Eternal
Overview
The eternals are the most powerful inhabitants of the six other realms of existence. Some possess great temporal power commanding armies of soldiers, ruling great cities or claiming extensive lands in their realm. Others appear to be solitary individuals with only a few allies or servants. All of them have unique magical abilities that they can offer to those who deal with them, if the bargainer is prepared to pay the price.
Eternals, as the name implies, appear to be mostly immortal. They don't consistently age or change over time in any predictable way, and in some cases even the idea of death seems strange. While mortal magicians may argue the nature of Phaleron, the being claims to be an actual library, and is completely unconcerned with life and death as a mortal might understand them. There are some eternals that seem to undergo significant changes, but their fundamental nature seems to remain the same. For example, Basileia Brazen replaced Basileus Flint and seized control of the City of Locks, just as Flint replaced Basileus Kade years earlier. Through all these changes, though, the City of Locks endures and in each cycle it is ruled over by an eternal devoted to intrigue, power, and treachery.
Kill an eternal? How do you slay the wind? Swords may kill the peace, words may end the war, but conflict, like glory, is eternal.
Morgause ErewashThere are exceptions: Azoth apparently results from the union of two earlier eternals of the Night realm named Murit and Soghter, but in this case there is speculation that they are all the same creature undergoing a cyclic transformation as an expression of the fundamental nature of change. Likewise, the shifting prestige, power, and relationship of Eleonaris and Jaheris seems to be an expression of the "duality" of nobility in the Summer realm.
What is clear is that eternals do not age, or change in a gradual way in the manner of mortal beings. When they change, the changes are fundamental and swift. An eternal that has presented the same face to the Empire for decades or centuries might suddenly change that face, but its new expression is tied inextricably to the the underlying principles that form the core of its identity.
Not every eternal has the same level of interest in the Empire, but the Imperial Conclave has the power to define the status of those that do via a Declaration of Alignment. Doing so has a powerful but poorly understood hearth magic effect that can make it more or less difficult for the eternal to use their powers to affect the Empire. A list of the current status of all Eternals can be found on that page.
The list of eternals below is not exhaustive. Rather it consists of those beings familiar to the Empire, usually because they have shown an interest in it at some point since its formation.
Eternal Nature
- Each eternals area of expertise is fundamental to their existence and dominates their outlook
- No eternal can consciously contradict their essential nature
- Few eternals appear to ever lie or dissemble about what they want
Each eternal has a distinct personality that constrains how they think and how they act and that is linked to their fundamental nature. Llofir is not simply the eternal lord of fungus who draws their power from the principles of decay and rot in a way that presumably reflects some of the resonance of the Spring Realm. The ideas of collapse and ruin, and to some degree renewal, completely dominate Llofir's thinking to the exclusion of most other concerns. It is possible to engage Llofir in discussion of other topics, but the conversation will invariably circle back to rot, ruin, decline, and decay because those are the subjects the eternal is interested in.
It is foolish to compare an eternal to a child. Even the youngest child has free will.
Callus StrategosEternals appear unable or unwilling to deliberately contradict their essential nature. Everything Llofir does is ultimately intended to cause something to decay or to end a period of stagnation - they won't consciously act to preserve something, or prevent it falling apart. Of course it is possible that causing the decay of something may help something else to grow stronger and healthier - the eternals have exactly the same limitations on predicting the outcome of their actions that mortals have - but Llofir won't deliberately set out to preserve the status quo, prevent decline and decomposition, or stop the inevitable cycle of decay that clears the way for new life. It seems unlikely that the eternal would want to, but they couldn't do it even if they did. The conscious acts of eternals are irrevocably bound by their essential nature, and they can only act according to that nature.
Because their nature dominates the way they interact with other beings, the majority of eternals are unwilling, or perhaps unable, to lie about their wishes or their plans. Mortal politics is plagued by intrigue and layers of deception, so it is easy to assume that eternals are likewise engaged in duplicity in pursuit of their agenda. Eternals generally present themselves as utterly candid which can lead the suspicious to assume their apparently straightforward offers of aid conceal some deeper, more malign plan.
What it means
Every eternal embodies certain concepts tied to their realm. These concepts underpin their character, and dominates their agenda and ambitions. This can make them easier to predict, but also makes them difficult to compromise with because there are some actions they simply won't or can't countenance, and some ideas they are incapable of grasping. Cold Sun is absolutely implacable in its search for purity; no amount of reasoned argument is ever going to convince it to stop trying to destroy chaos and disorder by extinguishing all mortal life, because that is what it exists to do.
