Volume II The Sacellum

When one approaches the walls of New Sheoth, the eyes are unavoidably drawn to a magnificent sight:
a mystical flame rises from a simple tower that juts from a circular building To some, the flame is a
beacon of strength and guidance, to others, a moc!ery of their beliefs It is the epicenter of a most
interesting conflict" two sides of the same coin vying for the favor of their #od It is an unremar!able
building with a most remar!able past It is the Sacellum $rden Sul
$lthough the Sacellum itself predates $rden%Sul&s life, both the 'anics and the (emented contest the
history of the Sacellum heavily The 'anics believe that on that very spot before New Sheoth e)isted,
$rden%Sul was first afflicted with the #rand *nlightenment and became blinded The (emented
postulate that the Sacellum was the location where $rden%Sul endured the +undred (ay Torture
+owever, it was not these purported events of $rden%Sul&s life that aligned the Sacellum with the
prophet&s name it was his death
+ere again, the 'anics and the (emented are divided The 'anics story of $rden%Sul&s death begins
with a night of superlative revelry in the Sacellum The event was replete with a seemingly
ine)haustible supply of #reenmote and spirits $rden%Sul and his ,-. followers engaged in a veritable
orgy of merryma!ing and overindulgence, a night fraught with a profusion of singing, dancing, and
fornicating $s the celebration reached a crescendo and the event reached its whirlwind ape), one by
one, $rden%Sul&s followers began to drop to the ground%%their lifeblood draining from their bodies until
the ground was soa!ed a crimson red The e)cesses of their hedonism had ta!en its toll and had caused
their very hearts to e)plode $lthough details are uncertain, it was said $rden%Sul was the last to die
with the loo! of pure bliss upon his face
The (emented have a radically different story of the events leading to $rden%Sul&s demise /earing that
one of his followers would one day turn traitor and bury a blade in his bac!, $rden%Sul sought a
method to see deep into a man&s soul and reveal his true feelings $fter an e)haustive search, he
uncovered the secrets of visceromancy, the science of divination through the observation of the entrails
of others $rmed with this !nowledge, he summoned his floc! to the Sacellum $fter imbibing the wine
$rden%Sul gave them, his followers suddenly felt themselves paraly0ed aware of their surroundings
but unable to move Then, one by one, $rden%Sul cut out the still%beating hearts of his followers and
read their lifeblood $fter removing all ,-. hearts, he still hadn&t located the traitor /urious, he reached
into his chest and tore out his own heart 1efore the light faded from his eyes, $rden%Sul was reported
to have reali0ed the ironic truth" he was the traitor, destined to !ill himself
Whether or not one chooses to ta!e either of these stories seriously is of little import The truth remains
that the Sacellum is a significant location of a highly regarded prophet&s death To this day, the building
is still shared among the 'anics and the (emented, and depending on 2ord Sheogorath&s whim, the
favored side becomes its ruling body