Written by K.T., inspired by tales recounted by Allarus Venator, leader of the Justicae

The world was covered in ruins and the dead as far as the eye could see in any direction. The sky and the earth were made of flames, and the people did not understand what had happened; they remembered nothing, as if they were born into destruction. On these ruins stood a pair of siblings at the forefront of Réa’s inhabitants, referring to themselves as Sky and Scarlet. Scarlet was quiet, tall, and slender, named after her long red hair. In contrast, Sky was loud, passionate, and audacious. His volatile nature and desire to survive gathered people around him. He always spoke of never giving up on life, of playing with the cards dealt to us. While Scarlet was seldom seen and disappeared for long periods on her own path, Sky’s persistent work and leadership skills created a new city from the ashes, named Highcastle. People from all over Réa migrated to Highcastle in hopes of a better and brighter future.

Highcastle grew and expanded so much that Sky established two new cities nearby, Blue Castle and Aegea, to perfectly surround and protect the most important resources for humanity. This formation became known as the Inner Circle.

Shortly after the establishment of Blue Castle and Aegea, Scarlet’s sudden return sparked a fierce confrontation with Sky. What began as a heated dispute quickly devolved into a tragic clash, culminating in Scarlet’s fatal strike against Sky. Though victorious, Scarlet sustained grave injuries, compelling her to retreat from Highcastle. In the aftermath, Sky’s loyal lieutenant and closest ally, Argos Roseborne, assumed leadership of the Inner Circle. Driven by a solemn oath of retribution, Argos vowed to avenge his master’s demise, signaling a new era of tumult and vendetta within the realm.

Through the relentless passage of time, the Inner Circle not only endured but flourished, carving out a bastion of civilization amidst the encroaching Corruption. By the year 661 of the Era of Corruption (EoC), this robust alliance boasted thirteen fortified cities, collectively known as the Roseborne Empire, under the stewardship of the latest in the venerable Roseborne line. This era marked a renaissance of both arcane and mechanical arts, as technomancers wove together magic and machinery in unprecedented harmony. Despite the harshness of their world, the Empire’s citizens found solace within the safety of city walls, patrolled tirelessly by vigilant guards—a semblance of security in an age of turmoil.

Yet, as has always been the way of the world, peace was but a fleeting dream. Beyond the walls, the Empire’s endeavors in agriculture and mining, alongside the logistical challenges of communication across vast distances, heavily taxed its resources. The advent of Arkhtides, however, introduced a peril of an altogether different magnitude. Spanning the continent, the Empire found itself ill-equipped to fend off not just the ravages of nature but the specter of strife from within and without. The first cracks appeared in 662 EoC, when disputes over the vital waters of Lake Maria with the eastern Heavenly Sect erupted into open conflict. This Water War, dragging on for three excruciating years, ultimately saw the secession of the southern Black Forest city, weary of endless conflict, declaring its independence. Victory in the Water War came at a dire cost to the Roseborne Empire, leaving its military might severely diminished, a shadow of its former strength.

Just a few years later, EoC 665 heralded a chilling revelation by the Justicae, guardians of the Empire’s internal security. They unveiled the existence of a blood sect, calling itself the Scarlet Legacy, ominously shadowing the teachings of Sky’s murderer. More alarmingly, this sect hadn’t merely infiltrated the Empire; it had entwined itself into its very marrow. The current sovereign, Ignatious Roseborne, alongside his elite, was revealed to be entangled within this dark web. For nearly a decade, the unseen hand of the Scarlet Legacy had been steering the Empire’s fate. Allarus Venator, the Justicae’s commander at the time, spearheaded a merciless purge, expunging the sect from the Empire’s fabric. This brutal cleanse against those under the influence of the Scarlet Legacy, lasted three harrowing days and nights, known as the Bloodpurge. This dark epoch saw not only the fall of innocents but also the decimation of the royal lineage and the crème of the twelve cities’ nobility. With the Roseborne line extinguished, Allarus seized control, his authority cemented by the Justicae’s fearsome repute.

However, Allarus’s tyrannical grip was short-lived, lasting scarcely six months. By the dawn of 666, a unified uprising tore through the Empire’s cities, each declaring its independence from the crumbling regime. Facing inevitable downfall, and in a last act of contrition, Allarus entrusted his fate to his protégé, Emery Kreuz, one of the Empire’s most formidable Seekers, effectively ending his life and with it, the Roseborne Empire. What rose from the ashes was a fragile consortium of City-States, a semblance of unity veiling their solitary ambitions in the relentless pursuit for Arkhtides.