Atlantis Sample

2ATLANTIS: The Second Age ATLANTIS: The Second Age

Contents

Chapter One 4What Is Atlantis? 4

Twelve Revelations 4Atlantis Time Line 12

Chapter twO 18The Heros Journey 19

Character Creation 19Attributes 20

The Root Races Of The Antedeluvian World 22Step One: Choose A Race 24

Races 24Ahl-At-Rab 24Andamen 26Atlanteans 36Humans 38Jinn 40Lemurians 44Nethermen 46

Step Two: Choose A Culture 48Cultural Packages 48A View Of The World From Atlantis 51

Step Three: Choose A Profession 58Professions 58The Slayers 58The Takers 60The Shapers 62The Teachers 64

Step Four: Walk Life Paths 67Life Paths 67Previous Adventures 69Specific Events 77

Step Five: Other Details 83Other Details 83Hero Points 88Disadvantages 90Indulgence 92

The Heroes Journey 92Destiny 92Fate 93Great Works 94

Skills 97Overview: 97Skill Descriptions 98

Improving Characters 106

Chapter three 110Magic 111

What Is Magic? 111The Price 111Perception Of Magic 111About Traditions & Modes 112Using Magic Powers 113Magic Mishaps 114The Mental Fatigue Penalty 115

Modes 119Attack 119Illusion 121Influence 123Kinetic 124Manifest 125Manipulate 126Sensory 127Shield 128Summoning 130

Traditions 132Sample Spells 140

Places Of Power 143Calendar 145

Vril And Ley Lines, And Telluric Technology 146Other Telluric Devices 149

Alchemy 151Alchemical Materials 151Elixirs 157Medicinal Mixtures 158Narcotics 159Poisons 163Potions 164Powders 166

Creating Enchanted Items 168The Enchantment 169Time & Enchanting 171

Chapter FOur 174The Gods 175

Worship 175Votives And Sacrifices 175Holy Places 178Using A Gods Dominion 178Dominions 179

The Pantheons 192The Anatomy Of A God 192The Atlantean Pantheon 193The Orixa 193The Gods Reflections 199The Cults Of Baal 200The Cults Of Set 201Sprits In The Material World 202

Sample Pantheons 203The Veddan Gods 203The Turani Gods 207The Tharshi Gods 210

ATLANTIS: The Second Age

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Chapter Five 214Equipment 215

Coin Of The Realm 215Wealth Other Than Coin 215Buying Services 215Wealth Rating 215Buying & Selling Goods 217Item Quality 218

Weapons 219Bladed Weapons 219Hafted Weapons 221Spears & Polearms 223Ranged Weapons 225Other Weapons 227Lemurians Weapons 228Vril Weapons 229

Armor 230Conveyances 231Specialized Equipment 233

Equipment Master Lists 234

Chapter Six 240Core Rules 241

The Results Table 241Abilities Related To Attributes 245Rules And Tips For The Game Master 249

Combat 250Damage & Protection 251Combat At A Glance 252Combat In Detail 252Combat Tactics 254Attack 254Defense 258Movement 259Stunts 261Scale 263

Character Life And Death 264Healing 265The Environment 266

Chapter Seven 272Game Masters Section 273

What Do I Do With This Game? 273Creating Adventures 273Game Masters Characters 275Starting The Adventure 275Scene Framing 276Setting The Scene 278Giving Options 278Surprise And Misdirection 279The Respite Phase 280

Great Works 282Suggested Great Work Action Guide 285

Chapter eight 288Adversaries 289

Attributes 289Adversary Creation 302

Step One 302Step Two 303Step Three 303Step Four 304Example Monster Creation 308Quick Adversaries 309

The Dogs Of Jhunn 310The She Dogs Of Jhunn 311

Chapter nine 316Atlantis History 317

The Iron Age 317The Golden Age 317The Dark Age 318The Modern Age 319

Atlantis 319Amphisea 328Autochthea 328Azae 329Diaprepea 330Elassippea 330Eudea 331Gadirea 331Mestea 332Mnesea 333Olokunia 333

The City Of Atlantis 334Atlantis Map Location Key 344Cultures Of The 346Post-Cataclysmic World 346Index 356

4ATLANTIS: The Second Age

InspirationsBelow is a list of inspirational

media that helped in the formation of ATLANTIS.

Influential WritersBelow is a list of the writers

that most influence the Atlantis RPG game youre holding.Clark Ashton Smith: The writer of four very important sword and sorcery series; Averoigne, Hyperborea, Mars, Poseidonis, Zothique. Smith, along with Howard are the fathers of fantasy that ATLANTIS is trying to emulate.Robert E. Howard: The creator of Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn. Fritz Leiber: Creator of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series.Michael Moorcock: Creator of Elric and the concept of the Eternal Champion.

Comic Books:Warlord: a sword and sorcery comic book published by DC Comics. Created by Mike Grell and infused with just enough nutty super heroic to make it outstanding.Savage Sword of Conan: the black and white Marvel Comics magazine that exploded my brain as a kid. I think I learned to read with this magazine. Age of Bronze: Eric Shanowers epic retelling of the Trojan War, produced by Image comics.

What Is Atlantis?ATLANTIS is a sword and sorcery game that takes place thousands of years before our own

time, in a place where cosmic terrors were bargained with for arcane power and eldritch lore. ATLANTIS depicts the tales of a time when heroes solved problems through wits and cunning and with a strong sword arm. In antediluvian times, otherworldly gods bestowed miracles with one hand and wrought dread curses with the other. The Player Characters are Heroes, living in a new age, and a new world, where humanity is in its infancy and the elder races cling to life as they gaze into their own twilight. The Heroes will live and triumph. The Heroes suffer and eventually die. Atlantis is the record of how they lived, and the stories they leave behind. That is whats important.

ATLANTIS is inspired by early fantasy fiction, before things became codified and bogged-down with convoluted world-building. It takes its cue from fiction that was more interested in the deeds of Heroes rather than how the world around them worked. ATLANTIS is not a fantasy novel, but a role-playing game. The world presented in the following pages is here to facilitate new fiction that springs from the collective imagination of those sitting around a table.

twelvetwelvet revelatiOnS1.) What is Atlantis about?This is a game about the fictional, antediluvian pre-history of our own world. A world filled

with savage warriors, powerful magic and cosmic horrors. This is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy game in the vein of the old TOR and DAW books. The game owes a lot to R.E. Howard, C.A. Smith, Moorcock, and Lieber.

2.) What do the characters do in Atlantis? Atlantis is about the personal journeys of the Player Characters. They each have stories to tell,

some of which are secret and self-serving, while others are grandiose and world-shattering. While some protagonists in Atlantis are driven to save the world, most are driven by their own ambitions a desire for fame, power, and wealth but all have one thing in common, while some are petty and some are noble, all are driven.

3.) What is the resolution mechanic of ATLANTIS?Atlantis incorporates the Omega System, which uses a D20.

4.) How does Character Creation in Atlantis reinforce what the game is about?

The game uses a lifepath system to construct a back story on which the players can build a foundation to tell their stories. All characters in the game are Heroes, and the lifepath helps reinforce this fact with unique, but random, story elements that flesh out the Hero. A lifepath also helps the player to determine his Heros ambitions, goals, and personality. Character creation determines how the Hero fits into the game world and the play group.

5.) How do players contribute to the ATLANTIS story?The players and Game Master collaboratively create extraordinary stories as they adventure

through the world of ATLANTIS. Using the rules within these pages, players are able to actively add to the story and react to elements the GM throws at them. NO story happens in Atlantis without the focus being centered on the Heroes. Because character creation infuses each character with multiple plot hooks, the players becomes proactive as well as reactive to the Game Masters plots. The Heroes are the story of Atlantis.

6.) How does ATLANTIS setting reinforce what the game is about?

The setting models a fictional antediluvian pre-history of earth with many cultures, races, and


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5ATLANTIS: The Second Age

Movies and Television:

Conan the Barbarian: the movie adaptation of Robert E. Howards classic hero. Fire and Ice: Who could forget this Frank Frazetta inspired sword and sorcery adventure. This movie packs in a lot of high action adventure and very iconic imagery.Krull: A group of Heroes band together to fight impossible odds.The Never Ending Story: Wonderful fantasy adventure with many sword and sorcery elements filtered through a childs story book.Deathstalker: This 80s fantasy movie is like watching a car wreck. You know its horrible but you just cant stop watching. The Sword and the Sorcerer: Who didnt have a tri-sword in the D&D game after seeing this movie?