Bargains and Boons
- Eternals are able to provide powerful magical boons to those who deal with them
- Agreements between eternals and mortals have metaphysical weight, and there may be dire consequences for anyone who breaches them
- Eternals do not lie when offering bargains, but they may allow mortals to trick themselves
One of our touchstones when creating plot involving eternals (among others) is that it is far too easy for plot writers to trick players. When an eternal offers a bargain, the benefits it provides will operate as promised, provided that the player characters uphold their end of the agreement. There may be unexpected consequences, but they won't be designed as a "gotcha" that punishes players for accepting a deal. There is no fine print or hidden clauses in agreements with eternals, and it's rare for eternals to "twist" the wording of a deal in the manner of a malign genie - provided that the mortals they're dealing with don't try to do it first.
Eternals of all realms seek to engage in bargains, deals, and agreements with mortals. They offer boons that might include long-lasting enchantments, unique magic items, the services of their servants on the battlefield, their aid in achieving difficult goals, or their support in building powerful commissions. In every case, these boons come at a price. Most commonly, they require the mortals they deal with to pay a price either in goods and materials or in certain behaviour engaged in or refrained from. Even an apparently altruistic eternal like Ossegrahn offers their healing gifts in the belief that accepting and using those gifts will align those it bargains with more with its philosophies.
When an eternal offers a deal, gift, or boon, it will always try to lay out exactly what it will provide and exactly what it expects the mortal to do to get that boon. It's in the best interest of the eternal that the mortal knows what they are getting and what the price is. Eternals who break their side of a bargain often face dire consequences for doing so, but this goes both ways. A mortal who gains a boon and then refuses to abide by their side of the bargain often find that by doing so they have freed the eternal to take direct, painful action against them in pursuit of redress.
In practice, the eternals of the Autumn, Night, and Winter realms are much more likely to enter into agreements that risk unexpected outcomes. Even here, however, they avoid lying directly to mortals about the details of their agreement. There is never unspoken fine-print in a deal. When Agramant offers physical strength to a mortal coven that engages in a cannibalistic feast, they always provide that boon. It is up to the coven to make sure they are not caught and executed for their horrible acts. If there is a trap hidden in an agreement with Basileia or the Whisper Gallery, it will be one that preys on the hubris, ambition, greed, or foolishness of mortals to not consider consequences or costs, rather than one that relies on deceptive wording or cunning linguistic tricks. The eternals of the Spring, Summer, and Day realms are generally even more straightforward in their dealings, laying any bargain out in the most candid way possible. Again, there might be unexpected outcomes, but in this case they are much more likely to arise from misunderstandings about the nature of mortals, or consequences in the wider world arising from the impact of the boon or the price paid.
As long as mortals are careful, and weigh carefully the benefits they stand to gain against the price requested, it can be safe to deal with eternals. Risk creeps in when mortals don't consider the consequences of what they are asking for or being asked to do, or when they convince themselves they can wriggle out of an element they find unpalatable.
What it means
Plot writers won't deliberately trick players by lying or presenting deals with hidden elements or clauses. An eternal may not tell you everything that a boon will do if you use it, but when an eternal says it will do something in return for a certain price, then it will do that thing. Even hostile or untrustworthy eternals like Agramant or the Thrice-cursed Court will always try to fulfil their end of a bargain. We want to avoid "gotcha" results as often as possible, but still create space for player characters to trick themselves through preconceptions, misunderstandings, or greed.
Shifting Faces, Different Forms
- All eternals have many different names and can take different faces at will
- Some eternals have one or more different forms they can assume
- Some magicians believe that the different names or appearances reflect different personalities or aspects of an eternal
- Regardless of appearances, it is clear that these facets are the same eternal
All eternals are known by many different names, even within the same nation. Wise Rangara is also commonly known as The Ancient One, Eldest or Grandmother Winter and Kind Rangara in different parts of the Empire. The Varushkans use the old Ushkan name Clever Spider to refer to the wise eternal. It is widely believed that these names were given to the eternals by mortals dealing with them. While heralds will sometimes use these names to refer to their liege, an eternal very rarely does so. In some fables, the hero discovers the true name of an eternal and uses it to gain power over them, but serious magicians know these are just children's stories. Roshanwe claims they require multiple different names, because no one single word can encompass their essential nature.
