#empyrian

So in 2016, we had the multiplayer map Empyrian. It was a floating set of buildings shaped like rings and was kinda out of place with all the Hell and UAC maps in that game. Then once Eternal came out, we rightfully recognized it as Sentinel architecture yet the exact location and purpose of the structure was always more of a question. With the Dark Ages, I feel like that has finally been addressed.

I believe that Empyrian is part of the Holy City of Aratum, or was an approximation of it before it fell. Aratum (if you aren’t aware) is a Holy City floating in the skies above Argent D’Nur. The Maykrs had outlawed worship of the Wraiths when they came to Argent D’Nur, yet allowed Aratum to be a central hub for all old Argenta knowledge, artifacts, and history. It (metaphorically and literally) fell when Azhrak layed seige to it for the Heart of Argent. Being such a high place of Sentinel significance, i would imagine the UAC came to learn of it and, somehow, put it into their VEGA-led combat simulations (DOOM 2016’s multiplayer in canon is a combat sim for UAC soldiers led by VEGA).

Below is a picture of Empyrian

And below is a picture of Aratum

Similar round structures with gothic architecture, floating through the air in a ring layout. The only difference between the two, aside from iconography (I chalk that up to 2016 being 9-ish years before TDA was in development) is scale. Aside from that there really aren’t many differences between the two.

Setting: Some time before the War of Ancients... Seeds were planted so many years ago within the Black Dragonflight. Developing a hunger for vengeance and festering within each dragon, slowly breeding the corruption within their heart and minds. Not all were lulled into dropping their guard to the unknown as they plunged into the earth in search of answers and maintaining Azeroth's defense.

Tilling the dirt so that his body could weasel through, Empyrian surged through mounds of the surface as rumors above had started to trickle down to his flight in the subterranean level. His eyes blinked in an effort to protect the cornea from particles of sediment disrupted by cutting scales. But soon the earth would part overhead as the force of his body rivaled that of a rising mountain. Wings flared out at either side before engulfing the realm in shadow beneath him.

Golden eyes emerged from veiled lids to take in the surrounding area as if the feat he just managed was no trial at all. A forearm shifted forward to demonstrate the authority of his presence, forcing nearby wildlife to flee this newly conquered territory. Not that it was his intention this time.

A shrill but curt roar resounded ahead of him, signaling that his mate had surfaced nearby. Spurred into action by her call, he opened his maw in turn to answer. Aggressive and challenging, his roar demanded further compliance from those that hid from his piercing gaze. It would have been seen as a bold and reckless declaration had he been any other creature on Azeroth for such a challenge. But it seemed as if peace would never contest against his will.

Wings now had fanned out fully while raising in height before sweeping down to effortlessly raise him off the ground. His legs kicked with this motion as the bulk of his mass glided over quickly fleeing trees. Their leaves were stripped from their branches at his passing. His head, large like a great boulder slowly rotated in search of his mate's frame.

Her body towered in a way that his did, but not to the same caliber his frame had. A gradient of black scales that bled into purple colored her entire hide.

Ivoriya was his consort and obsession amongst his hoards. No treasure could compare to her as she was a natural beauty blessed upon Azeroth's surface. His heart thundered with joy as he reunited at her side with a quaking thud of his frame. Claws expertly absorbed the impact and adjusted him so that he could move quickly upon his landing to gaze upon her fully.

His vision trailed over her curves before meeting her own piercing and expectant look. A series of fangs gleamed in mischief as she quickly rose to nip at his neck in affection and adoration. The scent rising from her burned of their passion and carried a hint of their impending clutch as the eggs had recently been laid. Three were gathered into a small crater of magma and molten rock beneath the surface they stood upon.

"Empyrian," His mate stated in greeting. "You only grow when I see you."

Slowly, Ivoriya withdrew her head as eyes-maintained contact all throughout her exchange of playfulness and exaltation of his grace. It caused his jaws to flex with elation before he ignited the furnace within his lungs and expelled breath of fire overhead in offering to his mate.

"Ivoriya," he growled with resplendence enveloping his tone forcing her to lower her guard to his majesty. A forearm drifted upward with purpose before wrapping over the arch of her side and digging his claws along her spiked back to turn her over so that her underbelly would be exposed for his viewing pleasure.