Music:Tyler Bates (300 soundtrack)Jeff Beal (Rome: The HBO Series soundtrack)James Horner (Krull, Troy, Braveheart soundtracks)James Newton Howard (Unbreakable soundtrack)Basil Poledouris (Conan the Barbarian soundtrack)

Roleplaying Games:Arcanum: The original game that started it all for AtlantisTalislanta: The most significant and original fantasy role-playing game. Sorcerer and Sword by Ron Edwards. The concepts in this game will blow your mind. Ron is a genius.GURPS Atlantis by Steve Jackson GamesConan by TSR. This game is deceptively fun. Its compact but very well done for a game of its period

creatures. The world is familiar enough to understand, but strange and wondrous enough to feel new, enthralling previous players of Atlantis or Arcanum. The setting is full of strange lands, ancient fallen civilizations, and supernatural wonders that make the world a dangerous, terrifying, and exciting landscape in which to play. Along with character creation, the setting helps to illustrate who and what the players are.

7.) What should ATLANTIS make the players feel when playing?

Players should get a sense of empowerment and accomplishment while playing their Heroes. Once their adventures are complete, the players should feel that they were the primary (and most important) element in the story. To support this, their characters actually have access to mechanics that allow for permanent change in the game world.

8.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does ATLANTIS encourage?

Player Characters are made in the vein of classic sword-and-sorcery Heroes; there is a tragedy for every triumph. Players are encouraged not only to succeed at their goals, but to bring their disadvantages into play. Renown is the primary source of character improvement, and therefore should serve to make the players proactive rather than reactive. To attain Renown, the Player Characters must accomplish goals or undertake daring exploits that catch the attention of their peers and the common man.

9.) Where does ATLANTIS take the players that other games dont?

ATLANTIS is a front-loaded game, where the Heroes are accomplished and competent from the moment play begins. The goal of the game is not to amass power and skill but to use their existing skill to realize their goals and affect change in the world. The game is not interested in the amassing of wealth, but the accumulation of the renown tied to great or infamous deeds.

10.) What does ATLANTIS do to engage the players attention; why should they care?

The Player Characters are the central stars of the game. Nothing of importance happens without the characters involvement. It is impressed upon the players that they are the movers and shakers in the game world, and that they have the potential to literally change the course of events as they unfold. There are subsystems that allow the characters to manipulate and change the social well being of an entire country. Furthermore, players are motivated by the promise of Renown and the calling of their own destinies to move their characters forward. Proactive play is rewarded; the penalty for idleness is no Renown-gain and a forgotten life for their character.

11.) What are the publishing goals for ATLANTIS?To produce a finite number of books that further detail and expand the game. The line is

envisioned as a three-book set, detailing the world, its creatures, and the Player Heroes.

12.) Who is ATLANTIS target audience?Goal-driven individuals who favor creative storytelling in a new fantasy world not tied to the

Dungeon & Dragons fantasy tropes. ATLANTIS is not made in opposition to D&D or games later derived from it. Instead, it is intended as an alternative play environment (and play style) for those looking for something different. In ATLANTIS, Renown takes the place of gold and the Heros deeds take the place of their loot.

What Do I Need to Play?To play this game, you need this book, some paper, something to write with, some twenty-sided

dice, a lot of imagination, and a group of people, one of whom is willing to be the guiding force in the game. This person is called many things, but Game Master serves well as shorthand for someone who presents information about the game, setting, and obstacles the other players encounter; who takes the part of the people the players characters interact with; and who adjudicates the rules. The rest of the group, simply called the players, takes on the roles of major characters in the stories that they and the Game Master create together. These stories are called adventures, or scenarios. Very short adventures, usually encompassing only one or two obstacles to a simple goal, are referred to as encounters. A series of encounters can become an adventure, while a series of adventures can turn into a campaign. This book contains a chapter on how to come up with adventures.

6Lessons of the Past

Tell us a story of the past; tell us of when Atlantis ruled the world.

The children, scions of the great Atlantean houses, gathered around cross-legged in the ruins of the open-air theatre that served as Agathons school. The old man rubbed the rheumatism from his knee with one hand, waving the children into silence with the other. The morning sun had yet to rise above the ruins and the air still held the memory of nights chill.

Very well, we shall start the lesson today with The Story of the World, which is, as you should know by now, the story of Atlantis.

Agathon looked at his audience; these children would grow up to be statesmen, generals, and magi. He offered a silent prayer to the gods that they would remember the lessons of the past.

The Age of Unreasoned Sleep

The oldest spirits speak of a dimly remembered time, called the Age of Unreasoned Sleep. This was the beginning of everything, when existence flowed from the dreams of the Elder Gods.

Who were the Elder Gods?

Agathon looked down at the student. A wise question, Eridis. The Elder Gods were, and are, the source of all things, from the air that surrounds us to the time that I waste answering questions that my students should know I will get to soon enough. The old man gave a mock scowl, and then chuckled at the solemn look on the childs face. Patience, Eridis, everything comes with time. Now, if I may continue without interruption? Eridis nodded eagerly.

The Elder Gods were beings out of time, endless creatures beyond our feeble capacity to reason or comprehend. The dreams of these sleeping titans were enough to ignite suns and set time flowing in its proper order. It was a time of wonders and horrors beyond comprehension; it was also the birthplace of the race we now call the Jinn. Today, we know the Jinn as mercurial beings with shifting allegiances and powerful magic. Back then, they were something different. Born from the eyes of a fiery titan, they built whole civilizations in the very flesh of the Elder Gods themselves.

Agathon paused; the children had seen Jinn before but none had dreamed of their true antiquity. The old man could spot the looks on some of their faces, and envied them their sense of wonder.

Yes, the Jinn are a very old race; perhaps the first, perhaps not. Since the ages of time we know are but the pale remembrances of beings that, while immortal, only stretch back to the beginning of the Age of Unreasoned Sleep, we may never know the answer. Who knows what other things, or entire cycles of time existed before that? Perhaps the universe has existed countless times before? Agathon shrugged it was too early for a philosophy lesson.

The spirits tell us that, as the Age of Unreasoned Sleep declined, something awoke. Perhaps this entity was an Elder God, perhaps it was their collective consciousness given form, or maybe it was just an emissary, the reverse of a dream, sent to our plane of existence by the sleeping titans. The being named itself Oldmar, and chose Demiurge as its title. By this act, it gave itself form and purpose. Oldmar became fascinated by the myriad wonders of existence and set itself the impossible task of

7cataloguing each and every thing dreamt by the Elder Gods. It was Oldmar that forged order into the universe and gave purpose to all things. This was the greatest of times, but sadly, as is the way with the world, the peace was not to last.

The Age of Screams and Fire

Oldmar was only the first being to awaken, and the most beneficent. By laying down rules for the universe, Oldmar inadvertently woke the Elder Gods. These timeless beings did not like what they saw, and set about returning the world to its primeval state through death and fire. The Jinn, warned by Oldmar, persevered themselves by hiding beneath the earth in jars of amberglass and orichalcum.

Agathon grinned as he thought of all those gardens that were going to be sacrificed tonight in the name of finding lost Jinn-jars. As a child, he had earned a terrible beating for digging up most of his mothers vegetable patch while seeking the ancient wonder he knew in his heart was lurking under the next cabbage.

The wrath of the Elder Gods was terrible, and when they were done, all that remained was blackened stone and ash. As their rage subsided, a great weariness overcame the titans, and Oldmar sang an ancient song that lulled them back to their ageless slumber. With the Elder Gods asleep once more, Oldmar set about restoring the world. But the wrath of the Elder Gods was not so easily put aside; it had become a distinct entity. It took the name Nemesis, and burned through the world, slaughtering the new life that Oldmar seeded. The Demiurge would not be so easily defied, however; Oldmar captured Nemesis in a box made from the scorched wood of the last tree in creation.

Is that the box that Pandora found?

A chorus of hisses worthy of an Ophidian opera shushed the questioner into silence.

No, child, smiled Agathon. That was an entirely different box, one I will tell you about some other time, if you ever let me finish.

The child huddled down silently, doing a very good impression of a Jinn hiding in a bottle.

Oldmar kept the box under his tongue, and after a time his voice seeped into the box, changing the Nemesis into something new. One day, Oldmar awoke to find two small beings creeping out of his mouth; he named them Set and Baal, and gave them the task of aiding him in rebuilding the world. The three worked ceaselessly to repopulate the world with all manner of flora and fauna. Much of the life we know today came to us from the hands of these three.

It was during this time that Oldmar discovered the Jinn, hiding beneath the earth and set them free. It pleased the ancient god that some part of the former age still walked the Earth. Inspired by the Jinn, Set strove to create a race of his own, a race with mind and purpose. Set poured his soul into these beings; gifting them with limitless ambition so that they might surpass the Jinn and a belief that they were superior to all others. This race he called the Ophidians and molded their form to match his own. The Ophidians proved fruitful and spread across the Earth, founding great kingdoms and forging Empires.

Agathon sighed. Sets gifts would prove to be curses on the Ophidian race; leading them to war with the peaceful, to enslave those that wished nothing but friendship, and to sunder their own bloodlines to weed out perceived weakness.

8A hand shot up Eridis again and the group let out a collective moan. Agathon smiled, Yes, Master-Questioner?

