Carthax Lake
| Carthax Lake | |
|---|---|
 Location of Carthax Lake | |
| Located in: | Pagan |
| Type: | lake |
 The Temple of Flowing Waters | |
Carthax Lake is an underground body of water lying beneath the Catacombs of Tenebrae, deep within the heart of Morgaelin. It houses the ancient Temple of Flowing Waters, within which Hydros, the Titan of Water, is initially imprisoned in Ultima VIII.
History[edit]
Carthax Lake had once been connected to the greater sea. In Pagan's early history, the Necromancer, Kalen, sealed off the lake from outside waters using the magic-dampening powers of blackrock, hoping to trap the Lurker within her temple. He was nearly successful in binding Hydros, but relented in his campaign against her once she returned to him the stolen body of his dead beloved and imbued him with the powers of Tempestry.
During the Avatar's exile on Pagan, the hero met with the ensnared Titan, who promised power in exchange for freeing her. The Avatar did so by desecrating the grave of Kalen's lover, and the treacherous Hydros re-flooded Carthax as she asserted her control over the elements, breaking her trust with the hero and vowing vengeance on all within the Tempest's bloodline. This elemental cataclysm gave birth to a new river, which mingled with the fires of the Mouth of the Daemon and cooled the lava-scorched earth such that travelers might enter the otherwise inaccessible Daemon's Crag.
Lore[edit]
| “ | Kalen remembered the tales of the ancient Pagan Temple and the great obelisk. He returned to the volcano and found in the crater the remains of the obelisk. There, in the murky waters continually filled by Hydros' rains, was the darkened silt of this Blackrock. Using his Necromantic powers, Kalen reshaped the crater to prevent fresh water from entering the Temple of Flowing Water. In addition, he melded the Blackrock into the crater wall, preventing the Lurker from eroding away the land. He had trapped Hydros.
Entering the Temple, Kalen was prepared to destroy both it and Hydros by reforming the crater. His intention was that not enough water should remain for the Titan's existence. Before he could complete the task, the Lurker's pleas stayed his hand. – from The Chronicle of Pagan (Ultima VIII)
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Inhabitants[edit]
- Hydros: Titan of Water
Trivia[edit]
- Theurgists wander the shores of the lake after it is refilled.
Gallery[edit]
The following image was originally hosted on Pagan the Beautiful by Julio Siqueira
The following image was originally hosted on Pagan the Beautiful by Julio Siqueira
| Geography |
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| Pagan | |
|---|---|
| Settlements | Argentrock Isle ☥ Daemon's Crag ☥ Tenebrae |
| Other | Carthax Lake ☥ Catacombs ☥ Cemetery ☥ Fishermen's Reef ☥ Hall of the Mountain King Herdsman's Valley ☥ Plateau ☥ Shrine of the Ancient Ones ☥ Stone Cove ☥ Treasure Cove Vengeance Bay |