She did not resist his physical command and let her claws drift down towards her crest in pleasure and desire.

"Your words sate my inner fire," she murmured in a low growl. "I know not how we did not yield a finer clutch."

Again, her words sought to make his heart sink, and his head fell forward in a show of support. He was her unyielding strength and an unstoppable force to her doubts.

"Your body is flawless to that of a pristine black diamond. Cast your fears as flames from your mouth and burn such nonsense from your thoughts."

An exhale bristled out of her, forcing a chill to slide down her spikey spine. And also caused her tail to lash out in response to his consolation.

"Of course," she hissed and gradually relaxed within his midst. For a time, they were both silent as the world around them had also become quiet. It warranted suspicion to them both before the massive silhouette of the Dragon Aspect Neltharion himself lunged out from nowhere into the sky.

Ivoriya sought to shift, but Empyrian's arm did not relinquish its hold upon her. They were still for another moment, before Empyrian's possessive grip released and allowed Ivoriya her freedom from him. He understood her response and did not fault her for it, and eventually he would lower his head before nodding faintly to his consort.

Without hesitation she dug down hastily into the ground nearby to ensure their clutch was protected. Empyrian remained resolute in his stance as his body shifted only with slight tensing of his limbs and heat roiling within his chest in anticipation should he need to release a gout of flame towards intruders.

But the tremors beneath his claws suggested otherwise and he would allow the heat within to subside once more. When Ivoriya returned, she shook her head causing the frilled skin along her head to wave freely. Her golden eyes emerged to ease his worries as pheromones of her relief bombarded his senses.

His maw parted to breathe in and exhale another growl of victory to his mate before nudging her with the end of his jaw.

"The Earth Warden moves... so it must be true." His gaze drifted in the direction of Zin'Azshari. ('The Glory of Azshara')

More roars and cries echoed from above the Kaldorei city as many dragon silhouettes filled the sky. Something was happening and the chill that fell upon his scales caused him to take a step forward in anticipation.

"They have need of us," he said to prepare his consort for flight as she reluctantly resigned to his judgment over her own. Again, her head nodded as she fell into step beside him. Her wings would move before his, as he often preferred, she would have his cover this way in the event of an attack. And as soon as she was airborne, he pulled himself into the air behind her.

Land transformed beneath them, turning from nature to that of a sentient and mortal society. Their mountains were hollow compared to their own and lacked luster in place of practical usage.

The sole skill to which he could commend them, was from their sculpting hand that cut marble and stone into mirror images of their beloved Queen Azshara. The pride of her people was within her aura always, whether it be by flesh or refined stone. Empyrian desired such for his own lair someday to protect his children and defend their home by always casting his presence abound.

"Empyrian!" Ivoriya's words broke his concentration as chaos unraveled before them. A dense green flaming stone careened skyward towards them and forced their unified flight to split.

In response, Empyrian would search for the source of his attacker before casting heavy shadows over the buildings beneath him. His descent had him brushing against buildings, which did not prohibit him from leveling them along the earth beneath his claws. Anger had rightfully been dispensed now as he sought direct confrontation with his opponent.

Though, another green fiery stone was cast his way before it hit him squarely in his armored crest. He could feel how the flaming magic sought to strip him of his scaled defenses and would raise a forearm casually to stroke the burning debris from his chest. Impervious to such foolish tricks, he now set his sights again but the moment his gaze fixated he charged.

Again, the buildings fell away from him as the ground quaked from each stampeding step. And when he was upon his foe, he could see the monstrosity they were. An apparition of envy made flesh and twisted by corrupting hatred. Like him, they were winged and possessed claws, but a less than sightly face full of fangs. Their skin was paled from discoloration and harboring the fel within their bodies.

"Foul prey should be dispelled by flame!" He bellowed as heat erupted through his lungs in a show of flames that dwarfed the demon before him seamlessly. Fire continued to roll from his parted maw until he could feel the body of his foe crumple along the ground at his claws. Ivoriya continued to monitor above for additional attackers as Empyrian scoured for evidence to the hostile reception from within the High Elven city.