Forgive me, Master, the child said, eyes darting from the hostile looks of his classmates to his indulgent instructor, but I thought the dragons came before the Ophidians?

The old teacher shook his head, No, though this is a common mistake propagated by a dozen or more writers throughout antiquity. The dragons and the Ahl-At-Rab were spawned much later; the latter by the Ophidians, and the former well, Im getting to that.

Baal saw Sets creations and grew jealous. Unable to fashion life from nothing, Baal took some of the Jinn and warped their mercurial forms into shapes he considered beauteous. These creatures became known as the Sons of Baal, and rose to terrorize the world, feeding on Jinn and Ophidians alike. The very presence of a Son of Baal was enough to poison the soil and corrupt animal life.

Oldmar saw Baals hateful, corrupt children and grew angry, banishing them from the world. Baal, enraged, conspired with his brother Set to take Oldmars power and become the ultimate creative force of the universe.

Baal and Set led an army of their creations to attack Oldmar while he lay at rest on the moon. The battle raged for untold ages, scouring all life from the moons surface. Finally, through trickery and the sacrifice of countless minions, the wrathful twins were able to shatter Oldmars form into a thousand pieces. Set tore out Oldmars heart-shard and threw it down to the Earth, where it sank into the rich red soil of a river delta. This was not enough to kill Oldmar. His head survived, and the thousand shattered pieces were gathered by the eldest of the Jinn, who bound them into the same glass jars that had saved them from the Elder Gods.

The shards of Oldmar, now beings in their own right, reworked the jars into mirrors to reflect the spark of the divine in all things. Naming themselves Orixa a name meaning reflections of Oldmar they confronted an exhausted Set and Baal as they argued over what to do with Oldmars head. The Orixa took vengeance in Oldmars name, banishing Baal and Set to prisons deep beneath the earth. Baal was imprisoned in a city of brass with his children. Since brass is painful to the touch for Baal and his children, the city is a place of eternal torment.

The Orixa tore Set limb from limb, and threw his serpentine form into the deepest hole they could find. Set thrashes and rages against his prison to this day; when we feel his fury we call it an earthquake. The blood from Sets torn limbs was given form by his rage and desire to escape, birthing terrible, furious creatures bent on destruction.

Agathon looked expectantly at Eridis who supplied an awed, Dragons.

Yes, the teacher confirmed. The dragons, the blood of Set, rose from the darkness, buoyed by Sets own rage, spreading misery in their wake. While the dragons raged, the Orixa focused on shoring up the damage to creation wrought by the battle among Oldmar, Baal, and Set. With the Jinn too scattered and weak from saving the Orixa, the Ophidians ruled the earth.

9The Age of Water and Reason

Agathon looked around at the sea of faces. A few servants sat at the back, sent by the parents to make sure their children behaved. The servants seemed as engrossed in the lesson as the children; no doubt they would return to their own offspring tonight and retell the tale.

Agathon picked up the ewer that lay at his feet and splashed water onto the dusty ground. From the mating of earth and water came a race both bestial and noble. The old man cupped his hands either side of the wet earth and brought them together to form a small mound of damp soil.

On the Island of Lemuria, from an egg of amber, rose a figure of mystery: the Lawgiver. He was first of the Lemurians, and father of their race. The Lawgiver was born immortal, but sacrificed this gift to the apes of the island, raising them above the other beasts; bestowing on them sentience and so much more: an understanding of the natural world unparalleled by any species that walks the earth today, and the responsibility to use that knowledge to protect and preserve. The truth of the Lawgivers origin is lost to the mists of time, and he did not stay long. He told his people he would soon be leaving them, and they took to grieving. Before he left, he wrote his knowledge in a single tome, said to hold the answer to every question that will ever be asked. Copies of these tomes are closely guarded secrets and even our scholars long for a look at the treasures within.

Though the Lemurians possessed knowledge beyond imagining, they thirsted for more. This gluttony became their fatal flaw and they traveled the world, seeking greater and greater wisdom. The Ape-men created great works of art, built cities that existed in total balance with nature, and grew to be masters of harmony, living in total alignment with the natural world. Wherever they went, the Lemurians brought peace, until they encountered the Ophidians.

Have any of you ever seen a snake in the wild? Agathon asked abruptly. Several children nodded. And what was your first reaction?

I took up a rock and killed it. Theyre dangerous, said one of the older scions. The other children murmured agreement.

This is exactly what happened when the Lemurians met the Ophidians for the first time. The two races had an instinctive hatred for each other that was beyond all reason. Slaughter and reprisal defined the relationship between the two races. The Lemurians used their understanding of the natural world to set it against the serpent-folk, while the Ophidians bred with dragons to spawn their Ahl-At-Rab soldiers.

The war continued for centuries until the two races exhausted their resources, and open warfare gave way to a seething cold war.

Agathon paused, raising an eyebrow. Eridis hand was up. But Master, what about the Atlanteans? My father says that our first Empire blossomed while the apes and serpents fought? The childs brow furrowed as he tried to reconcile the two accounts.

Quite so, Agathon replied Sometime during the Golden Age of Lemuria, the Atlanteans emerged, fully formed, from a river bank in Gondwana. The Atlanteans built a civilization there, unnoticed by the warring Lemurian and Ophidian peoples.

The Atlanteans are a noble people. Finding another race similar to our own east of our lands, we took them under our tutelage, instructing and guiding them as I do you.

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This race was Humanity, given life, it is said, by the breath of Oldmar himself. Some humans regard this time as a period of slavery, where the Atlanteans dominated them, but our relationship was beneficent and much of their culture and technology came from us. Gondwana had barely been explored before the Serpent Wars. Because it had gone almost completely untouched, Humans and Atlanteans were free to expand and develop their civilizations.

It was during the lull in the Serpent War that the Ophidians first became aware of the Atlanteans. Scouts from the Eastern Ophidian Empire, seeking new resources to restart the war, encountered the human civilizations in Eastern Gondwana. A massive Ophidian army marched on Gondwana, hoping to enslave humanity, unaware the humans were under Atlantean protection. The Ophidians had some early successes, overrunning the humans coastal settlements and enslaving the populations. The Atlanteans were outraged. Our people raised an army and struck back, hard. The Ophidian forces, used to combating the patient Lemurians, were not prepared for the speed of the Atlantean strikes and quickly retreated from Gondwana, never to return.

A small cheer rose from the assembled children. Agathon gave a grim smile; Atlantean thoughts went easily to the glories of the past, living as they did in the crumbling cities their ancestors built when Atlantis ruled the world.

Now, we turn back to the Lemurians. The gentle Ape-men were in the midst of rebuilding their civilization when disaster struck. A terrible, disastrously virulent plague all but annihilated the Lemurian people. Entire cities were scoured of life, and the few remaining Ape-men fled back to Lemuria, abandoning their outposts and colonies.

The Rise of Atlantis

With the Lemurians gone and the Ophidians recovering from centuries of warfare, the Atlanteans were able to stride beyond Gondwana unhindered. Early in their explorations, the Atlantean scouts discovered a rich and fertile land like nothing they had seen before. It took less than a century for the entire Atlantean population to migrate to this vast continent. We named this promised land, Atlantis.

Not content with seeding their homeland, the Atlanteans became traders and conquerors, spreading their empire throughout the world. It wouldnt be long before Atlantis came into conflict with the remnants of the Ophidian Empire. Although greatly diminished, the Ophidians were well-versed in the ways of war, had massive slave armies, and possessed potent black magics. The Ophidians called upon the Sons of Baal for aid, and the demons willingly answering the Serpent-mens call, if only to escape the torment of the City of Brass. Countless Atlanteans lost their lives as cities burned, and whole colonies were sacrificed to Set.

The Beast Wars

For a time, it looked like the Ophidians would overrun Atlantis itself. As things seemed their blackest, Atlantis great sorcerer-scientists uncovered the secrets of Alchemy and Vril. The Atlanteans used these twin powers to create the Nethermen. These savage monster-men repelled the Ophidian invaders from the shores of Atlantis, though it quickly became apparent that they could not be controlled. A mass Nethermen rebellion cost Atlantis dearly, and forced us to drive away or slay every Netherman on Atlantis.

The sorcerer-scientists returned to their laboratories, this time giving life to the Andamen; a race born of the mixture of animal and human. The Andamen could be given a host of different forms to suit any given terrain, allowing the Atlanteans to deploy their troops anywhere. The Andamen were more intelligent than the Nethermen, and revered the Atlanteans as their makers. The Andamen also lacked the fecundity of

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the Nethermen; meaning that they were unlikely to breed in massive numbers and overcome their Atlantean masters.

The Atlanteans bred entire legions of Andamen, sending them into battle against the Ophidians Ahl-At-Rab and dragons. The hosts of Atlantis won the day and the Ophidians retreated from their strongholds, hiding in the farthest regions of the Earth. Never again would the Ophidians rise to threaten Atlantis.

