Eparch is the main antagonist of the Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure expansion. He is the supreme ruler of the Kryptis, a race of interdimensional entities who feed on mortal emotions and reside in the Realm of Dreams, known as Nayos. Eparch is a godlike figure to the Kryptis—immensely powerful, ancient, and cruel. His reign is based on absolute control, sustained through fear, domination, and the siphoning of emotional energy from the mortal realm.
Eparch seeks to bridge Nayos and Tyria, not for peace or alliance, but to feed his people through conquest and subjugation, reshaping reality to suit his own twisted vision.
Biography[]
Eparch is the sovereign ruler of Nayos, the Realm of Dreams, a dimension within the Mists where the Kryptis—a race of emotion-feeding, dream-warping entities—were born and shaped. Unlike many tyrants, Eparch did not seize power through brute force alone; he cultivated a divine persona among his people, presenting himself as the rightful and eternal ruler, one who alone could ensure survival in a realm defined by chaos and emotional turbulence.
The Kryptis are sustained by emotional energy, particularly negative emotions like fear, sorrow, and despair. Over time, they developed the ability to enter dreams and consume these feelings. Eparch transformed this survival necessity into a system of brutal imperialism, demanding that all Kryptis serve him by harvesting emotions from weaker beings—including mortals.
To Eparch, emotion is a resource, and mortals are simply livestock to be culled and devoured. He fostered a rigid hierarchy in Nayos, with himself at the top as an untouchable god-king, and any disobedience was met with annihilation or eternal torment. Kryptis who questioned his regime—like Peitha, his own daughter—were exiled, stripped of power, or declared enemies of the state.
When magical instability from the Elder Dragons and the collapse of the old order caused the boundaries between worlds to weaken, rifts between Tyria and Nayos began to appear. Seizing the opportunity, Eparch launched an invasion of Tyria, directing his agents to exploit mortal vulnerabilities and feast upon their suffering.
Simultaneously, Eparch began work on the Ravenous Maw, a colossal magical construct designed to merge Nayos with Tyria—not just as a portal, but as a full metaphysical fusion. His goal was to turn all of reality into a Kryptis feeding ground, remade in his image, a realm of eternal torment.
Throughout Secrets of the Obscure, the Commander and allied factions like the Astral Ward and Peitha's rebellion fight to repel Eparch’s incursion. The Pact Commander faces his legions across rifts, Bastions, and corrupted zones, learning of his cruelty through tortured spirits and twisted landscapes.
Ultimately, the conflict culminates in a direct assault on the Tower of Secrets, Eparch’s throne at the heart of Nayos. There, players confront him in one of the most visually surreal and psychologically intense boss fights in Guild Wars 2 history. Eparch is finally defeated, his essence shattered, and Peitha assumes leadership of the Kryptis with a new, more hopeful vision for their kind.
Notable Acts[]
- Dominated the Realm of Dreams (Nayos) through fear and magical oppression
- Waged war on Tyria, seeking to drain its emotional essence
- Exiled Peitha and other Kryptis who opposed his reign
- Attempted to merge Nayos and Tyria, threatening both dimensions
- Personally led the assault on Bastion of the Obscure
- Fought and was defeated by the Pact Commander and Peitha's alliance
Powers and Abilities[]
- Supreme Kryptis magic, fueled by emotion and dreams
- Interdimensional manipulation
- Mind domination and fear projection
- Illusion and realm-warping abilities
- Near-godlike durability and magical resistance
- Command over elite Kryptis forces
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 Villains
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