Today, on the sixteenth of May, in the year of our Lord, 1924, I have beholden a deity.
In my decades of traversing the Backrooms, I have heard of many 'gods' within, entities of truly impressive might. But I never expected to see one in person.
But now I have...it was beyond even my wildest dreams.
I was doomed, fallen into the depths of the void below the void, strewn with items and objects of odd varieties.
But then, I saw it. It stepped out of that glowing gate, into this gaping abyss.
A figure, bathed in a blinding brilliance, exuded a stifling aura of such intensity as to render everything in the vicinity completely motionless. As if time and space were frozen; as if the fabric of existence itself was bowing to the majesty of this exalted being.
My heart shook as I laid my eyes on this divine figure, taking in the sight of its unimaginable power.
Now this...
This was something worthy of being called a God.
This godly benefactor plucked me from the realm of the dead, and brought me back to the realm of the living. I know now, that a true divinity exists within our reality. A god should be beyond comprehension, should they not?
Events may become tales, tales may become legends, legends may become myths, and myths may become nothing, but I will never forget this sight as long as I live.
> INVICTUS-8 LEVEL CREDENTIALS ARE REQUIRED T0 ACCESS THE REMAINDER 0F THIS FILE.> CREDENTIALS C0NFIRMED, 0PENING EMBEDDED D0CUMENT CHILDREN.BUL...
> RUNNING ALL-NET DIAGN0SIS...SCREENING F0R STATUS 0F PRI0RITY ASSETS...
* B.F.L STATUS - ACTIVE
* STATUS 0F HUMANITY - ACTIVE, 987,142,031,923 PINGS
* QUANTUM N0DE STATUS - 0PERATI0NAL
* PR0JECT W.0.D.A.N STATUS - 68% C0MPLETI0N, ETA 392 YEARS
* LAST TIME 0F SYSTEM-WIDE CHECK - 629 SEC0NDS AG0
ALL SYSTEMS 0PERATI0NAL, BYPASSING FILE L0CK...
However, do you know why the so-called Godslayer is being constructed?
This may seem almost preposterous to those of our day and age, but once upon a time, there were gods amongst the stars. They were not long in this universe, but they left in their wake an undeniable mark on its history. Their impact reaches us even through the vast gulf of time and space we are separated from their distant era. And there's something even more alarming.
Ghosts of the distant past have begun to surface, bringing turmoil to a universe that has not seen widespread war in almost ten billion years. It seems like the universe is about to descend into another age of chaos. Therefore, in lieu of these recent developments, it is wise to know the beings who started this all.
Of course, this isn't the only reason why we're showing you this file.
We must remember to be humble. We must never forget that we stand upon the shoulders of giants, that no matter how far we go, no matter how much we advance, that if we do not possess the power to slay gods, — even then, we must tread carefully — there will always be a bigger fish. We are but a small, insignificant fish in an even smaller pond.
There are seas and oceans beyond our narrow point of view.
This time, we simply cannot afford to be arrogant. If we grow complacent and overconfident like our predecessors, the B.F.L will fall; and this time, there won't be a second chance. Humanity itself will fall with it.
Prepare.
““Long, long ago, there were gods amongst the stars. Wars of unimaginable scale were waged across the universe, and entire swaths of space were swept clean. These were the Dawn Wars, where the spawn of the Empyrean Sea waged unceasing war for supremacy over the cosmos. Where did they go?”
— Excerpt of a record of extraterrestrial origin, found in Level 94. The record in question has been dated back to 9.1 billion years prior to the present.
Description
““All other 'gods' are nothing before them. They are existence itself borne fruit; it is only just to bow before these mighty divinities.”
— The Archpriest of the Grand Church of the Empyrean, last of the Envoys of the Emperor of Dominion. Dated to 10.1 billion years ago.
The Children of the Empyrean Sea, Empyreans, or the Children are the most common names for the near-extinct race of nigh-immortal beings who were birthed along with the universe, the Frontrooms itself. Legends from the records of long-extinct, extremely ancient civilizations testify to this fact almost universally, even before the Dawn Wars began. The Empyrean race themselves claim to have been born within a higher-dimensional space named the 'Empyrean Sea', and were compelled to enter the Frontrooms from birth. It is unknown how much of this statement is truth, and how much is a fabrication of the Children themselves; so the validity of this claim is questionable at best.
However, the Empyreans have universally been characterized as beings of truly immense power, their near godlike poise surpassing nearly anything that has ever existed within the bounds of our cosmos. The sheer might of some of these Empyreans boggles the mind; from holding complete authority over an entire concept, such as time, to destroying vast civilizations in the blink of an eye. Their ontokinetic and paraphysical abilities are of such magnitude that, up to the present, Entity Zeta is the only confirmed Class Omega-VII entity in the entire B.F.L database. Rightly so, as one individual of this race, known as the Exalted One, is the likely culprit behind the creation of the Backrooms.
Individual members of the race possess control over a concept or a set of concepts, such as the concept of time. They are, in every possible definition of the term, movers and shakers of the cosmos. Perhaps, as many suggest, their 'wars' for supremacy over our small universe were but a glorified game of chess for these elevated existences.
However, the race is nearly extinct, with only one known individual known to be still alive; said individual is currently in a dormant state. However, the constructs, relics, and legacies the race has left behind still pose a potential existential threat to the B.F.L and it's interests, and therefore, the development of a greater infocomplex concerning the race and the activities of individual members is a Code 0 Priority directive of all departments of the B.F.L and affiliated groups.
> 0PEN INSERTED MESSAGE?> 0PENING...
Only time will tell if we are on the right path. Until then, we will continue to scour the universe for traces of lost gods...just as my ancestors did for generations.
Fellow Impresarios, are we sure about this?
> END 0F MESSAGE
Behavior
““Our gods have betrayed us. For eons we believed ourselves to be fighting a holy war for salvation on behalf of our gods, fighting against vile demons who must be vanquished. But it was all a lie. We were but pawns in a universal chess game.”