Another cheer welled up from the listeners, but Agathon ignored it and continued.

The Golden Age

For five centuries, Atlantis star rose until it shone over the entire Earth. Vril pyramids captured the Earths lifeblood and channeled it for the glory of Atlantis. Flying ships and Vril-gates carried Atlantean explorers, even armies, to the farthest corners of the world and beyond. Great glass roads connected Golden Cities and no Atlantean wanted for anything.

As with all Empires, there came a time when the fires of exploration and conquest burnt low, and the smoke of politics and corruption rose in thick clouds. So it was that after five centuries of burning bright, the fires of Atlantis became embers and ash.

The Fall of Atlantis

The faces of the children grew solemn and sorrowful. They all knew the next part of the tale, of the paranoia of kings, the immorality of the people, and the twisted will of the sorcerer-adepts.

In the last century before the great Cataclysm, the Atlantean people fell to corruption and madness. The high magic that created the Andamen was perverted to create all manner of twisted creations and monstrosities. The sorcerer-scientists experimented on the populations with impunity, and only those of pure Atlantean blood were free from their meddling. Those not of Atlantean blood were little more than slaves, and treated worse than animals. Atlanteans indulged in the darkest depths of depravity; no perversion was too great.

While the laboratories of the sorcerer-scientists spewed forth horrors, the slave pits and gladiatorial arenas ran red with the blood of innocents. The princes of Atlantis grew increasingly paranoid as assassination and border wars replaced diplomacy. Great weapons were constructed in the name of peace, armies were trained, and vast armament stockpiles created. Suspicions grew with each weapon forged, with each warrior recruited. Spies fermented rebellion. Finally, one of them succeeded in the city of Antilla. This seemingly minor revolt was the beginning of the end.

Agathon trailed off. Everyone knew the rest of the story. They knew that the gods had punished the Atlanteans for their hubris. Autochthea had sunk beneath the waves and the Vril, the lifeblood of Atlantis, had turned against them, ravaging the land. High Atlantean sorcery became unstable, and brought only destruction. Finally, just as Atlantis crawled its way out of a centuries-long Dark Age, the Hesperians launched an invasion that came close to destroying the Atlanteans once and for all. Nobody wanted to hear that story.

The sun rose above the lip of the ancient amphitheatre. Soon, the heat would be unbearable. Enough for today, the old teacher called. Tomorrow we shall discuss what happened in the wake of the Cataclysm.

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ATLANTIS: The Second Age ATLANTIS: The Second Age

Atlantis Time LineBecause of its aggressive colonization, most civilized lands use

the Atlantean calendar to date events. The calendar starts at the beginning of the Atlantean Empire, when the 10 tribes of Atlas unified under the great Sorcerer King Atlas Amanhene, over four thousand years ago.

Epochs are marked by the events that define them; for example, A.E. after the establishment of the great Atlantean Empire. After the Great Cataclysm, dates are recorded as after the fall (a.f.) or M.K. (Meta Kataklysmos).

-? A.E. (estimated by the great scholar Petranova)

The God WarSet and Baal turn upon Oldmar and dismember him. The

Orixa spring forth from the shattered body of their master after it tumbles to the earth. Eons of war fold in upon themselves as the god-magic creates a great flux. Time ripples out, and lifetimes of war condense into the blink of an eye. The two dark usurpers are banished.

-7,000 A.E.The jungles bosom heaves, expelling the Giving Breath; the

Lawgiver springs from the Amber Egg. The Lemurians awaken.

-6,875 A.E.Seeking to share the Lawgivers gift, the Lemurians expand their

sphere of influence, looking for new lands to explore and colonize.

-5,000 A.E. (estimated by the great scholar Petranova)

After dreaming of hunger and lust, the first Atlantean awakens along a forgotten river on the coast of Gondwana. The bottomless void inside her cries out to be filled.

-2,000 A.E.The Lemurians encounter the Ophidians. War erupts, spreading

across the world, engulfing all of their colonies.

-1,500 A.E. (estimated by the great scholar Petranova)

Humans emerge from Gondwana, and quickly spread across the world. Primitive and the least powerful of the races, none take notice of them except the Anunnaki and Atlanteans. Both take humans as pets and slaves, but theses children learn from their masters. Later, they will take that knowledge, as well as the determination tempered by their captivity, and use it as a tool to forge their own nations.

-1,000 A.E.Vice draws the Atlanteans from their river valley, creating small

pockets of civilization. Looking for ways to quench the fire inside, they explore their new surroundings. They find knowledge hidden in the old ruins of Lemurian and Anunnaki cities, increasing their power in proportion to their lust. The tribes soon find the sea; the

same drive fuels their ingenuity and they build the first great ships, taking to the sea to court adventure.

-887 A.E.Exhausted by centuries of war, the Ophidians and Lemurians

reach a tenuous truce. Both sides reclaim lost colonies and rebuild their societies.

-400 A.E. A great plague spreads across Lemuria, killing thousands. The

children of the jungle become isolationists, seldom leaving the protective embrace of their home.

-100 A.E.The Atlanteans find a lush continent free of civilized inhabitants.

They name it Atlantis, making it their own.

-1 A.E.The tribes of Atlantis are unified under the Sorcerer King Atlas

Amanhene after a ten-year battle. He builds a great golden throne called the Sika wa, and rules as king with ten mighty Sorcerer-Princes who serve under him.

Founding Of Atlantean Empire

957 A. E. King Atlas Amanhene dies on the morning of what should have

been the first day of his thousandth year. Lightning splits the sky in a single bolt, big enough to be seen anywhere on the continent. Violet rain falls for seventeen hours and every bird in the empire coos the same mournful notes. He is the longest-lived Atlantean.

960 A.E. The first Atlantean civil war.

The Atlantean princes march to claim the Sika wa and the power it represents. The war lasts for 20 years and ends on the Day of Scars. The war produces a line of succession that is not broken for thousands of years.

1,000 A.E.Atlanteans design the first pyramids and circles to collect and

redirect Vril energy. The Lands of Atlantis shine like emerald stars at night, fueled by the Vril energies.

1,200 A.E. The Atlanteans come into conflict with the Anunnaki when their

empire encroaches upon their colonies in eastern Gondwana. War breaks out between the serpentine Anunnaki and the

Atlanteans. The superior Anunnaki army wins many of the early conflicts, but soon the world erupts into war as the Atlanteans summon the full strength of their scattered peoples, and they battle the Ophidians for world dominance.


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1,210 A.E. The Atlantean savant-adepts create the Nethermen to fight the

dark sorcery of the Anunnaki. Though a useful tool, the Nethermen prove hard to control. For the next 20 years, a battle of attrition is fought on both land and sea. Countless human civilizations are consumed in the process.

1,235 A.E. The savant-adepts create a new race of beastmen, Andamen,

easier to control, and specialized to the task at hand. Within five years, the first legion of beastmen takes the field of battle.

1,267 A.E.The war drags on for 32 years, Atlantis wresting many of its

former colonies from the hands of the Ophidians. The war moves at a glacial pace as the Atlanteans push back the Ophidians to the shores of their homeland, Mu. The Atlanteans burn every settlement with Ophidian influence, killing millions of Serpent-men and their human thralls. The war ends with the Anunnaki Empire in shambles.

1,300 A.E.The last of the first-generation Atlanteans fall into a deep sleep,

only waking every one or two hundred years. The succeeding generations of Atlanteans are not the godlike, eternal beings their fathers were. Their new lifespan is a mere heartbeat, lasting only a few hundred years. Many of the younger Atlanteans seek ways to extend their life.

1,862 A.E.The Golem War: The Great Sorcerer MalSorkumar investigates

the weird properties of fallen metals. Infusing the metals with his own power, he is able to capture the souls of the dead. Creating golems to hold the souls, he uses them as his slaves. Shut away for years at a time, furthering his alchemical and necromantic research, MalSorkumar draws the suspicion of the Atlantean council. He is accused of black sorcery and a great battle takes place between the golems and the Atlanteans. The war lasts three weeks before MalSorkumar escapes to what is now the Black Forest. The golems, not so easily driven off, are put to sleep and buried in a vault, deep in the mountains of a nameless and deserted island.

2,460 A.E.The Second Beast War:

The Atlanteans break their treaties with the Lemurians and take colonies in Jambu. In retaliation, the Lemurians attack, regaining the colonies from the Atlantean usurpers. This proves devastating for the Ape-men as the might of the Atlantean war machine obliviates their forces. Only civil unrest, both on the Atlantean continent and abroad in their colonies, saves the Lemurian homeland from destruction. The Lemurians once again embrace inner reflection and isolationism.

2,950 A.EThe Vril Gates of Atlantis

Atlantean sorcerers create the first Vril Gates, allowing travel between any two of the massive, orichalcum structures. Trade and

travel between the colonies increases, allowing even the least of their race to experience the outer reaches of the empire. Atlantean sorcerer-merchants control the Vril Gates; their wealth grows. Lesser merchants and humans still conduct trade over land and sea.

