The World of Ata
A Historical Summary
The world of Ata floated among the stars as a lush and verdant world for many millennia before the gods took any interest in it. In time Ayten the Radiant, Asil the Grim, and Umer the Wise created the Titans to shepherd the world of Ata and create life beyond the animals. The Titans roamed the earth, raising mountains, changing the course of rivers, and learning the rituals needed to bring life from the gods. When they were ready, the Titans gathered the sturdy ores of Ata and crafted them into the first of the Al'Kem. They lavished the Al'Kem with attention, teaching them about the gods, the universe, art, and culture. At first, they sheltered the Al'Kem from the dangers of the world, but as their creations grew restless and spread their civilizations farther out, the gods admonished the Titans and ensured the Al'Kem would have free will.
After many centuries, the Titans realized they had been too protective of their creations and realized they must let them live their own lives. The titan, Hizir decided it would be good to provide the Al'Kem with companions on Ata and give the rest of the Titans a chance to nurture another race more responsibly. He created Humans and introduced them to the Al'Kem. Once they were established on Ata, the Titans retired from living on the planet and moved to the heavens with the gods. They instructed the Al'Kem and Humans to build great Ziggurats in their cities as homes for the Titans on their visits back to Ata. This custom has stayed true through the years and every settlement that can, will eventually build a ziggurat for the Titans.
Life went on for many centuries after the coming of the humans. The Al'Kem and humanity intermingled easily and grew their civilizations together. Nations and empires rose and fell, and the great works of art, engineering, and technology advanced rapidly. Trade with elemental visiting Ata began to flourish in the largest cities and over time the Anassed species began to spread around the face of Ata.
Centuries passed and life on Ata would have continued in the familiar patterns of peace and strife, birth and death, and the indifference of the gods that had shaped the world so far. The coming of Shadrak the Death God changed all of that in a single day of apocalyptic rage. Nobody knows where Shadrak came from, how he heard of Ata, or why he picked the world as his next conquest, but his fall to earth was marked by a wave of fire and brimstone that encircled Ata in less than a day, killing nearly half the inhabitants and destroying the verdant surface in one fell swoop. The survivors found themselves in a blasted world of lava fields, deserts, and smoking ruins wondering how they would feed themselves. Then the waves of infernal creatures swept into the lands. The armies of Shadrak took no prisoners, desired no plunder, and only wished to kill everything that lived on Ata in service of their dread god.
The devastated survivors would have been obliterated in short order had the Titans not blasted their way to the remaining Ziggurats and began to defend them from the infernal onslaught. It was the Titan's that shepherded the survivors underground to vast cave systems and showed them how to survive in the dark places. Other servants of the gods appeared and began to train the people in the ways of magic to counteract the powers of Shadrak and his minions. The war continued and one by one the Titans fell until they were no more. The greatest protectors of Ata were no more, but by then, the peoples of Ata had hidden themselves well underground and had rallied to defend themselves from the servants of the Death God. The Kadath and Sephlim have appeared in the last couple of generations from the mingling of celestial and infernal beings with the Atans to add to the ranks of soldiers.
It has been a century since the coming of Shadrak. Little is known of what transpires on the surface, but scouting parties have reported that some areas of the surface are beginning to show signs of life again. Settlements have begun to send raiding parties to the surface to harass the infernal legions. Some say it is time to take the fight to Shadrak, while others caution that nobody could hope to defeat a god.
Culture
The peoples of Ata largely live underground in vast cavern complexes. Over the past hundred years they have adapted to life in the darkness. Villages and even large cities have grown up around rivers and lakes in the caves. Vast farms of fungus and other edible substances and herds of large insects have been cultivated to feed the masses. All the while the people defend the routes to the surface from attack, gather weapons, advance their knowledge of firearms and magic, and make themselves ready for the next phase of the war.
Although they no longer ride the great steppes or sail the mysterious oceans of Ata, the people have retained much of their rich culture. Flamboyant dress, beautiful geometric and abstract art, and a love of detailed decoration on everything they make creates a riot for the senses in every settlement. Ziggurat's tower over the rooftops in the hopes that not all the Titans are gone. The masses still pray to Ayten, Asil, and Umer for salvation.
In the arts of war, the people train with the shamshir, spear, and short curved bows. They ride the mighty Meekoth lizards into battle with the same sweeping archery as before. Massive Bombards and smaller mortars wreak havoc on the battlefield and bring down any defense with their massive stone and iron shot. And now, the crack of magical lightning, fire, and ice adds to the power and the chaos of battle.