Eternal Empire

The Eternal Empire, or the Sarn Empire, is a faction of Wraeclast founded by the Azmeri, ruled by Emperors from its capital, Sarn. People who originate from this empire are known as "Eternals". Led by General Marceus Lioneye, is one of the factions that can be fought within the Domain of Timeless Conflict. The fallout of the Cataclysm resulted in the fall of the Eternal Empire. It was largely survived by the island of Oriath.

The Eternal Empire may serve as an in-game analogue to the real-world Roman Empire. Countless similarities, among which their similar calendar systems, their shared systems of legions and legionnaires, the vastness of their expanses, and their similar architecture, fashion, and weaponry, can be drawn between the two empires.

Members

• Emperors
  • Tarcus Veruso, founder of the Eternal Empire
    • Chiara, wife of Tarcus Veruso
  • Caspiro, killed by the Vaal Oversoul
  • Alano Phrecia, killer of the Vaal Oversoul
  • Romira, deposed by the Night of a Thousand Ribbons
  • Izaro, creator of The Lord's Labyrinth
    • Xirgil, trapbuilder

• Perandus family
  • Julius Perandus, father of Chitus
  • Chitus Perandus, the Emperor
    • Aramil, Cartographer to Chitus
    • Kre Faarblood, swordsman trainer to Chitus
    • Cousin Elano, illegitimate member of the family
    • Gaius Sentari, Supreme Servant to the Empire
    • Marceus Lioneye, legion commander of Lioneye's Watch
    • Captain Sigmund Fairgraves, seeker of the AllflameAllflameDistilled from naked ambition and unfettered obsession,
      the Allflame emanates a silvern warmth like no other,
      and engulfs those moths fool enough to embrace it.
    • Adus, General of Highgate
  • Cadiro Perandus, uncle of Chitus and disciple of Prospero
  • Icius Perandus, Scholar to the Empire
  • Medici Perandus, Prefect to the Treasury

• Thaumaturgists
  • Lazhwar, thaumaturge precursor to Malachai
  • Malachai, Laureate Thaumaturge
    • Dialla, Gemling Queen of Malachai
  • Doedre, of the Godless Three
  • Maligaro, of the Godless Three
    • Raulo, slave and lover of Malachai
  • Shavronne, of the Godless Three

• Purity Rebellion rebels
  • Voll of Thebrus
  • Victario, the People's Poet
    • Marylene, lover of Victario
    • Lorenzi, friend of Victario
  • Geofri, Archbishop of Phrecia Cathdral
  • Lord Mayor Ondar, betrayer of Chitus
  • Kastov, Governor of Stridevolf
  • Adus, Commander of Highgate

• Citizens
  • Kalisa Mas, singer
  • Garivaldi, Chronicler to the Empire
  • Trinian, Intellectus Prime

History

The Azmeri

Main page: Azmeri

The Eternal Empire was founded by the Azmeri, who descended from the Azmerian ranges down to the lands left behind by the Vaal Empire, destroyed by the Vaal Cataclysm. They may have been led by the visions of a young Azmeri, Egrin. Later, Egrin was cast out for these visions, possibly related to The Elder, and taken in by the Order of the Djinn.

Imperialis Conceptus (1 IC)

The founding of the Eternal Empire is known as "Imperialis Conceptus", and marks the first year of the Eternal calendar, 1 IC.

"Eighty thousand tribesmen and women" of the Azmeri, led by Tarcus Versuso, descended Azmerian ranges and headed down into the lands left behind by the Vaal Empire after the Vaal Cataclysm. However, although the majority did, not all Azmeri followed Veruso. The Azmeri of The Forest Encampment are the descendants of "their original culture", those who stayed behind. To reach "the promised land", Veruso and his followers first had to traverse "the doomlands", lands ravaged by the fallout of the Cataclysm. Hunger set in, and the tribesmen may have resorted to cannibalism.

"Plant[ing] his banner" upon Azala Vaal, the former capital of the Vaal Empire, Tarcus Veruso founded the capital city of Sarn, and along with it, the Eternal Empire. According to Cadiro Perandus, the first Perandus market stall, later known as the Perandus Markets, was built on this day.

"The Vaal closed their eyes to flesh and stone, to blood and bronze. We are not Vaal. We are Azmeri. For now and forever, our eyes are open."

- Tarcus Veruso, on founding of Sarn

Reign of Tarcus Veruso

As Emperor, Veruso ruled as a "ruthless despot". He sealed and quarantined the "ancient Vaalish centres of power and knowledge", outlawing thaumaturgy in an effort to prevent a second Vaal Cataclysm. Those that "stained themselves" with "Vaalish folly" were burned for their sin. The "Tears of Maji", gems, were collected up and taken, buried under the mountains of Highgate. The caverns there were "sealed and forgotten".

He introduced the system of Legions and legionnaires, conquering many "lands beneath the Mantle" and clearing them of the "mindless constructs" and "fierce abominations" left after the Vaal Cataclysm.

The Ankh of Eternity

The Ankh of Eternity.

When Veruso's wife Chiara died during childbirth, he turned to the Ankh of EternityAnkh of Eternity"The amulet, it... whispers to me. Horrible things..." to try to bring her back. Paired with a specific "Azmerian ritual", the Ankh was said to have been a source of "true resurrection". The origin of the ankh is unknown, but the Azmeri likely already had it in their possession when Tarcus Veruso led them down into their new land. "Inscriptions" upon the ankh suggest that the Ankh was a gift to Veruso from the Vaal, more likely from one of the 3,126 survivors of the Fall.

Clarissa's dialogue suggests that the ritual resulted in Chiara becoming a monster, similar to what happened later to Tolman, but the Eternal records of the event were rewritten to describe a success in an effort to "cover up the truth [of the failure]". Afterwards, Veruso took the ankh himself and hid it "to the east", tucked away in a "shrine in the Quay". Later, as part of the quest Love is Dead, the exile encounters the ankh in the Quay and gives to Clarissa, who unsuccessfully tries to use it to revive Tolman.

Reign of Caspiro

Emperor Caspiro.

After Veruso's death, his successor was decided by the "Lord's Trial", an Azmerian tradition that had brought Veruso to power and would go on to inspire Izaro to build The Lord's Labyrinth. Caspiro, a "low-born legionnaire", was the only survivor of a "labyrinth" that had killed Veruso's only son, and was soon crowned Emperor Caspiro.

