Lake Nemi
Southeast of Rome along the Alban Hills lies a circular lake, named after the nearby town. Throughout history it has been called Nemorensis Lacus (“Diana's Mirror”) since it was a centre of the cult. The lake and its forest were sacred to the goddess Diana Nemorensis and the original site of the festival Nemoralia. In this sacred grove a priesthood called the Rex Nemorensis reigned until he was killed by a challenger. The lake has a magical aura of 7.
Diana was worshipped as a triple goddess here. A golden oak served as her idol, the same Aeneas plucked from to gain entry to the Underworld. This was all that early followers of Diana needed - the wilderness. Yet early in Rome history a temple was constructed. Singularly ancient in design.
As the temple grew they also began to worship the hero Hippolytus of Athens. He was a mortal virginal youth and a devoted follower of the goddess Diana. Phaedra, his stepmother, falsely accused him of rape after he rejected her advances. As a result, he was killed by a chariot accident. Diana, realising the truth, intervened to save him. She later revived him under the new name Virbius.
Lake Nemi’s temple was a sanctuary for escaped slaves, who couldn't be pursued here by law. Similarly no boat was allowed upon the water. Something Caligula, the mad blasphemous third emperor would deliberately try to breach.
Caligula's Nemi ships were a pair of luxurious and opulent vessels. These colossal floating palaces were renowned for their extravagant design and grandeur. The ships were floating palatial structures, each adorned with intricate mosaics, lavish decorations, and ornate furnishings. One of the vessels was dedicated to leisure and entertainment, featuring gardens, dining rooms, and places for relaxation. The other ship served as a temple of Isis, and displayed remarkable craftsmanship and artistic elements throughout. Caligula, before proposing his own divinity, was an initiate of the Mysteries of Isis. Isis was interpreted as an aspect of Diana by the Romans. Following the assassination of Caligula, the ships were stripped of precious objects and sunk. In 1220 the ships are still at the bottom of the lake, perhaps scripts or relics of the Cult of Isis could still be found in the shipwrecks.
The True Merinita society and the esoteric Mystery Cult of the Huntress in the Wood teaches that the king-priest of Rex Nemorensis has been vacant since 785. Merinita the Founder held the title while she lived but Quendalon slew her and took it for himself. He is currently hiding in Arcadia and for 435 years, there has been no new king-priest. The Huntress in the Wood still has one of its three hierophants, the priestess of Diana, live continuously at the site. Caring for the golden idol and sacred grove. None have yet been blasphemous enough to set up a lab at the site. The priestess current concern is a Faerie Caligula arriving at Nemorensis each year with his two massive ship. The priestess assumes the faerie is following Quendalon's order and probing for weakness.