Qel-Droma Temple

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Qel-Droma Temple
General information
Constructed:	30 ABY
Location:	Arconae Primus
Physical specifications
Usage
Era:	Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
Affiliation:	Arcona
[ Source ]

History

Shortly after the Third Great Jedi War, House Qel-Droma initiated an internal conflict to, essentially, "cull the herd" for those worthy to hold a place as the most valuable and honored of the Krath in the House. The conflict was long and arduous, with the two Krath Phyles (Prophecy and Dark Orb) fighting to become the favored denizens of the recently constructed House Qel-Droma Temple.

For over a month in the beginning of 20 ABY, one year after The Split, tyro fought tyro amid the stone hallways and jungle surrounding of the temple, all in an effort to impress their superiors, and themselves, of who was most worthy. When the haze of battle cleared, the results were indeed very, very close. But a winner was chosen, and that winner was the Dark Orb.

Designed by Vassan Rokir, Aedile of Qel-Droma, who had also designed the Qel-Droma Temple itself, the monument rested near the entrance to the temple, displayed prominently for all who come and go. The base of the monument was carved from a block of solid, black rock mined from the nearby mountains. The plaque read "Dark Orb," the letters made from the durable golden glitterstone and set into a base of wrought durasteel. The base also housed a repulsorlift field generator, which lead to the rest of the design.

In 30 ABY, two years after the Yuuzhan Vong conquered the Dajorra System, Clan Arcona’s forces returned and retook the system. The Qel-Droma Temple, which had been located on Arconae Primus, was found to be completely destroyed by the Vong. Forced to quickly relocate House Qel-Droma, Quaestor Legorii led the Dark Jedi into the tunnels that had been excavated in years past by spice miners.

The resistance movement on Arconae Primus had located its headquarters in a large cavern, already sparsely furnished by a small cult that had operated secretly in the tunnels before the resistance movement had found them. Declaring it the new Temple, the Qel-Dromans immediately began to spruce it up with intact monuments that had survived the Vongforming, restoring many of the functions of the former Temple.

Level One: Entrance

The first thing that often catches the eye of a visitor is the massive iron gate that blocks entry into the Temple. When the gate was put up, iron was selected to be the construction material, despite being a more outdated metal than synthetic substances more common in the Dajorra System and elsewhere. However, it was chosen anyways, largely for its symbolism, representing the cold detachment of the Dark Side wielded by the Qel-Dromans.

The gate is fiercely guarded, with always at least two Dark Jedi keeping vigil. It is rare that a visitor arrives unannounced, but the House leaders are careful to avoid the embarrassment of being caught off guard. After passing through the gate, a visitor is confronted with the looming entrance hall, marked by large obsidian columns towering over to touch the ceiling above. The legacies of Qel-Droma's most illustrious Quaestors have been etched into the bases of the columns, carvings in the ancient text lit by flickering braziers.

There are always a few Dark Jedi lurking in the hall, moving from behind the pillars like shadows. Curiously, there is a lack of an official guard inside the hall; a result of confidence in the gates and exterior guard, as well as the intimidation factor of the entrance hall itself. Towards the end of the hall, the braziers become spaced further apart, casting the entire corridor at the rear into shadow. Two wooden doors branch off to the sides, one which leads down to the second floor, and the other which leads to a pair of conference rooms. The rooms are unfurnished, each marked simply with a wooden table at the center.

Level Two: Main Hall

The main floor is the most utilitarian floor in the temple, the upper half of the original cavern from which the headquarters was constructed. As you enter the main floor, coming down the corridor from Level One, you emerge upon a labyrinth of corridors. These corridors encompass the barracks for Prophecy Phyle as well as the House Summit's offices. The first set of rooms that a visitor comes across in Level Two are spartan-like quarters for the newly indoctrinated Journeymen, the newer members stationed on the perimeter of the level as mere cannon fodder to slow down an assaulting enemy before they could reach the Quaestor's office.

After moving further down the main corridor, you encroach upon the barracks of Prophecy Phyle, the esteemed Battleteam is quartered here while on duty in the Temple. Their duties often call them elsewhere in the Dajorra System, yet this is their main headquarters where the Tetrarch trains with his men and protect the House Summit. These corridors are lit by sparse lighting, the Qel-Droman way of doing things the right way first time impressing itself upon the decor of the Main Floor. Inside the barracks of the Battleteam, there are 12 beds, each with a small iron-cast wardrobe beside the bed, along with a cast-iron chest at the foot of the bed. These two small storage units are all the Tyros have to secure their belongings in, reinforcing the Qel-Droman way of a spartan lifestyle.

