Overview
Attelum, officially recognized as Attelum Kingdom, is a set of ruined islands located in the Dark Sea. Attelum ‘generates’ as soon as the game’s server is created, meaning it has a fixed (though random) location somewhere in the second or the third layer of the Dark Sea. In order to find the Attelum Kingdom, a player must open Dark Sealed Chests, with each having a 7% chance to drop Tattered Map. If Tattered Map is ‘consumed’ by the player, they obtain a map marker leading to Attelum.. or, you know, the player could randomly stumble upon while sailing the Dark Sea.
Brief History
Attelum was once a prominent kingdom with average political strength, though a below-average fleet power. It was mostly known for avoiding territorial expansion and housing a population of ‘Druids’: a class of humanoid creatures with an astonishingly long lifespan whose spirits were linked to trees. Each Druid was able to wield Growth Magic and other nature-related skills with exceptional mastery, using them to maintain harvest and plants across Attelum.
The kingdom was ruled by a family of ‘half-druids’: a widower king, who was masterfully ruling Attelum and raising his young daughter simultaneously. Despite not originally being in the Dark Sea territory, the uncontrollable expansion of the polluted waters slowly claimed the entirety of Attelum, beginning its decline.
While most of the population was evacuated in time, the Druid part of it was forced to stay because of their corresponding trees — which got corrupted and inevitably drove the Druids to insanity. Only the Gods could’ve for sure known what happened afterwards — if only they had maintained their rule over the world.
18 years after the last civilian had left Attelum, a Tattered Map is discovered.
Questline
You can accept a questline available in the upper part of Attelum. It can be started by triggering a cutscene near a ruined shrine, where a worn stone statue will attempt talk to you. Once approached, the voice reveals that they were once a Goddess, though they had long forgotten their name and purpose, now only remaining in the statue they were worshipped as.
The Forgetful Goddess admits she is afraid to completely vanish, blaming the mutated overgrowth that claiming Attelum for her cognitive downfall.
Agreeing to try and help the Forgetful Goddess to stay intact, you venture into the ruined streets of the kingdom in order to defeat at least 5 Warped Druids. Once you’ve completed this task and returned to the Forgetful Goddess, she states that her memory is becoming more vivid — making her reminiscence on Attelum before its downfall and catastrophes following The Fracture. The Forgetful Goddess also notes how she can sense a foreign, yet familiar presence from within the Attelum Castle and asks you to investigate for her, with caution.
Questline Boss Fight
Once you enter the Attelum Castle, the rotting gates behind you get welded shut by a thick column of countless tree barks, leaving you no choice but to proceed deeper into the building. As you do, a rhythmic beating sound grows louder, the wood creaks below your feet: and soon enough, you encounter Synthetic Heart — a mutation of man and nature, a mistake conjured by the Dark Sea.
Synthetic Heart
Synthetic Heart is an amalgamation of branch and blood created via extensive exposure to Dark Sea’s conditions, laying idle in the throne room of the Attelum Castle. It is composed of multiple dead corpses enshelled in thick wooden peel — with the only exception being the former ruler of Attelum, with their body (except the head and right arm) exposed. The rest of Synthetic Heart appears to be a ‘sentient’ network of branches and roots that seem to be able to process sensations such as pain and fear. It is unknown on how Synthetic Heart came to be.
By the time you enter it, the Attelum Castle has already been overtaken by Synthetic Heart; with most of its roots running all throughout the building’s exterior. Damaging most of the said roots and branches is only a temporary solution against the organism as Synthetic Heart can rapidly regrow itself, especially if it feels threatened.
However, Synthetic Heart does have a weak spot — a bright, pulsing spore at its core, merged with the body of the former king of Attelum. In dormant state, this spore remains exposed and unguarded.
During the fight with Synthetic Heart in the throne room, it will grow out long branches and utilize them as pseudo-arms: being potent enough to channel Growth Magic attacks through them. Synthetic Heart can also spurt out wooden minions to aid itself in battle. These are infused with the bits of souls of those who the Heart has claimed, but the said minions are clumsier and more rigid than your average foe, so defeating them is not too difficult.
Upon detecting damage to its core, Synthetic Heart will grow out impenetrable wall of wood to shield itself, forcing you to exhaust Synthetic Heart with excess movements in order for the wood to weaken.
Questline: Resolve
Once (if) you’ve successfully defeated Synthetic Heart, the gates to the Attelum Castle will unseal once again, allowing you to leave. To finish the questline, return to the Forgetful Goddesses shrine for the final time. Upon meeting, the voice will state that it is late Demeter you have been talking to.
Having the primary source of unstable magic energy on the island defeated, Demeter was able to recover more pieces of her memory and her identity, though not former power. She states that despite the civilians evacuating way before the Dark Sea truly came to claim the kingdom, the royal family of Attelum stayed on the island along with the Druids. Demeter theorizes that something sinister happened to them inside the castle, resulting in the birth of Synthetic Heart, but finds talking more about the topic ‘a spiral to insanity’.
To thank you for your vigilant efforts, Demeter offers for her remaining soul to be consumed by you in order to unlock Demeter’s Blessing. Demeter’s Blessing slightly lowers the speed your hunger drains with, especially if you have Saturated status. You also unlock “God’s Delegate” title, which has a yellow-purple gradient to it.
Extra Information: Warped Druids
Since Warped Druids are linked to specific trees that store a part of their soul, defeating them the normal way is not enough. Damaging the Warped Druid’s body may exhaust it, to the point where it will start withdrawing corrupted magic from its ‘home tree’, letting you know where it is with a faint trail of magic flowing to the Warped Druid. To truly take one down, you have to follow the said trail and destroy the warped tree or the glowing spores on it. Only then will a Warped Druid seize its attacks.
Extra Information: Attelum Loot Drops
Warped Druids have a chance to drop the Warped Druid set (Warped Druid Cloak, Warped Druid Robe, Warped Druid Dress), with each piece having the following stat points: 1 Insanity, 10 Power, 75 Dexterity, 50 Resistance. They also may drop a Golden Sickle, which is a short Weapon that can be used to deliver sharp C-shaped strikes.
Synthetic Heart has a chance to drop the Widowed King set (Widowed King Chestplate, Widowed King Boots), with each piece having the following stat points: 1.5 Insanity, 30 Power, 30 Resistance, 50 Armor Piercing.
Extra Information: Showcase Game
You can explore the ruins of Attelum Kingdom by following this link: ~ Attelum Kingdom ~ | Play on Roblox
Extra Information: Credits
The Sea of Creation server for miscellaneous Arcane Odyssey assets such as materials and some meshes. Credits for the other assets go to, including but not limited to: Kierof, noah_spirit, JTN and everyone who has read this far; as well as the creators of Arcane Odyssey.
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