Primal:Aetha

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Set in the cloud-draped peaks is the far from heavenly Aetha. The sheer mountains and treacherous rocks mean the inhabitants have to make their precarious homes on the plateaus and peaks above the clouds. The gloom and drizzle hides Tudor-like architecture with foreboding towers, heavy black beams and crumbling white walls. Overhanging balconies seek to steal what little light the street lanterns cast.

The occupants of Aetha are the "Wraith" race. These fearsome and cadaverous beings have created a warped aristocratic society, with the ruling Wraith class living a life of opulence and excess while the "Helot" peasants live in filth and squalor. Unsurprisingly the ruling class are selfish and evil, throwing lavish masked balls within sight of the starving masses. The Wraith are shown to have vampiric characteristics, although not needing blood to live, their ability to digest Helot blood gives them invincible qualities.

Jen's third demon form is based on the Wraith race.

Locations in Aetha

Village

• Lower Village: Where Jen and Scree begin their adventure through Aetha, this is where the Riftgate to the Nexus is.
• Upper Village: Where many of the Helot reside usually, however they have been driven from their village by the growing wrath of the Wraith.
• Main Square: According to Scree, the Main Square often is bustling with the Helot with market stalls, however deserted since the Wraith's new grip of power.
• Manor House: One of the more luxurious buildings the Helot own, it is here the population of the Lower and Upper villages have fled. A cellar lies beneath the building and a trap door conceals the population.
• Cemetery: Where the Helot bury their dead, The Duke's ghost (known as a Phantom, possibly what happens to a Wraith upon death opposed to an actual ghost) haunts the graveyard as of late.
• Farm: Although not really explored, the Helot have a farm. A barn of troughs lies near a Riftgate and a few fields lie around the cliffs suggesting the Helot used to grow some form of crop and house some form of animal once.

Dungeon

• Dungeon Docks & Flooded Dungeons: An out of place dock appears to be one entrance (and the entrance Scree & Jen take) to enter the Mansion. This area is severely flooded, perhaps a natural lake the Wraith use to bring water up to the castle, or the result of faulty plumming. Either way, it's an obscure feature to have sitting underneath a castle atop of a cliff..
• Cage Chamber
• Torture Room: It appears many forms of torture occur down in these lower levels. Jen and Scree are introduced to a collaboration of unruly decapitated Wraith and Helot heads that are placed upon magical skewers that enable them to maintain their life. From the disagreeing opinions of the heads, it appears eternity with such characters would truly be a whole new form of torture. Although some desire to help Jen, one stuck up Wraith (once being upon the Count's side - even though he'd taken his head off) alerts the guards to Jen and Scree's location.
• Upper Cells: It is here an unexpected Ally emerges from the darkness. For the rest of the Dungeons, Scree and Jen are accompanied by a Helot warrior who has managed to free himself from his shackles claiming the Wraith had killed all his family and desired to help on account of his revenge. He leaves our heroes when they emerge from the Dungeons to an uncertain fate.

Count Raum's Mansion

Count Raum's mansion also known as The Chateau (a French reference to add to the French Revolution motif) is the stronghold of the Wraith aristocracy in Aetha. It's an elaborate and beautiful location which strikes a certain irony when you remember who live within it's walls. It is divided into East Wing, West Wing, and Count Raum's Tower.

West Wing

• Upon arriving in the mansion from the Dungeons you're met with a daunting room with statues of lantern carriers which resemble The Hermit in Tarot Cards and also bear a striking similarity to lantern-carriers in Led Zepelin's album: Led Zepelin IV.
• The Chapel: Raum's beautiful chapel lies in the West Wing although it's uncertain who the Wraith worship (as the Djinn are god-like and the Undine are known to worship gods called Leviathans) but knowing Raum's vanity it's most probably himself. A large mirror within the Chapel supports this. On the southeast wall, there are twin mirror statues of Wraith about to strike a women in evening dress from behind.
• Arboretum:Contains a Riftgate and benches, a relaxing area, located near where Jen is captured by Raum upon entering the mansion.
• Library:Raum also has an extensive book collection, located in a library in the West Wing. Partway up each of the four columns in the library are green flames giving the room an eerie glow. Within the Library are also some impressive paintings of the Wraith Aristocracy. One depicts Empusa and Raum together - Empusa looks notably pregnant, most probably with Elizabeth. The second painting appears also in Raum & Empusa's bedroom and depicts a rather strong battleworthy Raum atop some rocks striking an aggressive pose. More Wraith artwork includes a Wraith bust wearing a Darth Vader-like cowl, minus the breathing mask. A door to the Northeast leads to the Chapel and to the South West is a door to Elizabeth's Chambers and a hidden passage leads to the Mansion's Armory.
  