Some eternals seem to enjoy the implicit flattery expressed by their epithets. The eternals of the Summer Realm are proud and vain creatures and using their "personal" name in their presence risks insulting them, whereas calling Adamant the King Under the Mountain is more likely to please and flatter him. The eternals of other realms are less haughty but even they seem to prefer those who seek their aid to use one or more of their formal titles rather than their moniker. Wise Rangara claims that doing so shows, demonstrates wisdom and awareness, suggesting that using the name implies a magician understands something about the being they are talking to.
In addition to their many names, all eternals are able to change their personal appearance, adopting a different height, weight, sex, and features. Even when an eternal appears in their "normal" appearance, they can still look to mortal eyes like a completely different person. Usually an eternal will use the same "face" for a period of time, generally only adopting a new one if they have not been in communication with the Empire for a while. Some magicians believe eternals change their face when they grow bored of the old one, the way a mortal might buy a new set of clothes. Others claim the change is not deliberate, rather an eternal simply "forgets" what they used to look like in the Empire if they haven't talked to an Imperial magician for some time.
A few eternals are able to change their shape dramatically to assume a completely different form. The ruler of the City of Locks usually appears as a charming lithe man or woman but they can assume the monstrous form known as the Beast of the Locks. Many of the eternals of the Night realm claim to be shapeshifters who are able to assume any form they wish.
Some magicians claim that the different names or forms of an eternal reflect different personalities or aspects of an eternal's essential nature. According to this theory, the Janon who takes the form of a burning pillar of flame, is different in a meaningful way than the one who takes the guise of a human or orc. In the most extreme version of this theory, Shadowed Fire is not simply a different name for Janon, rather it expresses a meaningful truth about the aspect of the eternal that is different to Firebrand, Night Sword, or Torchbearer. More likely, an eternal's form and preferred title reflects their current mood. The brutal monster that is the Beast of the Locks is feared in part because Basileia only takes this form when the eternal is already enraged.
Regardless of any changes in appearance or form, it is a fundamental truth that these different forms are the same eternal. This has been proved beyond doubt multiple times by the use of the Conclave powers of alignment. Even changes of demeanour that would seem utterly cataclysmic to a mortal being - like the death of Basileus Flint and their replacement by Basileia Brazen - seem to have no real impact on the fundamental nature of the eternal in question.
What it means
Eternals change. Sometimes this happens because a role has been recast, sometimes it happens because we feel an eternal isn't providing any useful elements in the game. These changes tend to be sudden and dramatic rather than the result of slow evolution.
Munificence And Might
- Eternals are extremely powerful but only in the areas over which they have dominion
- All eternals want payment in some form in return for their aid
Each eternal has a narrow range of interests or areas over which the being has dominion in some way. Within these narrow confines, an eternal's power is as close to limitless as the world of Empire allows. Eleonaris, the Summer eternal of majesty, nobility, battle, and victory commands armies of soldiers that she will grant to magicians who perform her ritual - there doesn't appear to be any limit to the number of armies she can field in this way. Kimus, the Day eternal fascinated by scrying and observation knows more about where things are than any other being in creation. But Eleonaris knows nothing of such matters, while Kimus has no soldiers of any kind to fight in a battle.
Despite their potency, eternals very rarely offer their aid freely. In most situations, they want to be recompensed for any gesture of support. In the Autumn realm that payment might be in the form of metals, mana, or other valuable resources. Eternals of other realms are more likely to demand services or that a supplicant take action that advances their goals. In those rare cases where an eternal will grant their aid without explicitly asking for anything in return, it is only because the eternal is confident that doing so serves their own agenda.
It is possible to codify magical rituals that call on the aid of eternals, binding an eternal in a promise to provide aid each time the ritual is cast. In many cases, obtaining the aid of an eternal may be the only way to achieve the effect. It is not possible to discover information "by asking the Day Realm" a question - but there are a range of rituals like Swim Leviathan's Depth that allow a magician to converse with an eternal to discover what they know about a subject.
Outside of their domain, an eternal's powers are extremely limited or non-existent. More than just a reflection of the resonances and dissonances of their magical realm, each eternal's powers appear to almost confined to the narrow range of interests with which they are associated. Sadogua has significant magical powers, but they have no soldiers who can fight in their service. Attempting to secure the assistance of the Brother of Wizards for a ritual to summon solders from the realm to fight for the Empire will always fail.