Caspiro's reign was cut short, just 5 years after Veruso's death. He was "dismembered" by an unidentified entity known only as "a dark being".

Azmerian writers of the time were "unified" in their description of a "portion of [their] Empire [being] cast into perpetual night", a "pervasive darkness" that enveloped what "would become the imperial heartlands". Wraeclastian historians are uncertain of the cause of these events", suggesting alternatives such as "peculiar weather patterns" or "thaumaturgical residue".

The "pervasive darkness" that Alano Phrecia drove away is "likely" the same darkness that the exile releases in the Vaal Ruins near the Forest Encampment. The Vaal Oversoul was merely a construct built to house that darkness, like a massive totem. The exile breaks that seal in the Vaal Ruins near the Forest Encampment. Later, the Apex is used in a Vaal temple to summon the darkness into the Vaal Oversoul's mechanical body so that it can be destroyed.

Reign of Alano Phrecia

General Alano Phrecia avenged the death of the emperor, defeating the "dark being", dispelling the darkness and returning "the gaze of Solaris" to the "lands stretching from the foot of the Mantle to the Axiom Ranges". For this victory, the "Imperial heartlands" were named in his honour - land that translates the historical Phrecia Cathedral and the modern-day Fellshrine Ruins.

"... our legions drove the dark being deep into the recesses of its lair and sealed it away for eternity"

- Alano Phrecia, first Sacrato of Lurici, 35 I.C., on defeating the "dark being".

In the absence of a clear Veruso succession, Alano Phrecia was crowned emperor, beginning an "unbroken line of Phrecia emperors" that ended with Izaro.

Reign of Romira Phrecian

The Empress, Emperor Romira's wife, gave birth to two sons, whose father was Romira's brother. In "an act of vengeance", Romira held a banquet in which he fed her two sons back to her.

Night of a Thousand Ribbons

The cannibalism and incest of Romira and his family brought great shame onto his subjects.

In protest of the Emperor's activities, Sarn was burned to the ground and Romira was desposed. This event is known as the Night of a Thousand Ribbons; after Sarn's reconstruction, royals of the Eternal Empire would continue to hold festivities celebrating this event on the same day. This event is notable for being the celebration during which Emperor Chitus was betrayed and murdered assassinated by Mayor Ondar during the Purity Rebellion.

Reign of Izaro

Emperor Izaro Phrecius was the last Phrecian emperor of the Eternal Empire. Decades of incest and inbreeding had rendered him impotent. Unable to produce an heir, he turned to a "forgotten tome on a forgotten shelf" of the Sarn Library to decide his successor - a tome entitled 'Ancient Traditions of Azmerian Ascendancy'.

Izaro was inspired by the "Lord's Trial", a "rough-hewn maze festooned with wild animals and brutal traps" created by the Azmeri to determine their "chieftans". Tarcus Veruso himself, the "Prima Imperialus", was tested by one of these "trials" to a become the leader of the Azmeri. .

Izaro saw himself not as a man, but as a divine saviour trapped in a man's body.

- Izaro's DilemmaIzaro's Dilemma
Imperial ClawClaw
Physical Damage: (81-90) to (207-230)
Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
Attacks per Second: (1.76-1.84)
Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 68, 131 Dex, 95 IntGrants 46 Life per Enemy Hit(80-100)% increased Physical Damage
Adds 20 to 50 Physical Damage
(10-15)% increased Attack Speed
+(300-400) to Accuracy Rating
100% increased Global Physical Damage while FrozenIzaro saw himself not as a man,
but as a divine saviour trapped in a man's body.

Inspired by the Lord's Trial, Izaro built The Lord's Labyrinth as a way to allow The Goddess of Justice to choose his successor. Izaro's labyrinth involved traps such as lava and "boobytrapped decoys", the latter of which killed a trapbuilder, Xirgil, in an accident during its construction.

The High Gardens of Sarn were built by Izaro as a "test run" for the labyrinth, filling it with all sorts of "traps" and "nasty beasties". Convicted criminals were given a choice: Death, or going through the Garden. If they survived, they would be granted an imperial pardon. According to Hargan, no criminals ever made it through.

Perandus conspiracy

Unbeknownst to Izaro, "treachery" was already growing in his own court, primarily in the Perandus family. The Perandus family, especially Chitus Perandus, son of Julius Perandus, and his uncle Cadiro Perandus, resented Izaro and his Phrecian bloodline for having blocked their family's claims to the throne on the basis of their bloodlines. Cadiro saw the labyrinth as his family's "only clear shot" at "sovereignty".

Perandus gold has filled the imperial coffers.

Perandus minds have crafted this Empire into the marvel it is today.

And has a single Perandus ever sat upon the imperial throne? No.

- Chitus Perandus, Letters from Chitus, Letter 1

Three letters, sent by Chitus to his uncle, Cadiro, on the 3rd Kaso of Vitali, 1316 I.C., 1st Lunaro of Verusi 1317, I.C., 3rd Solaro of Divini, 1318 I.C., are known as the Letters from Chitus. These letters detail Chitus' plans to sabotage Izaro's plans for the Labyrinth and take the throne for himself.

In the first letter, Chitus expresses his dissatisfaction with Izaro's plans for the Labyrinth, believing that the Perandus family deserved the imperial throne far more than any "peasant or peon" emboldened by the opportunity.

In the second letter, Chitus describes three failed assassination attempts on Izaro's life, each time "astutely thwarted" by Izaro's men. Cousin Elano, an illegitimate member of the Perandus family, was executed as part of the failed assassination attempts to prevent any "inconvenient disclosure". Giving up the plans for assassination, Chitus turned to winning the Labyrinth for himself. Using the vast resources of the Perandus family, Chitus "purchased" several of Izaro's overseers, familiarizing himself with the Labyrinth's architectural plans.

In the third letter, Chitus describes training heavily with the duelist Kre Faarblood, a great swordsman of Sarn, only to have Faarblood tried and executed after Faarblood revealed that he was not the "noble blood" that he had claimed to be. He describes Izaro's various "hazards and living horrors", describing spikes that "pop out of the floor", spin on "shifting wheels", and roam about like "predators in search of prey", revealed to him by his bought overseers. Chitus arranged "hirelings" to place "discrete caches of supplies" scattered throughout the Labyrinth to support him during the trial, and concluded with a list of their names to Cadiro to have them executed.