Spoiler: [Energy Gem</span]

• Armory
• Elizabeth's Chambers: Elizabeth's Chambers are three floors exclusively given to Princess Elizabeth. Her attic is where she sleeps, and also where Scree asks her for a dance. Her actual chambers are the middle floor which is a double room with two chaises longues, a fireplace, a bureau with huge mirror, and floor to ceiling windows. Stairs up to Elizabeth's Attic and down to the ground floor. Northeast door leads into the Library and the Northeast door into the hallway leads to the Arboretum where Jen was first captured by Count Raum.

==

• • The Dark Maze
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
  • Raum and Empusa's Bedroom
  • Main Courtyard
    • Fountain of Blood
  • Elizabeth's garret.
  • Blood Machine
  • The Parlor - West corner of the East Wing.
    • Up stairs lead to Raum and Empusa's bedroom. Note mirror on the landing for the Count and Countess to check their appearance before greeting the unwashed masses.
    • Down Stairs lead southeast to the hall around the periphery of the East Wing. Destination is the Orrery Room which leads to the Dark Maze.
    • Harpsichord.
      • Not a virginal. They're rectangular and legless, BION.
    • Parquet floor.
    • Fireplace
    • No mirror
    • End table
    • Multiple chairs for entertaining guests.
    • Exit to the Northeast is a small room that leads to the Banquet Hall. The small room has single long flight of stairs down to the South east. There's a locked door at the end. By the sound of rain it opens somewhere in the Dark Maze.

East Wing

The East Wing of the Mansion is initially reached from the balcony around the Main Courtyard. That has a door to the SouthEast that opens onto the balcony above the Banquet Hall.

• Parlor in the West corner
• Banquet Hall along the Northwest side
• Dark Maze in the Center.
• Entrance to the Blood Machine on the south east.
• Rift Gate to the North.

Central Portion

• [Raum's Tower]
  • Raum's Laboratory
• Main Courtyard
• [Ball Room]

Creatures Found in Aetha

• Wraith: The aristocratic and vampiric rulers of Aetha.
• Yaarg: The equivalent to Solum's Malkai, these pests have taken over The Village since Raum & Empusa have upped their evil powers. They are extremely deadly and their strange body shape makes it hard to attack the creatures. Their appearance holds some similarities to Vogons from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• Valkyrie: Most probably a caste of Wraith soldiers as they have the Wraith's ability to flit. All Valkyrie are female so it seems.
• Helot: Horned peasants who live miserable, busy and unrewarding lives under the rule of the Wraith. They possess little strength and appear to have no special abilities. It's never determined if the Helot are a sub-species of the Wraith or an entirely different one altogether, that said - they cannot perform any of the powers the Wraith have and facially look extremely different. They do not have the Wraith webbed hair or dark gloomy eye sockets, but instead have noticable horns protruding from the back of the skull extremely similar to a Pachycephalosaurus.
• Phantom: Possibly a result of a Wraith death and the Wraith equivalent to a Ghost or something that Count Raum's dark science has created. It takes the form of a minature whirlwind. The Duke was a notable Phantom after his death.
• Rats: It's clear rats are a problem in Aetha. Many scamper across the floor in the dungeons and Princess Elizabeth has a dead pet rat called Claude.
• Unnamed Travel-Worthy Toad: Exceptionally hard to discover, in the Manor House there is a sepia photograph of a Helot riding upon a very large toad-like creature. Another figure appears to be holding the reigns of the toad upon the floor. A domesticated pet appears next to him - possibly a terrier dog.

Characters in Aetha

• Count Raum
• Countess Empusa
• Princess Elizabeth
• The Watcher - aka "Old Pug Face."
• The Prisoner - unexpected ally in the dungeons
• Phantom Duke
• Captain Valeera

Trivia

• The date on the majority of the gravestones is: "1220-1242." It is unknown what this date signifies, however a wikipedia:Croatian Archbishop Guncellus held religious power in this era.
• Many of the doors of the Helot houses are daubed with white which shows a cross with wings and a circle atop of it. Such a marking could be similar to a passage in the Bible: Exodus 12-23. It claims to make a marking upon your door to make sure the Lord God knows not to strike down your door and destroy whoever's inside. The Wraith could be likened to gods with their immortality and the marking could be a sign that they've already been calling at that house for victims.
• Scree never gives Elizabeth the dance he promised he would upon Jen defeating her parents. Technically she is now in charge of Aetha (or at least the province visited in PRIMAL).