Months before the place would have been something of fairy tale brimming of promise and fantasy. Now it had become a warzone, and he contemplated the nature of their battle's forthcoming. Neltharion's presence was enough to rally any within their brood to assist. But the lack of foresight on their leader's part was troubling. Or perhaps moreso was the fact they were not made aware of these developments until a few days prior.

It was unmistakable now though, as the threat to the ancient leyline that converged at the Well of Eternity's base was now a point of contention. All forces would seek to rally at the source, and he knew Ivoriya was ill-prepared to deal with the danger. His head rose in anticipation to redirect her as his maw began to open. But the sight that he saw next caused the blood in his veins to boil.

Several dragons hailing from the red, blue, green, and bronze dragonflight converged towards her. Their flight formation had left him stunned, but their assault against his mate put him into an enraged state.

He commanded his mate with a fierce roar to kill and she sought to retaliate against the bronze dragon that had latched onto her front in defiance. The bronze dragon's maw bit harshly over the right side of her shoulder and neck. While this bronze had dwarfed her size, it did not to the extent Empyrian's size had.

Her cries of pain propelled Empyrian to ascend quickly as his maw and claws sought to ground a nearby green and red dragon with his attacks. Skin tore along the sinews of the wing before the red dragon could no longer support his own weight. This forced him to fall with one uninjured wing waving above him uselessly. The collision against the earth below had killed the red on impact as blood colored the ground more than his remaining scales had.

Next came the green dragon, which Empyrian righteously bit down against the throat of this traitorous snake hard. Jaws compressed fiercely as fangs dug through flesh and muscle angrily in a show of lethal spite.

He wanted every breath that green dragon drew to cause pain and make him wish for death over life. His foe scraped with futility against his dense armored hide making Empyrian revel in his superiority in combat.

"May you not live a Dream or be a part of it any longer!" He declared as his claw swept through the underbelly of the emerald dragon. Green skin tore apart from blood-soaked black claws that retreated out of the body. With so many grave injuries, the green dragon lost her will to stay aloft and fell into a newly forming garden of corpses plastered and started by the former red dragon.

However, the blue dragon was smart and had opted to attack Empyrian while his back was turned. A series of arcane missiles barraged him, forcing Empyrian's wings to curl inward while his back arched from the force of the attack. His back hit a building that somehow had the structural support to hold some of his weight from the cascading impact of tyrannical black scale.

Ivoriya's roar called to him in urgency now as the bronze dragon had managed to force her beneath him as they now fell from the sky. His talons had taken hold in places she could not reach, and she collided into the surface of the earth much like his foes had. There were no further cries from her and the scent of her blood was immediate. The pupils within his eyes grew dangerously thin as a charming voice spoke among the countless thoughts that berated his mind.

"Your brood will be culled from weakness."

There was irrefutable truth to this, and Empyrian shifted slowly in agreement to the plan of his false mind. But the blue dragon was a pest and sought to dispatch any further resistance of his kind with another blast of arcane power against Empyrian.

Again, the force of impact shattered the structure beneath him as he barreled towards the surface below. A flash of the bronze swept into Empyrian's view as the ribboning sway of time announced his use of magic. But the black dragon was denied a choice of peace and no matter what foresight this insolent bronze whelp was blessed to have or thought he had was for naught! An ebon scaled arm rotated upon the bronze like a collapsing tunnel, forcing the bulk of Empyrian's weight over the bronze in a show of outright dominance.

"FEEBLE ARE THOSE WHO RELY ON TRICKS TO CONTEND WITH PURE MIGHT!"

The earth, which answered to the call of the earthen elementals and shaman, was reluctant for a moment - before a pillar of rock erected towards the descending bronze dragon. The tip of stone was narrow as it pierced through the bronze dragon's chest and ran through its heart before emerging out the back in a stained crimson. Droplets of blood fell as Empyrian's hunger for revenge cast them away under a strong flap of his wings. His pursuit was none other than the pesky blue dragon now that sought retreat.

