In Arcanum Imperium[]
The Empire's ruthless pursuit of power and resources led to a series of heinous crimes and the breaking of taboos that ultimately fueled Zarathrum's descent into taboo means and profane arts, all driven by a deeply personal vendetta against the Empire.
1. Betrayal and the Forbidden Pact:[]
- In its insatiable thirst for magical dominance, the Empire formed an alliance with Zarathrum a once-prosperous kingdom with rich magical resources. Zarathrum had discovered a forbidden and ancient ritual that allowed a direct connection to the Spirit World, a realm of immense magical power. Desiring this knowledge, the Empire entered into a binding pact with Zarathrum.
- However, the Empire's true intentions were far from honorable. Once the secret of the Spirit World was revealed, the Empire betrayed Zarathrum and its king, Arthas, slaughtering their leaders and attempting to seizing control of the kingdom. This act of treachery became a point of no return, igniting Artha's personal vendetta as he awoke in undeath.
2. Desperation and Taboo Magic:
- Faced with the utter devastation wrought by the Empire, King Arthas, driven by despair and a burning desire for revenge, turned to forbidden and taboo means of magic. These included dark rituals, necromancy, blood magic, and demonology.
- As the kingdom plunged into darkness, the citizens saw no other way to combat the Empire's overwhelming forces. Taboo magic provided them with the strength they needed to defy the Empire, but it came at a tremendous cost to their humanity and morality.
3. Lich King's Personal Vendetta:
- The most profound manifestation of Zarathrum's personal vendetta was the rise of the Lich King Arthas. The former king of Zarathrum, betrayed and murdered by the Empire, refused to pass into the afterlife. Instead, he turned to dark necromantic arts to raise an army of the undead from the corpses of his subjects.
- Arthas, once a boon companion of the Emperor Lucius and the Hierophant Valerian before their rise - formed a secret mage circle with them in order to access and perform profane rituals to tap untold power. What he did not realize, is that he and the people of his kingdom he was about to inherit would be sacrificed in the heinous blood magic ritual which set into motion their ascent to the Imperial and Citadel thrones. Realizing that he had been be betrayed, Arthas released a necrotic spellbomb of untold power which engulfed his land and people. Setting the stage for his return.
- Arthas, driven by his seething hatred for the Emperor and Hierophant, became the embodiment of revenge. His transformation into the Lich King solidified Zarathrum's commitment to profane arts and their resolve to bring down the Empire at any cost.
Profane Arts:[]
- Profane arts are forms of magic that are considered taboo and dangerous by societal norms. They often involve dealing with dark forces, manipulating life and death, or making pacts with malevolent entities. Practitioners of profane arts often forsake their humanity and morality for power.
- Necromancy involves raising and controlling the dead. Blood magic uses life force as a source of power, often involving sacrifice. Demonology involves summoning and binding malevolent demons for power. Dark alchemy corrupts natural elements for destructive purposes.
In summary, the Empire's treacherous actions against Zarathrum pushed the kingdom and its people to the brink of despair. This desperation drove them to embrace taboo means and profane arts as a means of survival and revenge. The Lich King's personal vendetta against the Empire became a rallying point for Zarathrum, and their commitment to these dark arts deepened as they sought to bring the Empire to its knees and avenge their fallen kingdom.