Ether was once a prosperous kingdom, its wealth and influence extending far beyond its borders. Its success, however, was built upon fragile foundations. The kingdom thrived on trade with its powerful neighbors, relying too heavily on foreign goods and resources. When those neighboring kingdoms turned their backs, Ether fell into ruin.

Poverty spread like wildfire. Famine gripped the land, turning once-thriving towns into graveyards of the starved. Disease followed close behind, sweeping through the streets, sparing neither the old nor the young.

The royal family, paralyzed by mismanagement and unprepared for such a crisis, crumbled. When the king perished, his heirs proved unfit to rule—some too young, others not wise enough. In their place rose Junius, the king’s younger brother. The burden of a dying kingdom fell upon his shoulders, and he sought a radical solution to Ether’s plight.

Before the gathered masses, King Junius proclaimed his decree:

“This is the greatest crisis our kingdom has ever faced, but I know the solution lies within Ether itself! Therefore, I declare: all who contribute to our kingdom’s revival shall be rewarded with nobility!”

The decree sparked a revolution of ambition. Ether’s greatest minds, entrepreneurs, and visionaries came together, forming a syndicate known as the Elysium Council. Their purpose was clear—to restore Ether’s greatness and ensure its continued stability. Those who proved themselves invaluable to the kingdom’s resurgence became its new aristocracy.

At the head of the Elysium Council stood its first Elysian, the wealthiest and most influential of them all—Merlin Wilt. A genius whose scientific breakthroughs reshaped the kingdom’s destiny.

Under the reign of King Junius, aided by Merlin’s innovations and the military might of the Emerald Knight Beowulf, Ether waged war on the very nations that had abandoned it. One by one, they fell before Ether’s armies. What was once a struggling kingdom transformed into the most formidable empire the world had ever seen.

Yet power alone was not enough. Ether’s transformation was solidified by an unprecedented feat of engineering. By Merlin’s design, the kingdom itself was lifted into the sky, becoming the floating island known as Skyland—the empire’s new capital, reserved solely for aristocrats and their servants. The lands below became the Lowlands, a sprawling expanse populated by the working class.

But not all were willing to submit to this new order.

In the Lowlands, those who refused to pay their taxes, dabbled in the arcane arts, or engaged in organized crime were branded as deviants—criminals who threatened the empire’s prosperity.

Among them, few were as feared as the Dark Lords. These notorious figures rose to infamy, their influence stretching through the underworld. And none was more feared than the Robbing Hood, who emerged centuries after the Empire's founding. With his crew known as the Mad Men, he waged a relentless campaign against the empire, pushing it to the brink of chaos.

But even the greatest outlaws meet their end. The Emerald Knight of that era, Sir Arthur Pendragon and his most formidable warriors finally put an end to the Robbing Hood’s reign, solidifying the empire’s control once more.