Pirate101's Top 10 Spiritual Centers

The Spiral is full of different cultures, most all of which have a basis in real life. One cornerstone of each society in-game is who they follow, worship, or otherwise call upon in times of need. Some, however, stand out more than others. Here are the top ten.

Honorable Mentions: St. Bonobo's Abbey, Abandoned Church

For having the Holy Monquisition and as many religion-based characters as they do, Monquista is surprisingly short on sanctuaries, which is why St. Bonobo's Abbey is worth mentioning. It is its own location, full of Monquistan monks and brothers, and you'll end up visiting more than once for the main storyline quest.

Any place where Death resides has to be pretty cool, but one thing that makes this church in particular stand out is its not-so-prime real estate. Besides being located in Haunted Skyway, this building is also situated on an island shaped like a skull. Hardly fitting for a church, but I suppose that's why it was abandoned.

This instanced structure becomes the scene of Captain Blood's latest scheme. Just outside is a graveyard, and Black Bart awaits pirates there. Following his battle is our encounter with Death - the character, that is - and his puppet show.

10. The High Temple

Aquila, for all its architectural achievement and glory, was somewhat disappointing in the way of religious centers if only because each immortal's temple is nearly identical. None, however, are so perfectly placed as Zeus's.

The High Temple requires a teleporter to reach from Nova Aquila, a feature which was actually added in after the main construction and modeling of the location. The concept art behind these temples is simply stunning, and that in mind combined with its scenic location, the High Temple makes the list at number ten.

9. Santo Pollo Church

Santo Pollo's Church, when we first arrive there, has been ruined by the Banditoads, but also leads us to El Toro after our discovery of his "T" on a tapestry within the building. Even in its state of disarray, it's an attractive interior for sure, and perhaps the centerpiece of Santo Pollo. (Except for, perhaps, Don Rodrigo's Manor.)

The real moment of glory for the Santo Pollo Church is upon returning from a long journey elsewhere in Cool Ranch and through a few nasty instances and ship quests in Port Regal. After these quests, the church has been fully restored and the ghost of Don Rodrigo checks in with us there.

8. Temple of the Gold Monkey

While less of an enlightening experience and more of a cult following, there's no question that there's something spiritual about Gortez's jungle throne room. What was once Monquista'a greatest military general is now monkeying around on the Isle of Doom. In fact, his official title in battle is "Egomaniacal Gorilla." We come to find that the Gold Monkey is not a relic for the Monquistans to take, but instead is Gortez himself. Gortez and the Golden Monkey are the perfect Skull Island finale before our pirates venture to Monquista.

This boss is one of the most well-known in the game, and his weapon, chestplate, and hat are popular among farmers. These factors earn the Temple of the Gold Monkey the number eight spot.

7. Elder Bluff

Cool Ranch is a Spiritual Center hotspot, but it's not all traditional churches. The tribes of bison in Big Sky tell our pirates of three Totem Spirits - Brother Wolf, Sister Snake, and Brother Owl. In order to appease the bison and rescue Clark, we must first appease these spirits, and we are directed on our journey by Thunderbird. The voiceover for this NPC is very well-done and we get a zoomed-out view of her each time we talk on Elder Bluff.

This is also where we learn of the Duck of Death, who spoke with spiders from the Before Time and traded his soul for immortality. It is fitting that we are then also told to track down silver bullets and use pedestals (providing a halo effect) before attacking the Duck of Death.

6. Temple of Eternal Serenity

Mooshu has quite a few beautiful temples. However, none are so central to our questing as the Temple of Eternal Serenity. For a long time, there was a glitch with this temple where the roof went missing, which, in my opinion, made it even better. The building design, unfortunately, didn't allow for such a design. Here we find Shunzang the Wise, an important figure in our journey to locate the five turtle balls and summon the great turtle and Maruzame Castle. He narrates the puppet show for that leg of the story.

This temple sits atop the highest peak in Subata, an already beautiful location with a perfect view from the top. Along with the Mooshu music, it's hard not to feel relaxed when visiting.

5. St. Fido's Church

This church is often unappreciated because it was part of a three-hour intro to Marleybone and Aquila, which pirates were so anxious to see when they first came to the Test Realm. It may or may not also be overrun with Bloodbats.

