The Obsidian Throne — death is not the end, merely an inconvenience.

The Cabal of Seven

Seven necromancers, each having achieved a different form of undeath, who met in secret in Year 856 and forged the Black Compact in 872. They are the founders. Two remain active; two are confirmed destroyed; the others are uncertain.

• Malachar the Deathless

  Lich, preserved through phylactery

  Founder and eternal council member. First Cabalist to achieve stable lichdom. Has survived assassination attempts by every faction. Killed and reformed at least 47 times on record.

  Active. Year 803–present, undead for ~8,200 years. Most feared individual in the world. Phylactery hidden in unknown location.

• Velanna Bloodheart

  Vampire, sustained by blood magic

  Pioneered blood-magic integration with necromancy. Created vampire bloodlines still active today. Known for seductive cruelty and artistic torture.

  Destroyed Year 2,156 during the Civil War of Shadows. Coordinated attack using sunlight magic. Existed 1,367 years. Legacy lives on in vampire descendants.

• Death Knight Korgan

  Death knight, soul bound to indestructible armor

  Led every major military campaign during his existence. Never lost a battle personally.

  Destroyed Year 4,521 in a Soulforging experiment gone wrong. Soul fragmented across 1,000 objects. Pieces occasionally found cause localised undeath outbreaks. Existed 3,700 years.

• Nethys Shadowqueen

  Wraith, pure death essence

  Specialised in incorporeal undead and shadow manipulation. One of the original Cabal of Seven.

  Status uncertain. Has not been publicly confirmed active or destroyed in recent records.

• Grimwald Corpselord

  Master of undead armies

  Wanted total undead population — no living citizens at all. The hardline traditionalist of the original Cabal.

  Destroyed Year 2,156 at the end of the Civil War. Reforming from his phylactery took centuries. Status today uncertain.

• Sephira Soulstealer

  Spirit-eater, consumed ghosts for power

  Devoured spirits to fuel her own magic. Considered among the more unpredictable Cabalists.

  Status uncertain. Last confirmed active before the Civil War.

• The Silent One

  Unknown form, never spoke

  Communicated only through possessed corpses. Specialised in mind control and possession. The most mysterious of the original Cabal.

  Disappeared during the Civil War (Year 2,103). Some believe destroyed; others think still active. Legends say will return when the Throne most needs them. Possible connection to Spirit-Caller Whisper.

Economic & industrial profile

Technology & magical advancement

Comprehensive strengths

• Military superiority

  Tireless armies that never rest, eat, sleep, or break morale. Every enemy killed becomes a potential soldier. Undead armies terrify living opponents. No supply lines required. Fight better in darkness. Disease spreads death, creating more undead. Lich generals accumulate centuries of tactical knowledge. Suicide tactics — exploding corpses, plague carriers — cost nothing. All-terrain. Elite Death Knights.

• Economic advantages (perverse)

  Free labor — undead work without wages forever. 24/7 operations without labor disputes. Infinite workforce — death constantly replenishes. No worker housing, food, or healthcare. Monopoly on necromancy. Captured enemies become economic assets. Wars pay for themselves through slaves. Other nations pay tribute to avoid invasion.

• Magical superiority

  Unmatched necromancy — best death magic in the world by far. Immortal casters perfect spells over centuries. Forbidden knowledge others won't touch. Fuel magic with harvested life essence. Create hexes others cannot break. Command ghosts and wraiths. Create the most powerful cursed items. Weaponise terror itself.

• Strategic advantages

  Immortal leadership accumulating wisdom across millennia. No generational changes disrupt strategy. Time favours them; they cannot be worn down. Cursed lands already dead — scorched earth doesn't apply. Ghosts and spirits gather information. Can possess living bodies for espionage. Interrogate captured souls eternally.

• Cultural cohesion through fear

  Terror enforces absolute loyalty. No succession issues — immortal rulers never die. Efficient governance, no democratic delays. Meritocracy of power — strongest necromancers rule. Knowledge preservation: undead minds retain information forever. Single-minded focus, no internal debate over goals. Ruthless efficiency — no ethics to slow progress.

