The Lunaris Sanctum was once an exclusive center of scholarly research during the Age of Elvenkind. Founded by Aelithar Lunaris, former sovereign of Wakova, those from all walks of life would gather in the Sanctum to study new spells and magical inventions. However, the main reason the Sanctum was built was because Aelithar was fascinated with other planes of existence. His goal was to study and experiment with how species interacted in environments based on the Feywild, Underdark, and more.
Portals that reached from floor to floor would become the main mode of transportation within the Sanctum; however, it was possible to walk from each level if the need arose.
Aelithar Lunaris was always seen as a pacifist, rarely taking his nation to war, seeing it as needless bloodshed. However, the sparks of the Aetherii Civil War kindled a fire in Wakova, and the region quickly became engulfed by war. Aelithar would defend his home with force when it was needed, but he always sought another solution, as many of his citizens were not made for battle due to his pacifist rule. He quickly ordered the Sanctum to be turned into a fortress for his people and led them in droves through the Underdark to the safety of the dungeon.
A majority of the Wakovan population seemingly disappeared over a few weeks, leading to confusion among the leadership of the Aetherii Empire. Years would pass as the Sanctum turned into a massive hidden self-sustaining community built out of its layers. Humans and elves would for once finally live in peace among each other, but nothing lasts forever.
Whether it was betrayal or a discovery by an overly ambitious scouting party, the Sanctum was eventually found by Loyalist forces of the Aetherii Empire. When the Sanctum was breached, it was not just from the main entrance, but from the many small entrances that led out into the Underdark. The forces came from all sides, and in the beginning, the only thing Aelithar could do was watch.
Aelithar stood and watched as his people were massacred in front of him. A broken shell of his former self, ge did the only thing he thought he could and began wandering through the battlefields of corpses, slowly imbuing the souls of the dead into his spellbook. If they could not live in life, they could thrive in death. When his spellbook reached capacity, he did not stop there. Using an advanced form of Soul Imbuement, he began to bind the souls to the dungeon itself. Over time the Lunaris Sanctum became a massive capsule for the souls that once lived within its walls. It is said that Aelithar gets his power to control the dungeon from these souls.
After the fall of the Lunaris Sanctum, the Desolate Cascade ensured that the dungeon would become lost in history. However, centuries later, after the Aegis Ascendancy took Wakova, the Lunaris Sanctum was rediscovered by a group of Petran scholars. Word of the new mysterious dungeon spread, and adventurers would flock to it in an attempt to capture the riches that laid deep within. The Ascendancy would quickly take over the operation, contracting adventures to explore the dungeon and find magic items. The Sanctum became one of the only places in Wakova where the use of arcane magic was allowed, as it allowed adventurers to quickly find and identify magic items. Any magic items found within the dungeon must be turned into the Lunaris Archive located at the main entrance of the dungeon.