It was from the stars they came, out of the vast darkness of the Primeval Cosmos falling from the sky in a wingless creature consumed with fire and thunder, crashing to the earth and plowing a rift upon it before coming to rest on the lush green grasslands. The beast lay shattered and bent, but still they crawled through the smoke and death out of the mouth of the remains and onto the land they would call their home. Although none could remember who they were or where they came from; they knew that they were alive. The silver beast that had brought them was dead and they had no knowledge to heal it. Thus they removed its shiny scales piece by piece to make their own shelters from its body while they buried their dead.

They were a people determined to survive and make a place for themselves. From the entrails of the beast they also brought glowing red crystals. The crystals provided light and vibrated with a hum at a frequency that soothed many of them to their soul. Those crystals they carried to a safe place deep in the empty caverns of a long dormant volcano in the spine of the island they were soon to settle. Eventually they would understand that these crystals gave them power and they endeavored to learn what they could of them.

 In time they gave themselves a name. They called themselves the followers of Atlas, the one who lead them here and gave them hope for a new future. In time, the strange blue people became known as the Atlanteans who dwelled in the place called Atlantis.  . . And they thrived.

Recorded in the Fourth Age of the Golden Aspen by Watcher CrellianRafkarSil of Avalon

Summary

When the children of Atlas arrived on this earth, it began the Fourth Age of the Golden Aspen according to the Sylvan Chroniclers. More precisely, it was Sylvan Year (SY) 3487 or approximately 15,000BC, during the time of the last Younger Dryas (mini-ice age). Much of the northern hemisphere was cold and dry, even in the summertime, with glaciers creeping as far as three-hundreds leagues further south than they are today.

Already, the Tuatha De were well invested in world civilizations, the Dvergr Dwarfs had occupied Tirnan Yog for over two-thousand years and the Sylvan Elves, who were fated to share the Emerald Isle with the new arrivals, were even more ancient. Then there were the humans. Barely mucking around in mud huts, developing early agriculture, they were making the transition from hunter-gatherer to agrarian based civilizations. Humans were the only true natives of this world, except for the Neanderthals, who were nearly extinct, living in small tribes in the most remote areas of the Wilds as far away from human settlements as they could manage.

The Atlanteans brought a new and unexpected dynamic that would change the world forever. Powerless to return to the stars, yet still a very advanced society, they would grow to dominate the world-stage in less than fifteen-hundred years. From a place that would be someday known as Sirius, they looked alien even to those with exaggerated humanoid features like the Sylvan and the Dwarfs.

The physical appearance of an Atlantean was very striking. They were typically tall with males averaging 7’, they were very lean and muscular with a tiny waste, wide shoulders and deceivingly thin arms and legs. Their facial features were sharp with high cheek bones, oversized, almond-shaped eyes and generally clean cut. Their hair was almost always brown or black. Most unusual was the blue tint to their pale skin and elongated skulls that curve slightly back at about a 110 degree angle from their neck. Otherwise, the rest of their anatomy was much like a typical humanoid. They liked to dress in tailored clothing in natural earth tones. The men preferred sharp angles in an almost military fashion. The Women enjoyed tight fitting gowns with a little more color. Although physically the same as other humanoids, the Atlantean was unable to produce a child with any other race, it was unknown why this was the case. As strange as they appeared, even the dwarfs found them beautiful to gaze upon.

In addition, they were powerful in the magical arts. The Atlanteans brought with them strange red crystals that they coveted above all else and carefully protected them from outsiders. The crystals were known to provide the energy for their magic and they built a network of structures across the globe to house them so that they would always have access to their power wherever they went. Sometimes the buildings looked like towers, most of the time they resembled pyramids, but always they blended into the architecture and style of the culture where they were based. Somehow, the Atlantean wizards learned how to convert their crystals into liquid metal and they coated the places they revered the most with it. The Emperors Palace and the Temple of their strange god, Pontus, were liberally covered with orichalcum metal. The reasons for this were obscure, but the Sylvan Elders speculated that even in metallic form, the orichalcum still projected power.

