The Shrine of Saint Craydin the Healer

Architecture and Structure

The shrine was built around the spring after Craydin's death as a memorial to him, and in recognition of the importance of the spring and pool. The structure itself is simple. The back wall of the church is the cliff wall itself; the other three sides of the rectangular building are built from shaped stones and limestone mortar. The peaked roof is steeply angled and covered with large stone slab shingles over a wooden frame. WIndows of stained glass are inset into the side walls, and a very large double door provides the only entrance to the building.

Inside, beneath the place on the back wall where the spring leaks out of the cliff and flows down the rock, is an altar to Caronalyn. Smaller altars to the other major Humanar gods line the side walls. Wooden kneelers are set before each of the altars. Along the walls between these, there are wooden benches to allow Folk to meditate or simply rest. The pool itself is in the center of the stone-laid floor; an open channel runs from point where the spring's flow leaves the wall and runs toward the pool. The pool itself is not stone lined. Water is permitted to seep into the earth, keeping the pool filled withoug overflowing.

The tomb of Craydin Grimlion is located beneath Caronalyn's Altar. It is written in the annals of the shrine that the priests was originally buried at the spot where the spring flowed to the ground, and that as the grave was dug, the spring was allowed to flow into that ground to ensure Caronalyn herself consecrated it. After placing the body and filling the grave with dirt, a heavy stone slab was laid over the grave. A channel in the stone carried the waters of the spring away from the cliff wall. Other channeled stones were laid to carry the water to a depression in the ground about 30 feet from the grave, and at that point a new pool was allowed to form - the pool that is found within the shrine today.

Pilgrimmage

Pilgrimmages to the Shrine are relatively rare in present times, due to the difficulty and cost associated with traveling there. Furthermore, priests throughout the kingdom are usually able to pray for healing for most who need it, without the need to make the pilgrimmage. It is only when cases of the Rotting Plague suddenly begin to reappear within the kingdom that the number of afflicted rushing to the shrine sees an increase. The last such outbreak was seventy-five years ago, but there are rumors coming out of the kingdom that another outbreak is beginning, and there are reports that there are now as many as three or four per week showing up to be healed at the shrine.

There are also occasionally some desperate Folk - not always Human or Halfling - that make the journey to the Shrine as a last chance effort to rid themselves of some malady of curse. Not all of these come away healed, however. The True Church attributes this to a lack of devotion to Caronalyn and the Humanar deities.

Credits

Banner images by Vinson Tan ( 楊 祖 武 ) from Pixabay

Floor plan map by DinosaurBob using Inkarnate

Page background cathedral Image by 5163451 on Pixabay
Page background manor house image by Josef Pichler on Pixabay
Page background hut image by PamelaAndrey15 on Pixabay
Page background forest image by Waldkunst on Pixabay
Character portraits by RPGDinosaurBob on Hero Forge®