I just made a crazy realization.
So in 2016, we had the multiplayer map Empyrian. It was a floating set of buildings shaped like rings and was kinda out of place with all the Hell and UAC maps in that game. Then once Eternal came out, we rightfully recognized it as Sentinel architecture yet the exact location and purpose of the structure was always more of a question. With the Dark Ages, I feel like that has finally been addressed.
I believe that Empyrian is part of the Holy City of Aratum, or was an approximation of it before it fell. Aratum (if you aren’t aware) is a Holy City floating in the skies above Argent D’Nur. The Maykrs had outlawed worship of the Wraiths when they came to Argent D’Nur, yet allowed Aratum to be a central hub for all old Argenta knowledge, artifacts, and history. It (metaphorically and literally) fell when Azhrak layed seige to it for the Heart of Argent. Being such a high place of Sentinel significance, i would imagine the UAC came to learn of it and, somehow, put it into their VEGA-led combat simulations (DOOM 2016’s multiplayer in canon is a combat sim for UAC soldiers led by VEGA).
Below is a picture of Empyrian
And below is a picture of Aratum
Similar round structures with gothic architecture, floating through the air in a ring layout. The only difference between the two, aside from iconography (I chalk that up to 2016 being 9-ish years before TDA was in development) is scale. Aside from that there really aren’t many differences between the two.
I get that this is more of a headcanon but it still is a REALLY cool connection. It also raises some questions, specifically how much the Mars UAC knew about the Sentinel civilization and Argenta history. Its also just cool to see an outlier map design get turned into a huge historical point in Doom’s timeline. Really cool imo.
