Temple

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v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

A temple is a structure devoted to an object of worship, any sphere-aligned being such as a deity, megabeast, or titan.

Fortress mode

In fortress mode, temples are locations that can be created from meeting areas. Temples can be dedicated to any deity at least one of your dwarves worships (not necessarily out of the dwarven pantheon), or to "no particular deity" making it a place for anyone to worship whomever they want or meditate. Currently there are no known incentives to make dedicated temples for a particular deity.

Temples require instruments and thus need containers to store them. Temples also require a certain amount of empty floor space (called dance floor), same as taverns. Performers can also be assigned to temples to perform sacred dances.

Being able to commune with their deity or meditate gives a serious enraptured stress decrease to the dwarves. Not having a designated place to pray, on the other hand, makes them sad or distracted. Thus, making a temple early on might be a good investment for your fortress, even more so if you're going through difficult times.

Visitors won't visit fortresses specifically to hang out in temples, even if they're set to "All visitors welcome". However, they may pass by the temple and socialize with the dwarves there if they came to visit a tavern or library.

Adventure mode

World-generated temples are visitable in adventurer mode. They are located in human towns and goblin fortresses, and the object of worship will be consistent with the sphere or spheres the civilization is aligned to. Priests can be found in temples, and will allow you to join the local sect of their religion with the conversation topic 'Service'. In the current version, it is not possible to join a temple.

On the first joining a sect dedicated to a particular object of worship, that entity will be added to the character's record. An adventurer can then converse (k) anywhere with any deity object of worship. Though the deity's only response is silence, repeated conversations can change the deity's object of worship status from 'dubious' to 'casual', 'object', 'devoted' and 'ardent'. It's unknown whether conversing with other objects of worship can increase their worship status; megabeasts tend to be uniformly hostile, though titans may be flagged 'benign'^[Verify].

Temples can have basements, sometimes extensive catacombs which may be crawling with enemies. These range from the typical kobolds and goblins, to the occasional lurking mummy (with assorted skeletal minions).

You can defile a temple by toppling a statue, which leads to being cursed by a deity with either vampirism or becoming a werebeast. For this, the temple must be actively used (i.e. not an old ruin).

Architecture

Each temple found in procedurally generated towns will have its own architecture, where certain architectural elements are chosen depending on the spheres to which the temple belongs. A temple can use a certain architectural element because of its likeness to their worshipped spheres, but also because of an antithetical relationship to said spheres. A complete list of architectural elements, as well as their connection to different spheres, is given in the table below.

Architectural element	Related spheres (incomplete)
Detailed surfaces	Art, Inspiration, Painting, Poetry
Lava pool	Volcanos
Lower floors	Caverns, Darkness, Earth
Open structure	Day, Dusk, Freedom, Moon, Nature, Night, Rain, Seasons, Sky, Storms, Sun, Thunder, Twilight, Weather
Paved indoor areas	Fortresses
Paved outdoor area	Fortresses
Pillars on the perimeter	Boundaries, Fortresses
Square of pillars	Balance, Discipline, Laws, Order
Stagnant pool	Deformity, Disease, Muck, Sickness
Uneven pillars	Chaos, Deformity
Upper floors	Fortresses, Mountains, Thunder
Water pool	Fishing, Lakes, Oceans, Rivers, Water

Razing

Occasionally during worldgen, a site government may choose to raze an old temple and build a new one in its stead. The ruins of the old temple, as well as any catacombs it's connected to, will still be explorable in adventure mode.

Interestingly, the construction of the new temple will always coincide with the formation of a new religious order to utilize it. The order belonging to the old temple will remain on the site, but will move their offices to the keep. Due to this, leaders of "archaic" orders are often found in the keeps.

"Temple" in other Languages Dwarven: rath Elven: fothi Goblin: spôgmuk Human: olum