The gates are soon dismantled when scholars discover that the space traveled between gates is actually the dreamstuff of the Elder Gods. Most of those who traveled through the gates manifest deformities of the mind and body. Though the council apprehends and slays most of these abominations, some escape into the wilds.

3,535 A.E.With the Beast Wars concluded and their enemies crushed, the

Atlanteans disband their Andamen forces and delve deeper into the mysteries of Vril.

3,950 A.EThe Great Sorcerer King closes the doors to his throne room

and never comes out. His court is held in secret. Those few of his inner council allowed to leave the throne room do so shaken and disturbed. The King sees his council only once a year from this point on.

3,975 A.E.The Ophidians begin rebuilding their great city on the island of

Mu.

3,979 A.E.The Sorcerer King is assumed dead, as the doors to his throne

room have not opened at their appointed time.

3,980 A.E.Seers spread tales of the Elder Gods return and tell any who will

listen to expect a great reaping.

3995 A.EPrince Quetzlan sinks the rebellious island of Antilla beneath the

waves. Distrust spreads among the Atlantean Princes.

3996 A.E / 0 M.K. The Great Cataclysm. Autochthea floods. Earthquakes, tsunami,

and floods wrack the lands touched by the Atlantean Ocean.

THE GREAT CATACLYSM

1 M.K. / 3997 A.E.Tritons inhabit the sunken lands of Antilla, driving out the

Makara.

77 M.K. Jaguar tribe taken over in northern Tamoanchan.

105 M.K. Comanch tribe invades Aztlan.

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106 M.K.Coyolxuahqui, last Atlantean Queen of Aztlan, dies.

113 M.K.Founding of Dardanus School by the Grey Council.

136 M.K. Tehuantl takes over the Timeri

206 M.K.Manuan warriors begin their great conquest of the Elysium Sea.

264 M.K.Rise of the Lotus Cult in Dabba.

278 M.K.Great Kazak Horde drives a vast band of Nethermen from the

east into the Mongalan Desert.

298 M.K.The Cabal of the Crystal Skulls arrives in Ecua.

341 M.K.The Hesperan Empire embarks on an expansive series of

conquests in Gondwana.

372 M.K.Quetzacohuatl comes to Quechua.

423 M.K. Gorgon Civil War begins in the Hesperan Empire.

426 M.K.Armies of Khem halt Hesperan advances.

427 M.K.End of the Hesperan Empire, as her armies are called home to

defeat the Gorgons.

504 M.KRed Tide

Because of increased piracy in the Mediterranean, the nation of Khemit sends ships to capture and sink every rogue vessel in the sea. When it finds that the sea nation of Minoa is funding the Sea Peoples raids, in order to weaken the navel strength of their Gondwanan rivals, Khemit goes to war. The conflict lasts for eight months and eventually draws in the nations of Hellas and Tharshesh on the side of the Minoans, with the Hesperians backing Khemit. The war ends in a stalemate when the Sea People use the opportunity to pillage unchecked through Europa and Gondwana.

505 M.K.The year of the Sky Fire and the Season of Ash.

On the first day of Wayeb, a bright new star appears in the sky. For over a year, the star grows in intensity, looming brighter every night. Some say it is the coming of a new god. Others preach doom and despair. Both are proven correct when, one year to the day, streaks of light blaze across the nighttime sky and the Hordelands of Eria explode into flame. Sleeping families wake and run outside to investigate the rumbling earthquakes as far away as Aztlan. For six months, the skies above Eria stagnate, choked with ash. Thousands die of starvation as crops fail and sickness spreads, brought on by the falling star.

The Erian Plague Months after the Season of Ash many unfortunate souls in Akela

and as far away as Tamerac, are gripped by a cruel and aggressive plague that leaves large weeping boils on the skin. Those touched with the sickness die within three days. The healthiest last for a week. Many flee from the interior of Akela, only to be turned away by their neighbors. For a year, most of Akela is isolated by a de facto quarantine. They are left to die.

The Golden BoxTwelve boxes are delivered to twelve kings across the known

world. The King of Atlantis receives a box followed by the Queen of Sheba, the Pharaoh of Khemit, The Erlking of the Black Forest, the Queen of Hesperia, then the kings of Ophir, Tharshesh, Khitai, Veda, Nazca, Quechua, and Aztlan. The boxes feel warm to the touch. Gilded and encrusted with precious gems, they draw praise from all who behold them. Inscribed on the side of each box, written in nochian, shine the words and so his time shall pass. Atop the box sits a small mechanical time piece, assumed to open the box at the appointed time. No known form of scrying can penetrate the box and, if forced open before the time runs out, as in Tharshesh, fire burns the contents. Several kings have called for the best thieves in their realm to open the box but none have yet been successful.

506 M.K.Battle of the Serpent Kingdom

Jambu gives its call to arms, seeking heroes to rid a mountain in the Mongalan desert of an underground kingdom of serpents. The fortress city in the mountain is under siege for two years before a group of young adventurers finds a secret passageway inside, allowing an army of men to enter. Every Ophidian man, woman, and child is killed. The army finds a large store of Formorian weapons inside, linking the Ophidians to the northern giants.

The Black Circle ConflictIn Awalawa, rumors of a powerful sect of black magicians called

the Black Circle surfaces and a horde of Nethermen seethe from the interior of the jungle, infused with demonic power. The king of Ophir mobilizes his army and calls upon Hesperia for help. The Nubian mercenaries, known as the Lions of Kandake, move to stand against the Black Horde and their Diabolist masters. A call goes out to the heroes of every nation to help stop the threat. In a shining moment of unity, many answer.

Quick and bloody, the war culminates with the destruction of the demonic masters Black Bone Tower. Before the world can catch


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its breath, the demonic menace that controlled the Black Circle rises from the rubble of the former tower, devouring the souls of the unlucky few too near the desolation. Sorcerers and shaman work countless spells, binding the demon into a large tree, and impale it with bronze spikes. The Nubian mercenaries pledge to watch over the tree, allowing none to pass their wall of thorn and stone.

The Boy UsurperZal, an albino boy from Turan, claiming to be a born of true

Atlantean blood and raised by wild animals, emerges from the desert wastes. The boy is always in the company of an Owl-woman called Simurgh the Watcher and her coven of Owl-women disciples. Zal commands an army of varied Andamen. He makes himself known by seizing the Tharshesh outpost of Tarsharon, outside of Joppa in Zin. The boy-general is possessed of almost godlike power and arcane magics beyond his apparent 11 years of age. Every Beast-man he encounters falls to his knees and swears and oath of allegiance. The boy and his army travel in a large and ancient barge that moves across both land and sea with ease.

The Pirate QueenZenobia, a renegade princess of Sheba, harasses trade ships along

the Gondwanan coast near Ophir and Tharshesh in Europa. So successful is her pirate enterprise that sailors and traders alike give her the title Queen of the Pirates. The traders of Tharshesh offer a bounty on her head large enough to make a man a king. So far, the elusive Pirate Queen has managed to elude capture and send the heads of the bounty hunters to the Tharshesh merchant guilds that employed them.

507 M.K.Battle of the Abyss

Atlantean sailors recently lost near the Netherrealm report seeing a First Age city, perfectly preserved in glacial ice, on the coast. Its pyramid still functions and its wealth sits on display, frozen on the bodies of strange creatures that litter the city streets. Sheba, Atlantis, Tharshesh, Khitai, and Khemit send fleets to pillage the city and take its treasures back home. Battle soon erupts between the fleets, lasting for two weeks. Gelatinous creatures rumble up from beneath the city indiscriminately killing every living thing in the ancient city and sink several boats before the fleets can make their escape. The frozen dead animate and attack those remaining in the ancient city.

508 M.K.The Great Darkness and the Coming of the Worm

A new foe and his legion of undead walk from the Hordelands of Eria, exalting the name Wormwood. The legion of bloated corpses and foul beasts overrun many small trading outposts and villages, filling their ranks with the newly fallen. Several of the ghouls are captured and examined by wisemen in the area. They discover a horrifying truth: the corpses of the dead are being consumed and controlled from the inside by large, white maggots. The undead legion calls itself the Conquering Worm. They threaten not only Gondwana, but the entire world. Atlantis sends an elite force from the Kadesh academy to meet and dispatch the Worm. A line is drawn.

The Last Beast WarZal and his army land on the northern coast of Atlantis and

the last Great Beast war begins. His large feral army, bolstered with Formorian mercenaries, clashes with the Atlanteans. The Atlanteans do not send their own Andamen for fear that they will turn and fight with The Usurper. The battle lasts for five months as Zal pushes towards the capital. The city of Atlantis prepares for a siege, but Zal and his forces suddenly board their great barge and leave the field of battle traveling east. The Formorian mercenaries are left to fend for themselves. Most are captured or killed. Zals current location is unknown.

