The Annals of Tenebrae, held secretly within the Oratory’s vaults, hold the words of Tenebrae himself as he recounts the alleged true events that led up to the Rising.

Visions of an Artist (10 AO)

Once an earth genasi with another name, Tenebrae began his life as an artist. Receiving visions of a blight upon the land, Tenebrae felt compelled to paint a swirling dark purple void surrounding the region of Profundus. Having dwelt on the meaning of his ominous painting, Tenebrae was sought out by Chauntea, the deity of life and agriculture. She encouraged Tenebrae to travel the land and construct stone pillars that might retain the true history of events to come. These pillars would bear the blessing of Chauntea, so that they might purify their surroundings and offer places of refuge and bounty during the coming blight.

Tenebrae’s Journey (10-4 AO)

Tenebrae travelled the continent for six years, beseeching those in power to prepare for the coming blight. Very few heeded his word. In that time, he and his followers managed to construct 24 pillars. However, upon hearing that many of the pillars had been vandalised by terror-stricken cynics, Tenebrae began to doubt his ability to complete the task with which Chauntea had entrusted him. Ilmater, the deity of endurance and suffering, implored Tenebrae to focus his efforts not on preparing for the inevitable, but on discovering a way to prevent it. He bestowed Tenebrae with the vision of a great, mechanical colossus that could match the powers of Caelum Sol Orbis, the aasimar who was to bring forth the Miasma in his bid for ascension.

The Archfiends’ Pact (4 AO)

Having challenged and rediscovered his resolve, Tenebrae travelled to the region of Discidium to seek out a cabal of powerful fiends known as the League of Archfiends. Their number said to include the powerful rakshasa sorcerer Abhishek, the alu-fiend seductress Malaika, the cambion warmonger Arzhang, and the durzagon artificer Zdenek. The fiends did not believe Tenebrae’s tale until Malaika’s agents returned with proof of Caelum’s treachery. With the Archfiends’ influence, Tenebrae’s allies soon multiplied and collection began of the resonite ore required to power the heart of Mundi Eversor; the first and largest resonance engine ever constructed.

The Emergence of Mundi Eversor (0 AO)

In a vast cavern deep beneath Discidium, Zdenek was able to refine the resonite into a single resonance sphere almost half a mile in diameter. With the sphere complete, Abhishek began a ritual to grow the skeleton of Mundi Eversor from the very earth surrounding the sphere. The evacuation of Discidium drew the gaze of Caelum Sol Orbis. In his hubris, he called upon his acolytes to prematurely begin the ritual to cleanse his mortal body of darkness so that he might ascend to divinity. Flying high above the Oratory, Caelum watched in horror as Mundi Eversor erupted from the ground beneath Discidium. Great chunks of earth crumbled away from Eversor’s metallic form and rained down on what used to be Discidium. Leaving volcanic ash in its wake, Eversor began its approach to Anfang.

Caelum Ascends (0 PO)

As Eversor took enormous strides toward Anfang, Caelum sent his winged paladins to intercept the colossus. Arzhang, stood atop Eversor, swung his blade so that Eversor might mimic his movements. A great many paladins fell from the skies, crushed by the colossus’ powerful fists. Some were able to climb Eversor and discover the resonant heart within, though their efforts to destroy it were in vain. Spying Arzhang atop Eversor, some paladins took to halting the colossus’ advance by attacking its pilot, only to be waylaid by Arzhang’s swarm of imps. Eversor began to stride across the Altum Ocean, its mechanical legs great enough in size to reach the ocean’s depths.

Trapped by his own ritual, Caelum watched Eversor approach from his place above the Oratory. Below, his circle of acolytes continued to chant, hoping that Caelum might gain the power to strike down Eversor before it arrived. As Caelum summoned what power he had, a coruscation of light began to surround him. Seeing this, Arzhang brought Eversor to a halt. Slowed by the ocean, there was no chance of reaching Anfang in time. Arzhang opened the chest of Eversor, revealing the resonant heart within. The heart began to hum and glow a brilliant purple as Eversor charged its deadliest weapon. Sensing danger, Caelum tore himself from the ritual and darkness began to spill from his soul.

Wounded, Caelum spread his wings and launched himself toward Eversor. He appeared to those below as a divine spear, sheathed in radiant light yet leaving behind a wake of darkness. The spear pierced Eversor’s heart, shattering it. Caelum fled back to Anfang only to discover the resulting shock wave had caused fissures to open up around his home. Caelum returned to the ritual, now spoiled by the Miasma leaking from his broken soul. As Eversor’s body fell, Anfang begin to rise. Yet he was more concerned with his ascension. His loyal acolytes would continue, sapping the miasma from his soul and casting it beyond Caelum’s ever-growing light. Once the turmoil had subsided, Caelum was nowhere to be found. The world had changed forever.