Terror was chased behind the blue dragon's retreat as Empyrian surged forward with another fierce flap of his wings. A claw rose forward from beneath Empyrian as he snagged onto the blue dragon's tail to pull him towards his demise. Hundreds of sword length teeth were brought down into the azure dragon's back, before gripping at the joints of both of its wings, squeezing and stripping the bone from its back. A forceful push was given to the blue dragon with one of his clawed feet to accelerate his descent towards death.

But the runes of the blue dragon began to glow as arcane was employed to rescue his rapidly falling body. A rift of magic began to form beneath him as he fell, but just as he reached its center - he fell beyond the veil of forming arcane gateway. And by the time he realized it his body compressed into itself as blood and bone splattered into bits on the ground below Empyrian.

Unbridled rage blinded and drove the massive black dragon before he convened now at the Well of Eternity. He could not see the world in color any longer as a redness clouded his view. Golden eyes had bled into crimson, extinguishing the spark of sanity and housing a hatred so massive that even his own flight lost his trust and fell victim to him.

But there would be no solace found until his own wings betrayed him. Countless wounds had now lined his body, forcing blood to escape at any place scales no longer hid his flesh. He could feel his mind reeling with questions as he fell from the heavens.

...Did he succumb to defeat?

...Or had he run out of dragons and demons to kill?

Promptly after this question was poised, did his cerebral cortex completely fail.

I'm trying to place this wild Dylan that's emerged in the sample from chapter one I'm reading and get a clear sense of the clothing described and dialogue.

Your last cards reveal the two most important members of the purple court at the time. A muse and a lord, both strikingly different, but together they proved to be an effective team.

The military leader of the purple court was The Zealot, a tall and powerful soldier, as respected as he was feared. He was a powerful trickster, a strategist and the head of the most formidable army ever seen on the land. The higher ranks did not approved of his ferocious actions, however, as The Zealot was also known for his challenging attitude towards the seadweller kind. Nonetheless, there was also a presence behind him, guiding  and protecting him of the consequences of his acts. 

The Empyrean was the high priest of the purple court, barely a step under the grand highblood. They were a figure of light, a beacon of hope in a land plagued by dead and war. Any clown that might have doubted their loyalty to the empire, would just have to look into their eyes to fall for the mirth or the messiahs. 

The Zealot had followed the light of The Empyrean, taking a knee to their service, for now they were devoted to serve them. By they own, the leaders were strong, but together they were unstoppable. 

It may have been their arrogance in their conjuncted strength, that at the time they most needed the power of the heart and hope of others, they isolate themselves to confront the rising rebellion that has broken each wall and barrier to reach them.  Starting with their commander, not trusting one another, in fear of being executed. Losing their adviser and their oracle they were left astray against faithless trolls with stronger wills than their own. 

This is the multiplayer map Empyrian, from the 3rd DLC for DOOM 2016. Also in the Switch version.

There is no official explanation or story details about this place. There is no other setting in the entire game like this.

Setting: Centuries after the Sundering... The Maw, Zovaal's Cauldron

"This is your karma. You do not understand now, but you will understand later." - H. Raven Rose

Omnipotent. Eternal. Indomitable.

Each of these attributes became a shackle that halted his advance. But what made a soul truly complete, was that of another. Ivoriya's presence was a light that pierced the shadows that had concealed him entirely. The fire within his eyes became quelled by her essence as his fangs snapped together to dismiss his disbelief. His ethereal form now took on a shape - which he did not know he had physically developed through the consumption of anima.

He had become the Jailer's worst enemy in such a short period of time. At Zovaal's Cauldron, which was the staging area for the Jailer's army, had become littered in dark flames and weapons that had no wielders. But there was no way to know how much time had passed when those attacks stopped coming. It should have warranted some suspicion given the relentless assaults from the ground and the skies. But each and every time, Empyrian could not be overwhelmed. He was a force beyond the likes the Jailer had laid his eye upon.

However, there was always a means to bargain with death. This was something Zovaal knew as the former Arbiter and judge of all souls. Every soul catered to their own purpose, which was why he believed in reality needing remade. There was no unity, only division. And what force was made strong, was those with the same intent - that he had forged and ruled over with his own will and domination magic.