In these plans, Chitus was "aided immeasurably" by his uncle, Cadiro.

The Lord's Labyrinth

On the second Galvano of Azmeri, 1317 IC, Izaro opened The Lord's Labyrinth. To commemorate the occasion, Izaro had the remains of the first claimant", "the first to challenge its treacherous traps", gilded in gold. Among the first challengers were "The Son of Sarn", Chitus Perandus, and Weylin, an Ezomyte slave, "The Son of Ezomyr". Their journey through the labyrinth is recounted by poem environmental lore objects encountered in the labyrinth.

Chitus and Weylin helped each other through the labyrinth. Chitus was as the "Guide", directing them through dangerous traps and mazes, using his bought knowledge of shortcuts, tricks, and cached supplies to give them an unfair advantage. Weylin was the "Warrior", using his superior combat abilities to slay "beast and fiend". Weylin had entered the labyrinth with hopes of becoming emperor and freeing his people, the Ezomytes, of their subjugation under the Eternal Empire. To gain his trust, Chitus told him that he had similar plans, despite having no such intentions whatsoever. At one point, Weylin was badly injured and near death, and Chitus used one of his secrets to save Weylin's life. At another, Chitus was cornered by "slavering beasts", but was saved when Weylin "struck [them] down".

Near the end of the Labyrinth, Chitus betrayed Weylin by offering him a poisoned "flask". Weylin drank of it and died, allowing Chitus to exit the Labyrinth and "ascend" as the next Eternal Emperor.

Reign of Chitus

On the first Kaso of Verusi, 1319 IC, Chitus was crowned Emperor of the Eternal Empire.As emperor, his first action was to seal Izaro into the Lord's Labyrinth, trapping him in his own creation, in which he stayed until his death. The exile can still encounter Izaro as an enemy in The Lord's Labyrinth.

Emperor Chitus was a brutal and charismatic leader as vain as Atziri, who expanded his empire into neighbouring nations "at a great human cost". Chitus' rule was heavily influenced by his "Laureate Thaumaturge", the "Father of Dreams", Malachai. In a Letter to Chitus, Malachai campaigned for the the formation of a "Thaumatocracy", or the integration of virtue gems and thaumaturgy into Eternal society.

Slave trade

During Chitus' reign, the Eternal Empire enslaved the Karui, Ezomyte, and Maraketh. Prominent members of the slave trade included Captain Sigmund Fairgraves, who shipped "Karui children" across the seas; Marceus Lioneye, who launched campaigns against the Karui and enslaved those he conquered; and brutal Ezomyte slavemaster Gaius Sentari. The Marketplace was used a market for the Karui slave trade.

The bulk of slaves were to sent to "civilization camps" run by Gaius Sentari near Highgate. There, Malachai tasked them with the job of mining for and excavating the virtue gems that had been buried there by Tarcus Veruso. To further facilitate their ability to mine for gems, Malachai used them as test subjects on which he experimented with bodily transfiguration. Limbs were "stretched, contorted, double and triple jointed", and their eyes were "injected with gloom", which, in exchange for better night vision, forced them to squint and cower in the sun. At some point, the entrance to the mines were sealed, and those remaining were left to die. The humanoid monsters encountered by the exile in The Mines Level 1, The Mines Level 2, and The Crystal Vein, such as Pocked Miner, Pocked Goliath, and Tunneler may be those same miners, kept alive by the thaumaturgy of the Cataclysm.

The slaves also mined for Voltaxic Sulphite and Thaumetic Sulphite. The exile can Delve for Voltaxic Sulphite in the Azurite Mines, also located under the mountains of Highgate. Some of the mined Thaumetic Sulphite, a hazardous substance that "fevered the blood" and "scorched the mind" of its slave handlers, was carried to a refinery near The Docks, some of which is later found by the exile as part of the Act 3 quest Fiery Dust.

Besides working in the mines, after being sold and auctioned off in markets, slaves were sent to work in mills and into the streets of Sarn, where they were regularly flogged and overworked to their deaths. Those who resisted were subject to being skinned and butchered.

Malachai

Malachai drew upon the work of Lazhwar, an old archbishop of the Eternal Faith, who had experimented with thaumaturgy and discovered maps to create the Eternal Laboratory. He called Icius Perandus to his laboratory to help translate some "artefacts", possibly the Golden Pages, which described the events of the Vaal Cataclysm. Inspired, he built the Reverie Device, a precursor to the Map Device. He began inserting maps into it travelling into the "Nightmare".

After touching and interacting with gems, Malachai began having thaumaturgy-related dreams. In them, the Beast spoke to him, and began teaching him "lessons cloaked in Nightmare". He began working in a similar to purpose to Doryani of the Vaal, who Malachai described as one who "knew the truth". The truth to what, is uncertain.

Malachai began on the quest to create "the ideal gemling", a synthesis of human flesh and virtue gems. Volunteers were called forward to become the subjects of Malachai's experiments, where he attempted to "unlock the raw power hidden within Virtue Gems".

Seeking "otherworldly inspiration", Malachai was known to consume a substance known as 'Ghost Wine'. For that purpose, he created the Decanter SpiritusDecanter Spiritus"Man is blinded by the mud of his corporeal self. Only
through the transformation of the material into the
spiritual can we hope to taste the full body of life."
- Malachai the Soulless, later found by Captain Fairgraves and left by him in The Marketplace, where the exile finds it as part of the quest A Swig of Hope.

Malachai created the institution of Gemling legionnaires, armies of the Eternal Empire led by a Captain and composed of men infused with virtue gems, not unlike the exile themselves. Gemlings, empowered by gems, were far more powerful than any contemporary human opponents and gave the Eternal Empire militaristic dominance over its enemies. As a failsafe, to prevent the gemlings from turning on him, Chitus received a large gem embedded into his chest, connecting the beating of his own heart to that of each legionnaire. If Chitus was to die, the gemlings would die also.