The Atlanteans were a wise and gentle people from the beginning. They respected nature, only taking what they needed and planned for their future needs by reconstituting the environment to minimize their disruption. The Sylvans, unsure if they wanted another civilization growing on the Emerald Isle, came to understand the Atlanteans and gifted them the southern half of the island that they never planned to settle themselves. In time, the two cultures developed trust and flourished together.

Over the centuries the Atlantean Empire grew powerful if not expansive. Their philosophy was not rooted in conquest and domination of foreign lands. They preferred a passive approach. In every developed and developing human nation, the Atlanteans were present, perhaps unseen if the culture was unaccepting of their mild assistance. Some societies worshiped the Atlanteans as demi-gods, others considered them “Star-people” and still others saw them as they were. Regardless of the circumstance, the Atlanteans goal was always the same – assist with peace and prosperity. That meant teaching advanced agricultural techniques such as irrigation, diverting water flow with dams and reservoirs, farming, domesticating animals, and so on. Politically, they would help leaders develop trade partnerships with their neighbors, peace treaties and civil laws. The Atlanteans would never take sides in a conflict or disagreement between nations unless a tyrant was threating to destabilize a region or mistreat their people.

The Atlanteans quietly spread the benefit of their influence to every part of the globe, except one – the subcontinent of Mu. Numerous small kingdoms inhabited by a race of reptiles in humanoid form that walked upright and wore clothes and armor, just like humans. They had forward facing eyes, long snouts filled with sharp teeth, scaly green or brown skin, and thick tails that reached to the ground. The problem was that they were very aggressive by their nature, and bent on conquest and slavery. Worst of all, they had a taste for human flesh. Fortunately, the reptilians mostly fought among themselves and on the rare occasion that they left their home to prey upon human settlements outside their borders, the Atlanteans would choose sides against them. The reptilians were a problem the Atlanteans hoped very much to contain.

The Atlanteans have a very close relationship with the Elves of Avalon, The Tuatha De and the Dwarves of Tirnan Yog.  It was not unusual to find dwarves, elves and humans from all over the planet mingling in the Cultural center that was Atlantis.  All were welcome and all were treated with respect as long as they follow the law.

Atlantean Society

Every Atlantean belonged to a “House”. The House was generally the family the Atlantean was born into and each individual was known by the house they were from; such as Qellel of House Mekali. Some houses were more powerful, wealthier, or wielded more influence than others. The Atlantean society was based on a free enterprise system with significant government regulation – no House was allowed to control the majority of trade, industry, money or land. Not even the House of Atlas, the Emperor’s house. The Atlanteans believed in a balanced society where there was no poverty and every House was either wealthy, well-off or somewhere in between. All Houses were urged to diversify their interests in as many different trades, agriculture, military/government service, etc. to balance their own self interests.

Any Atlantean could own land. The government encouraged this with a Land Council that would award a large parcel of land to each Atlantean when they reached the age of eighteen to do with as they chose. If a member of the House died, the Council would determine how the assets were distributed. Sometimes the land would go to the House of the deceased person; it was also possible some portion would revert back to the government, depending on how it would affect the balance of Society. All Atlanteans accepted the extensive regulation as a benefit to all of their people that removed the possibility of greed and corruption.

Socially, men and women were equal in every respect. Every citizen could own land and rise to a governing or leadership position. Only a natural Atlantean could be a citizen of the Empire and considering that no other species had been able to procreate with an Atlantean, it was fairly easy to determine their heritage. Still, it was not completely unheard of for an Atlantean to take a Sylvan, or even a human, as a mate, even if it was to be a childless union.

Atlantis was an Empire of laws that were strictly enforced on their own people and any foreigner that traveled or lived within their territory.  Laws were complex and fair. Anyone accused of a crime had the option to be represented by a legal official to assist in a proper defense. Sentences for guilty parties ranged from small fines to confinement or even banishment. Only the most dangerous criminals were imprisoned for life. A prison sentence for a human generally meant they would be sent to a labor camp to work in agriculture or the mines until their sentence was served. Every Atlantean, from ruler to commoner was considered equal under the law with the same rights and liberties. Crime was very rare in Atlantis and in almost every case, offenses were committed by non-Atlanteans; especially humans.