Reflecting further on this wyrm's progression against his army, Zovaal calculated the benefit of making a brood of Sin-Eaters for his own forces. The skies had been ruled primarily by the dedicated Mawsworn Kyrian - and even their strengths could not match that of a dragon's. Though he knew there would be no means to put Empyrian to use. Even with his beloved mate's soul, their joy was experienced through freedom - which wasn't a cost he could afford to provide.

"Take the Soul-Render to Perdition's Hold. Ensure he does not see the light from another soul again."

Setting: Peridition's Hold, the Maw Azeroth - The First War is now taking place

With the closing of his fist, Ivoriya's presence was snuffed from view, as the prison Empyrian found himself in was impenetrable to any means of light. The chains that shackled him held firm, ensuring that his soul was kept in suspended animation. Claws that had developed tensed against the air - seeking anything to come into contact with to express his newfound duress. He knew his mate had died. Yet her soul - he felt her aura. It brought warmth he had forgotten since his coming to the Shadowlands.

Bereft in newfound grief, his strength only continued to wane. The isolation provided no peace or comfort from the growing remorse of this curse. Every time Ivoriya was there, he fell. Had she become his weakness and greatest enemy? He wanted to love her. But it was his love for her that broke him. That got him killed.

A seed of resentment now began to grow within. Festering the shadows along his body like well stoked flames. He was so strong because that was how he was designed to be. It was an irrefutable fact, and it was so simple to understand. There was no need for reliance of another or to trust. He was his own greatest ally. He was his own strength. He would be unstoppable.

Though the matter at hand was not so easily reconciled. His surrender to the Master of the Maw had enabled him to be caged. And while he could feel the power in his body, there were precautions put in place to keep him weakened. Those chains were not just for show given the carvings of runes that lined every link. He was knowledgeable enough to understand the craft served in its purpose to keep him tethered.

Every now and then, he tried to see if there was something new, he could learn. But it appeared that his captivity had left him in the deepest cell beneath Perdition's Hold. The wardens of this prison never revisited his place of holding since he was brought there. Which left him with plenty of freedom to think, to scheme, and to undo their hold over him. And there would be no finer opportunity then when too many souls had flooded their dominion. It just required him to be ready.

Setting: Perdition's Hold Azeroth - The Second War is now underway

Yet his body would develop some changes in his captivity. Bones of corpses were cast like waste beneath him - beyond any point of use. At least, that was what those above had thought, and the feelings he felt soon dripped from the shadows. Black blood coursed freely over the bones. What had been dormant in the marrow would undergo some form of evolution in an unrefined technique of a newfound innate curse. Bones wobbled beneath him - seeking to connect and rebuild - but only the small corpses of mawrats ever took shape. Their eyes gleaming with a hunger of their host dangling above them.

The first of these mawrats, would be named Shade. He scarcely noted the mawrat upon his back as his flesh and scale were torn away from his back. How odd was it that the role of a hunter and the hunted became reversed. It should have angered him. But there was an acceptance and a wish for it to continue - that perhaps he would find some new means of freedom with less of his body.

The next to have taken shape, was Plague. A rodent infested with the twisted diseases of his kin that had never lived a full life in good health. He was the most subtle with his danger, infecting Empyrian with a blight. The acuity of the dragon's senses would lower considerably, making his ability to detect the rodents near impossible.

Grim joined by his brother, Malice - would seek to remove the flesh from Empyrian's head, polishing the surface of his great skull for all to see beneath his shroud of shadows.

But the largest of these bred curses was Apathy. This mawrat quadrupled the size of his brethren. And his appetite was conducted without any inkling of remorse. His fangs gnawed away the surface of Empyrian's chest, exposing the place where his heart would have ached. The most delectable bits of his anima were feasted on - destroying the notion of compassion, empathy, and care.

A hollow laugh was freed from Empyrian's maw as he felt delight in such a gathering of obedient hosts. He shifted a claw experimentally while the 5 rats sat with their fill and gave him company he had long since forgotten. Gruesome as he looked and felt now, he could not help but revel in his evolution. There was a sense of immaculate pride that could not be undone.

Not only had his blood given reanimated the dead, but it also cursed the earth. A single black rose grew beneath him and blossomed in the wake of his sins. The display alone showcased what even the most polarizing efforts of ill-intended good could create. Confinement was just another means to breed his contempt and hatred for all things.