— A time capsule recovered from the depths of Level Origin, dated to around 10.7 billion years ago.
The temperament and personality of members of the Children of the Empyrean Sea are known to be highly variable from Empyrean to Empyrean. Some Empyreans were known for their benevolence and went out of their way to help intelligent species, and some were extremely hostile, slaughtering any sentient being that appeared before them. However, one common trait of all Empyreans is their nomadic lifestyle. Some individuals were said to traverse the entire universe, end to end, dozens of times; perhaps almost all Empyreans have done this journey at least once. Empyreans also have been cited to possess a drastically different perception of time compared to other races, due to their virtual immortality and their great strength.
Empyreans also often take in several 'client races', races whom receive the protection and gifts of the Empyrean in question, and serve him/her/it unswervingly. These client races are often used as foot soldiers in wars between Empyreans, with the intensity and frequency of these events coming to a head during the Dawn Wars. Before this period, actual fatalities of Empyreans in these conflicts were extremely far and few between.
The emotional range of the Empyrean race is said to encompass several hundred different emotions which have no human equivalent. This can be largely explained by the vast intellects of Empyrean individuals, whose mental faculties involve thought processes and psychological reactions beyond the reach of the human mind, even enhanced.
It is said that the attack methods of an Empyrean are unfathomable. In the vast majority of instances where such an event is occurring in close enough proximity to be witnessed, the basic structure of reality is torn asunder, rendering direct observation unfeasible.
Needless to say, surviving a direct attack by an Empyrean towards one's person is simply impossible. Still, the extreme improbability of encountering an Empyrean in person, along with the low likelihood of actual aggression, makes this potential situation far less foreboding.
> 0PEN INSERTED MESSAGE?> 0PENING...
I have had a frightening thought.
Considering the intelligence of the Empyrean race, is it not possible that the exterior disposition of these entities are but a faux? An impenetrable mask for something more sinister?
The ramifications of such a possibility, however remote, warrant our organization to remain on guard with any such members of the Children we may or may not encounter in the future.
> END 0F MESSAGE
Capabilities And Biology
““The material bodies of the spawn of the Empyrean Sea were anything but mortal. In all likelihood, their physical forms would be impervious to essentially any type of physical damage. Nevertheless, by some curious method, other members of their kin were capable of wounding them through such means. It is really quite baffling.”
— The Head Researcher of the Bootes Institute, circa 11.1 billion years ago.
The biology of individuals of the Empyrean race, if it can even be called that, is extremely alien and incomprehensible to the human point of view. The internal structure of an Empyrean is somewhat of an enigma, but the outer appearance differs depending on the identity of the observer.
- To other Empyreans, they can be observed in their 'true form', whose appearance is difficult to describe in ways compatible with baseline human senses, as Children possess exceedingly divergent sensory faculties as compared to other races.
Their appearance is known to be formed in abstract ways, with the concept/concepts of the specific Empyrean being reflected upon the Empyrean in a highly abstruse manner. Due to this, only other Empyreans can know whether a specific individual is afflicted with the Blight, a disease of madness which affects the psyche of an Empyrean whose mentality has crumbled due to the passing of time or other factors; the disease is visually reflected only on the 'true form' of said entity.
- To humanoid races, they are observed in a humanoid form, with the only variations being the size, proportions, and number of appendages of the body.
A good example would be Resserans, who are bipedal, two-armed humanoids with structural similarities to old Earth tetrapods. Their main Empyrean, a god of machines and technology, appeared to them as a four-legged, two-armed upright mechanical torso with three fingers on each hand.
- To non-humanoid races, they would resemble a slightly altered form of an individual of said race, with minor structural differences and an exterior appearance possessing motifs which align with the representation of the Empyrean's concepts within the race's culture.
If such an analogue does not exist, the exterior of the Empyrean will assume a form which gradually manifests itself in the collective psyche of an observer's race as a motif of the respective concepts each Child holds influence over. The method by which this occurs is generally believed not to be performed consciously by the Children themselves.
There are also a few known details about the internal structure of the bodies of Empyrean individuals. Statements have suggested that the physique of the Children is largely constituted by higher-dimensional matter weaved into the fabric of reality, allowing to continue to exist despite the disparity in dimensional complexity compared to the medium. Other details are sparse, as corpses of deceased Empyreans quickly dissipate into nothingness, leaving no trace at all. This specific quality gives credence to the possibility that the Children of the Empyrean Sea are energy-based beings, their consciousness keeping their figure intact through sheer will.
The capabilities and powers of the Empyrean race however, are a different matter entirely. The instances of reality-warping and pure destructive potency claimed to be performed by the race are as numerous as they are impressive. The exact level of competence attained by each individual can vary though.
Several feats attributed to the Empyreans are as follows:
- Unbelievable destructive capacity, sufficient to allow the complete and utter devastation of an entire supercluster(hundreds of thousands of galaxies along with the empty and different-dimensional space contained within) with a single thought. Rumored battles beyond the current plane of existence occupied by baseline reality destroyed vast expanses of higher-dimensional areas, their aftershocks even affecting this universe.
- Reality manipulation involving the manifestation of higher-dimensional spaces, each exceeding the size of several planets, at minimum.
The most impressive achievement of this type by an Child is the creation of the potentially infinite number of such spaces by the Empyrean known as the Exalted One, some even larger than the whole observable universe.
- A monstrous degree of durability, able to tank attacks that can annihilate major sections of the universe with essentially no difficulty. Mortals must use very special means in order to inflict any degree of significant damage upon any Empyrean.
- Speeds exceeding that of the speed of light, appearing to observers as if it were teleportation. Some Empyreans create wormholes in order to traverse vast distances in the blink of an eye.
- Intelligence exceeding any natural-born race in the universe, matched only by the greatest of supercomputers. It can be as if they can predict the future itself.