Comprehensive weaknesses

• Military vulnerabilities

  Holy magic devastates undead. Clerics can mass-destroy undead armies (turning). Basic undead lack tactical flexibility. Necromancers must maintain undead — kill controller, army collapses. Small living elite vulnerable to assassination. Highly flammable. Positive energy disrupts necromancy. No naval power — undead sink, vampires can't cross running water. Slow-moving. Magic dependency: anti-magic fields cripple them. Predictable tactics.

• Economic dependencies

  Must buy food for living population. Constant need for new captives. Requires steady stream of dead bodies. Undead cannot produce fine goods. Most nations refuse trade. Cursed land produces little. Need living specialists for complex tasks. Soul depletion in overtaxed areas. Luxury dependence — elite require expensive imported goods.

• Diplomatic isolation

  Universal hatred. Almost every faction opposes them. Silver Hand and Verdant Circle will never negotiate. Trusted by no one. History of broken treaties. Good factions unite against them. Limited soft power — cannot win hearts and minds. Undead envoys barred from most nations.

• Technological limitations

  All focus on necromancy. Undead lack fine motor skills — poor craftsmanship. Cursed lands grow little. Must import quality metals and goods. Cannot mechanise beyond undead labor. Only necromantic healing; poor at treating the living. Cannot build effective navy.

• Strategic risks

  Holy coalitions devastate undead. Killing Cabal members is catastrophic. Destroy a phylactery and the lich dies permanently. Other nations can ally to quarantine them. Neighbours unite to prevent cursed-land expansion. Few living specialists create constraints. When a Cabal member falls, power struggles erupt. If enemies overcome terror, the Throne loses its advantage.

• Existential weaknesses

  Fundamentally evil — cannot escape moral condemnation. Dark magic corrupts everything, including users. The blight spreads until nothing lives. Cannot create, only consume. Immortality without purpose breeds despair. Even undead nobility slowly lose themselves. The model leads to ruling a wasteland.

Founding & historical timeline

1. Year 823–891

   The Death Cults

   Post-Titan chaos. Death is everywhere. Many turn to necromancy out of desperation — trying to resurrect loved ones, seeking power over death, attempting immortality. Most fail, go mad, or are hunted down. A few succeed.

2. Year 856

   The Cabal of Seven Meets

   Seven powerful necromancers, each having achieved a different form of undeath, meet in secret. Malachar (lich), Velanna (vampire), Korgan (death knight), Nethys (wraith), Grimwald (army master), Sephira (spirit-eater), and the Silent One.

3. Year 872

   The Black Compact

   The Seven realise they can accomplish more together. Each brings unique undead techniques and knowledge. They create the Black Compact — a unified dark empire under the Obsidian Throne, carved from a single magically-indestructible obsidian stone. Each Cabal member sits on council; no single ruler. Conquest begins immediately.

4. Year 891

   The First Dominion

   Conquers three small kingdoms using undead armies. Living populations enslaved or incorporated. Establishes Dreadspire on a cursed battlefield. Builds the city using undead labor — never tires, never complains. Begins millennia of dark reign.

5. Year 891–897

   The Necromancer Crisis

   First major conflict with the Iron Covenant. Malachar attempts to raise the Covenant's honored dead. Sparks a multi-faction alliance against the Throne. Nearly destroyed in the first decades of existence. Survives through cunning and ruthless tactics. Establishes the Throne as a serious threat, not just a dark cult. Commander Aldric the Flamebringer defeats Malachar in single combat — the first of 47 deaths.

6. Year 1,234–1,241

   The Plague of Undeath

   Attempt to spread a necromantic plague across the continent that would turn all dead into mindless undead servants. Backfires horribly, affecting the Throne's own territories. Must develop a cure to save themselves. Massive setback to expansion plans. Leads to the Protocols of Controlled Undeath.

7. Year 2,103–2,156

   The Civil War of Shadows

   The Cabal splits over methods and goals. Grimwald wants total undead population. Malachar wants living subjects to rule over. 53-year internal conflict. Ends with Grimwald's destruction (reforming from phylactery takes centuries). Velanna also destroyed in the fighting. Establishes that a balance of living and undead is necessary. The Silent One disappears.

8. Year 3,200–3,245

   Knowledge Theft (vs. Arcane Assembly)

   The Throne steals forbidden magical texts from the Assembly — including necromantic research the Assembly had specifically sealed. The Assembly demands return; the Throne refuses. A magical cold war of espionage. Texts never recovered. The Assembly now guards forbidden knowledge more carefully.

