It was in the year 732 of the Empire's Age that disaster struck. Emperor Aethan, in the height of his power, was found dead—his body entombed in a sarcophagus of magical steel, untouched by time, but with no signs of foul play. No heir remained. The Emperor’s once-celebrated bloodline was discovered to be entirely wiped out, and no successor emerged who could claim the throne with any degree of legitimacy. The Solar Throne, which had stood as a symbol of the Empire’s unity, became a bitterly contested relic, casting its long shadow over the crumbling Empire.
With Aethan’s sudden and mysterious death, the Empire fell into chaos. Noble Houses, once loyal to the crown, turned on each other, each one vying for control over the fractured land. Without a central authority, power devolved into a deadly game of ambition, vengeance, and desperation. The divisions between the races that had been papered over during Aethan’s reign were suddenly thrown into stark relief.