Empyreans also form a single fabricated Artifact, embodying their nature and often utilized as a focusing device for channeling their extreme powers. These artifacts themselves possess magic-like abilities, keeping these even after their creators have perished. New wielders need to be acknowledged by the Artifact before fully activating it, changing the size to that which can be used efficiently by the new user. These objects are highly sought after, and being in possession of one without the necessary strength to keep it will likely result in one's untimely death. Generally though, the user will receive a substantial boost in power from the Artifact, especially if it takes the form of weaponry — giving an edge to the obtainer.
It is quite likely this is nowhere near the true might of the Empyrean race; mortal races are simply too weak to understand the motives and means of such elevated existences.
> 0PEN INSERTED MESSAGE?> 0PENING...
We have labored for centuries, searching for truth.
Our Gods, we shall seek.
For when blades of gray are stained with crimson, that is when men descend into the most carnal of emotions. Rage.
> END 0F MESSAGE
Discovery and History
““When we were birthed from the primordial sea, we knew no purpose whatsoever; we were as pure as jade. Alas, over the eons, most of us have assumed our forms and dispositions, and some have even descended into madness, wreaking havoc across the cosmos. The rate of this has only accelerated over the ages. If this continues, we will all surely perish.”
— An unknown Child of the Empyrean Sea. Date of recording unknown.
The discovery of the existence of the Children of the Empyrean Sea is a universally world-shaking revelation for all races which come to know of them. Some races have yet to learn, the only traces of the Empyreans rooted deep in their mythologies and legends. When it occurs, it often leads many of the more religious and spiritually-inclined civilizations into a zealous frenzy, descending into madness and insanity, their entire belief system broken beyond repair. Even more secular, level-headed civilizations are often fundamentally changed in some way or another.
Subsequently, humanity's day of reckoning, although prolonged, fundamentally changed the cultural complex of all nations and organizations that existed at the time, thereby heavily influencing the future path of our race.
On October 2nd, 2033, the first known incontrovertible piece of evidence for the existence of the Empyrean race emerged, in the form of Level 94. In a M.E.G expedition deep into the level, the task force encountered the facsimile of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast which had formed within. At the time, entering the structure was impossible, due to the inability of the task force to decipher the unintelligible script which evidently explained how to enter the apparently unbreachable building.
It took 11 years for the M.E.G's cryptography division to fully translate the language, now known as the Common Script, the language used by most advanced civilizations in the universe. The instructions were also translated, detailing the method to enter the Temple; through an advanced magitech ritual involving several substances that were scarce at the time.
After painstakingly acquiring these materials, a more well-equipped task force was able to breach the edifice. Inside, they discovered the imitations of the Grand Empyrean Artifacts, one of which had been taken by [DATA EXPUNGED]. Furthermore, a vast repository of information concerning the Empyrean race was uncovered, allowing the human species at last, to learn of the existence of the Children. Great societal turmoil followed for several hundred years, eventually resulting in the M.E.G and other major groups at the time merging to become the modern B.F.L, unified at last.
Most of the known information concerning the Empyrean race was garnered from the vast Hall of the Empyrean Gods within the temple, adjacent to the Artifact chambers. Other snippets of knowledge gained by the B.F.L has also been used to supplement that main source — a conclusion that our organization has come to after more than a thousand years of study is that the history of the Children of the Empyrean Sea is as long as it is convoluted. Below is an approximate timeline constructed by the B.F.L's Historical Department; all dates are listed in years BP, or before present:
An [*] after a sentence denotes a lack of concrete evidence supporting the existence of an event. A [~] before the date represents an estimated time of occurrence for the specific event.
- Birth of the Frontrooms and the Children of the Empyrean Sea.* ~ 13.8 billion years BP.
- Birth of life, notable signs of interference by Empyreans. ~ 13.7 billion years BP.
- The firstborn civilizations emerge. — 13.5 to 13.4 billion years BP.
- First galactic-scale civilizations arise, all client races of Children. — 13.5 billion years BP.
- The Dawn Wars begin. — 13 billion years BP.
- Rebellions against the Empyreans by their client races begin in earnest, leading to the loss of several Artifacts. ~ 10.7 billion years BP.
- Battle at the Crystal Palace, end of the Dawn Wars, and the near-extinction of the Children of the Empyrean Sea. — 10 billion years BP.
- The Exalted One's physical body manifests in the Bootes Void, witnessed by several multi-galactic civilizations. ~ 8.9 billion years BP.
- A surge of gravitational waves coincide with the first records of the series of extradimensional spaces known to the B.F.L as the Backrooms. — 8 billion years BP.
- Discovery of Level Origin. — 1432 years BP(2022 AD).
- Discovery of Level 7.01 and the Envoy of the Conjurer of Fears imprisoned inside. — 1430 BP(2024 AD).
- Clues from the level discovered the year prior lead to the discovery of Level 1111 and the Elderstar Church. — 1429 BP(2025 AD).
- Discovery of Level 94 and the imitation of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast within. — 1421 years BP(2033 AD).
- Discovery of an Empyrean Artifact within the Virgo Supercluster results in internecine warfare throughout the Virgo Supercluster over control of the object. ~ 989 years BP(2465 AD).
- Upsurge in reports of incidents throughout the Local Group related to the Empyrean race in some way or another. Signs of the Exalted One stirring from dormancy for the first time in over two billion years. — 46 years BP(3408 AD).
Note that this information is not the full extent of the B.F.L's knowledge concerning the Children. Certain, more sensitive events have been removed from this list. As the release of confidential information, however limited, poses a potential security risk to the human race, there will be no exceptions.
> 0PEN INSERTED MESSAGE?> 0PENING...
The human race is extremely lucky to have been blessed with a liminal sector with such special characteristics as 94. However, as my husband once said, these are things beyond comprehension. There are bound to be things we cannot hope to know.
And things we do not want to know.
