Eparch
Eparch
- Race
- Demon
- Level
- 80
- Rank
- Legendary
- Location
- Eventide's March
(Inner Nayos) - Organization
- Kryptis
“Eparch is not comparable to Tyrian leaders. He does not simply drain them of wealth. Or land. He has taken to...eating them. Our blood is his blood, and eventually we will all be dissolved.
Eparch, the Midnight King, is the tyrannical demon ruler of Nayos, the Realm of Dreams, and overlord of the Kryptis. Information collected by the Astral Ward suggests that he and his mate, Queen Labris, may be the uncle and aunt of Cerus, Deimos, and Peitha.[1] He has organized his people into a hierarchical society of lesser and higher Kryptis with many noble houses that swear allegiance to him. Eparch has a centuries-spanning rivalry with Isgarren after the latter denied him a seat in the Wizard's Court council due to Eparch's selfish aims. The Midnight King cares little for his subjects as all he is interested in is increasing his power and knowledge which he accomplishes by sending his army to corrupt and consume other realms and their inhabitants. Eparch is not averse to making his subjects fight among themselves or consuming them as well.
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
Eparch was one of the demons who evolved and learned over time. At some point, he became aware of the Seer lord Isgarren and wanted to join the ranks of the Wizard's Court,[2] even living in the Wizard's Tower for a time.[3] However, Isgarren denied him entry to the court's ranks because he found Eparch to be ignorant and hungry.[4] This led to an intense rivalry and eventual war between the two as Eparch swore to bring Isgarren and Amnytas down and claim the wizards' secrets and power for himself.
Most demons tended to be solitary creatures if not led by a progenitor, but Eparch saw potential in them uniting under a leader who could then use their amassed strength for grander goals. He named himself Midnight King[5] and built a demon society in Nayos, the Realm of Dreams, in his own image, creating a kingdom of fear and anger. Eparch made Labris his queen and organized the Kryptis demons into a hierarchical society of lesser and higher Kryptis and gave them titles and noble houses while making them swear allegiance to him. Information collected by the Astral Ward suggests that he and Queen Labris may be the uncle and aunt of Cerus, Deimos, and Peitha.[1]
The Midnight King gave the Kryptis orders to invade other realms in the Mists and consume and corrupt their landscape and inhabitants to add these victims' power into their own, while he would feed on his subjects in turn and scheme for ways to send his forces en masse to invade Amnytas and Tyria. Some Kryptis chose not to align with Eparch's society, however, and remained as independent, ravenous wanderers as seen with the oni,[6] or as peaceful and frightened wanderers roaming in Nayos. Although most Kryptis were intimidated by their powerful king to the point of fighting to their last breath rather than anger him, a select few had the courage to speak against his tyranny. Febe, one of the respected lords of the Kryptis, spoke about autonomy and defied Eparch openly but was slain by Deimos in the Temple of Febe with Deimos's brother Cerus and Eparch in audience. Eparch was said to have smiled upon watching Febe's fall.[7]
When Deimos was slain by the Pact Commander and raiders in the Bastion of the Penitent in 1330 AE, Eparch was merely content to watch and did nothing to help his champion, which Deimos's and Cerus's sister Peitha would remember as another form of the Midnight King's indifference towards his subjects.
Secrets of the Obscure[edit]
Act II[edit]
Act III[edit]
Following the Pact Commander and Peitha's victory over Cerus and the liberation of Isgarren from the Temple of Febe, Eparch took note of Peitha's rebellious actions and became interested in the Pact Commander, or "Wayfinder" as the Kryptis had begun calling the interloper, due to the Commander's feelings and scent. He contacted the Commander telepathically across realms, lamenting Cerus's fall yet showing amusement at Peitha's act of high treason. He also revealed that the Commander reminded him of his ancient Seer rival and that both the Commander and Isgarren's fears tasted alike. Eparch gave the Commander a subtle warning to choose their allegiances and next course of action carefully as he claimed that Peitha's rebellion would be shortlived.
Act IV: Through the Veil[edit]
Act V: The Realm of Dreams[edit]
While the Wayfinder and Peitha's other allies carve a path through Eparch's loyalists and seek his erstwhile second-in-command (General Nephus), Eparch himself is nowhere to be either seen or heard. Instead he leaves Queen Labris, to control operations on the ground.
Eparch finally appears when Peitha is making her speech to the Kryptis at the Coliseum of the Midnight King. He immobilises all the members of the Astral Ward and proceeds to mock Peitha and asks if any of the listening Kryptis wish to follow her. He then makes Peitha an offer to spare Tyria and allow her to live there in exile if she will release his queen. After Labris sacrifices herself and channels her lifeforce into Eparch, he cries out in anguish and angrily promises to follow through with the war and to "devour everything". However, he then surprisingly disappears from the Coliseum without any further action or response towards either Peitha or any of her allies. [8]
Story involvement[edit]
Secrets of the Obscure story[edit]
- Act II
- Voices beyond the Veil (as "Strange Voice", voice only)
- The Missing Facet (as "Strange Voice", voice only)
- Tower of Secrets (voice only)
- Act III
- Treachery (voice only)
- Act V: The Realm of Dreams
Event involvement[edit]
Quickly disperse the unstable rift before it explodes (80) (voice only)
Combat abilities[edit]
- Abilities
- The Midnight King
Dialogue[edit]
- Telepathic dialogue after completing and leaving Treachery
- Eparch: Ah. There you are.
