Inferno Temple

The temple itself is scarred by signs of battle, and there are ancient remains of the local sentient species in the soil. It seems the temple was torched and abandoned. Security teams have noted that the locals avoid this entire area, believing it to be cursed.

The fire temple's walls protected its contents, including many intricate frescos and carvings. These feature a recurring motif of a circle of twisted fire, with a dark gash down its center. In one depiction, a bipedal figure plucks out one of four such eyes and casts it upon the world, creating this central motif. We are designating it the Infernal Eye.

Further excavations will reveal what beliefs surrounded this strange figure.

Excavations of the temple of the Infernal Eye show evidence of many sacrifices. Large circular pits with platforms in the center, mimicking the Infernal Eye and its pupil, lie filled with layers of ash and charcoal. Molecular analysis reveals that the ash and charcoal comes from animal tissue.

Whether these sacrifices were of wild or domestic animals, or indeed of the locals themselves, cannot be determined.

Agents have been dispatched to current population centers in search of corollary evidence, while our excavators search for more answers.

A heavy stone doorway was discovered blocking off the deepest part of the temple. After breaking through, excavators found a circular chamber with a central pit opening directly above a natural underground magma reservoir. The orange light of the magma bathed the walls in a red glow, faintly illuminating inscriptions encircling the strange room. The top of the surrounding walls are studded with bright, flaming eyes.

On one edge of this pit are the desiccated remains of one of the locals, broken open upon an altar shaped like the Infernal Eye. It appears they were in fact sacrificing their own in an attempt to appease it.

The text along these walls may be critical to understanding the cultural role of this temple, and should be translated immediately.

The final study of the scripture in the temple's innermost chamber reveals a set of prophecies relating to the return of the Infernal Eye. It speaks of the Infernal Eye growing angry at the defiance of its subjects. In response, the Eye is expected to darken the skies, erupt a specific holy mountain, cause a specific crop to wither on the vine, and more. The prophecy presents this as the end of civilization, stating that after these events, only those who submit to the Infernal Eye shall survive.

Our agents among the local populace have looked for cultural connections, and found that this prophetic text is the source of many aphorisms and phrases in the planet's cultures, as well as the source text for many later stories and myths. They also believe that the mysteries practiced by their modern temples include variations on, and reactions against, this ancient prophecy.

All of these prophesied events could be re-enacted with our technology, or faked with a degree of realism they will not be able to detect. If we were to present ourselves as the Infernal Eye reincarnate, demonstrating that the original prophecy was right all along, we may be able to extract concessions and fealty from them. This would make them easier to absorb in the long term.