What it means
Eternals do not have unlimited power, and are most effective when working within their area of special focus. Often the payment they want provides them with the resources they require for their magic - when Sadogua gets magicians to send him resources in return for magic items to aid their rituals, the amount of material provided directly relates to the power of the item he is able to create. Some eternals break the "rules" of their realm, or are able to offer boons that no other eternal can. For example while most Winter eternals can cause slow decline and ruination, Surut of the Thrice-cursed Court has a strong association with fire and possesses powers that involve swift, wide-spread destruction through burning and immolation. Any Day eternal or mortal magician versed in the lore of that realm can perform potent divinations, but Kimus is unparalleled in her ability to find lost objects.
Anchored in their Realms
- No eternal can ever leave their realm to enter the mortal world
- No eternal can enter another realm, and their ability to affect them is virtually non-existent
- Eternals can enter chambers, including the Hall of Worlds
Eternals are fundamentally anchored to their realm and are unable to leave it. They can enter a chamber, a place that exists part way between the mundane world and the realm, but they cannot enter the mortal world. Less powerful occupants of the realms, like heralds, can enter the mortal world under the right circumstances, but eternals cannot. In many ways this is the fundamental distinction between a herald and an eternal - the point at which an inhabitant of the realm becomes powerful enough to be called an eternal is the point at which they are so strongly anchored in their realm that they can never leave it.
Because of this restriction, many eternals are interested in chambers and keen to exercise dominion over them. Gaining dominion over a chamber allows the eternal to determine who can enter it from the realm, which can be valuable. Having access to a chamber gives an eternal a way to meet with mortals and a chance to advance their agenda.
The most important Chamber in the Empire is the Hall of Worlds. This powerful chamber appears to connect to all six of the realms but is under the dominion of the Empire, allowing the Conclave to dictate who from the realms can enter the Hall, using declarations of Amity or Enmity. Some eternals will chose to come to the Hall of Worlds to converse with Imperial magicians, others prefer to create small chambers of their own that can be reached from the Hall.
It is not only the mortal realm that is barred to the eternals; they cannot enter or even perceive the other magical realms. Their heralds, and the other inhabitants of the realms are likewise restricted. Indeed, many eternals are only peripherally aware of the other realms and the other eternals. How much they know about realms other than their own varies from eternal to eternal, with those of the Day Realm and Autumn Realm generally knowing the most and those of the Spring Realm knowing the least. This is one reason that eternals from one realm rarely interact with those of another.
While their knowledge of the other realms is limited, their ability to actually influence a realm other than their own is effectively non-existent which is another reason they rarely waste their time worrying about the inhabitants of other realms. Kimus, for example, can see anything that happens in the Day Realm or the mortal realm to which she turns her attention but cannot look into the Spring Realm. The armies of Summer do not assail the cities of Autumn, and the monsters of Winter do not spend their time considering how to corrupt those of the Night realm.
What it means
Eternals can't enter the mortal realm. They exist in encounter tents, or in the Hall of Worlds. This is partly to preserve their mystique, partly to ensure that encounters with them can be managed effectively. It also ensures that they need agents to get things done in Anvil - either NPC heralds and servants or PC agents voluntarily advancing their agendas.
Eternals are focused on their own realms. With only a few exceptions, most eternals do not particularly know or care about the eternals of different realms. Even the occasional rivalries, such as that between Sadogua and Meraud, rarely spill over into open conflict and it's rare (but not unknown) for them to work against each others' interests. Most eternals are simply focused on their own realm and its resonance, treating other realms as odd distractions. Plots will very rarely involve eternals from different realms opposing each other directly, and when it does they will almost always focus on mortal intermediaries rather than the inhabitants of the realms themselves.
Dominion in the Empire
- Eternals can claim dominion over land in the mortal world
- The eternal can use the full remit of their powers in such an area
- Vassals of the eternal can enter and leave freely from regio in such an area
It is possible for an eternal to exercise dominion over an area of land in the mortal world, reflecting their control of that location. An area of dominion could be as small as a single commission or a feature like an orchard, a cave, or a well. It could be a mountain, a valley, or an entire town. It could even be a region or even an entire territory, in theory. There is no known limit on the size, but the limits will usually be determined by the boundaries of the area in some way.