9. Year 3,456–3,489

   The Purification Crusade

   Multiple factions unite against the Throne. The Silver Hand, Verdant Circle, and Iron Covenant attack together. The Throne loses half its territory. Undead armies finally overwhelmed by holy magic and fire. Retreat to core territories, heavy fortification. Establishes the current borders (mostly unchanged since).

10. Year 4,521

    The Soulforging Discovery & Korgan's End

    Necro-Sage Vortigern Soulbinder develops the technique to trap souls in objects. Creates intelligent undead with personality intact. Raises existential questions about consciousness and slavery. Some undead servants gain the ability to think and feel. In the same year, Death Knight Korgan is destroyed when his Soulforging experiment fragments his soul across 1,000 objects.

11. Year 4,890

    The Accidental Mass Resurrection

    A ritual gone wrong raises an entire cemetery. Thousands of uncontrolled undead. Three days to regain control. Embarrassing disaster for the so-called 'experts.' Leads to better control protocols.

12. Year 5,678–5,681

    The Living Uprising

    Mortal citizens revolt against oppression. Nearly overthrow Throne leadership. Crushed brutally — thousands executed. Survivors given marginally better conditions to prevent recurrence. Hidden shame for the Throne.

13. Year 6,234–6,289

    The Schism of Flesh and Bone

    Debate over whether living citizens have any rights. Progressives want limited freedoms; Traditionalists want absolute control. Moderates win, creating minimal living rights. Still oppressive but less brutally so. Improved stability by reducing rebellion frequency.

14. Year 6,456

    The Phylactery Theft

    An unknown thief steals a minor Cabal member's phylactery. Held for ransom, demanding reforms. Eventually recovered but the member is weakened. Creates lasting paranoia about security. Some suspect an inside job.

15. Year 7,821 – present

    The Eternal Reformation

    Current era of relative moderation. Focus on sustainability over conquest. Developing 'ethical' necromancy (controversial everywhere). Trying to improve international reputation (failing). Internal power struggles continue. Some members want a return to the old ways.

16. Year 7,890

    The Soul Engine Disaster

    Experimental device to generate souls artificially. Catastrophic failure creates a vortex. Hundreds of souls sucked in permanently. Area still cursed and avoided. Proves some banned research is too dangerous even for the Throne.

Legendary figures

Twelve names that shaped the Throne — from Malachar himself through the destroyed Cabalists, the eternal Death Knight Commander, the experimental flesh-crafter, and the current leadership wrestling with the Eternal Reformation.

• Malachar the Deathless

  Year 803 – present (undead ~8,200 years)

  Founder and eternal council member. First to achieve stable lichdom. Survived assassination by every faction. Killed and reformed 47 times on record.

  Most feared individual in the world. Phylactery hidden in unknown location. Famous quote: 'Death is not the end, merely an inconvenience.'

• Velanna Bloodheart

  Year 789–2,156 (existed 1,367 years)

  Original Cabal member. Pioneered blood-magic integration with necromancy. Created vampire bloodlines still active today. Known for seductive cruelty and artistic torture.

  Destroyed during the Civil War by coordinated attack using sunlight magic. Legacy lives on in her vampire descendants.

• Death Knight Korgan

  Year 821–4,521 (existed 3,700 years)

  Eternal warrior, soul bound to indestructible armor. Led every major military campaign of his era. Never lost a battle personally.

  Destroyed in a Soulforging experiment gone wrong. Soul fragmented across 1,000 objects. Pieces occasionally found cause localised undeath outbreaks.

• The Silent One

  Year unknown–2,103 (existence unknown)

  Original Cabal member. Never spoke; communicated through possessed corpses. Specialised in mind control and possession.

  Disappeared during the Civil War. Some believe destroyed; others think still active. Legends say will return when the Throne most needs them.

• Necro-Sage Vortigern Soulbinder

  Year 5,234–5,890 (existed 656 years)

  Perfected soul-binding techniques. Created intelligent undead with memories intact. His discoveries led to fundamental ethical debates that still divide the faction.

  Destroyed by reformers fearing his power. Legacy lives in every sentient undead.

• Blood-Mage Carmilla the Eternal

  Year 3,456 – present (undead 4,765 years)

  Vampire queen, heir to Velanna Bloodheart. Rules a vast vampire network within the Throne. Combines blood magic with necromancy.