The non-Atlanteans that lived within the territory of the Empire were afforded the same protections and subject to the same laws as a citizen. However, they were unable to hold any position that elevated them above an Atlantean or to own land other than a residence or structure for trade. The Atlanteans did not mind foreigners in their Empire, they need them to fill critical service and labor roles they preferred not to engage in, as well as to facilitate trade beyond the Empires borders.

The City of Atlantis

The city of Atlantis was the most wondrous, if not largest in the world. The main island was approximately two leagues in diameter. Almost from its shoreline, the island raised to a massive pinnacle in the center of the island. The Dwarves of Tirnan Yog identified this elevation as a dormant volcano several millennia old with a thick crown at its apex. Atop the apex was where the massive High Temple of Pontus was located. Its central courtyard could hold over five-thousand people for the most important religious ceremonies including the coronations. Just below rested the palace complex, government buildings, military complex and lesser temples. Closer to the base of the island were magnificent homes owned by government officials, wealthy families and merchants, embassies, and so forth. At the base of the island were four ports, each located at the cardinal points of the compass. On the opposite side of the island and at the same elevation as the Emperor’s Palace, the Imperial Order of Wizards had a compound of many towers of different heights they called the Enclave.

Less than a quarter of a league from the islands perimeter lay the first ring of earth surrounding the entire island. This ring was also about a quarter of a league wide with sixth of a league gaps breaking the ring at its cardinal points. This was also where the ports for this ring were located. There were two long bridges connecting each ring segment with the central island. On the inner ring were more affluent homes, merchants, taverns, temples, libraries, and more.

A quarter of a league from the first ring lay a second ring, also a quarter of a league wide with two bridges from each segment to the inner ring segment and sixth of a league breaks at each cardinal point for ships to traverse through. There were also ports at these points as well for this wider ring of homes, merchants, taverns, etc. similar to the inner ring except a little less affluent.

Nearly a league from the outside edge of the mid ring was the final ring around the city.  This ring was a quarter of a league wide like the others and heavily fortified with thick, high walls, regular towers and protected waterway entry at the cardinal points that could be completely closed and secured with a series of massive doors. These protected waterways were also about a quarter of a league wide. The outer ring was the most heavily populated by humans. There were homes, taverns, temples, public buildings, merchants, buildings for trade and storage and much more. Foreigners who visited the city often stayed in the outer ring as well unless they were wealthy or emissaries. As with the inner rings, there were two bridges that connected each segment of the outer ring to the middle ring and ports near the waterways exiting the city at the four cardinal points.

The wide circle of water between the outer and middle ring were often used for naval exercises, water sports and water based races.

The outer wall of the city was built from massive bluestone enchanted by the Wizards to provide additional protections. This enchantment caused the wall to glow with a silver/blue light at night and appeared polished silver during the day. The walls of the High Temple of Pontus appeared the same. The walls, waterways and rings were patrolled by the city guard with many satellite stations throughout the city (especially near higher crime/human populated areas). The central island was secured by the Royal Guard and everything outside the city was patrolled by the military and navy. The waterways of the city had additional patrols by intelligent aqueous elementals called Oceanides who would assist or defend as the situation required.

Finally, the island and its rings were situated within a wide natural harbor on the southeast coast of the Atlantis continent.

Atlantean Government

The society of the Atlanteans was generally divided into two social strata – the royalty and everyone else. The royals were direct descendants of Atlas, their first emperor, and over the centuries that role has been filled by both men and women. Below the Emperor were ranks based on military, economic and government positions that could be attained by any Atlantean with the drive and intellect.

As in almost every civilization, the land owners, prosperous merchants, high level government official, priesthood and wizards had the most influence. The Emperor heard advice from a council with members from each of these disciplines, and passed laws and judgements that they approved. The members of the council held a considerable amount of power in this system, providing checks and balances to the whims of an Emperor, although this power was tempered by the fact that their positions on the council were appointed by the Emperor.