Dialla was originally a concubine of Malachai's, among many others in the Sceptre of God. She talked too much, "asked too many difficult questions", and was given to Malachai. They fell in love, and Malachai promised Dialla that she would become his Gemling Queen.

Maligaro

Maligaro was one of the The Godless Three, a group of thaumaturgists who studied under Malachai: Shavronne, himself, and Doedre. Shavronne devoted herself to the "study of transfiguration", and, obsessed with eternal beauty, was notorious for her vanity. Doedre, known as Doedre Darktongue, was obsessed with "the meat" (human flesh) and is heavily associated with hexes and curses. Maligaro, known as Inquisitor Maligaro, was a creative; however, he worked with flesh and blood instead of canvas and ink.

The Chamber of Sins, so named by Archbishop Geofri to express his contempt for it and its master, was built by Emperor Chitus as a laboratory in which Maligaro conducted his experiments. The unholiness of the Chamber of Sins was opposed by the nearby Phrecia Cathedral, modern day Fellshrine Ruins.

Maligaro studied virtue gems, working in parallel with Malachai. For this purpose, he built Maligaro's SpikeMaligaro's SpikeMaligaro loved his tools, and took great
pains to keep them excruciatingly sharp.. The Spike's purpose was to inject "Calibric Extantia", or the "corrupt energies locked within virtue gems", into human flesh. Malachai gifted the Transmutia Device to Maligaro in an effort to support his experiments. Later, the exile encounters this device in The Chamber of Sins Level 2 (Act 2). With the assistance of Helena, they transfer it to the exile's hideout and use it as the crafting bench.

Besides humans, Maligaro also experimented with rhoas. While many of the subjects were not willing, one was: Raulo. Raulo was an assistant who offered himself up as a willing test subject to be injected with "Calibric Extantia" by Maligaro's SpikeMaligaro's SpikeMaligaro loved his tools, and took great
pains to keep them excruciatingly sharp.. He and Maligaro entered a romantic, and possibly abusive homosexual relationship. Maligaro injected Raulo using Maligaro's Spike, granting him "endless life and horrific deformity". In honour of his sacrifice, Maligaro renamed him Fidelitas, Latin for faithfulness or fidelity.

The Baleful GemBaleful GemThe withering glare of corruption, made
corporeal and pellucid in crystal. was created by Maligaro as a byproduct of his efforts to "enhance" the abilities of virtue gems. By taking it and combining it with the venom, Black VenomBlack Venom"The spider is not defined by how
it lives, but by how it kills."
- Inquisitor Maligaro, extracted from the Weaver, Maligaro created a substance known as "Black Elixir", proclaiming it to be "the most potent poison in existence".

The Purity Rebellion

The Purity Rebellion was an uprising led by High Templar Voll, who believed that gems and thaumaturgy were a "perversion" to the Empire.. He sought to overthrow Chitus, execute Malachai, outlaw thaumaturgy, and "purify" his empire. He was supported by Sarn poet and art critic, Victario Nevalius, who had grown disillusioned with Chitus' reign and thaumaturgy as a whole.

Bloody Flowers Rebellion (Derevi, 1333 IC)

Thane Rigwald of the Ezomytes killed reigning King Skothe and became the new king. He criticized Skothe for his complacency and indulgence in his kingship while the common Ezomyte people were being oppressed and enslaved by the Eternals, and not moving to rebel against or fight them.

To enlist Rigwald's help in the rebellion, Voll tasked Victario to write him letters, hoping that the poet's words would be more effective than any politician. He was right, and Rigwald began planning a rebellion. Not permitted to possess weapons, the Ezomytes had been training in secret for years.

On the 3rd Fiero of Dirivi 1333 IC, the Ezomytes rose to rebellion against Governor Gaius Sentari in the fields of Glarryn. So colourful were the thousand tartans and banners raised that the uprising became known as "The Bloody Flowers Rebellion". Though Sentari's Gemlings killed three Ezomytes for each one of their own that fell, the "Bloody Flowers" reached victory through "sheer fury-driven courage". The clans of Ezomyr, before divided, were brought together by the common enemy of the Empire after the victory at Glarryn.

"Today, clansmen, my sword is my voice!"

- Rigwald, at the Battle of Glarryn

After the defeat, Sentari fled to Sarn, only to return in Astrali with reinforcements drawn from the capital, Vastiri and southern garrisons. The weakening of forces in those areas was part of Voll's plan, as they set up the future attack on Lioneye's Watch in the south, the Maraketh ambush in the Vastiri Desert, and the final siege of Sarn.

Lioneye's Watch

Marceus Lioneye.

Accompanied by Victario, Voll visited King Kaom of the Karui in Ngamakanui, hoping to secure his assistance for the Purity Rebellion. On their arrival, they observed Kaom defeat Akoya in ritualistic combat for leadership of the Karui. With Kaom was his advisor Lavianga and his niece Hyrri. Despite viewing the Karui Way as "savagery", Voll needed the Karui to attack the southernmost Eternal Legion, stationed at Lioneye's Watch and commanded by General Marceus Lioneye. In exchange for his support, Voll promised Kaom sovereignty over his conquered lands on Wraeclast's south shore and freedom for the existing Karui slaves. Lioneye, an archer who had one of his eyes replaced with a "golden-hued" gem, would be a formidable foe for Kaom. At the feast table, Voll warned Kaom of the archery ability of Lioneye and his Gemling soldiers, suggesting to him that he too adopt archers. Enraged, Kaom responded that archers were forbidden by Karui tavukai, which forbade men from using long-ranged attacks like bows. That night, Voll set sail to meet Sekhema Deshret to negotiate the return of the Vastiri Plains in exchange for the support of the Maraketh.

"When eye meets eye, axe meets axe,

the remembered will walk the way unto the ancestors."

