The Darkness Released

Feeling betrayed, Vora decides to unleash the Darkness monster Yagorath to destroy the Realm and everyone in it.

## Story

Ever since she was young, Vora had heard about how Io loved them all, cared for them, and would protect them no matter what, even though she was broken and not herself, Vora believed. She would make a promise, she would join the martial order of warriors and protect the ancient seals deep in the Shattered Desert that held the Darkness at bay; Vora would protect the Realm and keep everything peaceful.

But, with the escalating conflict of the Crystal War, both the Magistrate and Resistance were searching for some means to defeat the other once and for all. The two sides would eventually be drawn into the desert by the Legend of the Shattered Desert, of the power that had turned the once lush forest into a near lifeless desert, as well as being attracted by strange tears in reality.

Naturally, when the two sides met, conflict was inevitable. At first, they battled in the Shattered Desert itself over the strange tears in reality, before later coming into conflict yet again in the desert town of Bazaar. The conflict was extreme, and the surrounding area fell victim to the battle. The conflict continued in the town, Jenos eventually managing to convince Io to join the battle and attack Corvus, nearly killing him and sending him running for his life, and soon after, the battle was over, the Magistrate and Resistance leaving for their own agendas.

Bazaar and the Shattered Desert had been left in pieces, death and destruction, Vora was furious, not just at the Magistrate and Resistance, who claimed to fight for justice, but just destroyed her home and killed her fellow warriors in one of their pointless battles, all before leaving without helping pick up the pieces, but also at her goddess, Io, for not appearing when she was needed most, for allowing all the warriors to die, for letting this happen at all. Surrounded by the bodies of her fellow warriors, Vora's outlook changed, believing individuals such as herself were nothing but replaceable pawns for the gods and large factions in the Realm, Vora became furious, deciding she would put an end to this cycle of suffering by putting an end to the Realm itself. Vora whispered into the Darkness, and the Darkness whispered back, making Vora an offer, to which she accepted, breaking her promise and unleashing the ancient chaos once held in the very seals she guarded, turning her into the Harbinger of the End of the Realm.

Vora would first return to her former hometown of Bazaar, destroying the large center statue of Io, before coming into conflict with the time-traveler Atlas, as well as his future father, Lex.

Following this, Yagorath, the Darkness monster that had been unleashed by Vora, had fully emerged from the ancient seals that once held her. In an effort to prevent the Realm from falling yet again, Atlas gathered a group of champions and lead them all into the desert in the hopes of stopping the monster before it could grow too powerful. Despite the advantage in numbers, as well as having powerful allies such as Io, Jenos, Imani, and Valera assisting in battle, the group failed to defeat Yagorath, who either managed to defeat them all, or fled the battle to cause chaos.

Yagorath would begin her rampage through the Realm, coming into conflict with many different champions as she made her way north towards Crosswind Hold, where she would encounter the full force of the Magistrate. Vora meanwhile, would remain in the southern part of the Realm, attacking those she deemed as threats towards their plans, such as the legendary assassin: Vatu.

As Yagorath continued to cause chaos, the Magistrate once again called on all loyal houses such as House Aico to assist them, though this too would ultimately do little to impede Yagorath's progress.

It seemed as though all was lost, that the Realm would once again fall victim to the corruption of the Darkness. But, thanks to recent events in the Realm causing the Abyss' influence to grow stronger, one of the oldest and most powerful Pyre Lords tasked with keeping the Realm free from Abyssal influence, Azaan, would descend into the Realm. He would easily defeat Yagorath before giving the Realm their final warning: deal with the Abyss, or have it be dealt with, by any means deemed necessary.

## Sources

This information comes from Vora, Yagorath, and Azaan's bios, Vora, Yagorath, Octavia, Vatu, Rei, and Azaan's teaser trailers (all linked below), their various Twitter teasers (also linked below), a large number of different dev statements, the Absolution Update Show, Rei's various teasers, Vora's card False Idol, and many of Yagorath's cards such End Of An Era, Out Of Time, Deadly Pursuit, Futile Efforts, The Great Worm, Last Efforts, Collateral Damage, and Towering Presence.

## Gallery

### Vora Teasers

* "When I was young, I believed in everything they told me. I believed that from the sky you looked over us and loved us all... even when you weren't yourself. I believed in you."
* "I swore an allegiance. I would protect your seal. I will keep our world at peace, keep the darkness at bay, and protect us all. Just as you would protect us. I still believed in you."
* "But the world didn't believe in anything. Everything grew dark and then somehow even darker. As every day passed and you denied us your light, innocents all died amongst the righteous crusades. I believed..."
* "I've forsaken you, in our darkest hours. Surrounded by the bodies of my brothers and sisters, I found a new god. I whispered into the darkness and they whispered back. I believe in me now."
* "When we are done with the Realm, no one will ever need saving, ever again. I will see to it myself."

