The Ebon Regnorum

The Ebon Regnorum serves as the supreme governing council of the Acaronian Empire, established by Emperor Mal’acar Anorian to execute his decrees and manage the Empire’s vast domains. Rooted in Acaron’s Draethar temples, this assembly of lords wields arcane and martial power, each overseeing a critical sector of Imperial rule. Founded under Anorian’s reign, the Regnorum persists beyond his death, its members shifting through cycles of ambition and betrayal, their authority a dark pillar of the Empire’s enduring dominion.

Structure

The Ebon Regnorum comprises five lords, each granted the title “Vor” followed by a name bestowed upon them—reflecting their character or achievements—by the council or Emperor at their ascension (e.g., Corhyn became Vor Kharis, “Kharis” evoking unyielding resolve). These titles erase past identities, binding them to their role. The Emperor reigns above the council, not as a member but as its sovereign, with the Regnorum acting as his executors. The lords convene in the Conclave Sanctum, a rune-etched chamber in Acaron’s temple-city, their hierarchy defined by:

Vor of War: Leads the Imperial legions and fleets—commands conquests and defenses with strategic precision.
Vor of Secrets: Directs espionage—controls intelligence networks, manipulates foes, and guards Imperial shadows.
Vor of Rites: Masters arcane arts—oversees rituals, relics, and mystical power to bolster the Empire.
Vor of Chains: Binds subjugated worlds—enforces loyalty, assimilates cultures, and crushes resistance.
Vor of Harvests: Manages resources—extracts minerals, harnesses energy, and sustains the Empire’s needs.

Ascension requires proven loyalty and prowess—candidates face trials of combat, intellect, or subterfuge, often eliminating rivals. Lords serve until death or displacement, their successors rising through power plays among Draethar elite, overseen by the reigning Emperor.

Assets

The Ebon Regnorum commands a formidable array of resources that uphold the Acaronian Empire’s dominance, each overseen by a designated Vor to enforce the council’s will across the galaxy. These assets—spanning military might, arcane power, economic wealth, fortified strongholds, covert networks, and elite operatives—reflect the Regnorum’s ruthless control, with the synthetic Obiscore reserved solely for powering the Draethar’s Noctran Blades. From Acaron’s riftlands to Elydion’s spires, these resources ensure the Empire’s dread reach.

Military Assets:
The Vor of War commands the Empire’s martial forces, centered on the Draethar Legions—tens of thousands of infantry wielding Noctran Blades. These blades channel the compound’s energy into cutting arcs, capable of slicing through almost every known matter —their hum a feared sound on every planet of the galaxy. Fleets of dreadnoughts, patrol Imperial space—stationed at every imperial outpost and, their cannons devastate worlds with precision. Riftwings, agile fighters with kaerine-enhanced thrusters, swarm from carriers—deployed against Vorithra’s sanctuaries —while the Iron Phalanx, a mobile command fortress orbiting Acaron, directs legions with. These forces enforce the Empire’s will, their reach a threat to neutral hubs like Leviathan’s Rest.
Arcane Resources:
The Vor of Rites oversees the Empire’s mystical arsenal, stored in Acaron’s Draethar Temples—black stone complexes etched with rift-born runes. Codices, scribed in veil dust from Vorithra’s ruins, detail rites to summon Veil-shades—texts Kharis wielded to cloak legions. Relics include the Kaerith Shroud, a veylith lattice from Vorithra amplifying shadow rites, and the Rift Anchor, a pre-B.C. Acaron artifact splitting Veil rifts—both powered by rift energies, not Obiscore. The Sable Crucible, a forge beneath the Conclave Sanctum, refines vethrite into ritual wards—its output shielded dreadnoughts during Elydion’s fall. These resources, plundered from ancient sites and Veyd tombs, fuel the Empire’s arcane might (A.C.), traded covertly at Leviathan’s Rest.
Economic Holdings:
The Vor of Harvests manages resource extraction and trade, sustaining the Empire’s needs beyond Obiscore’s blade-bound role. Elythium mines on Elydion—carved post-conquest—yield crystals for dreadnought shields, worked by enslaved remnants of the Alliance. Vethrite deposits in Acaron’s riftlands, mined since the Scouring of Vhulra, power forges and temple rites—Vor Talys’s sabotage briefly stalled their flow. Therrazine rigs off Elydion’s coasts harvest gas for fleet fuel, restored after Talys’s defeat. Trade routes, secured by dreadnought patrols, link Acaron to Elydion via the Obsidian Exchange—a fortified market on Acaron’s plateau dealing in vethrite and plundered goods. These holdings, enriched by Vorithra’s spoils, drive the Empire’s relentless expansion.
Fortifications:
The Regnorum’s strongholds—Blackspire Citadels—anchor Imperial control, fortified by vethrite and rite-wards. Acaron’s Spire of Dominion, looming over the temple-city, houses the Conclave Sanctum—its vethrite core amplifies arcane rites. Elydion’s Ebon Crest, built on Ellyssia’s ruins, imprisons dissenters—elythium-lined walls dampen resistance. Frontier bases like the Veilwatch Spire, near Leviathan’s Rest, guard trade lanes—vethrite turrets deter scavengers. Rooted in Anorian’s designs (B.C.), these citadels blend stone and arcana—wards repel Veil incursions, barracks train legions. Kharis launched Vorithra’s purge from such bases, their durability cementing the Empire’s hold.
Espionage Network:
The Vor of Secrets oversees a pervasive web of operatives, relying on vethrite tech, not Obiscore. Shadow Cells—spies in Elydion’s Shadowbelts and Leviathan’s Bone Market—monitor gangs and smugglers with vethrite comms, feeding the Regnorum’s plans. Rift Listeners, agents with rift-tuned devices, intercept signals from Acaron to frontiers—Spectre 25 turned these against Vor Talys (late B.C.), foiling his scheme. The Crypt Vault on Acaron, vethrite-sealed, stores intercepted data—Alliance secrets guide operations. This network sowed chaos in Vorithra’s outposts —today, it tracks rogue Draethar and Veyd survivors.
Specialized Forces:
The Regnorum deploys elite units, with only the Noctran Blades tied to Obiscore. The Honor Guard, rift-born Draethar trained from youth, wield Obiscore-powered Noctran Blades—vethrite gauntlets enhance strikes, numbering hundreds, they shield the lords. Veil Stalkers, assassins under the Vor of Secrets, use veylith shadow rites—trained on Elydion’s canyons, they hunted Veyd stragglers. The Forgeborn, mystics serving the Vor of Rites, maintain the Sable Crucible—vethrite implants channel Veil energy, a craft Kharis honed. These forces, rooted in Acaron’s riftlands, enforce the Regnorum’s will, their precision a legacy of conquest.