Despite a few supernatural setbacks, St. Fido's Church is a place that reminds me, in many ways, of Westminster Abbey in Wizard101 - beautiful stained glass windows and a location appropriately in Port Regal. It's to be the marriage location for Lytton with Father McKenzie officiating.

4. Hidden Temple

The Hidden Temple is the only location on the list which not every pirate may have seen. That's because it's part of Wing Chun's promotion quest, meaning only Musketeers can visit the Temple, and they can't visit more than once.

This temple contains a Crucible, the hidden chamber which is supposed to hold the Egg of the Phoenix, responsible for keeping the temple's energies in Balance. However, it was stolen by Moo Manchu and taken to the Tomb of the First Sovereign Emperor of Mooshu, hidden in a cave in Kaizoku Jima.

The uniqueness of the Temple and the battleboard paired with the Moo Manchu encounter and Egg of the Phoenix make this temple number four on the top ten list. Make a Musketeer and visit today!

3. Haunted Shrine / Hamakala Temple

Definitely one of the darker locations on the list, Hamakala Temple at the Haunted Shrine is the location of the Shunzang's turtle ball, the final one needed to summon the great turtle and Maruzame Castle.

Home of the Evil Demon God of the Ninja Pigs, the temple is watched over by an Ebon Guardian, which you must defeat in order to retrieve the final turtle ball. Despite being dark, this combined shrine and temple are quite unique, displaying a number of huge demonic statues outside and having a dark interior reminiscent of the Emperor's throne room in Wizard101's Mooshu, but larger. It is one of the last and toughest battles in Mooshu.

2. Bruno Chapel

Of all the worlds we have visited so far, the most mysterious by far is Valencia. Though our trip there might be equated in length to Monquista, we fail to grasp the true status of the world because our mission is a stealthy in-and-out operation in one of the dark corners of the world. Grand shipyards and palaces await in the other parts of Valencia.

The finale to our short visit was a battle with some of the top guards of Phule's - the Armada's wildcard. Though we don't actually fight him there, several pieces of Phule's gear are dropped there, so it's a farming hotspot for many pirates.

The Chapel itself is also the Tomb of Marco Pollo - the great explorer who divided his map into seven horcruxes pieces and scattered them throughout the Spiral. The tomb also holds a blue windstone, needed to access Cool Ranch.

Perhaps its most interesting feature is what appears to be a Spiral map on the floor, which can be seen clearly from above during the battle.

1. San Madrillo Cathedral

What is surely the best spiritual center in all the Pirate101 Spiral is located right at home in Skull Island. Though under the official rule of Monquista, San Madrillo Cathedral's location in Puerto Mico makes it an easy-to-visit hotspot for those looking for a touch of beauty in their day.

The Cathedral comes complete with a Confession booth, an organ, and more stained glass than you could evey desire. This alone might earn the Cathedral the top spot on the list of spiritual centers, but what happens inside is equally important in this case.

Monquista's social makeup is one of the most interesting in the game. The Holy Monquisition is the most powerful arm of Monquista, save for royalty and the king and queen themselves. They operate in fundamental opposition to the Order of St. Simian in what is one of the best side quests in the game - Which Came First?

The Order of St. Simian is a splinter group accepted by the poorer inhabitants of Monquista that believes bananas with seeds grew the first trees, and therefore the banana came before the tree. The Holy Monquisition preaches that the Supreme Primate created the first tree to provide food. The Order's claim is backed by the Book of the Banana, a holy text authored by Saint Gibbon. However, the High Pooh Bah backs the Holy Monquisition, and the other claims and text are deemed heretical.

As the Order of St. Simian's members are arrested, they vow that the dispute will not be over, a claim that comes to fruition later when we return to Monquista to get travel papers for Aquila. Gortez, then king, shares about how the controversy has overturned the whole society.

More to Come

Not only will each world from here on out likely have its own spiritual centers, but my guess it that we'll be returning to various portions of previous worlds to learn more.

What is your favorite spiritual center in Pirate101?

Thanks for reading and see you in the Spiral!