6.6 Old Landmarks
Early in the Midnight Age, seven special landmarks were pivotal in the struggle between Devotion's acolytes and those who utilised Necromancy. Known to shift their essence and empower ritual magics, the landmarks fell out of power during a cascade of cataclysmic events spurred by the Globe of Balance.
The old landmarks were once an integral part of Aetolia's history. For information on Landmarks, the various waypoints around cities and towns, see HELP LANDMARKS or HELP MONUMENTS.
The Wars of Power
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The Wars of Power were a series of interlinked and brutal conflicts that started during the Age of Despair and continued into the Age of Conflict, centering around the Dark Empire and the Forces of Light fighting for control of their power.
History
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After Yetrent lost ownership of the Demon Blade (claimed to be stolen away by Hammerhead), he ordered the construction of several vessels of vast potential to allow the Dark Empire's reign to continue unabated. These mighty edifices, known as landmarks, were ritually constructed over what the ancients then understood to be sites of power. However, with today's modern understanding, we recognise them to be leyline nexuses.
Though Idar had fallen to Chakrasul by this point, one of his lieutenants, Maya, led the surviving Forces of Light that were not at the massacre at the former Castle of Illumination. Briefly, Maya led the Forces to seize one of the landmarks, demonstrating that wresting control and changing their aspect was even possible before the Dark Empire exterminated them in a bloody campaign.
Due to this threat, the few surviving Ankyreans, who had been scattered into isolated warlords since the collapse of their Order following the Grand Theomachy, once more reunited in Spinesreach. Together, they founded the second Ankyrean Order to halt the renewed advance of the Dark Empire and contest a landmark-empowered Yetrent through sheer ascendant power. This stalemate would usher in the Age of Conflict, when the Wars of Power truly kicked off. With the Dark Empire's focus turned north towards Spinesreach, the Light once more found its strength in the Prophetess Kayalenki. Born in isolated Kelsys, whose unfathomable depths and enchantments guarded them against the Dark Empire, Kayalenki was bestowed prophecy from a Djinn during a trip to the surface.
What followed was the formation and rapid rise of the Illuminai as new hope spread amongst all the conquered settlements of the Dark Empire.
The Illuminai and Dark Empire warred for many years over the landmarks, as Kayalenki used Maya's former discovery to subvert control of landmarks. Throughout the Wars, all the landmarks would change aspects multiple times - sometimes including the Illuminai briefly controlling them all, until Yetrent himself would personally take field to wrest them back. During one such instance, an ambush was arranged between the Illuminai and the Ankyrean Order. As the Illuminai desperately fought for control of all landmarks, the Ankyreans ambushed Yetrent with a circle of seven Spirit-channelers. Their combined magic annihilated his physical form, trapping him as a wretched spirit. This, in turn, led to the slow downfall of the Dark Empire, now led by Imal, Yetrent's second in command, until eventually they collapsed with the fall of Bloodloch.
Following this, the Ankyreans and Illuminai reached a mutual agreement over the landmarks and sealed their power. After the execution of the Illuminai by Shallam's sultan, and following the collapse of the Ankyrean Order to Severn's machinations, the landmarks briefly awakened again in the Midnight Age when their bindings faltered. Devotees and Necromancers warred for control of the landmarks once more in the early years of Midnight until each landmark was destroyed in a series of connected cataclysms instrumented by the Globe of Balance, an artifact known to manipulate powerful energies in its own right through what mystics referred to as 'seams'.
The Seven Landmarks
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There were seven prominent landmarks in total. More existed beyond this number, but they were either deemed failures or were used for more esoteric purposes than mere power.
1) Sphinx
Location: Mhojave (formerly)
Light aspect: the Sapphire Sphinx
Dark aspect : the Ruby Sphinx
The Sphinx was the first landmark created, mainly by the Mhun of Moghedu, overseen by the dark gaze of Yetrent. Control of the Sphinx was historically earned through riddles.
2) Garden
Location: the Aalen Forest/Bloodwood
Light aspect: Garden of Rapture
Dark aspect : Garden of Midnight
Located on Tsol'aa holy ground, the Dark Empire seized the site to construct this landmark. With the complete scouring of the Bloodwood during the Second War of Night, this landmark is presumed to be completely destroyed. Control of the Garden was historically earned through the release of butterflies.
3) Totem
Location: Ulangi
Light aspect: Living Totem
Dark aspect : Stygian Totem
The ancient Dendaric fae, known as the King Stag, once constructed this totem to ward off the lich, Melkhiour. Allying with Melkhiour, the Dark Empire desecrated the totem with a fell ritual, marking its beginnings as a landmark. Control of the Totem was historically earned through supporting the King Stag or Melkhiour in some manner.