If an eternal gains dominion over an area of land, then they are able to wield their powers in that location without restriction, even if they are under the emnity of the Conclave. They cannot enter the area - eternals cannot enter the mortal world - but all the heralds and other creatures that serve that eternal can come and go freely from any regio in the area. Most areas of dominion include at least one active regio of the appropriate realm, but it is not clear if this is because eternals don't bother to claim dominion over an area that doesn't have a regio, or because they can only claim dominion where a regio exists. Some magicians have theorised that an eternal might be able to use their power to create a regio in an area of dominion. As evidence for this theory they point to examples where regio have grown more powerful after dominion over them is claimed, or else have become more visibly overgrown in ways that reflect the nature of the eternal who claims them.
Gaining dominion is not trivial - it requires some kind of manifest action that reflects the reality of the eternal's control of an area. When Cold Sun sent armies to attack the Empire, those troops conquered regions of land around various powerful day regio. That military conquest would have been enough to allow the eternal to claim dominion over those lands had they been left uncontested for long. When the Conclave invited Llofir to purge Reikos of the taint of the Druj, the eternal used the power over the land they had been given to claim dominion over a region. Cultists in service to an eternal like Agramant or Yaw'nagrah might work pernicious magic to grant their sovereign dominion over a smaller area like a commission or local feature.
In all cases, it is impossible for an eternal to simply claim dominion over an area of the Empire; they either need to send heralds to secure their actual control of the land or else some mortal or mortals with the authority or wherewithal to do so needs to grant them dominion. Reclaiming the land can be equally difficult. Either the eternal must be persuaded to cede the ground, or else the Empire must retake it by force. Such actions often have lasting consequences, Imperial negotiations with Llofir have not yet returned to normal after the Empire sent armies to seize Tamarbode from the Quiet One.
The Empire can deliberately create an area of dominion by agreeing with an eternal to commission a fane. A fane is a way for the civil service to codify the work involved, presenting a framework for senators to use that will definitely create an area of dominion provided the right area is chosen and the eternal agrees to the deal. The ability to create fanes does not prevent an eternal from trying to claim dominion over a commission or area by other means. A sinecure, a ministry, or even a great work is still vulnerable to subversion by the servants of an eternal if they are determined to make the attempt.
What it means
When eternals have a direct impact on the Empire - when they create outposts or claim territory - it is as a result of player character action (or sometimes inaction). We'd never just give Agramant control of Holberg - but we might run a plot in which a group of conspirators have to do several unpalatable things in secret, or present a gang of NPC servants doing a ritual that requires a skirmish to prevent. Fanes represent a reliable, codified way that the Imperial Senate (currently) can give dominion of an area to an eternal, but they are by no means the only way this can take place.
Lords of the Realms
- The nature of some eternals is to wield temporal power within their realm
- All eternals have heralds and other beings of the realm who serve them
- Rituals that summon beings from a realm to fight for the Empire must employ the aid of an eternal
The eternals are the most powerful beings in the realms, and some present themselves as rulers or sovereigns in their own right. Such temporal power as they wield tends to reflect their nature and their realm. The Summer Realm has kings and queens who rule over the Summer lands and hence Cathan Canae, a Summer eternal, is often referred to as the Queen of Ice and Darkness. In the Autumn realm, there are princes who rule over the great cities of the realm and hence Callidus is the Prince of the Argent Tontine.
Whatever their titles, most eternals can call upon vassals from their realm when needed. Their most intelligent servants are referred to as heralds - they serve the eternals usually loyally though some have desires of their own. In addition, an eternal might have soldiers who will fight for them or drudges to work in their employ. Each eternal is different, but all of them can call on lesser beings for assistance when they need it.
It is not possible to summon creatures from a realm using magic. The only way to reliably gain the assistance of heralds or other creatures is to make a bargain with an eternal to provide the aid. Eternals with extensive knowledge of magic like Sadogua, Meraud or Prospero all agree that rituals that call beings from a realm to serve a magician's needs, such as Knights of Glory or Clarion Call of Ivory and Dust, require an eternal to send the agreed aid. In effect, it is creatures of the realm that that eternal commands who are sent in response to the ritual.
