About this image

This is a demonstration of the Temple District in the new mod I'm working on first mentioned here. (Fingers crossed for permission from SilentResident to use the modified version of her ImpeREAL City - Unique Districts mod, which adds the much-needed height extensions to the default buildings)

In this GIF you can see how the differently-textured buildings in the Temple District look in game (I'm using Cyrodiil ENB, if you're wondering).

We go now to The Imperial Cult Temple District and the eye is invariably drawn to the temple itself, which stands out starkly compared to the other buildings. After seeing two districts with a collage of different building styles (here and here), the uniformity of Temple District seems almost total, however, the careful eye will notice slight differences. This is a reflection of the fact that all buildings in this district were built at once and each had a specific original purpose to The Imperial Cult. Scholars of the history of the Imperial City know that even though the Temple of The One itself dates back to the time of Reman I, the temple and the district itself was revitalized and restored under the reign of Tiber Septim. During his rule, the importance of Sancre Tor faded away and the Temple of the One became the new center of worship. The Cult was given full rights to the district and the aesthetics of the district are believed to not have changed from this period under the first Septim to present day - the red roofs reflect the Amulet of Kings and the white brick of the buildings represent the purity of those living under The Covenant.

Having entered this district from the Talos Plaza, we notice the building immediately to the right is adorned with carvings of robed figures. Famed city historian, Alessia Ottus, claims this block was once the dormitories of the High Priests of the Cult. It's for this reason she spent years waiting for a vacancy within it to make her home where once dwelt the most holy faithful. The other buildings in the district do not have this unique feature, so perhaps she is right. There are no definitive theories on what purpose the other buildings once served.

Onto the Temple of The One, that historied building - site of wonder and hope, yet also of great violence! The dome roof is resplendent with its patterned design. Here glass mosaic meets gold sheet that sparkles in the sun. The pious Emperor Uriel Septim VII, may the Nine guide his soul, maintained the long-standing practice of having this dome polished and touched up monthly, so it will undoubtedly last for many more decades to come even if his successor does not ... indulge in this rigorous maintenance. Below, similarly bordered windows stand out between double border of glittering marble columns. Along the base on each side, an image of a dragon is carved into decorative panels. These are almost certainly depictions of Akatosh upon His Temple, though interestingly some Nord theologians believe it to actually represent a warning from the Reign of the Remans about some pending returned threat after a time when the Dragonfires within fail.

Alright, enough history lessons for today! Take a moment to pay respects or say a prayer if you wish and let's head on to our next district!


((Let's Out Of Character discuss some things:

Looking at the second image of the lone building, can you believe it is made up of textures from five different Imperial City retexture mods?? I love that such a homogeneous look was achieved from such a collection of community work!

The last two images highlight some mod compatibility - We can see The Imperial Waters again playing nicely with this mod as well as the Imperial City Canal Overhaul - yes, I'm planning to include optional compatible meshes for those who use this mod. And finally, the meshes were all created with Animated Window and Lighting System meshes, so it's compatible with that too! Please let me know if you have any other mod compatibility concerns, I'll do my best to keep them in mind!

Feel free to share any feedback for this still in-progress mod! What do you like or dislike? Share your thoughts and be part of the development))