The records are unclear as to how long the people of Shunadar have lived in the land. Scholars believe it’s been hundreds of years, but probably less than a thousand. What they all agree on, however, is that when they arrived, the “elder shrines” were already here.
These so-called “shrines” include towering obelisks, clusters of standing stones, and—most dramatically—enormous sculptures of human heads.
The ancient heads, commonly known as “stone faces,” stand 6-12 feet tall. The faces are those of stylized humans, though some feature extra eyes, mouths, or jagged teeth. Some faces stand alone, while others appear in groups of three or more, and never look at each other.
Each elder shrine appears to have been carved from a single black stone drawn up from the bedrock itself. While many are worn, cracked, or broken from erosion, most still display carvings that are assumed to be ancient writing. What the writing says is anyone’s guess. (The lords of Orzah-Shun, who claim their ancestors erected the shrines, also claim to be able to read the writing, but refuse to do so for fear of offending their dark gods.)
It’s possible the shrines are, in fact, related to the ancient Orzan deities. While no one knows if the sites even were shrines in the old days, there are enough incidents of strange occurrences around the stones that the people of Shunadar typically avoid them if they can.