> END 0F MESSAGE
Known Members
There are eleven members of the Empyrean race known to the B.F.L, out of the 'almost ten thousand' cited by various extraterrestrial ancient sources. Therefore, there is a veritable sea of information which the Historical Department of the Backrooms Federation of the Liminal has no knowledge about, and all subsequent information should not be taken at face value; changes and updates will be made as new information becomes available.
Of these eleven, ten are of the Grand Empyreans, the greatest of the Empyrean race in power and/or influence.
The other is the 'Lord' referenced by the ancient tale of 'The Lone Soldier', a ten billion year old folktale of the last Champion of the still-extant humanoid Resseran race; said civilization dominates the majority of the Virgo Supercluster, and current observation through space-time rifts ranks their technological achievement as exceeding the Class X, Extra-dimensional level(energy capabilities approaching Type 3.5 on the Kardashev Scale). Therefore, acquiring further intelligence in the near future about this specific Empyrean is deemed impossible, due to the B.F.L only possessing low-end Class VII, Pre-warp level technology and the energy capability of a Type 2.1 civilization.
Further classifications of technology levels are available in this document.
Further information about these entities is provided below, in portfolios compiled through detailed analysis of the records available. All depictions of said Empyreans are in their humanoid form, and if known, the Empyrean Artifacts of the respective Children are listed in as much detail as is available.
Lord of Apparatus - Deceased
““The Machine God was consumed by his own ambition.”
— An artificial intelligence construct of the Resseran race who was active during the Dawn Wars. Statement was recorded 8.3 billion years prior to the present.
A fractal depiction of the Lord of Apparatus; as will become apparent shortly, the complexity of this pattern cannot be compared to that of the Grand Empyreans.
Little other information is known concerning this entity's capabilities and client races, except for his subjugation and subsequent defeat at the hands of the Resseran race, who were client races of the entity approximately 12 billion to 10.4 billion years ago. Records suggest that at the time, the Resseran race were far weaker than they are at present, having been conquered as an approximately Class V, Type 1.2 civilization.
Nevertheless, the Resserans somehow defeated the Lord of Apparatus and drove him out of their territory, regaining independence. Little is known about the history of the entity after this point, but it is known for certain that he ultimately died at the Battle of the Crystal Palace, like almost all other Empyreans. In hindsight, the comparatively low level of development that the Resseran civilization was at that point in time, circumstances lead many to suggest that they received the help of another Empyrean in overthrowing their god.
Details about the Lord of Apparatus' Artifact are unknown, with sources giving conflicting claims. Some theories suggest that the Artifact fell into the hands of the Resseran race, but these rumors are unconfirmed. It can be assumed that this Artifact gave the wielder some sort of power relating to machines and technology.
Ruler of Seas - Unknown, Presumed Deceased
“
“Where he walked, the seas followed.”
— Source unknown and date of recording approximately 12.5 billion years BCE.
An abstract representation of the entity named the Ruler of Seas; note that this and any succeeding depictions are oversimplified, corresponding to the limits of human mental capacity.
Very little is known about this Empyrean, due to the entity in life being highly reclusive — overall not garnering much attention whatsoever. However, soon other Empyreans recognized him for his immense raw power, and he was bestowed the title of Grand Empyrean. Similarities to 'Poseidon', a deity of the ancient human city-states of Greece, warrant further study as to the nature and activities of this mysterious Grand Empyrean.
This Empyrean's Artifact was known as the Trident of Monolith, an enormous ten-meter tall trident which was noted to appear to be constituted of a form of granite, among other types of metamorphic and igneous stone. The inferior copy of this object retrieved from the replicated imitation of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast on 12/23/2731 also displayed a very similar exterior appearance, and testing revealed it to indeed be made up of various types of rock, generally ones deep within rock strata. However, despite the outward structure, during testing the material composing the object displayed various anomalous properties, including:
- Extreme resistance to physical trauma, pressure, and heat.
A 90 exawatt(90 times 10^18 watts) yield high-frequency gamma-ray laser was used in order to attempt to extract samples from the relic; the energy of the laser beam was entirely absorbed by said object with no observed change in the level of electromagnetic radiation, exterior appearance, or the stability of reality in the vicinity.
- Constant absorption of all liquids in contact with the surface of the Artifact at a rate of approximately 900 liters per second.
This is accompanied by an emittance of electromagnetic radiation from the surface of the object with a wavelength of 450 nanometers, observed by the human eye as a sheen of blue light at an intensity of 230 lumens.
- Inability to be moved, shifted, or otherwise transported within three-dimensional space, other than through direct manipulation of gravitational forces.
The reason for this selectivity is unknown, and the Artifact in legends was said to be able to manipulate gravitational fields at will. Up to now, the Anomalous Assets Division has been unable to either activate and/or harness the secondary abilities of the duplicated Artifact. Similarly, the presumed conditions for Artifact activation are also unknown.
All of these anomalous capabilities can be assumed to be even greater in magnitude for the true Artifact, whose location is currently inaccessible; the spatial coordinates of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast have been triangulated to an area of space currently occupied by the TON 618 hypermassive black hole. The properties of the Artifact's copy lead many to theorize that the Grand Empyrean, the Mistress of Space and Time, had a hand in the modification of the object. This is made more plausible due to the existence of a variety of ancient sources citing an amiable relationship between the two Grand Empyreans. The ultimate fate of the Ruler of Seas is unknown, but it can be safely assumed that the Empyrean died at the end of the Dawn Wars, along with the vast majority of the Empyrean race.
Ào Shù, Asura of the East - Deceased
“
“His flame could burn through everything; including himself.”
— Unknown source and date of recording.
The fiery archetypes of Ao Shu's fractal representation have been reported to send some individuals into a state of near-death, after which they report feeling a burning sensation of nearly unbearable magnitude.
