Among all the locations introduced in Lineage 2, few remain as mysterious as the continent of Gracia and its infamous Seed of Destruction. While much is known about the epic raid bosses of Aden, the origins of the Seeds and the forces behind them are only briefly explained in the game's lore. This article explores the history of Gracia, the rise of Tiat, and the struggle against the servants of the Dragon of Darkness.
The Fall of Gracia
West of Aden lies the continent of Gracia, once a prosperous land that served as the center of the Giants' civilization. After the Giants were destroyed by Einhasad, the continent descended into chaos.
Human kingdoms rose and fell as rulers fought endless wars for power. Followers of Shilen, exiled from Elmoreden after their defeat during the reign of Emperor Shunaiman, also settled in Gracia. Unlike Elmoreden, Gracia never benefited from the divine protection granted by Einhasad.
After the death of Faris the Great, the first king to unite Gracia, the kingdom collapsed into civil war. His sons, Kserthus and Cornarius, divided the land into Northern and Southern Gracia, creating two rival nations locked in constant conflict.
The people suffered greatly. Endless warfare, monster attacks, famine, and the collapse of trade with Aden and Rune pushed the continent into despair. During this period, dark whispers spread among the population, claiming that the time of Shilen had come and that Gracia would become both an offering and a weapon for the Goddess of Darkness.
The Seeds of Evil
Eventually, Gracia was transformed into a land of death. The continent became sealed, making travel by land or sea impossible.
This catastrophe was caused by the appearance of the Seeds, otherworldly structures created through the influence of Shilen's followers. These Seeds corrupted the land and became powerful strongholds of darkness.
To stop the spreading corruption, the people of Elmoreden allied themselves with Kserthus and launched military campaigns against the Seeds.
The Seed of Destruction
West of the Kserthus Alliance Fortress lies the Seed of Destruction, a massive fortress ruled by followers of the Dragon of Darkness, Scelth.
Scelth is considered one of the six dragons born from Shilen. According to ancient legends, during the War of the Gods he was struck by Einhasad's Spear of Light and disappeared after falling from the heavens, retreating to recover from his wounds.
Interestingly, Lineage 1 expands upon this story, referring to the Dragon of Darkness as Halfas. In that version of the lore, Halfas battles the powerful demon Kahilyahi, who sought dominion over the underworld. Although Halfas was defeated, later events involving dark rituals and dimensional rifts awakened his spirit once again.
Whether this storyline directly connects to Lineage 2 or represents an alternate interpretation has never been officially clarified.
Tiat, Priestess of the Dragon
At the heart of the Seed of Destruction stands the Dragon's Palace, ruled by Tiat, the Priestess of the Dragon of Darkness.
Unlike the massive warriors defending the fortress, Tiat appears surprisingly ordinary. Despite her appearance, she commands the entire hierarchy of the Seed.
The lore suggests an interesting recurring theme throughout Lineage 2: powerful dragons often possess priestesses or chosen women who share a unique connection with them.
Examples include:
Leona Blackbird, whose destiny becomes linked to Valakas.
Parme, the priestess responsible for calming Fafurion's rage.
Tiat, who obtained a portion of Scelth's power through her own abilities.
Although Scelth remains hidden like Shilen herself, his influence continues to shape the fate of Gracia through Tiat and his followers.
The Alliance's Campaign
For years, the Kserthus Alliance planned an assault on the Seed of Destruction. Numerous reconnaissance missions ventured into the fortress, but almost all ended in disaster.
During one expedition, soldiers became trapped deep inside the Dragon's Palace. Refusing to let their sacrifices be in vain, they fought overwhelming numbers of monsters to allow two comrades—El and Medeval—to escape with valuable intelligence describing the fortress and its defenders.
Although Medeval was killed while carrying the documents, El survived long enough to reveal where his companion had fallen. Thanks to this information, the alliance recovered the reports and finally obtained the knowledge necessary to launch a full-scale invasion.
Weakening Tiat
Before attacking, the battle mage Artius proposed creating a weapon capable of weakening Tiat.
The process required gathering a special powder extracted from the bodies of defeated dragon servants. This corrupted material then had to be purified using the power of the Tree of Life.
The purification had to remain secret, as exposing the sacred tree to excessive darkness could cause it to wither and die.
Once purified, the material became a Fragment of Divine Light—the only weapon capable of reducing Tiat's immense power and giving the alliance a chance to capture the Seed of Destruction.
The Battle for the Seed
After Tiat is finally defeated, she briefly assumes a human form before disappearing in a vortex of magical energy.
The Seed of Destruction falls under the control of the Kserthus Alliance, marking one of humanity's greatest victories against the forces of darkness.
However, the triumph is only temporary.
The corruption within the Seed is never completely destroyed. Before long, the Dragon of Darkness's army launches another assault to reclaim the fortress for Tiat.
From that moment onward, the fate of the Seed depends on the courage of the alliance's soldiers. Only by defending the fortress can they prevent Gracia from once again falling under the shadow of darkness.