The Disappearance of the MakaraThe Tritons report the abandonment of several underwater

settlements belonging to the Makara. Traders at sea report seeing a great migration of sea devils going towards the continent of Mu.

509 M.K.The Current Day

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Chapter 1: Amphisea

The jungle sun burned through the morning haze, causing the copper-decorated cranes at Ampators docks to blaze to life. Even at this early hour, the portside hummed with life as hundreds of longshoremen, mostly humans and Nethermen, threaded their way to and from the trade vessels carrying impossibly heavy loads. The place reminded Agathon of an anthill, with the stevedores as workers feeding the queen Amphiseas greedy merchant district.

Glancing over his shoulder, Agathon saw the Palace of Emulsive Delights, home to the Prince of Amphisea, towering over the city from its hilltop perch. The clink of metal on stone dragged the scholars mind back to the present, and looking around he spotted three people approaching: the mercenaries Agathon hired to help him in his endeavor. Villains kidnapped the boy Edris, one of his students, the day before, just as he left Agathons makeshift schoolhouse. The childs father, a powerful merchant, made it clear that Agathon bore the responsibility to recover the boy. This still puzzled Agathon; surely a wealthy merchant could find someone better suited to the role of rescuer than an ailing scholar-priest?

It mattered little now; a few enquiries uncovered the kidnappers identity: Musodo Anaboa, notorious relic-hunter and criminal. Authorities from Atlantis to Sheba wanted the Lemurian for questioning, not that any of them had been smart enough to capture the giant. Everywhere he went, legends flooded the marketplaces and bars of Anaboas mastery of Lemurian science, his puissance in the alchemical arts, and his total lack of morality when it came to achieving his obscure goals.

Anaboas ship left the harbor an hour after the kidnapping, bound for Diaprepea, or at least that what the seer Agathon engaged claimed. The old Atlantean didnt know what to expect, so he prepared for the worst; hiring mercenaries and a fast ship with the bag of gems Edris father had practically thrown at him. The mercenaries came with sterling reputations but Agathon wondered; they looked more like pirates and thieves than heroes to his aging eyes.

Striding out in front, came a Nubian warrior in full battle dress, long of limb, sheathed in hard muscle, and bearing the spear favored by his people. The smile that split his face would have looked a little quirky on a lesser man, but on the Nubian it just added to his intimidating presence. The warrior extended his hand to Agathon, who took it reluctantly and immediately regretted it as his arthritic bones crunched in the Nubians iron grip. Donobey, till iron release me, I am yours, the warrior said, in a ritualistic manner that Agathon recognized as a Nubian oath-contract.

My thanks. May the iron that releases you be mine, Agathon replied, sealing the contract.

Donobey grinned even wider in appreciation and gestured to his companions. The pair presented a study in contrasts: a massive Lemurian and a slim-figured Triton woman. The Tritons liquid-black eyes gave away nothing, but her assured stance and scarred stomach bespoke her experience. The Lemurian stood impassively, tinkering with one of the many belts that crisscrossed her chest while Agathon tried to puzzle out her facial expression, wishing hed spent more time in the company of Lemurians so he might read them better.

The tall one calls herself Caerwyn. I like to call her Ironjaw; I saw her take a troll fist to the face without blinking. She claims to be a scholar but Ive never seen a scholar snap a mans neck before. Donobeys introduction seemed to make the Lemurian uncomfortable, but she managed to nod before the Nubian continued. The green-skin is Thalmia; shes a decent sorceress but dont let on I told you that. The Triton quirked her lips, just a shadow of a smile, and raised a hand in silent greeting.

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Agathon gave a brief nod to the gathered companions. Wed best be off, I can explain our task on board the ship. The Atlantean led the way onto a small ocean-going sailing ship, barely noticing the name; Shangos Price.

Chapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoChapter TwoHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero CreationHero Creation

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What Players are creating

Players are creating a Hero that is favored to achieve his destiny and hopefully escape his fate. The player characters are special in some way, a cut above the rest and a paragon of what it means to be a Human. The Hero is unique. He is not like Batman, Doc Savage, a Ninja, Han Solo, a Cleric, or a Fighter; he is a Sword and Sorcery Hero.

The characters should be painted with broad colorful strokes, leaving the subtle details to be filled in during play. The Life Paths may look daunting, but they are there to give your characters a bit of shared history between them.

Create a character that is truly deserving of the mantle, a Hero` who brings Renown to you and the gods. It is your destiny!

Character Creation as a group activity

The character creation method presented is more fun when not done in a vacuum. All interested parties should sit together and discuss who and what they want to play. This will give everyone a chance to talk about how and why their characters know one another.

The Life Path is the players muse.

Hearing where the Life Paths take a character will give everyone at the table ideas. Suggestions will start flying as to how to intertwine character histories. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of twists and turns the paths can take, and connections can be made anywhere along the path. For example, a player character may have met one of the other characters long ago if they by chance roll the same life event.

The Heros Journey

CharaCharaChara ter Cter Cter reatiOnTo be a god First I must be a god-maker: We are what we create.James Oppenheim,

Creating a Hero in ATLANTIS is a bit different than in most games that use the Omega system. In keeping with the feel of Sword and Sorcery fantasy that ATLANTIS is trying to emulate, the system has been geared to give the game and the characters a more Sword and Sorcery-inspired feel.

Heroes all have at least one thing in common: they are, in some way, touched by greatness. This touch may be favoritism by the gods, an auspicious birth, or a burning drive to achieve immortality through the fame of ones deeds. Whatever the case, the characters are a step above normal, everyday folk, and their backgrounds and histories reflect that, setting them apart from the rest.

First-time character creation may take quite some time as the players, as a group, are collectively creating a history and shared narrative.

Hero CreationStep One: Choose a Race The first step in creating an ATLANTIS player character is to select the characters race.

This choice will determine the characters general worldview. Additionally, each race will have a list of base Attribute ratings and innate racial abilities. These serve to differentiate the races and cultures from each other.

Step Two: Choose a Culture Where is the Hero from? What part of the world? The Heros land of birth will determine

his base skills and possibly influence his outlook on life.

Step Three: Choose a Profession What does the Hero do for a living? There are four core professions on which a character

may be built. Once he has his general profession, it is encouraged that a Hero be embellished a bit to make him unique.

Step Four: Walk Life Paths Where has the Hero been? What has he done and seen in his time before the start of the

game? By randomly rolling on the Life Paths charts, the player will further enhance and enrich the Hero with events, dramas, and tragedies that will round out and help define the Hero.

Step Five: Other Details Next, the Hero will spend a 30 Customization Points to build the character he envisions

and make him his own. Finally, once the Customization points are spent, the player determines his Heros Hero

Points, Hit Points, name, and age.

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attributeSBelow are the 10 Attributes used to determine the abilities and prowess of a Hero in ATLANTIS.

Intelligence (INT)A measure of the individuals intellect and powers of reason. Intelligence is the deciding factor

whenever an individual attempts to deduce the basic meaning of obscure or unfamiliar maps, dialects, or writings; appraise the relative value of goods; solve puzzles and mysteries; and so forth.

-8: Insect, -7: Most Animals, -5: Social Predator (e.g. Wolf ), -3: Dolphin, -2: Simpleton, +0: Average Human, +3: Genius, +5: Polymath

Perception (PER)A measure of the individuals sensory awareness, taking into account the abilities of sight,

hearing, smell, taste, and touch, plus such intangibles as instinct, intuition, and psychic talents. Perception is the deciding factor whenever an individual attempts to detect unseen presences or ambushes, detect illusions, locate lost or hidden articles, notice important details or changes in surroundings, or utilize any sensory ability.

-5: Mole, +0: Average Human, +4: Most Herbivores, +6: Fox, +8: Owl

Will (WIL)A measure of the individuals willpower,

determination, faith, and wisdom. Will Rating determines how well a character is able to resist temptation, bribery, seduction, torture, coercion, interrogation, or influence.

-3: Human Child, +0: Most Animals, +2: Stubborn or Tenacious Wild Animals, +3: Dedicated Philosopher, +5: Oracle

Charisma (CHA)A measure of the individuals powers of

persuasiveness, including such intangibles as leadership and the ability to command the respect of others. Charisma Rating affects a characters ability to lead or persuade other individuals, make a favorable impression, negotiate, bargain, or haggle.

-5: Repellent Boor, -3: Sullen Introvert, +0: Average Human, +3: Natural Diplomat, +5: Inspiring National Leader

Strength (STR)A measure of an individuals physical power. Strength Rating determines how much weight a

character can carry or lift, how much damage a character does with a hand-held weapon, and so forth. It is also the deciding factor in attempts to bend or break objects; force open or hold shut a door, and restrain other characters or creatures.

