Showing posts with label Ankh-Morpork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ankh-Morpork. Show all posts

Friday, September 11, 2026

Sights of the Big Wahoonie - Sandelfon's Temple


While not being much of a god-botherer myself, they can certainly build some nice hovels for their gods. If you start strutting along down the Street of Small Gods coming from the Plaza of Broken Moons, the first important temple you'll encounter, to your left, is dedicated to Sandelfon, the lord of corridors. The outside looks like this:

The Temple of Sandelfon lies to the northeast.  It seems to defy the laws of physics, as to fit in enough corridors for the priests' liking surely it should be far bigger than it actually is.  The outside of the Temple is covered with geometric patterns - tiny, perfect mazes of corridors.  Closer examination only seems to reveal more detail.  Some poor artisan must have gone blind here - but all for the glory of Sandelfon, so that's all right.

This is the entrance to the temple of Sandelfon, the God of Corridors.  To either side and above is a finely sculptured archway of a rich, red marble while, not surprisingly, a corridor stretches off to the north into the temple.  The Street of Small Gods passes by to the southwest.


Lots of corridors to strut along! If you don't get lost, and after passing some minor facilities, like the low altar, you will eventually reach the inner sanctum, which houses the high altar and an incense burner in front of it. The chamber looks thusly:

This high-vaulted room houses the high altar of Sandelfon, a large, plain block of grey stone resting on a dais in the middle of the floor.  Next to the altar, there is a burner, where incense can smoulder ceremonially.  A large archway leads out into the corridor, while a smaller one in the south wall contains a stone door.

l burner
This incense burner is made from a small firebrick furnace with a tall chimney, sitting atop a solid block of walnut.  The wood has been stained and varnished until it is a deep near-black.


If you inspect the altar with more detail, you will find some pretty interesting reliefs, too:

The altar is engraved with a depiction of the story of the third prophet of Sandelfon, Domestos.  Born in a rural part of Ephebe, Domestos was called to the faith at an early age and soon found himself involved in the struggle against the Corridor Shorteners of Mirrick, who appeared for the first time just as he became a full priest.  When all seemed finally lost, Domestos found the spiritual strength needed to rally the temple's stonemasons in a triumphant relengthening of the corridors, driving the Shorteners back into Mirrick.  The last scene on the altar shows Domestos in the throes of the vision that gripped him as he lay on his deathbed, old after many years of service to Sandelfon, foretelling the return of the Dreaded Corridor Shorteners at some time yet to come.


Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Honoured Employee!


A few days ago, I noticed that while I had done a fair amount of odd jobs for Mr. Werks and the Patrician's Jobbes Programme, I still hadn't attainted the greatest token of recognition that the said program affords. So I got myself busy, packed my traveling bags and went on a spree, gathering items from all over the Disc. I wasn't expecting the results to come in so soon (I was expecting a week or so more work at least), but just as I came into the warehouse today for collecting my latest pennies, I was surprised by the gift of the medal of greatest honor!


Well, wasn't that nice! And of course there was someone with an iconograph at hand to immortalize the current moment, and to allow me to share it with you:


The medal might not have a lot of economic value, but it sure feels like that to me, after some... five hundred missions? And not the last ones, either. I will still be indulging the Morporkian men and women's wishes for goods from faraway places in the days to come.

Anyway, the medal looks like this: This is a beautiful disc made of platinum, bearing the seal of the Ankh-Morpork Job Market: a hammer above a wagon wheel. To earn this medal means to have shown great service to the city of Ankh-Morpork and its denizens, by way of continued hard work.


I'll be wearing it proudly! I don't quite understand why it doesn't count as jewellery, though...