Atlantean Foreign Relations

The Atlanteans had trade relations with almost every civilization on the planet, with embassies in most of the capital cities and colonies in less civilized areas. Their unstated goal was to slowly help other cultures to evolve as a society and advance as a civilization. However; they differed to a philosophy of very slow growth meaning they would help other societies advance over centuries rather than decades.

They had a special interest in the civilizations of TaShemau, TaMehu and the Paracus. Here the Atlanteans had established a more permanent colony and were welcomed by the host countries people and leadership. It was important to note that the Atlanteans did not attempt to export their beliefs, religion, politics or technology to the civilizations where they colonized. The Atlanteans had zero interest in controlling other lands and governments. The primary objective of their contact with other civilizations was to help maintain a peaceful balance of growth and domestic development.

Some cultures the Atlanteans had contact with considered them gods or god-like. The Atlanteans did not interfere with a cultures belief and allowed them to interpret their presence among them however they chose. The Atlanteans also carefully protected these cultures from the outside influence of other advanced civilizations as they believed every civilization should be allowed to progress on its own merits and pace. Only rarely did the Atlanteans gently push a culture to help them flourish rather than slip into a dark age that could set them back generations.

Atlantis had vast agricultural resources and they exported most of their production at very reasonable value. To the Atlanteans, they would make a very small profit in order to provide affordable food imports to those countries that need it.

Astronomy was one of the few advancements that the Atlanteans shared openly with all civilizations. They were careful not to interfere or conflict with other cultures religious beliefs and did not deter them from interpreting what they learned through astronomy in whatever fashion they chose.

Atlanteans were known by different names around the world as befitted the local cultures religious beliefs:

Asturiense and Catabria called Atlantis:  Mar Cuajada

Hisatsinom (Anasazi) called the Atlanteans Anu Sinom (Ant People)

Kur-gal (Sumerians) called Atlanteans the Annunaki

The Atlantean Economy

Economically, the Empire produced an abundance of agriculture, livestock, mining, fishing, timber and magical artifacts. However; they were very careful about maintaining trade balance so that not only their own, but their trade partners economies remain strong and stable.  Just as important, the Atlanteans were careful not to over develop and went to great lengths to ensure that natural resources were renewable – for every tree cut, one was planted, wildlife was conserved and thousands of leagues of land were left untouched.

Atlantean Religion

The only deity of the Atlanteans was the Ocean God Pontus. The Atlanteans refer to not only the Primal Sea as the ocean, but also the Primal Cosmos from where their ancestors came. The priesthood was powerful and influential. Their High Priests were referred to as ‘Revered One’s and were equally represented by both be male or female priests.

Astronomy and sky phenomena were a very serious scientific endeavor by the Atlanteans.  They viewed the cosmos as the origin of life on the planet. They were aware of the Elven Codex that suggested their ancestors came from the stars. The Atlanteans believed their origins were of another world called Pontus, the same name as their deity. Atlantean legend holds that the planet Pontus orbited the star that would become known as Sirius. The planet was primarily a water-world which they abandoned when the star grew too hot to support life and began to evaporate their seas.

The Atlanteans had advanced Astronomy to an incredible level. They could project the movement of the stars and planets thousands of years into the future. They based their calendar on astronomy to a level of detail that they understood leap years. Their calculations were based on twelve with placeholders and zero, for the most advanced mathematical calculations. The Atlanteans built complex pyramid structures to track the celestial objects and used magic to magnify areas of the sky for incredible detail. Astronomy was the one endeavor where scholars, wizards and priests came together to collaborate. Astronomy was so important that the Emperor had a Minister of Astronomy that was part of his inner advisory circle.