- King Kaom, to Emperor Voll

Sailing under the cover of night on Wraeclast's South Shore, Kaom planned to use the element of surprise to defeat Lioneye. Landing on the Coast, Kaom's men were quickly detected by camps of legionnaires, who lit signal fires and alerted Lioneye of the attack. Lioneye fired volleys of incendiary arrows onto the Karui and their canoes, removing their element of surprise, and cutting off their escape. As the Karui retreated, Lioneye ordered his men forwards, trying to catch them before their escape. Cognizant of Karui tradition forbidding men from weapons like bows, Lioneye and his men discarded their shields, believing them to be unnecessary and hindering their movement. Lioneye and his Gemling Legion, empowered by virtue gems, would have slaughtered Kaom's men like "pigs in a pen" in a man-to-man fight on open ground.However, Lioneye and his men were surprised by a battalion of female archers, among them Hyrri, who appeared over a cliff and hailed arrows over the defenceless Eternals. They had travelled to Thebrus and learnt archery with Voll's "finest military tutors".Enraged, Kaom attacked Victario, the originator of the archery plan, who rebutted that the archers were all women, and not men, satisfying tradition.

"... the final thoughts of Marceus Lioneye were naught but lament for his pride."

"It is dishonour for a man to kill another man from a distance."

- Victario, to King Kaom, citing Karui tradition

Gaining the upper hand, Kaom attacked Lioneye and severed his arm. Lioneye pleaded to Kaom that he spare the women and children, but Kaom refused, executing Lioneye and slaughtering all of the Eternals present at the camp. Upon killing Lioneye, Kaom "honoured" him by placing his decapitated head on his belt, HeadhunterHeadhunter
Leather BeltRequires Level 40+(25-40) to maximum Life+(40-55) to Strength
+(40-55) to Dexterity
+(50-60) to maximum Life
(20-30)% increased Damage with Hits against Rare monsters
When you Kill a Rare monster, you gain its Modifiers for 60 seconds"A man's soul rules from a cavern of bone, learns and
judges through flesh-born windows. The heart is meat.
The head is where the Man is."
- Lavianga, Advisor to Kaom. The discarding of their shields was the primary factor that led to the downfall of Lioneye and his men.

Axiom Prison

Kaom's victory at Lioneye's Watch secured a safe harbour for landing reinforcements and established the first ever Karui settlement on the Wraeclastian mainland. He set his sights up north, and began advancing towards Sarn.

The next Eternal outpost in his path was the Axiom Prison, currently inhabited by its warden, Brutus; Shavronne of Umbra, resident thaumaturge; and Kadavrus, assistant to Shavronne. Brutus and Shavronne prepared themselves for the Karui attack. Brutus allowed Shavronne to use him as a test subject" for her thaumaturgy to "transform" Brutus, in a "mad attempt at immortality". Brutus, turning mad, killed Shavronne and the other residents of the prison. The Karui, despite never having defeated Brutus, were able to reach as far as the Ship Graveyard, possibly through going around the coast by canoe. In the area past the Axiom Prison, Prisoner's Gate, Shavronne created a thaumaturgical "barricade" to cut off the pass to the Western Forest. Although it is unknown if Shavronne herself ever activated it, Piety actives this barrier in Act 1 when the exile approaches it in Prisoner's Gate to cut them off. Later, as part of the quest The Way Forward in Act 2, the exile retrieves the Thaumetic EmblemThaumetic EmblemA sigil of thaumaturgy graven in granite. from Captain Arteri and reopens the passage, paving the way for Act 6.

At an unknown point in time, the Karui settlements at Lioneye's Watch had been plagued by a "black spirit", resulting in social unrest, raising of undead, and twising of the wildlife. Taking his 500 "mightiest warriors", Kaom marched onto Highgate, led on by what he though was the voice of Tukohama, Karui god of War, but was really the voice of Malachai. He sought to lead the Karui "back to glory" and "wage war on Kitava, whom he blamed for the Karui's troubles on Wraeclast. The remaining Karui were led back to Ngamakanui by Hyrri on canoe. Reaching Highgate without losing a single man, he was deceived by the Beast into slaughtering each of the 500 Karui he had brought with him, believing them to be "corrupted" by Kitava and the soil of Wraeclast. The Beast "devour[ed] his very life force", consuming him and making him a part of itself. The timeline for these events are unclear, but he reached Highgate about twenty years before Deshret created Deshret's Seal and sealed the entrance to the Mines. He ended up trapped in The Caldera of the King arena in Kaom's Stronghold.

Defeat of Titucius (Vitali, 1333 IC)

Hector Titucius.

General Hector Titucius, Ezomyte by birth, was an Eternal commander who had his joints replaced with virtue gems. Known as the "Scourge of the Maraketh", he had previous killed Sekhema Asenath of the Maraketh and taken their highest symbol of office, the Wings of VastiriWings of VastiriAnd mounting her mighty Roc, Garukhan, holy queen of the sky,
descended upon her enemies and their armies of darkness.. Later, the exile retrieves the wings from an undead Titucius in the Bath House for Hargan in the quest The Wings of Vastiri.

The information from the following military sequence is taken from Garivaldi's "The Purity Chronicles", "Book 4: The Red Sekhema's Saddle".

In exchange for her military support in the rebellion, Voll promised Sekhema Deshret, the Red Sekhema, the return of the Vastiri Plains to the Maraketh. She agreed on the condition that she have Hector Titucius' skin with which to fashion a rhoa's saddle. He agreed.

To this end, Deshret and her akhara (Maraketh for tribe) set a trap for Titucius and his Vastiri Legion using their knowledge of their environment. They had long been recording the comings and goings of "viscous" dust storms that ravaged the Vastiri Plains, and could predict one such storm within a day's march from Titucius' camp. To lure them there, Voll identified a number of Eternal spies within the Maraketh and fed them false information regarding a potential "tribal uprising".

On the third Galvano of Vitali 1333 IC, the desert storm and Deshret's akhara descended upon and completely destroyed Titucius and his Legion. Deshret claimed her prize, and it was said that there was "no more comfortable saddle in all of Vastiri than Deshret's".

Death of Geofri

In 1332 IC, one year after Kaom's victory at Lioneye's Watch, Victario arrived at The Chamber of Sins in a carriage with Lady Dialla and Malachai. After being greeted by Maligaro, whom Victario remarked had gems implanted in his head, and his slave and assistant Raulo, they entered and observed the young Black Death, its venom, and the Baleful GemBaleful GemThe withering glare of corruption, made
corporeal and pellucid in crystal.. Raulo mentioned that combining the venom with the gem would create the "Black Elixir", a poison "strong enough to kill even the most powerful gemling". The guests observed Maligaro transform Raulo into Fidelitas with Maligaro's SpikeMaligaro's SpikeMaligaro loved his tools, and took great
pains to keep them excruciatingly sharp.. Malachai told Maligaro that he would soon give him the Transmutia Device, which he claimed would allow him to "directly manipulate the intelligence that dwells within virtue gems."