- Eparch: I thought I felt something...different. It's fascinating, what you smell like. What you feel like.
- Eparch: I'd hoped that Cerus was a smarter warrior than his brother, but... I've been wrong before, I'll admit that.
- Eparch: You, though. Not only do you remind me of the seer, but... Your fear tastes like his.
- Eparch: (laughs)
- Eparch: Peitha has impressed me. But. She'll still fall short. They all do.
- Eparch: Be wise, "Wayfinder."
Trivia[edit]
- Eparch is voiced by Fred Tatasciore.[9]
- Eparch derives from Ancient Greek ἔπαρχος (éparkhos), from ἐπί (epí, 'over') and ἀρχός (arkhós, 'ruler'), meaning overlord.
See also[edit]
- Associated items
References[edit]
- ^ a b Memory's Hollow ambient dialogue
- ^ Tower of Secrets
- Lyhr: Isgarren is a complicated fellow, and that's not to excuse his poor choices—he's far from perfect.
- Lyhr: When he has a goal, he stays focused, and he's had the same one for...a while.
- <Character name>: Keeping Eparch away?
- Lyhr: Aye. Something happened between the two of them, back in the era of magic. Before the "gods" came.
- Lyhr: He's been so focused on keeping the Kryptis out that he often neglected those inside.
- Lyhr: We're atoning for that mistake now. We've got Eparch's lapdogs on Tyria's stoop.
- ^ Peitha telepathic dialogue after completing story
- Peitha: To imagine him in this place, as bright as it is.
- <Character name>: Did Eparch...live here?
- Peitha: Long enough to be hungry for more. You should ask your wizards. Isgarren and Eparch have a long history.
- ^ Hell Breaks Loose
- Mabon: The Kryptis are demons.
- Mabon: They...evolved, learned. Their influence and power grew under the...guidance of their leader. Eparch.
- Mabon: Centuries ago, Eparch wanted to join our ranks but Isgarren denied him entry. He found Eparch to be...ignorant. Hungry.
- Mabon: Demons tend to be solitary creatures, but Eparch saw potential. Wells of power that they'd yet to tap into.
- Mabon: He dubbed himself their king and built a society in his own image. One of fear and anger. Nayos, the Realm of Dreams.
- ^ Voices beyond the Veil
- Peitha: The Midnight King.
- <Character name>: Eparch?
- Peitha: Brave of you to say that so loudly. He hunts. Though, not for you. Yet.
- ^ The Missing Facet
- <Character name>: We did something like that in Cantha. There was a demon in Chul-Moo's mine—gang leader. Was that a Kryptis?
- Mabon: Correct. And your demon was likely a Wanderer: demons who do not affiliate with Eparch's little society.
- ^ Treachery
- Cerus: Febe was... Oh, he was the best of us. The tip of his left horn brushed the ceiling.
- Cerus: He was an idol to... Oh, how would your kind say it?
- Cerus: Autonomy?
- Cerus: Deimos silenced his dream. Just over there. Eparch watched with a smile. That's what happens when you fight back. [...]
- Peitha: Deimos died in a musky hole and Eparch watched. [...]
- Peitha: As I've never had the chance... I am Peitha, of House Nephus—though "houses" and titles given by Eparch are less than reputable. [...]
- Peitha: Eparch is alive and well. Thriving, even, on the backs of my kind.
- Isgarren: Societies limp under poor leaders and recover like clockwork.
- Peitha: Eparch is not comparable to Tyrian leaders. He does not simply drain them of wealth. Or land.
- Peitha: He has taken to...eating them.
- <Character name>: He's...he's feeding on other Kryptis?
- Peitha: Our blood is his blood, and eventually we will all be dissolved.
- ^ Eventide's March
- General Nephus: What do you hope to accomplish with this performance?
- Peitha: They need to see that even Eparch's most valued pawn can fall, but also that mercy is given to the vanquished.
- Queen Labris: (laughs) This changes nothing!
- Queen Labris: They know the power of their true master. All that you prove to them is your weakness in letting me live!
- Peitha: Save your strength, dear. You'll need it to explain your failure to your king.
- Peitha: Children of Nayos, you have no need to cower so.
- Peitha: Eparch's power fades with every passing hour. Even his queen has failed to carry out his will.
- Peitha: The old world collapses around you, and a new one is being—
- Eparch: She certainly talks the part, does she not?
- Eparch: And yet, the people always recognize their one true king.
- Eparch: I've watched this farce with amusement, but it's time for the jesters to exit the stage.
- Eparch: Honestly, did you think you had earned the trust of my Kryptis?
- Eparch: Do any of you trust the words of this charlatan? Speak now if you would follow this child in her outburst!
- Eparch: I thought not.
- Eparch: I will make only one offer: release my queen and you will go free. Tyria will be spared, and you can live in exile there.
- Peitha: Oh?
- Queen Labris: No! You cannot compromise with these traitors, not even for me!
- Peitha: It appears we've found the gap in your armor.
- Queen Labris: You will not use me this way!
- Queen Labris: I see now how I have failed you, my beloved. I have become a weakness for you. But no longer.
- Queen Labris: (screams)
- Eparch: No!
- Eparch: You sought a war? You shall have it. Bring your army then. I will devour everything.
- ^ Tweet by Indigo Linde, Twitter.com
