(Dusk) I still think on that creature from the Abyss that preyed upon me. my faculties were far from lucid, but I quite clearly sensed certain emotions. A wrenching nostalgia, a lost joy, an object of obsession and a sincere hope to reclaim it. Could these thoughts belong to the beast from the Abyss? But if that were true, then perhaps it is no beast after all. (Vaati) Four queens remain in empty kingdoms, all of them fragments of this creature that was vanquished long ago. We have seen examples of their evil in what remains. One stands alone in the ruins of her home, another rose from the ashes of a lost kingdom, and yet another gained the love of her king and used it to force him into a dark corner where he would forever think on his mistakes. But you will hear the tale of a fourth queen before the end of this story, and she will make you question everything that you previously held true. Alsanna, Queen of the Ivory King, also stands alone in an empty kingdom. (Alsanna) You... Approaching Eleum Loyce... Turn back... This dead city has nothing to offer... Go back... Do not seek the Old Chaos... Nor its twisted flame... (Vaati) Why do we build walls? Well there are two reasons. The first is more common. It's to protect something precious. But the second is much more rare and much more terrifying. It's to keep something from getting out. The walls of Eleum Loyce are those second kind of walls. The city is a Pandora's box, built to contain one of the most ancient evils the world ever knew. The Chaos. The Chaos did not always exist. It was born of fear and desperation long ago in the Age of Lords. Theirs was the earliest civilization built upon the first Flame ever to be. Four powerful beings derived their strength from this Flame for it gave them souls. One soul of Dark, one of Light, a soul of Death and a soul of Life. Inevitably, this first Flame began to dwindle and so too did the Lords. The Witch of Izalith, with great power over flame, thought to focus the power of her Life soul to create a New Flame. A second Flame that could replace the First so that their Age would not end. So the Witch and her daughters initiated this ritual. But something went wrong. The Flame she created was too powerful and she failed to control it. This was the birth of Chaos. The Witch and her sisters [daughters] were either killed or malformed and the Witch herself became the Bed of all Chaos deep below Izalith, a city lost to the twisted Flame. Countless demons spewed forth from the inextinguishable Chaos infesting Izalith until the land was overrun. Lifetimes later, the Bed of Chaos would be defeated but not destroyed. And after the rise and fall of many civilizations, the Chaos rose again in the country of Forossa, on a barren plain where Eleum Loyce was to be built. The Forossans were the ones who dealt with the Chaos for it had erupted on their land. Forossans are famed for their god of war valuing valor and combat prowess. Notable men of Forossa were Shieldless Lothian who grew tired of the frailty of human foes and set off to slay dragons. There was Vengarl, the mad beast of the battlefield, who claimed the heads of countless enemies. And there were the Forossan Lion Knights feared for their nimble two-handed swordplay. But the highest ranking knight, and the most famed of them all was the Ivory King of Forossa. After taking his crown, they say he was the first to swing his sword in times of need. Be it for his homeland or for his people. And his sword was required far to the north for the Old Chaos had resurfaced there once more. (Alsanna) This land is barren, cursed by the Old Chaos... It gave birth to atrocities and the people fled in fear... Until our lord the Ivory King came... (Vaati) With his sword, his soul and his Loyce knights, the Ivory King fought back the Chaos. When it was contained, they built Eleum Loyce; a vast rampart city. Golems patrolled the walls, given life by the Ivory King. They were charged with the containment of the creatures of the Chaos within. A cult of priestesses was formed who devoted themselves to a ritual that appeased the ancient Flame. The King himself erected his throne at the very entrance to Chaos for he wished to serve as the first line of defense. Any creature of Chaos that threatened his city would have to pass him first, and the King would not falter. It was here in Eleum Loyce that the Ivory King took a queen, Alsanna. It appears she was a woman of great power, for she possessed the same talent as the priestesses did and she quelled the Chaos Flame below. Together, in a city cut off from the rest of the world and facing constant peril, they were wed and they stood together despite the hardship. Like the other queens before her, Alsanna was born of Dark. She wed her king out of selfishness for she saw that the King of Forossa was strong and intended to find safety by his side. Nevertheless, the Ivory King loved her and supported this child of the Abyss even as he fought against the Flames of Chaos. Two ancient evils weighed upon the King. One in front of him, and one at his side. But even so, he weathered them both- for himself and for his people. There is evidence that having a child of Dark by his side weighed upon the King. He had seven pets, and two are found in the Outskirts of Eleum Loyce tasked with the mercy killings of those who were exiled from the city. Lud and Zallen are great cats. Brothers of Aava- a tiger that remains in the city itself. The two outside are cursed with a dark aura and one has to wonder whether they became this way due to the presence of Alsanna. For they are kept out of sight where none would report on their true nature or what the child of Dark was doing those who stood beside her. Inevitably, there came a moment where the Ivory King sensed the degradation of his own soul. In this moment, he made a decision. He would not run from Chaos. Rather, he would give himself to Chaos in order to appease the Flame. Without a word, he left his home, he left his wife and he left his country but not without one final act. For before he set off to strike at the heart of Chaos he entrusted everything to Alsanna. Upon his parting, he handed her Eleum Loyce- the city and a ceremonial blade by its namesake. The twin blades of Eleum Loyce, one light and one dark, were entwined as the Ivory King and his Dark Queen once were. He knew Alsanna was a child of Dark all along, but he said nothing. He believed her to be more than the sum of her parts and so she was. The King's belief in the Queen allowed her to rise above her dark nature. It was his final gift to her. But then he left, never to return. (Alsanna) Inevitably, the King was drained of vigor and plunged into the Chaos' heart. Eleum Loyce was frozen in time... Its leader lost... I remain here to contain the Chaos, honoring my Lord's wishes. Though I am yet to know your name, stranger... ... Will you lend me your strength? I have but one wish... That my dear Lord might be freed from that unspeakable Chaos. Many of Eleum Loyce's faithful knights followed their Lord into the Chaos. The King's dutiful subjects waited patiently for his homecoming... But it was too long a wait to bear... The knights, reborn, will follow your word. The path to Chaos is now open... And please... Do all you can.... (Vaati) Chaos claimed the Ivory King and many knights of Loyce. Many were burned along with their Lord and to this day, they burn in agony alongside their once proud King- lacking all sense of self and driven only to expunge those who might disturb the Flame even former compatriots. But those who survived fight with us now- commanded to strike down their former comrades and their own King. Their sacrifice is total and they freeze the portals so that we may face Chaos' new champion. What makes a king? Some say that it is birthright while others call it destiny. Perhaps, it is not important as long as the King's name serves to unite his people. The Ivory King was the greatest king we have seen so far. His sacrifice saved the world from Chaos and he was not changed by the child of Dark by his side. In fact, she alone remains despite her fearful nature and watches over Chaos out of respect for her Lord. Such was his influence over her. For Alsanna, we free the Ivory King's soul from the grip of Chaos. (Alsanna) You've granted my one wish... My dear Lord has departed... Now, I have no regrets... I was born amidst the Dark... Long ago in the depths of the Abyss my father perished... The Dark shattered into tiny pieces one of which was me... How frightful I was... A frail thing, born from but a splinter of Dark... I felt that I might simply disappear... I am in fact the incarnation of my father's fears. I saw that the King of this land was strong... I sought him out to sustain myself, to smother my fears... Now, I realize that he may have known all along... I was born of fear and my Lord provided comfort... And so here I remain, erst to my Lord's wishes... Watching over Chaos until the end of time... My father, once human, succumbed to Dark and later set in motion its raging advance... The Dark wanders, guided by its thirst for souls... But perhaps... Man is no different...