The quarters of the Aedile are attached onto the barracks of the Battleteam, the assistant head of the House stays in close proximity to the team, making sure they are ready at all times for action. Also, the quarters of the House Summit are separated, so a strike on the Temple cannot easily target both Dark Jedi to "cut off the head of the snake" so to say.

Past the barracks of the Battleteam are quarters for esteemed guests, their rooms opulently decorated in stark contrast to the rest of the Temple. Beautiful paintings hang on the walls and a strong fragrance permeates the air in the guest quarters, this fragrance serves a more subtle purpose of drugging guests to make them more suspectable to coercion.

Reaching the end of the labyrinth of corridors, or one could say the center; the visitor would come across the quarters of the Quaestor, the room decorated to their tastes, however there are usually 2 guards; drawn from the members of Prophecy Phyle, situated near the entrance, subtly hidden from prying eyes to keep an eye on the comings and goings of personnel on the level.

Force shields are built into the corridor, with one in the doorway of the Quaestor's office, allowing the dignitary some small protection in case of an emergency, along with several placed in strategic points along the corridor, allowing the engineers in the power room to isolate fires/electrical shortages or even attackers from the control room based on Level 4.

Just past the barracks of Prophecy Phyle and the Aedile's quarters is a spiralling staircase, wide enough to allow two people to pass each other at arms length down to Level Three, where the library and the training rooms are.

Level Three: Library and Training Facilities

Level Three is a relatively quiet level, that is, when the training rooms are not in use. Upon entering the third level, one comes across a series of small training rooms; the walls are covered in a variety of weapons, both as decorations and as weapons to be used in training. The floors are hard wood and in the majority of the rooms, there are mats to be used when close combat forms are practiced. No need to injure House members unnecessarily, that is the motto of the trainers in the Temple. The team members of Prophecy Phyle can be found in here when they are not on a mission, testing themselves and sparring to become more adept at their chosen art forms. Accidents happen, and those that are injured are treated in a small medical bay attached to the training rooms. There are several medics and nurses who deal with the cases which regularly pass through their doors. In the case of a major emergency, this usually routine practice is turned into a frantic press of bodies and screaming of pain as casualties pour into their care.

Also on this level is a small target range, for members to practice their shooting. In this small shooting gallery, four people can use it at any given time. There is an armory which has various weapons locked up in it, for use on the shooting range, or in case of an attack. These set of rooms lead off the long straight corridor which leads into a vast library, the air musty and still as the silence of the place of learning mingles with the cries of joy and groans of pain from the training rooms.

In the library, the cavernous roof is filled to the brim with books of learning, be they ancient tomes from the beginning of civilization to more modern tomes. The Krath of the House have a curious quirk of preferring books and texts to the more modern devices of the current times, they begrudgingly use the holograms and the holobooks if they contain the information required. But more often than not, you can usually see the magisters and alchemists pouring over their books in search of greater power and secrets.

Silence permeates the air here, any noise over a whisper made in this place of learning is met with harsh glances and sometimes, especially with the more insane members of the House, harsh actions. Many a rash Journeyman has met his end in this library, usually with a lightsaber embedded somewhere in his body.

Near the stairs leading onto this level, are another set of stairs leading down a level to the Power Generators which power the vast complex.

Level Four: Power Generators

Level Four is a forbidding place; a large cast iron door is also in place here, about 8 inches thick in order to resist explosives and laser blasts if an attack is staged upon the generators, which power the whole of the Temple. Inside the room is a series of five steps which lead down from the door to the large cavernous room which houses the generators. These generators are run upon a multitude of different fuels, meaning that even in a shortage of fuels, the generators can still work. Be it from geothermal activity, or from tibanna gas, the Temple always has power.

These generators power the systems of the Temple, as well as powering the defense turrets sited around the vast structure, be they hidden or out in the open. These generators are crewed by several engineers drawn from the local defense forces of the Dajorra system. They are watched over by a senior Dark Jedi who screens their emotions and actions through the Force, keeping an eye out for any would be terrorists.

In the event of an attack, a thought that could be considered suicide against a House of Dark Jedi, the doors to Level Four are sealed and the generators are put up to maximum output to maintain the forceshield on the outside of the door, adding extra protection to this more vital of levels. Without this power supply, any defense of the Temple would be doomed. The engineers are equipped with a small armory of laser weapons and are trained in their use. But for them to actually use such weapons in anger usually means that things are extremely bad for the Qel-Dromans.

The large enclosed room is brightly lit by fluorescent lighting, aiding the engineers in monitoring the machines and giving light while making repairs. In the far corner is a set of stairs leading up to a control room where computers monitor the generators and the systems of the entire Temple complex. Also there are security camera monitor screens, allowing the small security team of 3 men to watch over the complex and see who or what is outside the large cast iron doors.