Welcome to the immersive lore of the Splinterlands. In this series of articles, we present a comprehensive exploration of the major splinters of Praetoria. Each week, you’ll learn about a new splinter: its governance, economy, races, religions, culture, and more. Gain a deeper understanding of the Splinterlands and the splinters that shape it so the next time you see Eternan Brune or an Imperial Knight on the battlefield, you’ll know exactly what you’re up against.
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Dark Eternals

"In death."

Overview

Originating from the continent of Mortis, the Dark Eternals are a collective of revenants unified under the leadership of the Demise Archon. They adhere to the belief that life is the ultimate suffering and only in undeath can one be spared the weaknesses of the flesh. They seek to usher in the Dark Eternity, which is the end of all suffering—and the end of all life, as well.

The Dark Eternals predominantly reside in Ahna-Chei, which is located in the Shimmering Coasts on a recursive island at the center of Fenmoor Basin’s Lake Bale. Several smaller settlements are scattered throughout the Bog of Wails' pinelands as well.

Governance

The Dark Eternals are organized as follows:

• The Demise Archon is the head of the Dark Eternals.
• Directors comprise the leadership of the Dark Eternals. They are military commanders, strategists, city magistrates, and regional governors. They are also the most skilled warriors within the Dark Eternals.
• Death speakers are the clergy of the Church of Yzaos. They hold worship and services, spread the gospel of the Dark Codex, commune with spirits, work as missionaries to promote the Dark Eternity, and determine if potential converts are fit and worthy to join the Dark Eternals.
• Death knights swear an oath to the Dark Eternity, to stand in death against the suffering and weakness inherent in all life, and to end that suffering wherever it lurks. They train for years to master a variety of weapons, heavy armor, and mounted combat. They can also harness the death element to heal their allies, smite their foes, and protect those who join them in their crusade to bring about the Dark Eternity.
• Death angels form the aerial forces of the Dark Eternals. They are composed of winged races as well as those who ride winged steeds into combat.
• Death wardens are the guardians of the Dark Eternals and are responsible for the safekeeping and protection of its revenants and their settlements.
• Death rangers are warriors of the wilderness and specialize in stealth, hunting, tracking, and survival.
• Shadowhands are rogues, spies, and assassins.
• Necromancers harness the death element to manipulate life itself, raising the dead and creating more revenants to join the ranks of the Dark Eternals.
• Apothecaries are charged with spearheading the development of a variety of salves, potions, and libations. Their concoctions can halt the decay of the undead, reanimate the fallen, mend mortal wounds, and more.
• Shepherds of death are responsible for orienting neophytes to life as a revenant and the ways and customs of the Dark Eternals.
• Dreadnoughts are undead giants who serve as guards and muscle and are often found on the front lines of combat units.
• The dark make up the bulk of the Dark Eternals. They are composed of the general public, as well as common soldiers.

Economy

The primary resource of the Dark Eternals’ economy is the undead. Through the use of necromancy, they transform the dead into revenants, whose skills—whether they be combat prowess, spellcraft, a tradecraft, or something else—are integrated into the collective, further bolstering its economy. Artisans sell or barter their wares in the markets of Ahna-Chei, whether they be the relics of bonecrafters forged from the remains of powerful entities, the enchanted fabrics of spiritweavers, or the bottled spirits of soul merchants.

An alliance with the Belurocian Empire also plays a significant role in the Dark Eternals’ economy. Not only does the collective trade in its unique wares, but it also furthers the Empire's objectives in exchange for tributes to join its ranks.

Demographics

Races

The Dark Eternals are composed entirely of revenants of various species and races.

Religions

All Dark Eternals worship Yzaos, God of Death and the Lower Planes, and follow the word of the Dark Codex, their sacred scripture.

Culture

According to the Dark Codex, a swathe of corporeal darkness born from the Dark Oblivion of Mortis drifted across the land. Those it passed through were cured of the curse of life and gifted with undeath. Thus, the first Dark Eternals were born: revenants of all manner of species and races; even their pack animals, steeds, and other domesticated beasts are undead. While perhaps unsettling to outsiders, the shared culture of the Dark Eternals fosters a sense of unity and purpose that revolves around a reverence for death and the tranquility of undeath.

In addition to the Dark Codex, scholars and philosophers of the Dark Eternals have penned countless treatises on the nature of death, existence, and the pursuit of the Dark Eternity. Their works are replete with tragic epics, reflective musings, and hymns to Yzaos. Libraries hold a plethora of tomes that fascinate even the living, as they are filled with perspectives that only an eternal existence can offer.

Aesthetics draws heavily from the ethereal beauty found in death. Blue flames illuminate the majestic obsidian structures that line the cobblestone streets of Ahna-Chei. Statues hewn from bones stand as sentinels, each a chapter of the collective’s history. Every corner, every archway, is a tale of their past and a promise for the future.

The revenant’s music is renowned for its haunting, melancholy beauty, and dances consist of gliding movements rather than steps. Plays are typically silent, conveying emotions without words, while choral hymns and dirges have been known to move even the most stoic.

Living visitors are hard-pressed to find a meal in Ahna-Chei and its surrounding settlements (revenants have no need for food). However, the city’s apothecaries offer potions and elixirs that can provide bestial strength, increase one’s reaction time, allow communion with spirits, arouse, anger, inspire, and much more, making Ahna-Chei a popular destination for those seeking such bottled mojos.

Because they cannot reproduce, the Dark Eternals harness the life-manipulating magic of necromancy to raise the dead and create more revenants to join their ranks. Typically, they seek out willing and worthy converts, as well as corpses of those likely to join their cause; those involuntarily reborn into an undying, decaying body tend to become the most ardent antagonists.

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