Chronicle

   Shard REF: #3F00FF

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The war had begun.

From the depths of cosmic darkness deep within the umbra a primal force had arisen
from banishment once more - the Oldest Enemy, The Void, The Supreme Indifference,
The Nothing had returned and was rendering null all in its path.
In the face of this seemingly undefeatable foe and limping away from unwinnable
battles most who could see the beyond ran and hid as best they could. Many simply
considered this to be the final nights and acted accordingly - for a time blood was
spilled, love was loved, and chaos reigned in the shadow of the end of eternity.
But some... chose to turn and fight, chose to protect those who could not protect
themselves. Resigned to eventual defeat this resistance took shape slowly. Battle after
battle was lost, hero after hero fell... until one day... He came.
Not man or Fae, nor Angel or Demon, not any creature known He had been chronicled
before under many names, over many, many years. The Emperor arrived to us at the
time of the Great War as the one who could save us all - both above and below.
Save us He did.

The sun set over a new Empire on that day as the fortifications held and the Oldest
Enemy faded away from the edge of reality - a compact, known as The Treaty, had
been formed with those who had fought in and survived The Great War and the God
Emperor's reign began immediately. The faithful rejoiced.

Hope began to grow from the fear that had proceeded it.

In his first act The God Emperor deemed the greatest sin to have run from the Great
War and thus betrayed the Empire. Those who had were hunted down and put to
death; those tasked with this mission were the Sin Runners - the greatest of the
assassins. The Sin Runner mandate was clear; The Empire will have no enemies.
Organised rebellion from cowardly ancients who had hidden and entrenched
themselves deeply within the umbra during the final nights followed. Far from the
reach of the Sin Runners, these cowards declared their own petty empires.

The celebrations of the rebels were short-lived.

The God Emperor's justice was swift - the battle hardened armies of the Empire were
mobilised; many brutal civil wars were fought and the forces of the Empire, led by the
generals who had defeated the Oldest Enemy, quickly emerged victorious.
The Empire became the Grand Empire and none could now stand against the rule of
The God Emperor.

A period of peace followed, but both The Great War, and wars of rebellion had left
many shattered and lost. The God Emperor personally choose those who he deemed
worthy and reached out with healing hands. The faithful were restored and elevated.
The New Order had been forged. The Shadow Order.

The Shadow Order needed a place to call home. Somewhere new was required.
Somewhere no one but The Shadow Order had claim to. In the near umbra close to the
Earthly realm just beyond the vail a new place began to form. A flicker at first, those
alone in the darkness only caught brief glimpses of it. However, the place was
relentless in taking form...The God Emperor was cultivating, growing and building his
finest work... The Endless City was born - a new bright new moon rising in the darkest
sky.

The light of the Endless City began the shine so brightly it reached all corners of the
Grand Empire. It was time for the masses to burn the corpses of their long dead kings
and embrace The Shadow Order. As one the Empire's bravest, best and brightest, from
all corners of creation and reality, turned their attention to the now vast Endless City -
a beacon of hope, and the home of the future.

The first of the Empire's champions to arrive in the Endless City was, as ever, The Fox.
Her mission was and remains unknown.

Hot on her tail, as always, The Raven followed.

His mission was simple; keep the Balefire burning, punish sinners, and protect the city
while awaiting the arrival if it's eventual chosen ruler.

The council of High Kings and Queens were quick to choose the God Emperor's
favourite for this task...

The Queen of Rats arrived nearly two standard years after The Raven and immediately
took control of the city - The Raven and his Host swore allegiance to the Sidhe High
Queen on sight.

Thousands followed the High Queen into the now open city; loyalists, lower Kings and
Queens, criminals and even some rebels passed the gates of the city - our new home.

We trust the Emperor.

We trust the Empire.

We trust the Star.

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