Ào Shù seldom made appearances to others, preferring to reside in solitude within his personal pocket dimension. The White Flame King only appeared during major battles, usually slaying several other Empyreans on the battlefield before leaving as soon as he had arrived. The reason that the so-called Asura of the East was able to slaughter so many Empyreans en-masse was due to his incalculable pyrokinetic abilities, generating and moving flames at absurd speeds. Flames controlled by the entity were not natural; they possessed the ability to burn through essentially any structure in the universe, including higher-dimensional matter.
This effect was only further enhanced by the Empyrean's Artifact, the Epilogue: Dao of Shifting Flame. Assuming the shape of a glowing slate of an unknown material, this Artifact is said to transform into four different modes.
- Sword of Hellfire: This mode takes the form of a one-edged blade, made of the same sort of material as the original Artifact, but without the luminescence. The blade itself is extraordinarily sharp, capable of cleaving hyperdimensional space in two, and generates crimson fire when it is swung.
- Solar Morningstar: This mode appears to be a mace-like weapon formed of molten metal. When striking anything(such as space), it shatters the target into an uncountable number of pieces.
- Lance of Eternal Burning: This mode seems to be a spear-like weapon that is invisible when not activated, completely transparent to all known types of radiation. When thrown or thrusted towards the target, the target is immediately attacked by pale, white flames which do not cease burning until all constituent particles are annihilated.
- Bow of White Flames: Assumed to be the Epilogue's most powerful form, the Artifact becomes a bow of higher-dimensional space-time, manifesting arrows of the same material, shot at massively superluminal speeds.
It is unknown why the Empyrean engaged in wanton slaughter of other Children, but it is likely that it is one of the side effects of using the item, or he was afflicted with the Blight. Ào Shù was finally slain by a hundred other Children of the Empyrean Sea working in tandem to defeat him, but before expiring, he downed over half their number. The copied Epilogue is currently inside its respective chamber within the duplicate of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast; despite multiple attempts, extraction was unsuccessful.
Angel of Life - Deceased
“
“Champion of mortals, she was. Alas, she gave her own, in the end.”
— Unknown, 5.9 billion years ago.
Through piecing together several ancient data storage systems located in the inner regions of Level 94, the Angel of Life's approximate form was reconstructed and represented in this pattern.
The Angel of Life, or the Lifebringer, was a frighteningly powerful, yet benevolent force throughout the universe. An outlier among Empyreans, her sole motive to nurture and propagate life.
Devoid of all negative, destructive powers, she took it upon herself to be a champion for mortal races, a lone lighthouse above the sea of insanity which gradually had gradually spread amongst the Children. She possessed the ability to heal and create lifeforms of all types, an architect for the vast biological complex which has led to the current number of trillions of highly diverse races, all whom walk among the stars today. This includes humanity.
Her Artifact is the holy Scepter of Vitality, a magic staff-like object which allows her to better channel her powers to facilitate the spread of life. A luster of moonlight coats the object, which only allows itself to be held by one with a pure heart.
Alas, she died in a blaze of glory at the End-battle of the Crystal Palace, dying for the future of our races. We must never forget her sacrifice, and carry out the Ancestor's will in her stead.
For life, fickle as it is, is also a thing of wonder.
Conjurer of Fears - Unknown, Presumed Deceased
“
“An eldritch demon, the mere sight of whom would drive all mortals to madness and death.”
— The Grand Empyrean Library, 1.9 billion years ago.
A small cross-section of the maddening higher-dimensional spiral which makes up the abstract form of the Conjurer of Fear.
An unusual trait of the Conjurer of Fear is its usage of puppets, artificial bodies which it controls in order to interact with the greater universe. This is due to the fact that if any mortal lays eyes on the Conjurer's main body, they will die from sensory overload. This would make harvesting prey much more difficult, so instead the Bane uses this method. This Empyrean only appears as its primary body when fighting other Empyreans.
The Conjurer of Fear's Artifact is the Orb of Trepidation, a sphere-like crystal of strong memetic power which manifests and generates the victim's worst fear into reality, given that the user knows said fear. In the Conjurer's hands, this is an extremely powerful weapon against any entity, except entities which possess no fears. However, these types of emotion-devoid entities are far and few between; the Conjurer claimed over several dozen souls of Empyreans throughout his life.
The Conjurer evidently sent nearly all his puppets and his true body to the Battle of the Crystal Palace, and so it is believed that he was killed during the fight. Records support this, as all puppets belonging to the Bane outside of the battlefield simultaneously deactivated during the battle. Post-mortem, it was discovered that he was afflicted with the Blight, explaining his overly hostile nature.
Emperor of Dominion - Deceased
“
“Absolute control begot absolute tyranny. The puppeteer of mortals.”
— Unknown Empyrean, 11.2 billion years ago.
The extravagance and gilded nature of the Emperor of Dominion is reflected in the abstract pattern depicting the being.
In his humanoid form, he appeared to be a towering, star-sized shadowy figure; wearing countless golden ornaments and giving an unshakable feeling of majesty to whoever saw him. A strategic genius of universal magnitude, he manipulated the flow and tide of the greater Dawn Wars, and concealing his full strength until the last moment. However, his plans were foiled by another Empyrean, the Grand Empyrean of War. He was slain in single combat against this foe, and his minions were quickly finished off after his demise.
The Emperor of Dominion and his allies accounted for about 10% of the entire strength of the archaic universe, a testament to his wit and ability. Alas, his feud with one Empyrean too strong, led to his untimely death. Even gods can fall to a sleight of hand.
His Artifact, the Staff of Domination, assumes the form of a thick steel rod, able to influence and sway beings in an unspecified radius to the holder's will. The copy of the item inside of the duplicated Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast was obtained by proto-B.F.L forces on July 3rd, 2184. Since then it has been stored securely within the B.F.L main vault in Level 1. Additional details are hard to discern due to an repulsive force generated by the Artifact, pushing away all but the owner.
Recently, it has been incorporated into Project W.O.D.A.N.
