Location: Cast in the deepest reaches of the Great Desert, this Gaia Temple differs from its brethren in that it is protected by defenses that not only permeate the temple's interior but the exterior as well, including the sky and the encircling mountains of Devil's Range, which are manipulated by magic to add to the temple's already intimidating appearance. The Sun never seems to shine here, so the land lies in perpetual gloom. A single trail (as seen in the picture above) is the only way to reach the entrance; any other means is parried by either the temple's magical defenses or the mountains.

History: Built more than ten thousand years ago, this temple served as a place of worship for the Talpideans, who built it in honor of Dark Gaia, their creator. Not long after its completion, the tribal elders all received from Dark Gaia a vision of a titanic future battle that would decide the fate of the world, and so agreed to dispatch six groups, each one to different parts of the world. According to the vision, there were six places in the world where people had been given the same vision and thus would understand and respect the Talpidean's ways--the future locations of Spagonia, Chun-nan, Shamar, Holoska, Mazuri, and Adabat.

At each of them, the Talpideans would construct a temple centered around the fabled Chaos Emeralds, powerful gems said to be guarded by an ancient race of warrior echidnas. Not only that but the Talpideans, who Dark Gaia warned must not "remain far from their place of origin for long," had to teach the people of these six places the legends and prophecy centered around the deities of day and night so that their descendants would be prepared for when the time comes.

When the Talpideans disappeared 300 years ago, however, their own temple fell into disarray. No one, Mobian and human alike, dared step foot near it, much less its location, for fear of angering the forces that dwelled there. Only the other six temples remained protected, their human Guardians one of the last few proofs of the Talpideans' existence and legacy.

The seventh Gaia Temple eventually became the spot for Eggmanland during the events of Sonic Unleashed. After succeeding in moving the temple to his self-made island, Eggman built his park over it because he considered it "too creepy even for his tastes." After the defeat of both Eggman and Dark Gaia at the hands of Sonic and Chip, the temple miraculously returned to its former state and location in spite of the damage dealt by the battles.

Nightmares and the rest of Dark Gaia's minions have started guarding this temple just recently, as well as the others, where they have gone so far as to assist the human guardians that overlook them. The smaller ones have even taken to reading the hieroglyphics as if in search of something. No one is certain why they're acting like this, let alone how they came back.

Ozzie and his Uncle Gabriel, two recently discovered survivors, may know, but they refuse to confirm anything.

Architecture: The temple, compared to its brethren, is unique in its structure and possesses certain features intended to intimidate the cowardly and weak-willed. Such details include its uncanny likeness to Dark Gaia, the lookalike statue's giant, emerald eyes said to have been forged from the real Dark Gaia's own flesh and blood and rumored to watch all who enter the temple like a judge determining the worthiness of any trespasser. Another prominent feature is the great fire on the top of the temple, its violet light never going out unless a great disturbance plagues the planet.

During construction, the Talpideans included Devil's Range into the structure for three reasons. 1) The most obvious one is defense; this mountain range, even without the desert's harsh conditions, is utterly inhospitable to those who do not know their way around the terrain. 2)The Talpideans always traditionally viewed the triangle, like the number three, as strong due to its indivisibility and simplicity, and were heavily reminded of the shape by the mountains' spiky appearance. And 3) the Talpideans felt this area reflected their creator's personality and story perfectly: powerful and fearsome yet lonely and misunderstood, bound to a fate he never asked for but is willing to accept and endure.

Meaning: Despite its menacing appearance, this Gaia Temple stands for the Talpidean spirit--an inner light that thrives in the dark--and its hieroglyphics feature the concepts of hope and belief as major themes. Fittingly enough, the Talpideans constructed the exterior to symbolize hardship and the brutality and injustice that seems so dominant in the world. The interiors, however, are more welcoming and soothing, representing the peace and harmony the moles believed lie dormant in all living things.

Mysteries: There are still some mysteries about this sacred place that baffle archaelogists and other researchers, however. One of them is the presence of seven moons--each of them the same color as one of the Chaos Emeralds--that only appear above this temple at night. Though the fact that those moons are connected to the Emeralds is apparent, what has researchers confused is how they're connected. Are they meant to summon the legendary emeralds...or perhaps something far more powerful?

Another oddity is the nature of the flame atop the temple: what keeps it burning? How does it "know" when the world is in peril? And most importantly, does it perhaps have a higher, ultimate purpose?

Last but not least is a question that hasn't been taken seriously until recent times: the probability (not just possibility) that the temple is actually alive. Many people brushed that reality off as an illusive countermeasure, a part of the magic put on the temple in order to ward off theives. However, the latest excavation by two archaeologists suggests that the idea may not be so far-fetched after all...

Note: This temple and all of Talpidean history and culture belong to me. Everything and everyone else belong to SEGA.

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