During the 3rd edition of Athena Adventure, many things unfolded.
After a time of peace and tranquility under the benevolent gaze of Father Atom, responsible for the Solis community and the faith of the region, followers of Obscura began to appear here and there in the region, as well as a “Counter-Cult” of Solis, led by the brother of Father Atom.
As days passed, extremely important ruins of both Solis and Obscura were discovered. The Counter-Cult grew stronger due to problems between the Parish of Father Atom and the Holy See of Solis. Meanwhile, during a dive into an Antechamber of Obscura led by Father Atom and his followers, the Adventurer ElFamosoEduardo became one of the followers of Obscura, influenced by a mysterious sword named the “Corrupted Razor”.
Becoming the sworn enemy of Father Atom and the new founder of the Cult of Obscura, he quickly went into exile after being declared a “heretic”. He found refuge with the inventor and scholar “Elly Heiwa” in the neutral village of Ethiam, further south.
Slowly building his cult by creating the Black Tower of Obscura, the Black Archbishop and future Grand Black Cardinal, El Famoso Eduardo, discovered a mysterious cave to the east. This cave required two mystical keys to be opened…
Meanwhile, the Holy Cult faced increasing problems from the Counter-Cult of Solis. The Black Archbishop discovered the mysterious keys with the help of an adventurer and co-founder of the Order of the Scarlet Dragon: IciWali, a local knightly order. Upon opening the doors, warned by her that what lay beyond was dangerous, they discovered, with some trepidation, a place beyond time and space, seemingly connected to the known world as “The End”.
Approaching, they were met with a strong, distorted, feminine voice demanding submission, respect, and sacrifices to spare them. Despite their terror, they all stood firm, enduring a terrible fate in exchange for their defiance.
Surviving the ordeal but marked by unparalleled pain, those who had just encountered a malevolent and ancient entity gathered with Father Atom to discuss this event, which apparently “spoke” to the entire region.
Receiving an anonymous letter promising power and wonders, the Grand Black Cardinal discovered a place called the “Lock Sanctuary”, where the “holy sword” and the “black book” were to be reunited to open the gates.
As the owner of the holy sword, Father Atom had to wait for his return from the Imperial Capital. But in the meantime, mysterious monoliths of black matter began to appear, slowly guiding those who approached towards a much larger and more terrifying monolith. It was there that notes were discovered, left by a mysterious individual whose signature was partially erased; “…y .i.w.”
Quickly realizing, the Grand Black Cardinal understood that it was Elly. Rushing to his former host with the support of the Co-Founder of the Order of the Scarlet Dragon, IciWali, they interrogated him, and he quickly confessed to being on the side of the malevolent entity called “The Empress of the Void” from the beginning. He fled to the Great Monolith, pursued by many inhabitants of Athena. Another battle took place, this time at the foot of the Monolith. Elly was defeated, but instead of giving up, he consumed a mysterious liquid that transformed him into a strange being, forcing the adventurers to flee.
Upon Father Atom’s return to his parish, negotiations between religions began. A “Peace” was declared until the problem of Elly and the Empress of the Void was resolved. A small group composed of Father Atom, the Grand Black Cardinal Eduardo and his faithful, as well as the two Founders of the Order of the Scarlet Dragon, headed towards the lock sanctuary. The five adventurers unlocked the sanctuary and entered it, facing hordes of void creatures and deadly traps. They discovered a mysterious book before being sucked into a place once again beyond time. It was here that they had their first real encounter with the Empress, a battle against a beast associated with the malice of the demon ensued. The adventurers emerged victorious, albeit not without difficulty.
Shortly after, “Elly” or rather, something resembling Elly, approached them and attacked, using powers never seen before. Despite serious injuries, no one was killed. A simple note remained on the ground after Elly disappeared… A message taunting them for defeating the lock and allowing him to have new powers. Indeed, it was at this moment that the adventurers realized they had unleashed the Empress, hence the alliance of Solis and Obscura and the name, “Lock Sanctuary”.
With the Empress of the Void now freed, the alliance had to be strengthened even further to fight the evil that Elly and the Empress would cause.
Over the months, discoveries were made about Elly, notably that he was no longer truly himself and that he had paradoxically managed to give “form” to nothingness. An incomprehensible paradox. Over time, the adventurers discovered other notes indicating that the Empress’s plans had changed and that Elly, as a faithful lackey, obeyed every order, no matter that he could not leave his laboratories anymore.
Elly attempted to help the adventurers by sending them messages and letters to help them fight against his “evil self”; “Ylle” or “The Other”. And through experimentation, one of the Co-Founders, Karin, obtained incredible powers at the cost of a part of herself becoming similar to the void. The group achieved victory over Ylle… However, this was the beginning of troubles, as shortly after that, Elly’s “Tabula Rasa Project” was implemented.
An enigmatic project that, through unknown processes, completely destroyed the region of Athena and reformed it with a few exceptions. For these same mysterious reasons, the adventurers of old resurfaced centuries after their disappearance…
And now, everything is set to begin anew…