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Chram Na Svete Stromu
Not Common Knowledge Location: Freemont East (Glitter Gulch) Predatory Taint: +2
Atmosphere: Welcoming
Welcoming locations are both more active than Accepting locations and more mercurial. Likely environments include underground raves, meetings of secret societies, impromptu drum circles, biker gatherings, and the like. Some places, which require either an invitation or some secret information to find, assume that those who are there share some common interest, ideal, or understanding, and therefore are places where one’s guard can be lowered. Others, whether due to naïveté or an impressive amount of faith and trust in humanity, simply happily welcome any who find them. Both environments, however, can turn ugly very quickly when the most meager of slights is committed. Whether an accidental signal that tells others that the outsider isn’t supposed to be there or a taboo behavior or simply ruining the party, all such acts are punishable with snubbing, expulsion, mockery, or even attack depending on the mood and lifestyle of those present.
Description
Chram Na Svete Stromu, affectionately nicknamed "The Grove" is positioned adjacently to the Fremont Street Experience and resides in a medium sized, unassuming building that lacks any real signs to indicate its use like most of the tourist attractions in Vegas. It has the look and feel of an old office complex and this facade is maintained during the day by the myriad amounts of cars that park in the small parking lot attached to it. The main benefactors of this building during the day are the mortal cultists of Duchovia Stromu Sveta who use the building to practice their faith and offer worship to the spirits.
After night fall, however, the building is returned to its true masters, The Circle of the Crone, who use the building as their temple to draw in the spirits and ask them for their guidance, and their power to fuel their rituals.
The Building itself is small, but its walls contain within a courtyard that is hidden from the city at large. In the middle of this courtyard is a large oak tree and that oak tree has an Altar resting in front of it that is long enough to rest an average sized human being. The Altar is chiseled away from a large piece of stone that adds to the "natural" feel of the courtyard. A mundane garden is kept in the courtyard as well, all taken care of by Jacob Answorth, one of Veles Lazarak's retainers.
The inside of the building has four main rooms, all connected together by hallways that compose the outer walls of the facility. The hallways have long windows on the inner walls that look out into the Courtyard. One of the rooms in the building is a library that contains within it books and scrolls that all pertain to different spirits from different cultures, as well as folklore and occult knowledge. There is another room that is set up as a crafts room (Garage, +3 crafts) that contains within a few easels, a work bench, and tools (+1 to Crafts, Owned by Jacob Answorth but shared with all) for crafting. A third room is set up that appears to be primarily used for meditation (+3 bonus to Mediation rolls), and finally a fourth room that is completely sun proofed with a couple cots laid out for the occasional need for man or kindred to sleep there.
The inside of the building is all decorated nicely and furnished well, and has paintings hung on the wall depicting scenes from Slavic Folklore, the early nights of Las Vegas, and paintings of particularly amazing rituals that the cultists themselves were able to take part in. There are also a few Sculptures placed in the hallways and rooms of the building, these sculptures depict renditions of some of the Omnipotent spirits of Slavic origins that the cult worships.
Aesthetics
Entry Way
The double doors leading into the building as unassuming at best, the only asset is a machine plated inscription above the door stating Weaving Spiders Come Not Here
Chalice of Homage
Beyond the main double doors and through the grand hallway resides the courtyard and within it the Great Oak Tree. Centered just inside the hallway sits the Chalice of Homage, positioned on a marble stand. The marble stand contains flame-less heaters that warm the chalice significantly. The purpose of the Chalice of Homage is to sacrifice oneself to The World Tree before asking advice and guidance from the spirits. The ethereal (or spirit realm) and physical planes are cohabitants, and though the ethereal plane is porous and allows spirits to transcend the barrier of the ethereal/physical plane and allows the spirits to pass guidance into the physical plane, physical matter is far too large to pass through. By heated the blood within the Chalice of Homage one crystallizes and removes the impurities found within all blood, allowing the essence of life to pass through to the ethereal plane in a vapor form.