Later that night, Victario snuck out to Phrecia Cathedral, using the code phrase "Death to Sin" and the sign of a templar descry on his palm to enter, indicating that he was a member of the Purity Rebellion. He came to Geofri, Archbishop of the Cathedral with warnings of the experiments occurring at the Chamber of Sins and of Maligaro's possession of the Transmutia Device. Sent by Geofri, Victario, along with a squadron of templars, returned to the Chamber of Sins and began demolishing Maligaro's documents and equipment, making sure to pick up the Black Elixir for later. However, they were ambushed by Maligaro, his allies and his creations, who revealed to Victario that he had been under "thaumaturgical observation" since his arrival and began massacring the templars. Taking Victario prisoner, they moved on to Phrecia Cathedral. Geofri was slain at the foot of Corutino's shrine, a shrine dedicated to Saint Corutino the Golden Hand, with Maligaro's Etcher. Archbishop Geofri later reanimated as an undead guardian, who is later encountered by the exile guarding the Golden HandGolden HandAn open palm raised in peace,
cut down by the slaves of war. in the Act 2 quest Through Sacred Ground. In the chaos of the battle, Dialla, sympathetic to Victario's cause, freed him, asking him to cut her with a shard to broken glass to make it appear that he had overpowered her and escaped. Escaping through the Phrecian Forest, Victario left on boat for Sarn.

Siege of Sarn (Divini, 1334 IC)

On the way to lay siege to Sarn, Voll and his Army of Purity burned Maligaro and Doedre at the stake for, among other crimes, hereticy, torture, murder, and enslavement. Before his death, Maligaro created Maligaro's MapMaligaro's Map"Certain maps can only be rendered in the most vivid of viscera."
- Inquisitor Maligaro, formed out of his own "viscera", which served to transfer his spirit into an "existential safe house" in Maligaro's Sanctum. Upon finding it, Geofri tried to destroy it, but failed and locked it away in the ruins of Phrecia Cathedral, modern day the Crypt under the Fellshrine Ruins (Act 7). In Act 7, it is there that the exile finds the map, goes to the Chamber of Sins Level 1 (Act 7), and uses it to finally defeat Maligaro in the quest Essence of the Artist.

On the last day of Divini 1334 IC, High Templar Voll laid siege to Sarn, with the support of Ezomyte, Karui and Maraketh rebels under the respective leaderships of Thane Rigwald, Hyrri of Ngamakanui and Sekhema Deshret.

Battle at the Grain Gate

Returned to Sarn, Victario began work inciting the populace in rebellion. He began creating the Ancient Graffiti later encountered by the exile in The City of Sarn, The Slums, The Battlefront, The Docks, and The Ebony Barracks. Using the phrases "Monkey King" to refer to Emperor Chitus and "The Blackest Monkey" to refer to Malachai, the graffiti conveyed a highly critical view of the two and urged the Sarn population to revolt and "throw off" the Monkey King off of their "backs". Caught in the act of writing one of these graffiti by Sarn guards, Victario was saved by Marylene and a gang of rebels, who brought him to the underground Sarn rebel base hidden in the Sarn Sewers, where they attended to a romantic affair. The underground hideout was also where Victario kept his three stolen Platinum Busts, which the exile later retrieve for Hargan in the quest Victario's Secrets.

At the Sarn Arena, Malachai demonstrated the power of Gemling legionnaires to Lord Mayor Ondar. He watched with horror as a single Gemling defeated four Ezomyte slaves, convicted for having conspired in the Bloody Flowers Rebellion despite there being no evidence to back up such a claim. At the Warehouse District with Victario, Mayor Ondar recounted this story. After learning from Ondar of Chitus' plan to create an entire army of said Gemling legionnaires, Victario resolved to lead an uprising and dethrone Chitus. Ondar begged Victario to promise to spare Chitus' life, but Victario was unable to give him his word.

Victario's rebellion began. First, they spread information about secret storehouses of food that Chitus had been stashing away for his legionnaires. Starving families started riots and caused Chitus to send his legionnaires to defend the storehouses, diverting troops away from the rebels' true target - the Grain Gate Garrion, a place Victario had identified as the most weakened by the diversions. The Templars, under Voll, Ezomytes, under Thane Rigwald, Maraketh, under Sekhema Deshret, and Karui, under Hyrri marched upon the Grain Gate.

Upon blasting open the Grain Gate, Victario's forces were met by a squadron of Gemling legionnaires, led by Emperor Chitus. Dialla, whom Malachai had adorned all over with gems, going so far as to implant them into her spine, grabbed Victario and threw him against a wall, preparing to fire a blast and kill him. Marylene jumped inbetween them, saving Victario but sacrificing her life in the process. The forces of the Purity Rebellion were eventually pushed back by the Gemlings, Victario escaped, injured, and the attack on the Grain Gate was unsuccessful.

Assassination of Chitus

In the Sarn Slums, Victario grieved over Marylene's grave. Ondar approached him, offering condolences and discussed Chitus's role in abetting Malachai. Victario became convinced that Chitus had to be killed for the rebellion to be successful. He led Ondar into the rebel sewers and showed him the Black Elixir he had took from The Chamber of Sins, a poison he claimed to be potent enough to kill even Chitus. He demonstrated its effects on a captive Gemling, killing him.

Soon later, Ondar met with Dialla, Malachai, and Chitus on the Sceptre of God, where he raised concerns to Chitus about the Gemling legionnaires rising up and betraying him. In response, Chitus revealed that he had had a master gem implanted in his chest that connected the heartbeats of every Gemling legionnaire to that of his own. Thus, if he were killed, they would fall too. In anticipation of an assassination of Chitus, Malachai sent Official Orders to Captain Alsarus and his legion, requesting that they gather at "the warehouse" to that they would be "beyond the perimeter of his heart gem's influence". These gemlings survived, and are later encountered and killed in the Grain Gate by the exile for Maramoa in the quest The Gemling Legion.

"The heart of each soldier beats in time to the heart of his emperor."