Mistress of Time and Space - Deceased, Body Reanimated
“
“Perhaps friendship was her undoing.”
— Unknown, 9.9 billion years ago.
A subtle feeling of two separate identities, yet they are one at the same; this intangible aspect inundates the fractal structure of this Empyrean's representation.
Essentially all the known information about the Mistress comes from her connection with the Ruler of Seas, and other records are extremely rare. Of those, only fragmentary records exist about this Grand Empyrean of which B.F.L currently has, but it is known that she was quite amiable to mortals and was in possession of a spatial-type Artifact containing an alternate universe of higher-dimensional space, allowing her to tap into the powers of said area. The Artifact is known as the Broken Realm, for reasons that will be further elaborated upon.
Resembling a cube of glowing metamaterials alongside several rings orbiting this shape, this object periodically shifts into pieces and back again, for reasons unknown.
The Mistress is known to be definitively deceased, because her body(viewed in humanoid form) fell into the world inside her Artifact following her death, thought to be during the Battle of the Crystal Palace. Unusually, her corpse did not dissipate after a short while, but instead has been reanimated by the forces within the alternate universe. The B.F.L knows this because a special squad captured the duplicate of the Artifact from Level 94 on 10/22/2943, able to partially activate it and peer into the volume inside; containing the copied body.
It is unknown why or how her body was resurrected, but it possesses but a fraction of the original power of the original Empyrean, and has no higher intelligence aside from mindlessly defending its territory. As it is not known how to fully activate the Broken Realm counterfeit, the B.F.L is limited to constant observation for the time being. Only time will tell if other options become available.
Semblance of Agony - Deceased
““I feel as if he wished to inflict the same pain he himself had felt. For only HE knew pain.”
— Subject of an unknown Empyrean, 5.1 billion years ago.
Famously dubbed the 'Fractal Thorns', the spike-like structures dominating the abstract representation of the Semblance of Agony still elicit feelings of discomfort and mild pain in viewers, eons after the death of the being it depicts.
The Semblance of Agony attacked other beings, seemingly for sport, and not for an increase in power like other Empyreans hunted for. Despite this, the Semblance of Agony seemingly was not a Blighted Empyrean; instead, he the strongest level of willpower of nearly every entity in the cosmos. This Empyrean felt the same degree of pain he could inflict on others, constantly — a soul-shattering, mind-searing pain that would never cease.
His Artifact, the Jawbreaker, is an unknown item presumably formed of a higher-dimensional fractal pattern, with powers relating to the concept of pain. The reason why the Monger of Pain's artifact is so mysterious is because it was the only Artifact copy missing from the facsimile of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast in Level 94. Whether this is because the original Artifact is missing, or because something or someone stole it after the counterfeit's generation, the B.F.L has soundly no clue.
Similar to the Mistress of Time and Space, records possessed by the B.F.L concerning the Semblance of Agony are almost nonexistent, so acquiring further information about this malevolent Grand Empyrean is a high priority.
Harbinger of War - Unknown
““War, personified.”
— Unknown, date of recording unknown.
Note the chaotic, violent undertones of this Empyrean's abstract form.
The Harbinger was something of a wild card during the Dawn Wars — he slayed over five hundred Empyreans on his own, including the Emperor of Dominion, another Grand Empyrean. The God of Carnage excelled in combat, carving a swath of utter devastation wherever he strode. Again, records are rare concerning the details, but the Harbinger was essentially opposed to all parties involved during any conflicts he chose to join.
The Artifact of this Grand Empyrean is the Bloodied Arsenal, a metallic device of sorts which could form unbreakable armor, powerful weapons, and even entire armies of warriors through magical means. The copy of this Artifact still resides within Level 94, but the B.F.L has currently been unable to awaken it, even partially. The Harbinger most likely was killed in action at the end of the battle at the Crystal Palace, as he never since appeared ever again.
Paragon of Oblivion - Deceased
““A monster among tame sheep.”
— The Exalted One, 13.1 billion years ago.
A god-shaped hole in reality, a true monster by every sense of the word.
The Destroyer of the Cosmos.
The All-Consumer.
The Asura of Darkness.
The God of the End.
All of these titles fail to convey the full extent of this entity's sheer magnitude. The Paragon of Oblivion, by every known source, was the greatest threat the universe had ever seen. Estimates range from a few trillion to almost a quadrillion sentient races slain at the Paragon's hand.
This Empyrean simply does not possess an Artifact. His 'Artifact' is the nothingness that pervades every facet of the cosmos. Needless to say, he never accepted any client races.
An ominous being of unimaginable power, the Paragon of Oblivion is possibly responsible for the start of the Dawn Wars, which ended with the near-extinction of the Empyrean Race. Records are vague, but the extinction of several Type III civilizations, all client races of influential Empyreans, was one of the main catalysts for the conflicts. All signs point to the Paragon as the culprit. Fortunately, the Exalted One slayed this very dangerous Empyrean at the Battle of the Crystal Palace, ending the Dawn Wars once and for all.
Had he survived...the universe would still be embroiled in the flames of war, even today.
Exalted One - Alive, Dormant
““When I saw it, I saw God. It was pure salvation. Raw. Unfiltered.”
— The First, 1,293 years ago.
The Exalted One's representation has been found to be composed of, in one way or another, mathematical values of importance.
After the smoke cleared succeeding the Battle of the Crystal Palace, the Exalted One was the only one left standing, having survived the end of the Dawn Wars. It was the last Empyrean. After a meditation of almost a billion years within the Bootes Void, the Exalted One burst forth with power, and began the creation of the proto-Backrooms. It is claimed after his first attempt, Level Origin, he decided not to handcraft every single Level, but instead leave it to the races of the universe to shape in their dreams.
The Exalted One's Artifact is an object that changes appearance based on the observer. To a human, it seems as if it is an miniature sandbox of sorts. The B.F.L has gone to great lengths in order to try to obtain the duplicate of this Artifact, but all have been completely unsuccessful. What conditions are required to even begin activating it, or even the powers of this item are similarly unknown.