-8: Mouse, -6: Domestic Cat, -4: Eagle, -2: Preadolescent Human, +0: Wolf, +3: Donkey, +5: Lion, +8: Bull

Dexterity (DEX) A measure of the individuals agility, coordination, and maneuverability. Dexterity Rating is

an important factor in most physical skills and determines how well a character can perform acts of manual dexterity, dodge or evade an attack, keep his or her balance, or catch a thrown object.

-3: Domestic Cattle, -1: Domestic Sheep, +0: Average Human, +2: Athlete, +4: Gymnast, +7: Squirrel

GlossaryThese definitions provide you

with a general idea of what each term means; they are described in more detail within the book. Terms italicized within each definition refer to another entry within this glossary.

Action: A task that the character undertakes, or something that the character does; like give a speech or climb a wall.

Attributes: Attributes represent natural abilities, such as strength, intelligence and dexterity.

Character: A players in-game persona; also referred to as the Hero.

Combat Difficulty: A number representing how challenging it is to attack someone or something; equal to the active defense value or the passive defense value (usually the opponents Evade Skill Rating).

Critical Failure: A result represented by a 1 or lower on the Result Table roll, which indicates something bad has occurred.

Critical Success: A result of 20 or more on the Result Table roll that indicates something good has happened.

Customization Points: Points used when designing a character, to purchase Attributes, skills, or other features that represent the characters abilities, experience, and background.

D20: An abbreviation for twenty-sided die. The D20 is the only polyhedron die used in ATLANTIS.

Damage Rating (DR): The basic amount of damage a person or item can do before modifiers such as armor effect value.

Damage Total: A number representing how much injury or destruction something has caused after modifiers.

Defaulting to an Attribute: Using the Attribute when the character doesnt have the needed skill.

Difficulty: A number representing how challenging it is

PER WIL

INT CHA

MR

DEX CON

STR SPD

CR

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The Shakers of the World

The following rules are not meant to create the normal and mundane people of the antediluvian world (the NPCs), but the Movers and Shakers who alter the world and leave change in their wake.

Mundane peoples of a particular race do not have all the special abilities noted under the races, and are described in the Adversary chapter.

Constitution (CON) A measure of the individuals endurance, stamina, and durability. Constitution Rating

determines how well a character can resist the effects of disease, wounds, poisons, toxins, exposure, hunger, and thirst.

-4: Phthisis (Consumption) Sufferer, -2: Indolent Epicurean, +0: Average Human, +2: Athlete, +4: Wild Boar, +5: Champion Marathon Runner, +8: Elephant

Speed (SPD) A measure of how swiftly an individual is capable of moving, either on land, in the water,

through the air, or by other means. Speed Rating determines initiative in combat, as well as attempts to pursue others or escape pursuit.

-5: Immobile, -4: Tortoise, -2: Mouse, +0: Average Human, +3: Serpent, +5: Champion Sprinter, +7: Fox, +10: Horse, +12: Deer, +14: Hare

Combat Rating (CR)A measure of a characters natural ability in combat situations. It reflects a combination of

physical and mental attributes, cultural and social factors, biological traits, and personal inclination. Combat Rating serves as the modifier for most combat-related skills. Combat Rating affects a characters ability to attack as well as defend.

Magic Rating (MR)A measure of a characters natural ability to sense and manipulate the flows of magic in the

world. It reflects a combination of mental attributes and physical senses, as well as cultural and psychological factors. Magic Rating serves as a modifier for magic-related skills and powers. The Attribute unlocks the inner power of the Hero to manipulate the universe.

meant to create the normal and mundane people of the antediluvian world (the NPCs), but the Movers and Shakers who alter the world and leave change in their wake.

particular race do not have all the special abilities noted under the races, and are described in the Adversary chapter.

to perform an action.Degree of Difficulty (DoD):

The bonus or penalty that modifies the D20 roll.

Hero: The Player Character in a game of ATLANTIS.

Hero Point (HrP): A bonus representing a surge of adrenaline or that extra luck the main characters of a story seem to have. Hero Points allow the player to add additional points to his D20 roll.

Hit Points (HP): The amount of injury a character can sustain, listed as a number. The damage total is subtracted from the characters current Hit Point total.

Intent: Intent is a players description of what his or her Hero hopes to accomplish by a particular action.

Golden Lotus (gl): The standard monetary unit of the ATLANTIS setting.

Modifier: A number that is added or subtracted from another number to represent anything atypical in a typical situation.

Opposed Action, Opposed Difficulty, Opposed Roll: Whenever a character attempts an action that is directly opposed by another individual or creature, the opponents ability rating is used as the Degree of Difficulty (DoD).

Protection Rating (PR): A number representing the amount of protection a defensive covering provides.

Renown: The quantified glory of a Hero, measured in points. The more points of Renown, the better recognized the Hero.

Result Table: The universal table used to determine the success or Failure of an action.

Round: A unit of time, equal to six seconds in the game world. Figuring out what happens in a round can take longer.

Scale: A game mechanic used to represent how opponents of vastly different sizes can affect each other differently in combat.

Skill: Skills are abilities acquired through training and practice.

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The Root Races of the Antedeluvian World

History is a hungry beast that sates its boundless appetite with the blood of beings long since passed from this world. -Petranova, Atlantean Scholar.

A thousand years ago, Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea, pronounced that there were to be seven root races, each destined to rule the world for a time. The arrival of the last would herald the beginning of a new cycle. Part of the seers crazed ramblings can be found in the Scrolls of Neberinand are a cause for much debate amongst scholars and philosophers alike.

There is little doubt as to the identity of some of the races; the Jinn, the Lemurians, the Ophidians, and the Atlanteans are all considered to be root races. The Humans, Nethermen, Andamen, Makara, and Ahl-at-Rab all vie for consideration, and there are philosophers who believe that there are yet unknown races who will come from the stars to claim their place in the world.

The First Root Race Shaped in fire, born of chaos, and doomed to fade, their empires shall rise and fall before the

moon holds a cradle. -Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea

The first root race was shaped by the Elder Gods, birthed from the primordial cosmic energies of the planet. Wild and malleable in nature, this race was not easily destroyed in the chaos of the time before time. These beings existed in the folds and crevices of the Elder Gods as they slept and fed on the dream-potential of these cosmic dreamers. In their time on earth, these Endless Ones, as they were called, created many wondrous things and infused much with their mercurial potential. Today these endless beings are known as Jinn.

The Second Root Race Nothing but a tool, an artifice born of jealously and rage, the second ones shall never walk the

Earth but will rule over all again and again. -Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea

There are several very distinct sub-species of the second root race, which grew from Sets power on the continent of Mu. The Ophidians were the first, dark lords with limitless ambition and a thirst for domination.

Set seeded the seas with the dread Makara, while the Ophidians ruled the land of Mu. During the thousands of years they controlled the earth, they warred against one another and played with dark magic, perverting the abundant Vril energies.

They would still rule to this day, if not for the God Wars that took the greatest toll on the Saurians. During the wars, the Ophidians were slaughtered by the thousands, first by Oldmar and later by the Orixa. The rise of the next race would put an end to the Saurian domination of the Earth.

Whats in a name?The Ophidians go by many

names; they are called Anunnaki, Ophidians, Naga, Saurians, and Serpent Men by outsiders. It is said that Set has a special name for his children that forces them to obey the speaker. Of course, anyone who discovered this name would likely die a very quick and unexplained death.

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The Third Root RaceChildren of the one, born of sacrifice, and gifted of beasts. Lords of metal and wood, but eaten

from within as the maggots do an imperfect rose.-Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea

The first of the third root race is said to have hatched from an amber egg on the continent of Lemuria. The Lawgiver, as he was called, watched over the rest of his race as they came out of the trees and became a race of great apes that spread out and colonized the other continents, creating pockets of civilization on all the corners of the earth. The Lemurians warred against the Ophidians and their thrall race, the Ahl-At-Rab, and tried in vain to exterminate the Makara who preyed upon their sea colonies. Unable to match the Ophidians use of Vril and magic, the Lemurians eventually turned toward technology that utilized powerful energies, and became potent adversaries. In the last days of their dominance on the earth most of the great apes were wiped out in a plague that killed thousands, including the Great Lawgiver. Devastated, the Lemurians isolated themselves on their island and now look inward, studying their technology and philosophies in seclusion.

The Fourth Root RaceLords, brash, and flush with power. Gods in their minds, yet children in their souls. Flawed

miracles that undo themselves with arts beyond measure. -Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea

The fourth root race was born amidst the God War and rose to prominence while the Lemurians and Ophidians battled each other. The Atlanteans appeared whole along a forgotten river that empties out into the ocean off the eastern coast of Gondwana. They built many cities there before moving on to the island of Atlantis, and it is from this rich fertile land that they grew an empire that expanded and created colonies throughout the world.