  Political power rival to Cabal members. Eternal schemer with millennia-long plans.

• Bone-Smith Ratticus the Builder

  Year 6,123–6,789 (existed 666 years)

  Created undead constructs from thousands of bones. Pioneered necromantic architecture. Built entire districts from skeletal remains.

  His bone golems still guard Dreadspire. Disturbing genius recognised even by enemies.

• Death Knight Commander Blacksteel

  Year 4,567 – present (undead 3,654 years)

  Led every major Throne military campaign since Korgan's destruction. Soul bound to black iron armor. Indestructible in combat. Undefeated general.

  Loyal to the Cabal but questioning some methods. Represents old-guard military might. His army of death knights is the most feared force on the continent.

• Flesh-Crafter Grotesque the Maker

  Year 7,234 – present (undead 187 years)

  Creates new undead forms through surgery and magic. Experiments constantly; results horrifying. Some creations classified as abominations.

  Pushes the boundaries of necromantic science. Even traditionalists question whether he's gone too far.

• Spirit-Caller Whisper

  Year 8,234 – present (undead 87 years)

  Can summon and command ghosts. Her true name unknown, identity mysterious. Possibly connected to the Silent One. Ghost armies obey her absolutely.

  Most enigmatic figure in the current Throne.

• Lord Varian Duskbane

  Year 7,234 – present (age 87, currently living)

  Current mortal leader of the Throne. Not a Cabal member but their appointed administrator. Advocates for 'sustainable necromancy.' Believes the Throne must modernise or be destroyed.

  Implementing controversial reforms. Hated by traditionalists, respected by some outsiders.

• Archlich Morteus

  Year 7,823 – present (undead 88 years)

  Youngest lichpriest in Throne history. Pioneer of the 'ethical necromancy' movement. Raises only willing dead who consented before death.

  Considered a heretic by many, a reformer by others. May represent the future of the Throne or its downfall.

Named artifacts & relics

• The Obsidian Throne Itself

  Carved from a single massive black stone. Origin unknown — predates the Cabal. Indestructible by any known means. Amplifies the necromantic power of whoever sits on it. Symbol of dark dominion.

• Malachar's Phylactery (Hidden Location)

  Contains Malachar's soul, making him immortal. Location secret, never revealed. Destroyed 47 times; always reforms. Finding it would end his existence. The greatest prize for any of the Throne's enemies.

• The Crown of Bones

  Worn by the Cabal member currently sitting on the Throne during councils. Made from the skulls of defeated enemies. Enhances the wearer's authority over undead. Rotates between Cabal members; each adds more skulls.

• The Codex Mortis

  Complete necromantic knowledge tome. Dark counterpart to the Arcane Assembly's Codex Arcana. Contains every death spell known. Reading it risks corruption of the soul. Forbidden in all other factions.

• The Well of Souls

  Pool of trapped spirits beneath Dreadspire. Powers the entire city's necromancy. Thousands of souls in eternal torment. The most evil thing the Throne has created. Some reformers want to free them; traditionalists protect it absolutely.

Sayings & quotes

• "Death is not the end, merely an inconvenience."

  Malachar the Deathless. The Throne's defining quote and core philosophy — undeath superior to mortality.

• "The living serve briefly. The dead serve eternally."

  Traditional Throne saying. The justification for necromancy in one line.

• "Fear not death, for it is merely graduation."

  Said to living citizens. Death framed as promotion to undeath. Twisted comfort for the oppressed.

• "Power demands sacrifice. Death provides."

  Cabal principle. Ends justify means. Everything justifies necromancy.

• "The weak fear death. The strong embrace it."

  Used to encourage undeath. Weakness = clinging to life. Strength = accepting transition.

• "In death, all are equal. In undeath, some are more equal."

  Dark joke about hierarchy. Even undeath has a class system. Cynical truth about the Throne.

Cultural traditions

• The Eternal Vigil

  Undead servants never truly rest. Always on duty. Living citizens are expected to tend to undead. Maintenance of the undead army is civic duty. Failure to maintain assigned undead is a serious crime.

• The Day of Shadows

  Annual celebration of death's victory over life. Paradoxically celebrates the founding of the Throne. Undead parade through streets. Living citizens pay respects to dead ancestors. Outsiders find it disturbing; insiders find it normal.

