Lothal Jedi Temple (Jedi Renaissance)

The Jedi Temple of Lothal was a megalithic structure located far into the northern hemisphere of the grassy Outer Rim planet. Built into a natural stone spire and the caverns that sprawled out beneath it, the Temple was commissioned by the Jedi Order after the discovery of a Force vergence found at the site. A popular pilgrimage site, the Temple was not built to be heavily populated and did not originally have the means to house many Jedi at a single time. After the Clone Wars the Order refurbished the site, building auxiliary facilities to house Jedi Rangers working in the region while maintaining the air of contemplation within the Temple proper.

History
Located in Lothal's northern hemisphere, the Force vergence of Lothal was identified by members of the Jedi Order passing through the Outer Rim in 17,857 BrS. The vergence that the Jedi had first detected at this site was quickly determined to concern the nature of attachment, and became the central aspect of the Jedi trial known as the Ordeal. Jedi would take their Padawans on a pilgrimage to the Lothal Temple to test the bond between themselves. The first challenge the pair would face involved opening the Temple to reveal the entrance. Once opened, the Master would begin meditation within the entrance hall while their Padawan entered the caverns beyond to face their Ordeal. Traveling through the tunnels, the Padawan would be visited by powerful visions that would test their attachment to their Master, friends, and the Order itself. If the Padawan could withstand the visions they would be able to find their way out back to their Master; if not, Master and Padawan alike would forever be entombed within the Temple. Never the most traveled to spot among the Order's multitude of ancient sites, Lothal never fell out of memory and was visited by about five Master-Padawan pairs annually at its lowest points.

In the wake of the Clone Wars, when the Order decided to establish a greater presence on the worlds they served, the High Council looked to repopulate existing sites first. Because the Lothal Temple did not boast a housing complex or any facilities for training or planning missions, the Council commissioned the construction of an annex to facilitate Jedi Rangers in the region. Constructed four kilometers southwest of the Temple, the Ranger Academy boasted a state-of-the-art Operations Planning Center and Ranger's Billet which would accommodate the Rangers on patrol and those pilgrims visiting the vergence at the Temple. An administrative council was established at the academy, overseeing the site and maintaining the Temple from a distance.

Temple
Consisting of thirty acres of land and subterranean caves, the Lothal Temple was a sprawling complex of twisting tunnels and quiet halls. The Temple grounds were sparse and rocky, home to small rock gardens and walking paths. Concentric circles were gouged into the ground, spiraling out from the Temple's central cone spire and enveloping the small spires of the complex. These circles emanated radiant Force energy when the Temple was accessed by Jedi, reflecting the energy pouring out from the vergence.

The central cone spire of the Temple was an example of exquisite, Force-inspired architecture employed by the Order during its zenith; melding art, nature, and technology seamlessly. A hollowed-out rock spire, the central tower was 84 meters tall above ground, with an additional 52 meters below the surface. using this to their advantage, the Order' architects removed the spire from the ground and reworked the crater it was pulled from so that when sunk back into the ground it spiraled down like a bolt. This security feature was further enhanced by the construction of two entrances; a grand entrance at the base of the spire, and a secondary entrance at midlevel. Fully exposed, the grand entrance sat at ground level while the secondary entrance was rendered inaccessible several stories up. Sunken down, the secondary entrance was at ground level and the grand entrance concealed beneath the earth. When the Temple was left uninhabited, it was completely sealed off by lowering it all the way down, placing both entrances beneath ground level.

The grand entrance to the Temple was carved into the base of the central spire and was ornately cut with red glyphs worked into the stone. A narrow passageway was cut into the outer wall of the spire, big enough for two to walk abreast, leading into the heart of the spire. Opening upon a soaring rotunda of smooth grey stone, the walls, pillars, and arches were adorned with glyphs depicting ancient Jedi astride great jackavores, massive canines that once were common infantry beasts among the Order's armies. The center of the hall was a large, sunken dais of polished marble where countless Jedi Masters gathered across the ages to meditate and wait for their Padawans to pass through the Temple's caverns beyond the hall. Three archways led from the chamber deeper into the Temple, lining up with passageways that led beyond the central spire and deep into the caverns. Further up the spire's height was the secondary entrance. Made up of jagged lines and long angles, the entrance resembled black teeth clenched in the face of the spire. A small corridor opened up at its center, moving into a dark angular chamber with a single door locked by a counterweight system. The walls of the entrance chamber angled inward and were supported by ornate columns, paired up and spaced at intervals along either side of the hall. Beyond the archway was a simple, rough-hewn passageway that led to a crossroads. A combination of visions and illusions would encourage travelers down one of the connecting corridors, deeper into the Temple where enlightenment or death awaited.

Academy
Constructed after the Clone Wars, the Lothal Academy was constructed four kilometers from the Temple complex so as not to disturb the flow of the Force in the isolated region. A simple complex, the academy eschewed the soaring designs of some of the Order's larger academy's and instead settled for a block building of local stone and a flat roof. The main door was flanked by slabs of local rock, while the inside was light and airy. Beyond the main hall was the Operations Planning Center which consisted of a state-of-the-art communications suite, galaxy holomap room, and satellite branch library. Surrounding the main building were auxiliary facilities meant to compliment the Rangers stationed there, including a modern medcenter, gymnasiums, an armory, and hangars for land, air, and spacecraft. Dormitories and private meditation huts dotted the grounds, all of which were enclosed behind a low block wall, which could project a sonic field should the academy fall under assault.