World Building - architecture

I know, the substantive posts have been lacking of late. Luckily I had a burst of inspiration about something to add to the UFPE universe. A certain somebody recently returned from a vacation to Egypt and mentioned that there was a temple where the light shone directly onto a sacred statue twice a year. This made me think of Stonehenge and the like, where edifices are erected to coincide with certain cosmic occurrences. For a culture like that of the UFPE, where astrology more or less plays the role of religion (I shall have to flesh that out more), this would be a perfect addition to the landscape.

I just started reading a fantasy novel recommended to me by a friend as classic fantasy. It's very engaging so far, and I'm struck by the depth and breadth of the world just eighty pages in. This is what I shall try to find out about the UFPE world - all the details and history and cultural elements that make a society come alive. Perhaps I should try writing one of the scenes from a perspective like mine and see what little cultural things appear. But not today.

Today is for plotting this architecture business and how it coincides with the astrology. I was thinking about this yesterday, and I like the idea of the sun streaming in at just the right angle on just the right day for some purpose or another. As I picture it, there is somewhere a temple with two walls: an outer wall with six precise slits, all carved at various angles, studded with mirrors on the inward-facing side and an inner wall with six stained glass windows. On (what else?) the summer solstice, the six rays of light reflect off the mirrors and shine in through the small stained glass chamber.

Inside this chamber? That's a good question. I will eventually send MC in there, and she will shine in the rainbow light, as is her way. Right now there's a depiction of the famous astrology chart on the floor, but I can't decide what else is in there - what was the point of building this in the first place? The Secret Society probably meets in there, though I do not think they were the ones to build in. In fact, they may be the only (or so they think) ones who still know about this place.

On the Big Day, I think they all venture inside the chamber, wearing pure white robes, to gaze in awe at the perfection of the astrology and of the skill of those who created the temple. On other days, they just hang around in the space between the two walls. Now I'm tempted to go a Da Vinci Code direction with this - is there something about the chamber, besides that it shows MC's shininess, that the Secret Society doesn't know/has forgotten?

Maybe there is more after all. I can't decide whether these things are already there, or whether they must be found. Anyway, there are six sacred objects, for the six cusps where both the sectarcs and the triarcs meet. On the Topaz/Ruby cusp, there is a diamond which, when set perfectly on the triarc cusp on the proper days, illuminates the chamber ceiling with a prophecy about MC (or two prophecies?). On the Ruby/Amethyst cusp is a piece of charcoal (which gets changed fairly often) which catches on fire on the proper days, by which Secret Society (and formerly everyone else?) keeps an exact calender. On the Amethyst/Sapphire cusp lies a scroll which shows a map of UFPE continent (with a mysterious star, whatever could it mean?) on the proper days. On the Sapphire/Emerald cusp is a porcelain cup of water which can be used on the proper days as a scrying mirror, for anyone who still knows how to scry. On the Emerald/Opal cusp, oddly enough, there is nothing but a faintly worn indentation. From that viewpoint, on the proper days (or really, on most sunny days), one can get a heart-stopping view of the surrounding valley. On the Opal/Topaz cusp is the most challenging object of all - a large-ish piece of amber that shows four faces on the proper day.

It's a mystery among Secret Society members because all the other ones, except arguably the Emerald/Opal view, do something productive. The amber actually does something productive, but no one knows how to use it anymore. Someone among all four sentient species has one of those, and if they all held it on the proper day, they would actually be able to communicate with one another. Magic!

So that post took more time and effort than usual, but it was very much worth it. I like the idea of this great bejeweled, be-windowed, be-mirrored temple with these random objects on the floor.