-Emperor Chitus

During the celebration of the Night of a Thousand Ribbons, Victario ambushed the event, crying out "Death to Sin!". The waiters tore off their masks, revealing themselves to be undercover rebels and drew arms. Ondar, who had had gems implanted in him for this event, betrayed Chitus and killed him, impaling him with a claw infused with the Black Elixir. Mortally wounded but kept alive with the power of thaumaturgy, Chitus, enraged, cut down Ondar with an axe. With the death of Chitus, the Gemling leonnaires fell, and Dialla and Malachai were captured. After Chitus' death, grieving legionnaires buried him in the Imperial Gardens and a plum tree was planted over his grave. The plums from that tree grew to be extremely poisonous, and the exile later retrieves one of these plums for Captain Fairgraves in the quest A Swig of Hope.

Faced with the siege of Sarn and uprisings led by Victario in the Slums, Docks, and Warehouse districts, Lord Cadiro Perandus met with Voll on the 1st Sacrato of Phreci, 1334 and negotiated Sarn's unconditional surrender. A week later, Voll of Thebrus was crowned Emperor of the Eternal Empire.

In the months leading up to the revolt, Cadiro organised "steady stream" of "unremarkable carts and wagons" leading out of the capital. By the time House Perandus fell, he had stolen the entirety of the kingdom's treasury and hidden it in "caches throughout the land". The outstanding debtors of the Perandus family, of which there were more than that of any other family in the Empire, were trapped by the power of Prospero in eternal servitude to Cadiro after their deaths to defend these stolen troves.

Reign of Voll (1334 - 1339 IC)

Crowned Emperor of the Eternal Empire, Voll, the "Emperor of Purity", set to destroying the Empire's virtue gems, executing its thaumaturgists, cleansing it of thaumaturgy, and destroying its "signature extravagances".

Although he was initially sentenced to death by "living conflagration" in the Crematorium, Malachai saved himself by promising Voll a permanent "end to thaumaturgy" in exchange for his life. Voll's decision to trust Malachai would become known as a fatal mistake that led to the Cataclysm, an event that brought an end to the Eternal Empire. For over a year, in the Solaris Temple, Malachai worked on the Rapture Device, a device he claimed would able kill the Beast, the origin of all thaumaturgy. He completed the Rapture Device on the first Fiero of Eterni 1336 IC.

The following day, Malachai and Lady Dialla, accompagnied by Voll and his Highgate Legion, arrived at the mountains of Highgate. They set up the Rapture Device in its current location in the Crystal Veins. First, to power it, they used The Eye of FuryThe Eye of Fury"Fear becomes Hatred.
Hatred becomes Fury.
Thus is Man transformed
from Martyr to Maker."
- Malachai and the The Eye of DesireThe Eye of Desire"It is a cruel joke that
Man was born with more
Intent than Life."
- Malachai, taken from King Kaom and Daresso respectively. Kaom had been lured to Highgate by the Beast/Malachai's voice disguised as Tukohama, but how or why Daresso reached Highgate is subject to speculation, even to Wraeclastian scholars. However, it is known that Daresso had left Sarn in search for a cure for Merveil's transformation into a siren at the hands of the Star of WraeclastStar of Wraeclast
Ruby AmuletRequires Level 28+(20-30)% to Fire ResistanceGrants Level 10 Frostblink Skill
(30-50)% increased Cold Damage
+(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances
60% increased Area of Effect of Hex Skills
You cannot be Cursed with Silence
Frostblink has 50% increased DurationCorrupted"I offer to you an eternal oath
that binds your heart to mine;
a bond that not even death will break.
Will you accept?"
- Daresso, to his beloved.

Malachai's true purpose was to use the Rapture Device to tear a hole in the Belly of the Beast, allowing him to enter the Black Core and take control, giving himself absolute power over thaumaturgy and the ability to trigger the Cataclysm. Malachai planned to betray Dialla, and "break her heart" by telling her that she had to sacrifice herself to "fuel" the device. Before activating the Rapture Device, he wrote Malachai's Dedication, dedicating it to his deceased pupils Maligaro, Doedre, and Shavronne. At some point, he revived the three, and tasked them with guarding three vital organs he had left behind, Malachai's HeartMalachai's HeartMy heart forces blood through my veins.
But one who may bleed may die, and
death is no fitting end to genius., Malachai's LungsMalachai's LungsMy lungs breathe the same air as
the foolish and the weak. May I be
yet another step removed from them., and Malachai's EntrailsMalachai's EntrailsMy organs tether me to mortality
like a chain. This chain holds me
from my true potential.. These organs were the only objects that tethered Malachai to mortality, which the exile later takes advantage of when they collect the organs to access the Black Core and kill Malachai in the quests Corpus Malachus and The Eternal Nightmare.

However, Dialla was too "selfish", and, despite Malachai's begging, she did not sacrifice her life and only a small rupture was created. To the confusion of many Wraeclastians, Dialla would remain alive for centuries, where the exile later encounters her in The Solaris Temple Level 2 as part of the Act 3 quest The Gemling Queen. Malachai entered the Beast, and initiated the Cataclysm.

The Cataclysm (~1339 IC)

The Cataclysm brought an end to Voll's reign and the Eternal Empire as a whole. Due to the devasting nature of the event, first-person recollections and general sources discussing this event are scarce. For reasons unknown even to Wraeclastian scholars, the effects of the Cataclysm were mostly confined to the Wraeclastian landmass, notably not affecting the island of Oriath. While Wraeclast's flora and wildlife were spared from the worst effects of the Cataclysm, the animals and soil have experienced mutations and corruption. The appearance of water elementals and rock elementals may have been caused by the Cataclysm.

Humans experienced the rotting of living flesh, nightmarish visions, tentacles growing from one's body, and general madness. Gemlings seemed to have been especially affected. In Sarn, the sun turned in to an "orb of blood", and the sky was thrown into darkness by a tempest that had descended from the Highgate. Within an hour, the capital had fallen. Victario was killed. In Ngamakanui, they experienced the moon "turning crimson", fire raining from the sky, and the boiling of the sea. Tempests and plagues were also observed, although they eventually passed. The dead were reanimated. Gemlings and citizens of Sarn were transformed into the Undying, mindless monsters that could live for hundreds of years.

