Shrine of Vanya
by Giampaolo Agosta(Church District)
This pentagonal structure serves as the main chapel for the Order of the Griffon. It opens on both the Hall of the Order and on Griffon Street through two tall portals.
The external walls of the structure are covered in stripes of black and white marble, while the roof is covered with bright red brick tiles. Statues of tall knights guard the portal on Griffon Street. Five squires of the Order traditionally keep guard inside the shrine at all times, so the outer portal is always open. The portal opening on the Hall of the Order is usually closed, though, and opened only for formal occasions, like the knighting ceremonies.
The interior was richly decorated, thanks to the donations by many military officers as ex-voto for their success in putting down the Marilenev rebellion. The walls are covered in marble, sculpted with bas-relief showing the life of Vanya as a warrior princess and her ascension among the Immortals, while the wooden ceiling is carved and gilded with scenes describing the philosophy of the “unstained spirit” – the cleansing of sin, the judgement of souls by the Immortals, and so on.
The shrine, like the Hall of the Order, is a recent construction, and was first opened to the public in the tenth anniversary of the foundation of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.