• The Soul Tithe

  Upon death, all citizens become undead servants. Pre-death contracts specify each person's eventual undead role. High contributors get better positions. Criminals become mindless laborers. Creates an incentive to serve loyally in life.

• The Phylactery Ceremony

  Aspiring liches create their phylacteries in a public ritual demonstrating magical mastery. Success brings immortality and power. Failure brings horrible death. Most prestigious achievement in Throne society.

• The Covenant of Flesh

  Living citizens pledge to serve the Throne eternally. The oath binds even after death. Breaking it results in torturous undeath; keeping it earns privileged undead status. Creates absolute loyalty through fear and reward.

Internal rivalries

• The Old Death vs. The New Death

  Traditional necromancers vs. reformers. Old Death wants absolute control; New Death seeks 'ethical' undeath. The Throne's future depends on the outcome. Could lead to a second civil war.

• The Liches vs. The Vampires

  Two immortality methods competing. Liches use phylacteries; vampires use blood. Both claim superiority. Political factions within the Throne. Usually cooperate but tensions persist.

• The Flesh Crafters vs. The Bone Smiths

  Different schools of undead creation. Flesh emphasises biology; Bone emphasises structure. Artistic differences, mostly. Competition breeds innovation.

Major external conflicts

Current challenges (Year 8,955)

• International isolation

  Completely diplomatically isolated. No formal alliances (Shadow Conclave only illicit contact). Trade embargoed by most factions. Self-sufficient but technologically stagnant. Reforms attempt to improve relations (failing). May need to change fundamentally or face eventual destruction.

• Undead consciousness crisis

  Advanced soulforging is creating thinking, feeling undead. These undead are questioning their servitude. Some demand freedom, rights, compensation. The Throne hierarchy is split on how to respond. Suppression breeds resentment. Could lead to an undead rebellion — unprecedented.

• Living population decline

  Oppressive conditions cause emigration. High death rate from dangerous work with undead. Birth rate declining (raising children in cursed lands is nightmare). The Throne needs living citizens to create more undead. Forced breeding programs (extreme evil even for them). Unsustainable long-term.

• Necromantic stagnation

  Isolated from magical innovation elsewhere. Knowledge hoarding prevents collaboration. Inbreeding of magical techniques. Other factions develop anti-necromancy magic faster than the Throne develops new necromancy. Risk of being countered out of relevance. Pride prevents seeking outside knowledge.

• Succession crisis

  Cabal members are immortal but not indestructible. Several destroyed over millennia, not replaced. Only three original members remain. Disagreement over whether to expand the Cabal. Power struggle between the Cabal and mortal leadership. Unclear who truly rules the Throne anymore.

Joining the Throne — pros & cons

Difficulty: Extreme. Highest enemy count of any faction. Hard-countered by multiple damage types. Extremely limited safe areas. Complex resource management (corpses, souls, slaves). Madness and corruption to manage. Phylactery vulnerability creates constant stress. PvP-focused — everyone wants you dead. Steep skill ceiling. Expensive progression path. Requires commitment to evil (can't change mind easily). Not recommended for new players. The "Nightmare Mode" faction.

Ideal for: players who want to play villain; necromancer and death-magic enthusiasts; those seeking immortality gameplay; fans of commanding undead armies; players comfortable with dark themes; minion-master builds; those who enjoy being feared; evil-campaign seekers; players wanting ultimate magical power. Avoid if: you want to be heroic; you're uncomfortable with evil content; you prefer diverse faction relationships; you want social gameplay and friendships; you dislike being universally hated; you need access to all game areas; you want moral complexity (this is clearly evil); you prefer balanced PvP; you want character redemption arcs.

Where to read next

← Back to factions index

The full ten-faction overview, alliance and rivalry maps, faction-vs-faction relationship matrix.

Iron Covenant →

The eternal enemy. The faction that defeated Malachar's first incursion in Year 891 and has been opposing necromancy ever since.

Bestiary — Void Corruption →

The undead and corruption-touched creatures the Throne controls or that emerge from its lands.

Status effects — Corruption →

The persistent debuff stack that defines how the Throne destroys territory over time. Cleansed only by virtue essence.

Source: World-Engine — MAJOR_FACTIONS_AND_CAPITALS § 6. The Obsidian Throne.