During the first moments of the Cataclysm, General Adus and his elite legionnaires sought refuge in the Highgate Refinery. Later, in Act 9, the exile encounters Adus there and kills him for the Trarthan PowderTrarthan Powder"Blow it all down! The emperor must have his gems, no matter the cost!" in the quest Recurring Nightmare.

Voll, horrified by his failure, escaped to the Dried Lake and wrote Voll's Confession, apologizing to his "Empire of Purity" for his folly and begging it to survive him. He and his undead legion stayed there for centuries, harassing and attacking the nearby Maraketh at Highgate. Later, in Act 4, the exile encounters and kills Voll in the Dried Lake to acquire Deshret's Banner in the quest Breaking the Seal.

The year after the Cataclysm, Wraeclast suffered an especially harsh winter, killing many of its few survivors.

Deshret's Seal

Twenty years after Kaom and his warriors descended into Highgate, Sekhema Deshret and her 'akhara', the Kiyato, seeking to end the source of the corruption. However, reaching the entrance to the Mines, she "faltered", and instead chose to seal the entrance shut. The entrance was sealed before all of the miners inside could evacuate, resulting in many having been trapped below. These miners were likely reanimated by corruption into the humanoid monsters encountered in the mines by the exile.

At one point, Voll killed Deshret herself and took from her the key to opening the seal, Deshret's BannerDeshret's BannerWhen the sun sets, the plains should be red.. Deshret's soul was later captured by the Godless Three and trapped in The Mines Level 2, where the exile later finds and rescues her in Act 9 in the quest An Indomitable Spirit.

Culture

Calendar

Main page: Calendar (lore)

The Eternal calendar does not match the real-world calendar. They also have seven days of the week, but instead of months, they have thirteen longer spans called moons. The first day of the Eternal calendar, 1 IC, marks Imperialis Conceptus, the day of the founding of the Eternal Empire by Tarcus Veruso.

Days of the week:

• Solaro, Lunaro, Fiero, Glacio, Galvano, Kaso, Sacrato.
• Generally named after the primary components of existence as the Eternals believed them to be.

Thirteen moons of the year:

• Verusi, Divini, Derivi, Phreci, Caspiri, Astrali, Eterni, Atziri, Vivici, Lurici, Sagari, Vitali, Azmeri.
• Generally created in honour of certain renowned figures, or naturally arose as part of the harvest cycle.

Both of these categories were subject to significant drift in meaning and spelling over the centuries.

Gods

The Eternals mostly worshipped Lunaris and Solaris, building temples for the respective goddesses in their capital, Sarn.

Geography

A map of Wraeclast.

At the height of its powers, the Eternal Empire controlled the majority of the central Wraeclastian landmass. To its south lay the Karui Archipelago, to the north the Vastiri Plains, to the east Ezomyr, and to the northwest Phaaryl.

With the exception of Maligaro's Sanctum and The Brine King's Reef, all of the Act areas set on the Wraeclastian mainland (Act 5 and Act 10 are set in Oriath) formerly fell under the territory of the Eternal Empire.

Related items

Item	Flavour Text
Emperor of PurityEmperor of Purity7Six-Link Holy Chainmail Item Level: 60True to his title, Voll, newly crowned, had many of the Eternal Empire's signature extravagances destroyed.	True to his title, Voll, newly crowned, had many of the Eternal Empire's signature extravagances destroyed.
The LionThe Lion5Lioneye ItemThe Eternals lauded his valour. The Karui relished his defeat. Yet the final thoughts of Marceus Lioneye were naught but lament for his pride.	The Eternals lauded his valour. The Karui relished his defeat. Yet the final thoughts of Marceus Lioneye were naught but lament for his pride.
Timeless Eternal EmblemTimeless Eternal EmblemPlace two or more different Emblems in a Map Device to access the Domain of Timeless Conflict. Can only be used once.	N/A
Timeless Eternal Empire SplinterTimeless Eternal Empire SplinterStack Size: 100Combine 100 Splinters to create a Timeless Eternal Emblem.	N/A
Unrelenting Timeless Eternal EmblemUnrelenting Timeless Eternal EmblemMonsters gain 10% increased Maximum Life each time they are Revived Monsters gain 50% increased Critical Strike Chance each time they are Revived Monsters gain 3% additional Critical Strike Multiplier each time they are Revived 10% increased Experience Gain 10% improved RewardsPlace two or more different Emblems in a Map Device to access the Domain of Timeless Conflict. Can only be used once.	N/A

Item	Flavour Text
Storm CloudStorm Cloud Long BowBow Elemental Damage: 1-85 Critical Strike Chance: 6.00% Attacks per Second: (1.77-1.95)Requires Level 9, 38 DexNo Physical Damage Adds 1 to 85 Lightning Damage (36-50)% increased Attack SpeedCenturies of development in steel armoursmithing turned the armies of the Eternal Empire into very effective lightning rods.	Centuries of development in steel armoursmithing turned the armies of the Eternal Empire into very effective lightning rods.
PraxisPraxis Paua RingRequires Level 22+(20-30) to maximum Mana+(30-60) to maximum Mana Regenerate (3-6) Mana per second -(8-4) to Total Mana Cost of Skills 8% of Damage taken Recouped as ManaThe Thaumaturgical masters of the Eternal Empire, as unpredictable and varied as they were, all understood one thing: Free thinking leads to free action.	The Thaumaturgical masters of the Eternal Empire, as unpredictable and varied as they were, all understood one thing: Free thinking leads to free action.
Iron CommanderIron Commander Death BowBow Physical Damage: (36-40) to (89-97) Critical Strike Chance: (6.50-7.50)% Attacks per Second: (1.37-1.44)Requires Level 32, 107 Dex(30-50)% increased Critical Strike ChanceAdds (8-12) to (16-24) Physical Damage (14-20)% increased Attack Speed (14-20)% increased Totem Life (14-20)% increased Totem Placement speed Siege Ballista has +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems per 200 Dexterity Adds 1 to 3 Physical Damage to Attacks per 25 DexterityThe Eternals commanded an army that need not eat, sleep, or breathe without the usual depravities of necromancy.	The Eternals commanded an army that need not eat, sleep, or breathe without the usual depravities of necromancy.