### Yagorath Teasers

* "An awakening... And a hunger for destruction."
* "My precious harbinger began what I will finish. I cannot be stopped."
* "The outcome will always be the same, no matter the timeline. I am the beginning of the end."
* "Many have united against me... Only to be consumed together."
* "The Maw hungers. Let us feast."

### Octavia Teasers

* "We all have a duty to protect this Realm. We all have a duty to come together when it needs us most."
* "War has always pulled us apart. But the Harbinger ripped our Realm to shreds."
* "Our Realm cannot stand against this monster. Not alone. But together? I can lead us to victory."
* "Do not fear the Devourer. We've got a job to do, and I intend to see all of us through it."
* "We've got the numbers. Resolve. Firepower. What does she have? We stand and fight today!"

### Vatu Teasers

* "There are tales told throughout the Realm. Whispers of a figure cloaked in shadow, sensed but rarely seen."
* "Every hamlet has its own version of the legend. But every village has the same warning: Do not harm the Ska'drin, lest the shadow strike."
* "Children tell ghost stories tell of seeing his eyes, staring at you from the darkness. They say if you see him, it is already too late."
* "For this shadow is no mere story. Only his deeds have marked him legendary."
* "Whisper the name of Vatu. And fear that he will come for you."

### Rei Teasers

* "Just as Yagorath dwelled in the deep, the Realm still holds its secrets. From The Burrows or the Aico Tundra, my ears have always been listening."
* "Magic is the culmination of art and science. Aligned with the proper resources, my magic only grows."
* "Muscle can only get you so far in battle. Sorry Khan, but a sharp and cunning mind is needed for victory."
* "Through these toughest of times, I will solidify House Aico's place as a leader of this Realm."
* "We learn many lessons through our hardships and challenges ahead. But the most important always remains: knowledge is power. So I guess I'm pretty powerful."

### Azaan Teasers

* "Legend tells of the Eternal."
* "For centuries, it has been said that one day he would rise from his throne. While some hoped for his return, others feared what was to come."
* "What harbors Evil, he shall reclaim, with holy metal and Pyre's flame. Like a falling star he shall descend, and bring about the Darkness' end."
* "His flames will smother the Corruption's afflicted. But the enveloping blaze does not choose what remains."
* "They call him "Azaan, Lord of the Pyre." And he has arrived in our darkest hour, to stop an even greater evil from seizing power... But at what cost to the Realm?"

## Videos

**Directions**Anti-Abyss  •  Anti-Darkness  •  Nature Protectors  •  Neutral
**Groups** Bomb Kingdom  •  Deepwerks  •  Eternal Pyre  •  Followers of Io  •  House Aico  •  House Arturos  •  Outer Tribunal  •  Paladins (Former)  •  Red River Orcs  •  Sentinels  •  Shadow Tribunal  •  Summer Court  •  Tau-Kor Monastery  •  Thousand Hands Guild  •  Warders  •  Unknown Groups
**Noteworthy Items / Forces**Crystals  •  Magic  •  Souls  •  Warder's Key  •  Warder's Relic
**Notable Positions**Abyssal Lord  •  Border Lord  •  Grand Magister  •  Pyre Lord
**The Realm**Abyss  •  Aico Tundra  •  Crosswind Hold  •  The Eight Oceans  •  Enchanted Forest  •  Greenwood  •  Lunar Coast  •  Seris (Village)  •  Temple Isles  •  Trade Row  •  Warder's Watch
**Races**Abyssal Creature  •  Animal  •  Construct  •  Darkness  •  Dragon  •  Deities  •  Dwarf  •  Elemental  •  Elf  •  Faerie  •  Goblin  •  Human  •  Leipori  •  Orc  •  Pyre Creature  •  Ska'drin  •  Spirit  •  Stagalla  •  Tigron  •  Transformed  •  Undead  •  Vulpin  •  Wyrin
**Complete Timeline**Complete Timeline  •  Paladins Chronicles
**Story Arcs**Crystal Arc  •  Darkness Arc  •  Ska'drin Arc
**Time Periods**The Ancient Age  •  The Age of the Paladins  •  The Golden Age  •  The Age of Resistance  •  The Lost Future
**Notable Events**Dragon Scourge  •  Goblin Scourges  •  Golden Age  •  Crystal War  •  Koga's Revenge  •  Destruction of Seris  •  Battle of Ascension Peak  •  Warders Return  •  The Fight of the Shattered Desert  •  Shattered Goddess' Return  •  The Summoning of Raum  •  **The Darkness Released**  •  Shift of Power
**Other**NPCs  •  Updated Bios  •  Alternate Realities  •  Canon Skins  •  Statues  •  Legends  •  Misconceptions  •  Retcons  •  Character Feats  •  Alpha Lore