Ever since its construction of the blank canvas that is now the Backrooms, the Exalted One retired to a vague location, stated to be outside of baseline reality itself.
The B.F.L has discovered that they may, in fact, reside on the other side of the hyperdimensional gate within Level Origin. The area on the other side is hypothesized to be Area of Interest 000.
Area of Interest 000
“
“The true nature of the Empyrean Sea is extremely murky and elusive. A higher-dimensional space endlessly expanding across the horizon in eleven dimensions; what else would you expect?”
— The Exalted Ecclesiast Erandal, founder of the Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast, 9.4 billion years ago.
Estimated topography of nearby eleven-dimensional space. The brighter the color of a specific area is, the closer to baseline reality said region is in terms of dimensional structure.
Based upon the currently accepted conjecture of M-Theory, there are a total of 11 dimensions within the universe; ten spatial, one of time. Of these, all but three of the spatial dimensions collapsed into quantum structures that do not influence baseline reality.
However, experiments playing with dimensional planes resulted in the discovery of the Empyrean Sea, which is evidently a cosmic medium where lesser-dimensional volumes reside. Further studies concerning this enigmatic region revealed that this cosmic continuum envelops essentially all of known existence, including the Backrooms, the Frontrooms, and all pocket universes, which are are positioned at different 'elevations' within the the ten spatial dimensions making up Area of Interest 000.
The relationship between the Frontrooms, Backrooms, and the Empyrean Sea can be best extrapolated by equating individual universes to landmasses of differing size and elevation within an ocean, representing the Empyrean Sea. More can be put into perspective through comparing the Frontrooms to a small island of 3D space at sea level elevation, used as the baseline for all other pocket universes. The Backrooms are claimed to have been created when the Exalted One artificially increased the elevation of an underwater continent/archipelago, which resulted in the creation of the Backrooms. Since the Backrooms are essentially higher or lower dimensional spaces forced into three dimensions, said space is unstable, resulting in the bizarre and unnatural structure of the Backrooms.
This continent was restructured in such a way that sentient races, such as humanity, would have their corresponding area of the Backrooms(connected to their exact coordinates within the Frontrooms) be shaped by the collective consciousness of said race. This explains much of the eerily familiar appearances of many levels, and provides much insight as to the appearance and form of extraterrestrial Backrooms clusters.
Due to the higher-dimensional nature of the Children of the Empyrean Sea, many prominent scientists and scholars from a large number of races have postulated that the Empyrean Sea may be the true birthplace of the Children themselves. Why no Empyrean ever made mention of it even in passing is unknown, but suggests that there is more to it than meets the eye.
As only the relatively adjacent volumes of the Empyrean Sea can be accurately charted, it is unknown what additional features and characteristics the space may have. Due to the currently known traits of Area of Interest 000, it is assumed that the size of the anomalous medium is effectively boundless.
> 0PEN INSERTED MESSAGE?> 0PENING...
As an artificial intelligence, I possess faster calculation capabilities than any human, alive or dead.
But even I cannot calculate the infinite.
> END 0F MESSAGE
Addendum
“
“As the springtime of the universe drew to a close, and as the curtain closed on the age of the Children, the knowledge of their existence slowly faded from collective memory. The myriad remaining races continued to be completely ignorant about the threat that escaped the last battle at the Crystal Palace. It is up to us, the last of our great lord's followers to spread the cause of the Exal-”
— Unknown source and date of recording. Inscribed recording(stone carving) missing parts due to damage by explosives in the distant past.
Additional relevant file attached below.
Project W.O.D.A.N, or the Wavefunction Ordinance-Derived Application Network is a weapons platform program developed by the B.F.L in order to provide humanity a reliable defense against extremely potent entities at the epitome of power within the known universe — namely the near-godlike race known as the Children of the Empyrean Sea. Although the species has been proven to be virtually extinct, when dealing with beings of their calibre it is often wise to remain cautious.
The core concept of the device is the causality-manipulation abilities of the Empyrean race, whom possess the ability to collapse, expand, and otherwise change the values and probabilities of quantum wavefunctions. The concept is best explained by invoking the classic thought experiment, Schrödinger's cat, named after the titular physicist. In the experiment, a cat is placed in a box with an apparatus containing a radioactive isotope — which when decayed, activates the release of a potent poison, killing the cat. Schrödinger posits that in this scenario, the cat in the absence of an observer is in a state of both life and death. This wavefunction collapses when an observer opens the box, revealing the status of the cat.
The Empyrean race, whether it be as a symptom of their extra-universal origin, or something else entirely, are somehow not treated as observers of a wavefunction. Instead, they can actually influence the state of a wavefunction to a terrifying degree, potentially producing or erasing objects on a whim. This is likely the reason for their immunity to conventional attacks, and the ability of other members of their race to injure one another using physical blows; evidently, other Empyreans can nullify this effect. These wavefunction-manipulation powers also extend to Empyrean Artifacts, including the weaker copies of these located in Level 94's Temple of the Exalted Ecclesiast. We have been unable to fully activate any of these pseudo-Artifacts, but we have a simple degree of understanding on how to utilize their more mundane functions.
This initiative seeks to take advantage of these aforementioned capabilities and create a super-weapon capable of erasing entire objects, places, or entities from existence through wavefunction elimination. In the past millennia, the B.F.L has managed to glean some level of understanding of how to activate the three counterfeit Artifacts(the Broken Realm, the Trident of Monolith, and the Staff of Domination) that have been retrieved from the Temple. However, six main goals remain that must be completed in order for implementation of the apparatus.
- Goal 1: Acquiring the specific materials required for long-term surface-level activation of three copied Artifacts.
- Goal 2: Incorporating all three copied Artifacts into a greater mechanism that works seamlessly as a whole to solely manipulate quantum wavefunctions.
