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Shrines of Creation - Thursday Prompt Story [#21, 22/6/23] by The Fire Tiger

Shrines of Creation - Thursday Prompt Story [#21, 22/6/23]

If there is anything we must say for certain, it's that being a Composer is a group effort. Truly, the role of a Composer isn't carried by the fated person alone -- many of their familiars also share burdens that must be addressed, such as keeping their gifted child from creating too many Threads on a whim or helping them understand that they will live very long lives. An overlooked aspect, however, is the few outsiders that also help the soon-to-be ascendant in their own unique ways. Take the role of the Conductor, for example. Usually, this role falls to a family member or friend of the Composer, but they can continue their path in solitude or request the aid from a large number of Conductors who have trained their craft extensively.

This is where we step into the picture. Our titles demand us we call ourselves the Shrineventors and the Temple Tenders, but they are too embarrassing of names. For all intents and purposes, we plot the architecture of temples to accommodate the new inhabitants, and afterwards we make sure to keep these sacred places as neat as possible until their arrival. Construction by itself is a tough job already, so surely making a shrine for a potential future demigod requires the same effort, right? Well, let's walk you through the process step by step, and then we'll let you decide.

First, some of the requirements to even reach this job. Apart from the obvious education needed for an architect, you also need to have worked on various projects yourself, around three years’ worth of experience minimum. You also should have with you a Magica Materials certification, which states that you're aware of, and can create buildings and structures made from, substances infused with Magica. Finally, before you even present your resumé, you'll be subjected to a small interview where your creativity shines in the forefront. Sure, serious architects exist within the ranks, but just getting the job done isn't enough, especially when dealing with highly imaginative deities like the Composers! If you truly want to work in this branch, you must show you're an astute individual capable of thinking as closely as possible with the client's vision.

Now, let's start with the part that matters the most: location. Some Composers like being near other Composers, and for them we've built many large cities with multiple temples dotted about. Most of these temples have already been constructed from a preset template, but the Composer is welcome to make any additions, changes or just straight up reconstruction of the whole thing if they so choose -- the main selling point is their proximity to other individuals. These "cities of splendor", as we affectionally call them, have just about everything required for the Composers that reside there to live prosperous lives, from restaurants to public spaces, a central library to even some mock business towers, so that Composers don't feel as homesick in their new abodes. Ah, and those areas don't go unwasted, mind you -- that's where we house all the facilities to the city like electricity and water.

Of course, we also accommodate to the Composer who functions best alone. Our world may exist on a near infinite white void that stretches out in all directions, but that doesn't mean we're allowed to build just about anywhere! A simple and peaceful cloudy plain could, at any one moment, give way to Cosmic Rifts -- the result of a Composer's Thread building too much energy and needing to exert it. While not particularly dangerous to Dreamwalkers by themselves, they are highly volatile and temporary portals to other worlds, and there's no way to tell if a Thread will make one... which means a curious soul could walk inside one of these Threads and possibly never return. To avoid this, dangerous areas where Rifts appear the most are marked with a bright red aura around a perimeter, which we are understandably not permitted to build in. Otherwise, though, we're allowed to build in just about any place, and if the client requests a more exotic location, our friends at SkyBoxing can provide a beautiful, lifelike backdrop and setting around the Composer's temple.

The temple itself is mostly just a concrete structure, usually modeled after the ancient Roman temples of way, way past, but it’s what's inside that truly shines. Lined within the exterior's pillars is a special Magica infusion called Anchlove, which is dual purpose: it acts as a metaphysical shield so that most of the energy that is exerted when creating a Thread is absorbed into the pillar, and it deflects said energy back inside passively, creating an area of concentrated power for the Composer. This area is almost always the absolute center of the temple, where the Composer is expected to create their Threads, which is why we also construct the Composer's throne and pedestal within that area.

Speaking of, the pedestal and throne are special works, too. The pedestal has various Magica within its marble surface, such as a minor version of Anchlove, Jimante which makes the marble shimmer as more energy is built up within it, and Ventica, a substance that ensures the surface remains a moderate cool temperature for comfort. As this pedestal is where the Composer stands while making threads, it's important that this part is crafted with the utmost care. As for the throne, well, that's completely custom made. The throne only requires that it be infused with Basht, a Magica that can restore vitality to whoever touches the surface it is mixed with, and that it's compact enough to fit within a 2-meter by 2-meter square. The rest of the details are up to the Composer, and we encourage them to go wild with it. There are nearly no limitations to what they can make or even what Magica is within the throne -- this gives the Composer the chance to truly flex their prowess!

So, the location's set, and after hard work, the temple is built -- what happens now? After its other facilities like the kitchen and bedrooms are outlined and furnished, we simply wait for the Composer to come around. In the meantime, we tend to the temple as if it was our own house, making sure it remains spotless and that the Magica works its effects properly. Once the newly christened deity arrives, we grant them a welcome package filled with many foodstuffs and imperishables, help them unpack and get comfortable in their new home, and finally leave the Composer to work their magic. For those that live further away from typical stores, we offer bi-weekly grocery packages that arrive to their estate, and on the 3rd of every month we check in to every temple in a similar fashion to a hotel's room service, making sure that the Composer and their Conductors doesn't overexert themselves or let their shrine get too cluttered.

And there you have it! Our little part in making sure new and experienced Composers live their life to the fullest while also providing them with a safe and cozy place to do their duties. It's quite an exhaustive process in our opinion, but it's for the benefit of our Composers... though what do you think? Do you believe you're up to the task? If not, there are plenty of other openings that allow you to get close with some Composers, like the Conductor program we mentioned above, or even working within one of the cities of splendor. We hope that, regardless of what your answer is, you found this information insightful, and that you got a deeper understanding of how much effort is put into keeping our Composers happy.

Shrines of Creation - Thursday Prompt Story [#21, 22/6/23]

The Fire Tiger

"Is my body a temple, or is my life a temple? I'm definitely in the latter category, and I think my life has been better since thinking that way."

Thursday Prompt Story: This week's prompt is... architecture

Hi, it's still Tienno, but I was promised that the Human would come back soon. In the meantime, I wanted to write this thing after seeing the prompt.

I swear one of these days I'll sit down and detail this whole world as its own separate story, but that day is not today.

The Thursday Prompt is provided by the user Thursday_Prompt on FurAffinity. Read every new entry of The Thursday Prompt a day early on our FA: TheFireTiger

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