Temples N Shrines Nursery Rhymes

by Lordesse Pora Black, Chronicler of Tharis, Shadowed Hand of the Conclave, Head Librarian of the Sceptre of Knowledge

For every temple, for every shrine, hear the children's voices chime, May memories not age like wine, and remember every rhyme.

These rhymes are meant to serve as mnemonic devices to memorize your faith’s holy buildings and sites. If you teach just the line for your faith to children, they may learn it by heart while playing games. Growing up, they will know where to go for their first pilgrimage, and guide others. Though image guides have been added to make these easier to understand, this book isn’t meant to be a step-by-step direction guide. I encourage you to explore, and so make pilgrimages to these sites, either as a form of devotion, or a search for knowledge. Focus your thoughts on the meanings of these rhymes, though some will be easier than others. Grab a friend or guard, and walk on. May you form lasting memories tied to these places in the process.

Each cosmic twin, blessed be their kin, reside in palatial glory.

[An image of a pair of drama masks, one dark and grinning hungrily, the other light and crying with sorrow.]

• The Living Void, Mother of Beasts, is encaved where Darkness is hallow.

[An image of a cave, with a Zin'charu temple nearby, and a city-shaped shadow over it. A cracked mask is in the corner of the page.]

• The greatest Light rises in the East, leaving behind a Shadow.

[An image of a shining beacon in a desert. An uncracked mask is in the corner of the page.]

The Children of Shards, once mortal, now gods, oft align where their worshipers grow.

[A circle of symbols fills the page. From the top, clockwise, it's a rabbit, a helm, a rose, a broken sword, a quill on paper, a sword over wheat, a blue diamond, three interlocking rings, a skeletal hand holding a lilly, a black paw, a teardrop split in four pieces, and a blood droplet.]

• The Joker King, that little thing, rests in the Lands of His people.

[This image has halflings dancing and singing in a grassy meadow.]

• The Singing Lass, of Battle and Blast, chose a sea cliff to build her Steeple.

[This image is of a large map compass with symbols instead of directional letters. A cannabis leaf to the west, a grave to the north. A fish-hook near the south, and the sea to the east. In the center circle of the compass is a helmet.]

• The Holy Fire, Daughter of Sun, warms a city from cold.

[This image shows a sun that shines bright over a green valley, where a city lies nestled between mountain peaks.]

• The Unholy Fire, Beast filled with Rage, has both Mountain and Dark Dock to hold.

[This image is of a sleepy mountain village with a lot of sheep. To the east of it, a furious storm rages. The south part of the image is darkened, possibly burnt.]

• Mother's Enlightenment calls for peace, so follow quietly on a forest road.

[This image shows a rainbow arcing over a monk in white meditating along a forest path. Mercenaries are returning quietly in the background to a large camp to the east.]

• Golden sands for a golden town, beneath the sun the Golden's hoard glowed.

[This image is of a golden temple to the north of a golden town, south of which are many sand dunes.]

• The Son of the Void makes the mountain in His city His throne.

[A mountain blocks some of the view of a dark but magical city, overshadowed by another dark, floating city.]

• 'Twixt the Fight and the Fish is where Her Moonlit Mists finds its zone.

[In this image, a helmed warrior with an axe stands high on a sea cliff, while a humble fisherman sits where the cliff meets the sea. The moon floats over a misty wood between the two.]

• The Bandit Queen stole both bones and graves, and in twin cities, undead roam.

[This image is split in half - on the left, ghosts wander desolate and ruined city streets. On the right, vampires and skeletons dance around a dark pyramid.]

• Out past the Voadkyn and through southern woods, the Great Wolf finds his home.

[An image shows a black wolf sleeping in a clearing of a forest. The forest is broken in three parts by a north-south road on the west side, and a lazy path that runs past that to the southeast. The lazy path connects to the clearing not far from its end.]

• The fisherfolk dance, praise the Elemental Balance, and they spin around the city walls.

[A port city on a peninsula has a spiral path around the walls. Fish peek out of river and sea next to it.]

• If you break through the Barrier, pray not get lost, for the Secret kills before the falls….

[There seems like there are traces of an image here, but it’s been ruined by scribbles reading “Do Not” over and over in reddish brown ink, until nothing else can be made out.]

When small faiths they devour, gathering more and more Power, new scions reach for the Divine.

[Five arms reach up on the page. Purple, black, green, red, and brown in tone.]

• Past the Tavern of Sin wait cannabis plains, come play with a wondrous Snake.

[People dance half-clothed through a field, bottles in hand, while a purple smoke weaves through.]

• The Corpse Rots where corpses rot, bog and barrows form His estate.

[A marsh filled with fungus and moss has misty barrow hills in the mists behind.]

• The Dryad's Path tails Dark Trail as they race to the Vale of the Moon.

[A crystal statue of a woman guards an aisle of bright grass and trees that arch over the path. On the other sides of these arches, dark forest lurks.]

• A quiet road and a monstrous city, hidden between lies the Devil's

boon.

[A hill houses two red hands. One reaches to a forest road, the other to a crumbling city where silhouettes walk.]

• The City of Coins is crowned by Freedom's twinkling star.

[Three coins, of copper, silver, and gold, form an overlapping triangle, surrounded by tall walls. Just north, there’s two manacles being broken apart. The force of where the chains snap sparks a star.]

May every rhyme save you time should you pilgrimage far.