The Old Church
The Old Church is a landmark ruins on the river of Dorachen's Flight. The sight of it towering above the forest around it is often a signal for travelers on the Merchant's Highway that they are either about to enter or leave Zaichaer territory. It is a slowly collapsing yet massive structure, almost more akin to a fortress than a mere church. And it isn't a single building, but rather has an entire infrastructure, suggesting to archaeologists that it may have been the headquarters of its religion that predated all modern beliefs.
Archaeologists have come to the agreement that it is a pagan worshipping church from the Age of Wonders, specifically geared toward worshipping the moons, now known as Xir and Ner. The religion is believed to have thought that while the sun provided light, warmth, and light, the moons provided the soul, as well as connections to many supernatural incidents. The moons are the gatekeepers to the world beyond the normal world.
The religion assigned many beliefs to those born under the presence of the moons, with higher honor for more rare events. Among their many beliefs was that a person born without either moon in the sky would exist without a soul, without emotion or feelings. Those who were born with one or both moons in the sky without any special formation were typical, normal people, with souls.
Those born during any of the Minor Solar or Minor Lunar Eclipses were often thought to be particularly sensitive to supernatural energies and beings. This is considered a blessing. Those born during a Major Ner/Xir Eclipse, a False Convergence, a Hidden Ner Convergence, or a Descending Convergence were thought to be priests of the religion and were raised to become as such.
Those born during a Major Solar Convergence, however, were thought to be High Priests. They were thought to wield the full power of both moons themselves, able to summon and control supernatural beings, able to detect all manner of supernatural phenomena and even affect them. These High Priests were considered some of the most powerful and influential beings to ever walk Ransera.
In the current time, strange phenomena tend to occur during the various types of moon cycles, around the Old Church. Nothing out of the ordinary happens when one or both moons are present but not in any form of alignment. While neither moon is present, supernatural abilities, both divine and magic, seem to cease entirely. During the Minor Eclipses, it is rumored that spirits, ghosts, and other beings have begun to appear en masse, and reach out to the living. For the Major Eclipses and Minor Convergences, the spirits appear, supernatural abilities are extremely heightened in power (and unpredictability), and other major phenomena occur.
It is unknown what happens during a Major Solar Convergence, but the next one happens during Frost 121.
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