4) Tree
Location: Western Ithmia
Light aspect: Tree of Renewal
Dark aspect : Barren Bough
Other known aspects: Tree of Stasis
The Tree was once a Dryad priestess of Lleis. When she died, a new sapling took root in the forest where her body touched the ground, growing into the Tree of Renewal. Sensing its potential as a landmark and having previously failed to claim the Ithmias by force, Yetrent sent saboteurs into the forest to enact the necessary ritual. Control of the Tree was historically earned through melting icicles of water onto it, with the standard choices of pure or toxic water altering the landmark's aspect.
5) Falls
Location: Dun Valley
Light aspect: Celestial Falls
Dark aspect : Blood Falls
Other known aspects: Bloodflower Falls
The waters of the Dun waterfall had long been rumoured in ancient times to contain mystical properties - in reality, this was due to the influence of the major leyline nexus beneath the valley that made the waterfall a prime site for creating a landmark. Control of the Falls was historically earned through buckets of blood.
6) Shrine
Location: Shrine of Ascension, Siroccians (formerly); Archaeological dig site, Siroccians (present)
Light aspect: Pillars of Maya
Dark aspect : Fist of Dameron
During the creation of the landmarks, Yetrent experienced a rare internal rebellion. A power-hungry man named Anur attempted to subvert Yetrent by redirecting the energy of the landmarks thus far to himself. He fled to the Siroccian mountains with his followers and tried to use the subverted power to ascend to Godhood. Incensed, Yetrent beseeched the Emperor Golgotha for aid in handling the traitor. Possessing a favourable opinion of the Indorani, the Emperor sent his son Dameron to put a premature end to Anur's plans personally.
In Dameron's honour, Yetrent ordered the construction of the Shrine of Ascension landmark. Comprised of five great pillars, the shrine was built to represent the Prince of Chaos's indomitable fist.
Lieutenant Maya would later seize control of this landmark, swaying its aspect to the Light through fervent prayers. In doing so, she proved that the landmarks were more than just vessels for dark power and that they could pave the road to the Light's ultimate victory throughout the Wars of Power.
Control of the Shrine was historically earned through prayers to Dameron or Maya.
7) Cave
Location: Tasur'ke
Light aspect: Crystal Cave
Dark aspect : Obsidian Cave (also known as the Cave of Golgotha)
Other known aspects: the Starlight Cavern
Originally a natural formation beneath Tasur'ke, the Cave first gained significance when it became a refuge for children of the seaside village who were orphaned by storms and maritime disasters. The Dark Empire's attention was eventually drawn there by Emperor Golgotha, whose affinity for sorrow and despair led to the ritual sacrifice of all that made the Cave their home as payment for the Emperor's earlier aid over the Shrine. The atrocity allowed for the subsequent creation of a landmark at this site of power.
This landmark was the one that remained in the Dark Empire's control the longest, for the Illuminai could not initially discern a method of controlling it. It was only by pure happenstance that the construction of an orphanage in Shallam resulted in a change to its aspect. The Light's faithful found that each rescued child symbolically cleansed the corruption, and their work eventually led to transforming the obsidian of the caves back into crystal.
The Dark Empire would soon construct their own 'orphanage', where children were promised hope only to have it brutally transformed into despair when their true fate was revealed to them.
Other Landmarks
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As previously mentioned, more landmarks existed beyond the seven. Of them, only two retained any prominence:
1) Orrery
Location: Grand Library (formerly); Scidve mountains (present)
Day aspect : Fulgent Prototype
Night aspect: Sable Apparatus
Constructed later in history, the Orrery was known to manipulate the length of day and night and was historically controlled through painting it.
Long after the Orrery had fallen into disrepair, it was revitalised and moved to the Scidve Mountains by the Progenitor of the Consanguine, Abhorash. After doing so, the landmark's purpose was irrevocably changed. You can find more details on this history in HELP ORRERY.
2) Hourglass
Location: Shastaan/Mournhold
Day aspect : Solar Horologe
Night aspect: Tenebrous Glass
Like the Orrery, this was also constructed later and used to manipulate the length of day and night. Control of the Hourglass was historically earned through changing the sand found inside of it. The Hourglass was lost when the Kerrithrim awoke, and scholars presume that it sank into the ocean's depths.
Other known landmarks include the Valley and the Mirror, though as these were deemed failures, little information has been recorded about them.
