abyss, and only conjectures remain of the truth.

## Nature

As a structure on the reverse-side, the Sunken Temple does not exist in any place on Earth and does not necessarily follow the same rules of reality. There are some places within the Sunken Temple, particularly in the Deep Sector, where the laws of physics are weaker than normal, though various spells and rituals are used to help establish standard laws of physics.

Other rituals are used to help counter the building shifts. Although these rituals can be large, covering a circle of 10 feet diameter, the ritual grounds are carefully maintained and rarely interacted with. These rituals require only a couple of magicians and have low levels of failure, but they are not always successful in preventing a building shift.

The Sunken Temple does not have a natural day-night cycle, and many agents have reported losing track of time within the structure. All clocks are set to match the local time in Chicago, Illinois in honor of the role the Telephone Network played in the discovery of the Sunken Temple. The uppermost floors of the Shallows that host the residential units simulate a day-night cycle: lights in the hallways are dimmed at "night" though the power inside the units is controlled by the occupant.

Attempts to induce a totem within the Sunken Temple have all failed, indicating that a totem already exists within the building. The nature of the totem is unknown, though the 1st Director of the Echo Division claims that the Trust, a disembodied being or beings in the Sunken Temple, is the fully-mature totem. However the totem has not deteriorated despite the long period without human habitation within the Sunken Temple, going against any known information about totems and their care.

## Known Residents

Although the Echo Division of the Federal Bureau of Magical Affairs has moved into the Sunken Temple, there are other people who were in the building before the FBMA established itself.

The oldest resident in the Sunken Temple is a being known as the Janitor. It is unknown when the Janitor arrived in the Sunken Temple, but the Janitor seems to be a long-time resident. He serves to maintain the condition of the Sunken Temple and is able to reach areas that are off-limits or sealed through unknown methods. Any attempt to interfere with his work have failed, though he has not harmed any of the agents in response.

Eugenie Messier is a magician who prefers to remain in the Deep Sector and is not considered a part of the FBMA. She claims to have arrived in the Sunken Temple during the early 1900s, but there is little proof of that. Although her presence has been noted since the first expeditions into the Sunken Temple, she does not seem to have aged at all.