Displeasure swelled now as rat kin grew restless in the bones of the deceased. How long would they know of this isolation? Would there be a point in escape? Teetering in the labyrinth of his growing insanity, he made a sport of hitting the bones below with the end of his tail. It was the only appendage outside his neck that could shift so freely. His head turned and snapped at the mawrats from time to time, making the creatures keep to their respective homes away from him now.

Setting: Perdition's Hold Azeroth Time - Events of the Third War have come to pass, and those souls lost to the Scourge that did not serve - have come to the Maw.

But as one's imagination grew tired of fabricating scenarios, the unexpected took place. Light slipped into the room somehow. His red eyes squinted to shield his vision from burning in discomfort. But the rose he had grown now was embraced by this light, altering the physiology of his black rose and making it something else entirely.

"Nature will always be beautiful, no matter how it chooses to exist."

A woman's voice filled his cell, followed by the thundering of steps outside his prison. This was no trick of his mind, but his head lowered towards the anima filled flower for closer inspection. There was an ephemeral peace that was inhaled into his senses, before the primal machinations of his darkness took root. His maw gaped over the flower, before fangs clasped down on the remnant soul and drew it back into his throat, fusing her essence with his own greedily. The cavity in his chest, that had been left open by Apathy's hunger - now filled with a new soulkeeper. The chains that had held him began to glow - hoping to siphon the strength he ingested for its bindings to reinforce his captivity.

But the dragon's anger surfaced in full as hell erupted causing his shadows to grow thick and expand in his domain. The steel walls that were braced around him were blown apart by supernatural force as the forces of the Jailer were left to behold his reemergence into the Maw.

Rationalizing the futile attempts made by the Jailer's underlings had never been this amusing to Empyrian. Or maybe it had been, it was a long time since he could recall. And the weird thing about the Maw, was that time did not pass in the way it had on Azeroth. It all felt like it blurred together at this point as the sky never changed. Nor did undeath ever truly stop moving. Which was odd considering how it was viewed in the living.

Details he had forgotten resurfaced, and he found himself pointedly reevaluating his thoughts. Why? An anchor that had been removed was replaced with another. Remorse reared its ugly head yet again, as the soul he devoured pleaded with him over something left unsaid. He didn't understand the reasoning; he just knew their motive was on par with his own to escape. A shake of his skull was made as he ignored the soul's pleas within.

He had refined his allegiance to himself and thus would not be so easily swayed into bargaining with another. Ivoriya's absence was the lesson in that, and he would only rise, no longer would he fall.

(( OOC Acknowledgements: I want to give a shout out to the following individuals for helping me to aspire and write this narrative out. Note: This is not the last part in Empyrian's story. I will continue to add to it as the ideas flow

@sanguinesorceress - Mala, you are an inspiration to the good and bad in all of us. And writing has become a creative outlet for me and so many others again. You were sorely missed, and your return has breathed life into so many people's stories. We've made new friends, discovered new avenues to write our posts, and supported each other so that people could learn of each other's characters. Never forget the blessing you are to us.

@safrona-shadowsun - Saffy, you have given us so much through your art and writing - bringing imagination into shape and giving a meaning not so easily defined by words. Your reputation of good only continues carry into this generation and the next. Never stop being that great person to all! And thank you so much for being the eye in the brainstorm - your ideas are amazing!

@grumpyoldfker - Dirt water is gross, but I'm glad it gives you the energy to deal with me. I know that things have been made hard for all of us, but you have always wanted to be a part of the fold. You stuck with it when life didn't always give you the luxury to do so. And it carries now in the way your characters speak, the adventures you want to embark on, and the relationships you forge. Don't ever be afraid to take the next step - because you have family with you now!

@duraxxor - Patience has never taught someone so well to abide to the feelings of others like it has with you. So many years ago - I met you and we still shoot the shit and splurge on our passions throughout writing. Some days are harder than others, but you still have the means to keep your head held high. Reliable and dependable for your rp partners - you still spin these insane stories of the monsters we could end up becoming - but reflect on the traits that had once made individuals good.