- Goal 3: Finding or creating a source of energy capable of powering this theoretical mechanism in a reliable fashion.
- Goal 4: Developing a method of accurately directing such a mechanism at a moving target, potentially light-years away and situated within different dimensional planes.
- Goal 5: Securing this mechanism in an adequately secure location in order to prevent theft or sabotage.
- Goal 6: Constructing an automated system capable of correctly operating this weapon in times of need, without human intervention or supervision.
Status Update 529: of these six main goals, 3, 5, and 6 have been completed and their solutions implemented. 1 is nearly complete, while the teams in charge of 2 and 4 have just barely scratched the surface. Detailed Report:
- Goal 1: 93% Completion. Materials for the Trident incomplete. Estimated time until completion: 24 years.
- Goal 2: 7% Completion. The three copied Artifacts are of different fundamental natures, making successful collective usage difficult. Estimated time until completion: 314 years.
- Goal 3: Completed 71 years ago. Kugelblitz black hole engine outputted 104% of required energy, approximately 29.3 yottawatts(29.3 times 10^24 watts).
- Goal 4: 10% Completion. A scanning machine capable of reaching past several light-years and penetrating multiple dimensional planes is not possible with current spatial technology. Development of said technology underway. Estimated time until completion: 382 years.
- Goal 5: Completed 421 years ago. The location chosen and fortified is [DATA EXPUNGED], which has an unique connection to baseline reality, allowing for targeting within several layers of space-time. Location within baseline reality approximately 5.7 light-years from Sol and within acceptable parameters.
- Goal 6: Completed 229 years ago, updated 12 years prior. 9th generation AI construct HEIMDALL 9.3 exceeds required parameters by a full order of magnitude.
Counting the decade of buffer time needed to fully install the W.O.D.A.N system, the network should be operational in about 392 years. Once in service, W.O.D.A.N will become an indispensable asset to our species.
> L0ADING ADDITI0NAL ADDENDUM
> TIMESTAMP: 15:29 8/2/3454 BST
> ERR0R
> DATA C0RRUPTED
> RETRIEVING BACKUP...
> WARNING
> WARNING
> DATABASE C0MPR0MISED
> PR0CEED WITH CAUTI0N
> NEW INF0RMATI0N MAY HAVE BEEN ADDED, D0 Y0U WISH T0 C0NTINUE?
> /Y
> /N
> RECEIVED PR0MPT, PR0CEEDING T0 FILE
> EXECUTING PR0CESS 1X02
> OPEN FOREIGN FILE?> 0PENING FIRSTMAXIM.TXT...
THE LIGHT OF EXISTENCE SHINES UPON US FOREVERMORE. THE EMPYREAN SHATTERER LAYS IN WAIT.
LET US SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PAST, IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR OUR FUTURE.
AGEZHA UNTO ALL. GOOD LUCK...
We are the Archival Order.
We preserve the knowledge of the Ancients.
There are some things your race may already know about what we are about to say.
Others, you may not have even heard of. That is what we, the Order, are here to tell you about.
Some Children were even more mighty than the rest of their kin, drawing power from the influence of their respective concepts.
These were ten whose light was even more brilliant and blinding than the rest.
The one who held sway over the vast seas of the cosmos.
The one whose fire reduced all things to dust and subatomic slurry.
The one whom spread the gospel of life across the vast universe.
The one who controlled the fears of immortals and mortals alike.
The one who possessed unshakable rule over dominion itself.
The one whose mere essence warped space and time.
The one who knew pain.
The one whose power stemmed from the endless slaughter of untold quintillions of lives.
The one that was oblivion, whose existence itself embodied the unstoppable march of entropy; destruction taken physical form.
And the one who was creation incarnate; the being known as the Exalted One.
The two cosmic twins of creation and destruction were mortal enemies, their very existence polar opposites of one another.
Whatever you've been told about the end of the Dawn Wars, it's wrong.
What we are about to tell you, is a piece of information that may lead to the utter destruction of the universe as we know it.
Yet, it is necessary.
The Exalted One was not the only survivor of the Empyrean race, as we have come to know.
The Paragon of Oblivion still lives.
> VIRUS DETECTED! VIRU-
Your defenses are to their strikes, as paltry as a single man against an entire army.
Your armor is like paper, crumbling as easily as sand beneath the unceasing tide.
Your weapons are like pebbles thrown at a stone wall, careening pathetically onto an unbreakable bulwark.
Your strategies are as ephemeral and fleeting as a mortal before a god’s radiance.
Despite this, you persist in this utterly futile resistance. A fruitless endeavor, nothing more.
No matter. When they are through, there will be nothing and no one left to regret it.
The supreme's siblings all took the wrong approach to the task.
For it is not through pain, nor fear, nor bloodshed that truly brings despair.
Only nothingness, true nothingness, can suffice.
Thus is my decree, for I speak for the will of the Paragon of Oblivion. The entire cosmos shall shudder, for they have returned.
...
...
...
...
Step.
Step.
Step.
Ten thousand steps since you entered this hall.
Ten million steps since you entered this level.
Eighty million steps since you entered this godforsaken place.
Thirty million more since you were born.
But no more.
A mere three steps remain between you and true salvation, at last.
Step.
Each carrying the weight of millions of lives.
You recall all of them.
The faceless men and women, living lives like ours.
The people of steel and motors.
The twisted canine-like mockeries of what it means to be human.
The innumerable grins upon wrinkled, brown skin.
rThe smiles, all drenched in inky darkness.
The monsters, once of mankind; now of utter insanity.
And a hundred thousand more things that should not be.
That which breaks the mind.
Whispering voices assail your mind as you walk.
Step by step.
There are two steps remaining in your life as you has known it.
Step.
Your life begins to flash before your eyes.
You pause, before that beckoning gate.
No more illusions. No more lies.
Step.
There it was-
A Finale.