Imperial Order of Wizards

The Wizard Class of Atlantis was a mysterious group of highly proficient men and women who served the will of the Emperor and Ruling Council. They also had their own secretive agenda as the protectors of the Source of Magic. The Source of Magic was a massive red, glowing crystal structure within a massive lava tube beneath the Wizards Enclave. The wizards understood that somehow, this Orichalcum Crystal was the Source of their magic and without it magic as they knew it would not exist. It was also a major contributor to the magic used by human priests, shamans and holy men throughout the world, although not completely. This was a paradox to the wizards, as they could only explain this exception due to the unquestioning belief, or faith, in the deity in whose name the magic was being called forth, whether or not that deity existed or not. The wizards further explained that perhaps since The Source was not of this earth and all life was of the earth, then perhaps there was an element of The Source within all life because the crystals were chambered under the earth and that a strong sense of faith allowed the holy conjurer to tap into the crystals passively to supplement The Source drawn from the Orichalcum Crystals in the local network.

Every Atlantean wizard wore an Aurinium chain around their neck on which hung a small piece of the Source Crystal the size of a man’s thumb. The crystals were not worn openly and they were not permitted to be bought or sold.  Only an Atlantean wizard could wear one.

The Atlantean wizards Primary Objective was to maintain a “Power Grid”, or network, of magic across the planet. This was accomplished by building and maintaining towers and pyramid structures housing large arrays of the Orichalcum Crystals. These constructs ranged in style and size that fit into the cultures where they were built. In almost every case, the pyramids were built by the local cultures under the direction of the Atlantean wizards. Once built, a large Source Crystal was housed in a protected chamber within the pyramid and amplified by a large quartz crystal, itself shaped like a small pyramid, to cap the top of the structure. Once completed, the pyramid/tower would be manned by a team of Atlantean wizards, either openly among the local populace or covertly, to maintain and protect the Source Crystals. The purpose of the network of magic was to provide Atlanteans access to magic wherever they traveled, as well as to allow other civilizations the benefit of various levels of access to magic power for those trained to understand its use.

The wizards were rarely involved with training or mentoring other cultures in the use of magic abilities. In fact, the Atlanteans had been impressed by the evolution of magical abilities in other cultures and learned from their alternative methods of using the power.

The Imperial Order of Wizards were divided into several “Halls”. Each Hall had a specific specialty and expertise in relation to the domain of the associated natural element, although all wizards overlapped in their abilities to some extent.

Halls

Red – Fire

Blue – Water

Brown – Earth

White – Air

Green – Nature

Yellow – Mind

Magic was a common part of Atlantean life. Those that could afford it had carriages that did not require wheels or a horse to travel. The carriages and wagons levitated a foot or two above the ground on what appeared to be a dense cloud and were steered with a rudder-style device from either inside or outside the conveyance. They could not fly and were permanently enchanted.

The government of Atlantis maintained a fleet of three ships that were able to fly at low altitude or glide across land or water. They were used for long travel when portals were not available. The vehicles were built to look like large war galleys so not to alarm cultures unfamiliar with the Atlanteans and flying crafts. They were rarely seen outside of Atlantis and were most often used to patrol the Emerald Isle (including Avalon) and City via air and/or sea protecting the coastal areas from raids from the sea. Each ship was staffed by a dozen Battle Wizards trained in the arts of combat and a company of fifty elite soldiers with their officers.

The Atlantean Military

The Atlantean warrior was a very powerful adversary. They typically carried an Aurinium longsword, dagger and bow with Aurinium arrowheads. Their armor was nearly transparent, also made of Aurinium with a slight blue tint. Aurinium was a material only known to the Atlantean Forge Wizards. What was generally known was that the base material was ground seashells and crystals, mixed with other elements in an intensely hot magical forge; it could be poured into molds for armor, weapons and tools. The material, once cooled, was stronger than steel.

It was illegal to sell items made of Aurinium to foreigners.

The armor was flexible and weighed very little, it could even float. When making weapons and tools, another element was added when smelted to give the item appropriate weight and balance without compromising its strength.

The Atlanteans also maintain a large fleet of ships to patrol the coastal waters of the Emerald Isle. Each vessel carried at least two Battle Wizards and a company of marine warriors.

