The story of the Seven Seals is one of the most important yet often misunderstood pieces of Lineage 2 lore. Introduced during the Chronicle 3 update, this storyline explains the origins of the Church of Einhasad, the rise of Emperor Shunaiman, the conflict with the Children of Shilen, and the creation of the mystical seals that would determine the fate of the world.
Although the original text contains inconsistencies and reflects an earlier version of the game's lore, it remains one of the richest sources of information about Elmoreden's history.
The Birth of Human Religion
Unlike the other races, humans were abandoned by their creator, Gran Kain. Without a divine protector, they adopted the beliefs of neighboring civilizations, worshipping Einhasad, Gran Kain, the elemental gods, or even Shilen depending on the region.
After the gods departed the material world, devastating wars erupted between the races. Humans suffered tremendous losses, leading many to seek answers about death and the afterlife. During this era, a secret religious movement known as the Children of Shilen emerged, believing Shilen to be the true goddess worthy of worship.
The Rise of Emperor Shunaiman
As humanity united under Shunaiman, he realized that military strength alone would never keep the empire together. A shared religion and a common enemy would be needed.
During his coronation, an angel named Anakim, one of the nine daughters of Einhasad, descended from the heavens and blessed him. She warned that Shilen sought to return to the material world and entrusted Shunaiman with preventing that future.
Receiving divine blood granted Shunaiman extraordinary magical abilities, an extended lifespan, and the power known as Divine Revelation, allowing him to command holy beings.
The Creation of the Church of Einhasad
Using his newfound authority, Shunaiman rewrote human history.
Gran Kain was erased as humanity's creator, while Einhasad became the official goddess of mankind. Worship of Gran Kain and Shilen was outlawed, and the Church of Einhasad became the state religion of the Elmoreden Empire.
Those who refused to accept the new doctrine—including scholars and followers of older faiths—were branded as heretics and persecuted.
War Against the Children of Shilen
The Children of Shilen had secretly grown into a powerful organization capable of challenging the empire.
To defeat them, Shunaiman transformed elite warriors into the legendary Nephilim, holy soldiers infused with spirits from the divine realm. Additional volunteers became powerful support warriors known as Giants (distinct from the ancient Giant race).
The first holy campaign forced the Children of Shilen underground, where they established hidden catacombs dedicated to Shilen.
The Catacombs and the First Seal
Inside the catacombs, Shunaiman encountered terrifying new enemies.
The fallen followers of Shilen rose again as undead, while powerful immortal beings known as Lilim defended the underground sanctuaries. These creatures had been created through a combination of Giant technology and Shilen's dark magic.
After years of brutal warfare, Shunaiman succeeded in sealing the six catacombs using the Seal of Avarice, believing the Children of Shilen had finally been defeated.
Lilith and the Necropolises
The victory proved temporary.
The Children of Shilen resurfaced under the leadership of Lilith, an immortal elf blessed directly by Shilen herself. She organized eight hidden necropolises where new armies of Lilim were created while preparations began for Shilen's return.
Without enough soldiers to fight another prolonged war, Shunaiman accepted assistance from the mysterious Guild of Mammon, a wealthy group of exiled Dwarven merchants whose true motives remained unknown.
The Second Seal
With financial support from the Guild of Mammon, Shunaiman rebuilt the Nephilim army.
The final battle took place inside the necropolises, where Anakim confronted Lilith. While the two immortal leaders fought each other, Shunaiman used the opportunity to seal all eight necropolises, sacrificing both the Nephilim and Anakim in the process.
This became the Seal of Gnosis, forever imprisoning the armies of light and darkness together.
The Third Seal and the Great Invasion
Years later, the Children of Shilen launched another invasion from the western continent of Gracia.
Using advanced Giant technology, they captured several castles with surprising ease. To counter this advantage, Shunaiman created the Seal of Strife, a magical seal capable of controlling the ancient castle relics and determining the rules of future castle sieges.
This victory cemented the emperor's absolute authority over Elmoreden.
The Remaining Four Seals
Historical sources reveal that Shunaiman eventually established four additional seals:
Seal of Punishment
Seal of Awakening
Seal of Calamity
Seal of Arrival
Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about how these seals were created or what events surrounded their establishment.
The Seal of Shilen
Beyond the Seven Seals themselves lies another great mystery: the Seal of Shilen, better known in modern Lineage 2 as the Forbidden Gateway.
This sacred location marks the place where Shilen descended into the Abyss and where she is destined to return should all seven seals ever be broken. Shunaiman also created an order of guardians tasked with protecting these seals across generations.
Bayum and the Origin of Seal Stones
Centuries later, Emperor Bayum attempted to absorb the magical energy imprisoned within the sealed Nephilim and Lilim using the Tower of Insolence.
His ritual was interrupted by his daughter Salina, causing the magical flow to reverse. Instead of empowering Bayum, the energy condensed inside the imprisoned beings, forming the Seal Stones.
These stones would later become the key to controlling the Seven Seals during the events experienced by players in Lineage 2.
Legacy of the Seven Seals
The Seven Seals storyline establishes many of the foundations of Lineage 2's world, including the rise of the Church of Einhasad, the conflict between light and darkness, the origins of the catacombs and necropolises, the Guild of Mammon, and the eventual struggle against Shilen.
Even though later chronicles revised portions of the lore, the Chronicle 3 version remains one of the most influential narratives in the game's history, connecting many of Lineage 2's most iconic locations, characters, and systems into a single overarching story.
