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The Hanging Gardens of Irzitza
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Hey everyone! Let me present to you The Hanging Gardens of Irzitza, the final map for the Wonders & Marvels theme.
Deep within the Saropoda Wilds lies Irzitza, a marvel of stone, water, and living green that rises like a hidden jewel from the oppressive jungles of Araboatora. The lizardfolk say it was raised in the elder days, when the dynasties of the Wilds ruled with both claw and wisdom, and when their temples touched the heavens. While much of their grandeur was lost in the Fall of Parretoa, the Hanging Gardens endured, preserved by the Liha-Tora priestesses as both sanctuary and holy place.
The gardens cling to a great rift in the earth, where waterfalls plunge from high cliffs into terraces cut with stone channels, lakes, and sacred pools. Every part of Irzitza is a step upon the path of spiritual renewal, and each traveler is expected to walk its course in silence, leaving behind pride and fear as offerings to the waters.
Here the river leaps from the cliffs in a white veil, crashing into the hidden valley below. The lizardfolk believe the spray carries away the sins of those who stand beneath it. To pass through the falls is to be stripped bare, washed clean before entering the sacred precincts.
From the falls flows the Canal of Rebirth, a straight channel. Pilgrims wade its waters, walking slowly against the current. Emerging at the far end is said to mark one’s second birth, a shedding of the former self.
Beyond the canal lie groves of flowering trees, heavy with fragrance. Paths wind between shaded alcoves, where lizardfolk sages and supplicants alike sit in silence. Every stone and blossom is placed with meaning, and the breeze carries whispers of ancestral voices.
Set among the upper terraces are the Ponds of Wisdom, each reflecting the sky with uncanny clarity. Here initiates come at night, gazing into the water until visions rise from its stillness. Many of the Liha-Tora priestesses claim to have first been chosen in these pools, when the spirits of the jungle spoke through dream and reflection.
At the heart of Irzitza lies a broad lake, ringed with carved steps. Lilies and lotus plants float upon its surface, and the air is hushed save for the calls of distant birds. It is here that treaties were once sealed, warriors laid down arms, and kings sought counsel. The Lake of Calmth is less a place to speak than to listen, for the lizardfolk say the water remembers all that is entrusted to it.
Climbing above the lake rise the Terraces of Ascension, stacked gardens of stone where rare herbs and sacred trees grow in abundance. Ritual processions mount these steps during festivals, each level symbolizing a higher state of wisdom. At the summit once stood a gleaming temple of the Tora, now long fallen, though its foundations can still be traced among the roots.
Even now, hidden in the jungles, the Hanging Gardens remain a place of pilgrimage. To the lizardfolk they are proof that their ancient dynasties did not perish but endure in stone and water. To outsiders, Irzitza is a wonder almost beyond belief, a vision of order and beauty set against the endless chaos of the jungle, guarded still by both spirits and the jungle’s beasts.
Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