The Tuatha De

If there was one enigma that the Atlanteans faced, it was the Tuatha De. When the Atlanteans first crash-landed on the planet the Tuatha De had already been there over five-thousand years, according to the Sylvan. It was clear they were a magical people and equally unclear where they drew their power from. The elves and druids source of magic was nature, the Atlanteans and those few humans and dwarfs that could conjure drew power from the crystals, but the Tuatha De were a mystery. There were also very few pure Tuatha De, or the ‘Blood’ as they were known – maybe only a dozen or so since the Breaking thirteen hundred years before the Atlanteans arrived.

The most significant event recorded by the Sylvan concerning the Tuatha De was known as The Breaking that occurred SY 2113. A faction of the Tuatha De ‘Blood’ refused to give up their creations – monsters genetically altered and bred to serve the Tuatha De. Some of the creatures were highly intelligent, too intelligent, and they rebelled against their masters. Many Tuatha De called for their destruction or banishment, while others refused to believe the creatures could be controlled. Violent conflict eventually erupted between the opposing factions.

The Tuatha De were almost all ‘of the Blood’ then. Powerful, god-like, and they tore each other to pieces. Many thousands died on both sides, including most of the ‘Blood’ before it ended. When it was over, the few that survived banished their creations to Fomoire, the ones that they could find anyway. Some records revealed that many of the more intelligent creatures managed to escape into the Wilds. Since then, they could be found all over the world, the Trolls and Ogres among them. It has even been speculated that the dwarfs were an original creation of the Tuatha De, although they vehemently deny that to the point of violence.

The few surviving Tuatha De of the ‘Blood’ organized into Families and elected a principal of each family. Those would become the royalty controlling the cities Falias, Gorias, Finias, and Murias, but there were few people left to populate their cities. The elves were secluded, the dwarfs were grotesque, and the humans were just starting to build rudimentary civilizations. Despite their lack of advanced development, the Tuatha De thought the humans were beautiful and decided to mate with them and populate their cities with their offspring.

The Tuatha De reproduced with human mothers were much different than that of the average human. They were a highly magical people that took their power from somewhere other than nature or the Orichalcum Crystals.

There were so few of the ‘Blood’, perhaps only a dozen or so, and that would be the last of them. It was speculated that either something happened during the conflict that ended their ability to procreate among themselves or they never could in the first place. There were no records of children among the Tuatha De ‘Blood’. Even CrellianRafkarSil never recorded anything about it one way or another. There would be no more Tuatha De Blood when the ones alive eventually died, and all that would be left would be their progeny filtered down through their human mates. Considering that the Tuatha De Blood who were known were by now several thousand years old, it could be some time before that happened

Physically, the Tuatha De Blood looked very much like humans – a perfect version of them anyway. The ones that had been observed appeared never to age and were regarded as very beautiful. They tended to keep to themselves where the non-humans were concerned and apparently involved themselves exclusively in the affairs of humans. It was whispered, although unconfirmed, that the Tuatha De Blood had installed themselves as the various deities of human religions, taking their image as their own and interacting with the humans as divinity.

The only noteworthy interaction that the Atlanteans, Sylvan and Dvergr have had with the Tuatha De occurred in SY 4088. All the humanoid races (except the Reptilians) joined together to close the rift that had been mysteriously opened between the Infernal Planes and this world allowing seven Named Greater Demons and thirteen Lesser Chaos Demons to escape. The seal, a vast, vitrified Glass Sea, would keep more of the demons from pouring in. It took all of their collective effort to close the rift, gather up the demons and imprison them in an enchanted pithos for all eternity. Since that time, the Tuatha De Blood have been rarely seen, even in their own lands.

Regarding the Tuatha De human hybrids, they lived in a relatively closed society. However, it was not unusual for them to collaborate with the Imperial Order of Wizards from Atlantis or the Sylvan Enchanters from the Demesne of Avalon. Their cities were generally closed to outsiders, specifically uninvited humans, although the Sylvan and Atlanteans were typically accepted. It was also not unusual for the Tuatha De hybrids to travel the world, mingling with humans and others, much of the time not identified as anything other than typical humans.