There are many rituals in Imperial lore that call aid from a realm that don't appear to be connected with an eternal such as Conclave of Trees and Shadow or Carve the Crystal Guardian. According to Sadogua and his peers, these rituals must have an eternal patron, it is simply that the Empire doesn't know who that is. In some cases these details may have been lost over time, but in other instances it is clear that the ritual was developed without the casters ever knowing which patron was answering their call. Such are the risks involved in trying to call forth aid from a ritual without a prior agreement with an appropriate eternal in place
What it means
The creatures of the realms are ultimately under the dominion of the eternals, and interacting with them through ritual magic requires negotiation. We do this in part to make sure that anything that conjures power from the realm - something that almost always has over high-magic implications - does not dominate the game. It also serves to drive conflict and create interesting scenarios - when the price of angering Eleonaris is that Knights of Glory becomes less effective or incur additional costs, this adds an additional level of importance and risk to interactions with that eternal.
Agents, Cults, and Idolators
- Eternals regularly seek human and orc agents to pursue their agenda in the mortal world
- Some mortals devote themselves to the service of an eternal
- The worship, veneration or exaltation of an eternal is a serious religious crime
- Eternals have no particular awareness of or interest in acquiring mortal souls
The ability of eternals to influence the mortal realm is limited, especially for those placed under the enmity of the Imperial Conclave. Many also recognise that their heralds are limited in their ability to pursue certain goals, and so seek mortal agents to advance their agenda. In the Empire this may take the form of an informal agreement to undertake certain actions or promote a certain philosophy, but it might also be more formal in nature and result in the creation of an Imperial title. The Shadowed Torchbearer for example serves as a representative of the eternal Janon in the Empire, while the Emissary to the Celestial Library receives boons from Phaleron in return for supporting scholarship and learning across the Empire in its name.
There's no need to worry about the Agramant. The Devourer will always tell you what he is doing. Better to reserve your Vigilance for those foolish enough to accept his offers of power.
Gideon, Cardinal of VigilanceWhile agents of eternals who are friends of the Imperial Conclave, or who are considered neutral, may operate publicly this is not the case for those who are enemies of the Empire. Agramant, Yaw'nagrah, and the Whisper Gallery are known to make extensive use of mortal agents because the ability of their supernatural servants to operate in the Empire is curtailed by enmity. Such individuals face censure as sorcerers, or the attentions of the magistrates, and may face very serious consequences for their allegiance. While they may pursue their goals covertly, they are at constant risk of exposure. Boons provided by their patron might reveal their provenance to divination magic, while there are unconfirmed reports of some agents bearing noticeable marks of their allegiance on their aura that can be discerned with the insight ceremony. The life of an agent of an illicit eternal is fraught with risk and anxiety and rarely ends well.
While most mortal magicians seek to deal with eternals through bargains and agreements, there are some who embrace their patron in especially unwholesome way. These groups may venerate or even worship the eternal, engaging in the religious crime of idolatry. This may even be true of otherwise allied or neutral eternals. A family that has a long history of dealing with Eleonaris for example may centre more and more of their traditions and customs around respect for that relationship, ultimately subsuming their destiny to the will of the eternal and becoming a "cult". The Conclave and the magistrates remain vigilant for signs of such behaviour, and seek to intervene before it reaches the point where the group takes some sort of unforgivable action on behalf of their patron.
One element that seems universal however is that while eternals are often interested in mortal agents or servants, none of them are interested in mortal souls. Most eternals speak candidly about not having any real idea what a soul is. Even if one were interested there is apparently no mechanism to "trade" that soul to an eternal and doing so would seem to have no interest to eternals of any realm. Those of the Day and Night realm in particular might enjoy discussing philosophies of souls, morality, virtue, and spirit but they don't seek to gain ownership of these ephemeral things nor profess any deep understanding of what they are or how they work, or even if they truly exist.
What it Means
It's possible for player characters to become an informal agent of an eternal through interaction and proving their ability to achieve their ends. Some eternals make this association more formal by offering to create an Imperial title, but when they do that it follows all the normal rules both for creation and how it is appointed. The eternal usually provides their agents with a list of things they want achieved, and any benefits that accrue are often based on how effective the character is at achieving them.
It's also possible to play a cultist or idolator but this is fraught with difficulty. Doing so risks your character's life, but is no guarantee that the eternal will even notice you. Like any other player, you'll need to work to attract the attention of the eternal and then convince it that you are capable of and interested in pushing its agenda on the field at Anvil.