The History Of Atlazan Part I

Today, I have a bit of my own home-brew world.  This is something that I have been working on for many months now and is finally coming to a time where I can run a game within the world and have the time to do so.  While my current game takes place same world, it is one that has formed itself and combines a lot of resources including both Pathfinder and various D&D universes.  Atlazan is different.  It is the first continent for which I have not only created a map with ideas, but I have also a history, its own races, and a pantheon of its own.  There is still a lot of work for me to do, but it is coming along quite well and I am quite excited to start a campaign in it.

Below is the first half of the history of Atlazan.  It is not incredibly lengthy, but is fairly detailed.  This history represents what the majority of the races (and thus the characters) would know.  A character with history training may know even more, and there are ruins full of revelations and histories to be uncovered.  I will continue to share bits of my work among the other blogs, and as I have said, hope to have the site organized better sooner than later.


The First Coil (Age of the Atlazi)
Long ago, Atlazan was a unified continent ruled over by the Atlazi people.  How and when these people founded their empire is unknown, but they lived in peace for centuries, perhaps millenia.  It was a time of singular goal and purpose, without conflict or war.  The only threat to the Atlazi were the beastmen of the deep jungles, and rarely did they cooperate for any effort against the powerful Atlazi cities. In this age old gods held sway, once powerful and now long dead.  Heroes roamed the land defeating any beasts that threatened, clearing jungle borders, and putting down tribes of beastmen.  The wild lands were ruled over by the first dragons, great and powerful creatures of magic and emotion.  Many protected the Atlazi in their territory in exchange for wealth and fealty, becoming treated as servants of the gods or heroes reborn to continue their work.

The Second Coil (Age of Change)
Eventually, outside forces found their way to the Atlazi.  The Second Coil began subtly and slowly.  People of names and places long forgotten sailed to Atlazan and made contact.  Relationships were made between distant empires and goods unique to those areas were traded among them.  Still, war was not a thought in the Atlazi mind. One day everything changed.  Decades into the full swing of the Age of Change, visitors came to the bustling and growing cities of Atlazan.  Calling themselves the Kai’rella, they offered knowledge and resources to continue their growth.  It was a boon the Atlazi could not refuse, and for many years it proved as good as it sounded. Ultimately, the people of Atlazan realized they were slowly being opressed to the point where some outposts became no more than slave camps.  How this came to be, without anyone noticing, is anyone guess.  But some did notice.  The heroes of the time, wandering and able to witness the changes, and the great Liege Wyrms, as they came to be known, foresaw the tyranny of the Kai’rella and planned their ultimate downfall. In a bold and desperate move, the Heroes and Liege Wyrms attacked from throughout the empire at once.  Millions of Atlazi died on that day and a great number of Heroes and Liege Wyrms died too.  It was the decisive blow to the Kai’relleans, ending what may have been a long war with the eventual subjugation of all Atlazan.  For weeks they pushed back but the people of Atlazan would not yield, eventually sending off the Kai’rella.

The Third Coil (Age of Darkness)
After the defeat of the Kai’rella, the continent of Atlazan fell to darkness.  It is unknown whether their far off allies faced similar problems, but trade ceased sometime near the end of the Second Coil.  With most of the Heroes and Wyrms dead, and the survivors of the old empire dispersed throughout the continent, a time of desperation and darkness came over Atlazan.  It was centuries before a pair of Liege Wyrms, acting as simple heroes, brought together the descendants of the ancient Atlazi.

The Fourth Coil (Age of the Atali)
The two Liege Wyrms, called Raeshana and Mu’hili, spend many years collecting followers and raising the spirits of the Atali, those born of the ancient Atlazi bloodline.  Only after the Second Atlazan Empire was formed and settled did the two reveal their true forms to the peoples.  In a ceremony celebrating the survival and perseverance of the Atali, the two surprised their most loyal followers, lieutenants, and everyone around by reverting to their draconic forms.  Cheers followed for a week, a continued celebration today in both the Temtektaggre Empire and Avian Alliance every spring when the last frost of winter has finally passed. Treated as heralds of the gods, Raeshana and Mu’hili were given free reign of the continent to come and go as they pleased, in the forms they pleased.  Quickly the pair had more responsibility that would last much longer than they anticipated.  The Atali, eventually, fell into two major groups: the Rae-atal and the Mu-atal.  Each was named for the Liege Wyrm they paid homage to.  With the combined leadership of heroes and sages from both the Rae-atal and the Mu-atal, the guidance of Raeshana and Mu’hili, and the protection of rising young Liege Wyrms, the Second Atlazan Empire continued to prosper for centuries.  Until the beastmen brought forth their own gods to bring Atlazan to its knees.