History

The Ebon Regnorum traces its origins to Mal’acar Anorian, a Draethar warlord who claimed Acaron’s throne after Tyran Cassel’s reign (B.C.). Rising from the chaos following the disappearance of Tyran’s last scion, Anorian—proclaimed Emperor—forged the council to govern the Acaronian Empire’s burgeoning territories. Not as a member but their sovereign, he appointed the inaugural lords from his inner circle: seasoned commanders hardened by conquest and mystics steeped in Acaron’s rift-born arcana. Under his rule (B.C.), the Regnorum quelled rival Draethar factions—warbands and rogue lords fell in campaigns like the Scouring of Vhulra (B.C.), where vethrite mines were seized to fuel Acaron’s forges. Early offensives targeted neighboring systems, securing arcane resources and establishing the Empire’s foothold.

Mal’acar’s reign ended violently (B.C.) with his assassination by Vor Thalren, his first Vor of War, during a rift-storm ritual sabotaged by ambition. Anorian’s death—his form shattered by arcane backlash—left the Regnorum to govern in his stead, its lords asserting control rather than dissolving. Thalren’s bid for the throne faltered—his apprentice, Vor Kaelith, slew him in a duel within the Conclave Sanctum (B.C.), claiming the Vor of War title and cementing a tradition of treachery. The council stabilized Acaron, appointing new Emperors from Draethar ranks—by late B.C., the Regnorum had become a symbol of power, its influence growing amid internal strife and external expansion.

A critical challenge emerged decades later (late B.C.) when Vor Talys, Vor of Secrets, sought to claim the Empire for himself. Talys orchestrated a covert plot—disrupting vethrite shipments, seeding dissent among Draethar legions, and deploying spies to paralyze Acaron’s command structure—aiming to supplant the Emperor with a regime under his control. His scheme unraveled when Agent Spectre 25 of the Imperial Intelligence Agency (IIA) infiltrated his network—turning key operatives and exposing Talys’s plans. Spectre 25’s strike force—Honor Guard and assassins—raided Talys’s blackspire on Acaron’s riftlands, ending his bid with his execution (late B.C.). Talys’s flayed remains were displayed in the Conclave Sanctum, a grim deterrent—his failure preserved the Emperor’s rule and bolstered the IIA’s shadow presence.

The council’s defining moment came later with Vor Kharis, once Lord Corhyn de Corvan, who ascended as Vor of Rites (late B.C.). Kharis’s tenure marked the Empire’s galactic ascendancy—his purge of Vorithra (~2 B.C. to 1 A.C.) and conquest of Elydion (~0 A.C.) shattered the Galactic Alliance and its allies. Appointed for his mastery of arcane warfare, Kharis led the Vorithra campaign alongside the Vor of War—his rituals summoned Veil-shades to cloak Draethar legions, severing the Veyd’s Veil Nodes (~2 B.C.). Vorithra’s temples fell, its resources plundered for Acaron. The assault on Elydion followed (~0 A.C.)—Kharis’s rites cloaked fleets, while dreadnoughts bombarded the spires. The Vor of Chains bound survivors, the Vor of Harvests stripped elythium—the public execution of Sovereign Arctorios Kessle crowned the victory, his head atop Ellyssia’s spire signaling the Alliance’s end.

Post-conquest (early A.C.), the Regnorum faced new trials—Kharis vanished into the Black Void (circa 5 A.C.), a cosmic rift near Acaron, sparking a succession war. Vor Sernos claimed his title after a ritual duel that left three contenders dead—Sernos’s reign stabilized the council, though his vethrite rites drew scrutiny. Later (circa 200 A.C.), Vor Drayce, Vor of Chains, quelled a vethrite colony rebellion, only to perish in a sabotage by the Vor of Harvests, eager for his mines. Each Emperor since has navigated such power plays—lords rise and fall, balanced by the Conclave’s structure. In the present (A.C.), the Regnorum endures—Mal’acar Anorian’s vision persists through shifting Vor, their campaigns like Vorithra’s purge (~2 B.C. to 1 A.C.) and Elydion’s fall (~0 A.C.) etched into Imperial lore, their rule a crucible of dread amid constant intrigue.s.