For a thousand years, the sea empire expanded in the face of the waning Lemurian and Ophidian Empires. During the time of the first Beast War, the concerted effort of the Saurians pushed the Atlantean colonies back and cooled their ambitions, but this would only last until they focused their attention elsewhere. With the advent of the fifth root race, the Atlanteans began to expand again, and during the second and third Beast Wars the Atlanteans cemented their place in the world, and ruled unchecked for a thousand years. They created several slave races to serve their needs, even as the humans slowly rebelled. They were ultimately unseated by their own hubris, magical experimentation, and civil war.

The Fifth Root Race Favoured of fate, fecund, and gifted with the keys to their own demise. Their time draws ever

close but never arrives. -Ulithis, the mad oracle of Amphisea

The youngest race in the antediluvian world and the one with the most promise, the humans have sprung up and spread across the world with amazing speed. They seem to be the least connected to other root races, but shared many common traits with the Atlanteans, who first embraced and later abused them. The humans soon found the yoke of an Atlantean master unbearable, bringing about several slave revolts and finally freedom.

The humans seem destined to rule the world as those before them have, especially as the older races slowly die or fade into memory. The other races wonder why this small young race has the ability to dominate all four corners of the world, and some believe that this is just a passing age where they too will ascend and fall spectacularly from grace. Only time will tell.

The Sixth and Seventh Root RacesUlithis has this to say about the last two races:

No shape of man nor walker be, they shall flourish in the angles lost to others. Their lies shall undo the ills of the world, their truth shatter the soul.

The last have always been and wait in silent places for us to listen. Whence they came I cannot say for they have seen me and taken it from me.

Though some scholars argue over the specifics of the Root over the specifics of the Root races, few can truly dismiss that the world is not as it once was. the world is not as it once was. Though much has been built and preserved, much has also been lost. Or, perhaps worse, it was simply forgotten and left to fester in the dark.

Caerwyn, Lemurian ScholarCaerwyn, Lemurian Scholar

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Step One: Choose a Race

raCraCra eSBelow is a list of the races available and the special talents attributed to them. Note that these

are just general overviews of the race, and that many different variations exist throughout the world. There are many human cultures, for example, and not all of them look or behave identically.

Each race is described in more detail on the pages that follow. Ahl-At-Rab Andamen Atlanteans Humans Jinn Lemurians Nethermen

ahlahla -atata -rabrabr(A.K.A. Lizard Men, Snake Men, Saurians)

Ahl-At-Rab (sometimes called Sand Devils) are a warlike species of Saurians who Ahl-At-Rab (sometimes called Sand Devils) are a warlike species of Saurians who populate certain deserts and barren wastelands. They are a nomadic race and populate certain deserts and barren wastelands. They are a nomadic race and continually move from place to place in search of food. They are believed to be continually move from place to place in search of food. They are believed to be distantly related to the sea-dwelling Makara and are known to have been the one-distantly related to the sea-dwelling Makara and are known to have been the one-time slaves of the Naga. Although they are not builders, the Ahl-At-Rab are fairly skilled at making Although they are not builders, the Ahl-At-Rab are fairly skilled at making weapons and crude implements, mostly of copper or obsidian. Some tribes weapons and crude implements, mostly of copper or obsidian. Some tribes have succeeded in domesticating certain types of reptiles, such as vipers, have succeeded in domesticating certain types of reptiles, such as vipers, sand boas, and the ponderous lizards the Ahl-At-Rab call sand dragons. sand boas, and the ponderous lizards the Ahl-At-Rab call sand dragons. The Ahl-At-Rab use these giant creatures as steeds and burden beasts, and The Ahl-At-Rab use these giant creatures as steeds and burden beasts, and often train them to fight along with their riders. Mounted on their sand often train them to fight along with their riders. Mounted on their sand

dragons, Ahl-At-Rab are able to travel up to twenty miles per day dragons, Ahl-At-Rab are able to travel up to twenty miles per day through most types of desert or barren terrain.through most types of desert or barren terrain.

The Ahl-At-Rab live for combat, and will attack even large The Ahl-At-Rab live for combat, and will attack even large groups of armed men without hesitation. Though they possess groups of armed men without hesitation. Though they possess ample natural weaponry, the Ahl-At-Rab usually prefer ample natural weaponry, the Ahl-At-Rab usually prefer using spears, obsidian clubs, and war whips made of sand using spears, obsidian clubs, and war whips made of sand dragon hide in battle. Both their spears and clubs function dragon hide in battle. Both their spears and clubs function as missile weapons, as well as hand-held weaponry. The as missile weapons, as well as hand-held weaponry. The Ahl-At-Rab occasionally use copper or reptile-hide shields Ahl-At-Rab occasionally use copper or reptile-hide shields and breastplates, and sometimes affix such protective and breastplates, and sometimes affix such protective devices on their sand dragons. Unless they are hopelessly devices on their sand dragons. Unless they are hopelessly out-classed or outnumbered, Ahl-at-Rab will fight to the out-classed or outnumbered, Ahl-at-Rab will fight to the death. As they are carnivorous creatures, Ahl-At-Rab usually devour those they slay in battle, but will not stop to do so until all fighting has been resolved. They will take prisoners, both for use as slaves and as a hedge against times when food becomes scarce. For the latter reason, prisoners of the Ahl-At-Rab are usually not mistreated unless they are believed to be spies.Though once quite numerous, the Ahl-At-Rab are believed to be a dying race. Few existing tribes number greater than forty to fifty warriors, plus a like number of females, young, and old ones. On rare occasions, two or more tribes will join forces and travel en masse, but most of the time the Ahl-At-Rab tribes are too busy warring against each other to bother with treaty-making.

raare just general overviews of the race, and that many different variations exist throughout the world. There are many human cultures, for example, and not all of them look or behave identically.

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The Ahl-At-Rab love the beauty and honesty of violence in all its aspects and some even elevate it to an art form. Some consider the Ahl-At-Rab brutish but they perform very elaborate plays during ceremonies and religious gatherings. The plays are gut-wrenching tales of tragedy, unrequited love, and black betrayals. Many great works of the antediluvian world are believed to be taken from these plays and re-imagined by other races.

Physical Description:Humanoid in form, Ahl-At-Rab are slow-moving but powerful creatures. They average about

2m in height, though 2.25m males are not uncommon. All have scaly hides, which range in color from black to green and tan to dark brown. A fin-like crest runs from the center of the forehead to the base of the neck, and is believed to help maintain body temperature. Females of the race have a fan of brightly colored feathers starting at their temples and stopping at the back of their necks. Like all reptiles, Ahl-At-Rab are cold-blooded creatures. Because of their often violent lifestyle, Ahl-At-Rab generally live about 45 years.

Personality:The Ahl-At-Rab are a serious and stoic people who assess every living thing as either a threat,

a pack mate, or food. The language of the Ahl-At-Rab has seventeen words for survival but none for friendship. The Ahl-At-Rab are harsh in their dealings with others, and consider a full belly and a dead rival a good life, hoping that when they meet their end it will be upon a heap of broken enemies. The Ahl-At-Rab do not fear death but accept it as the logical conclusion to living; they do not run from death but advance towards it hissing battle cries in defiance, hoping to drag whatever opponent they face into the abyss with them.

Racial Attributes:

INT PER WIL CHA STR DEX CON SPD CR MR

+0 +1 +0 +0 +2 +0 +3 -1 +1 -1Hit Points: 20

Racial AbilitiesCold Blooded

Ahl-At-Rab need very little water to survive and are almost immune to extreme heat. Ahl-At-Rab characters receive a bonus of triple their CON (minimum of +3) to any CON resistance check for heat exposure. Versus cold exposure and cold-based attacks, the Ahl-At-Rab suffer a penalty of -3 to resist and a penalty to their SPD of -3 for 7-CON rounds.Acute Sense of Smell

Ahl-At-Rab smell by using their forked tongues to collect airborne particles. When making a Perception check based on smell an Ahl-At-Rab may add triple their PER to the roll (minimum of +3).Natural Weapons(If its the Heros first attack in the round, the Ahl-At-Rab may use his claws to attack twice without a multiple action penalty)

Ahl-At-Rab Heroes are born with fearsome fangs and clawed hands. Bite DR 3, Claws DR 3 (armor piercing).Poison Spray

Ahl-At-Rab may spit a burning poison at a foe, blinding them for a number of rounds equal to the Heros CON minus their opponents DEX (minimum of one round). The foe will suffer a penalty to all actions that require sight equal to the Ahl-At-Rabs CON (minimum of minus one).

The Ahl-At-Rab must make a successful to-hit roll using the Athletics Skill + CR for the poison to land, and if the target is wearing a helmet of some sort, the amount of time the poison is active is reduced by the PR of the helm. The range of this attack is equal to the Heros STR in meters.

Example: An Ahl-At-Rab with a CON +4 spits at a target with a DEX +0. The venom would normally blind the target for 4 rounds but fortunately for the victim he has a helmet with a PR 2 protection. The target would only be blinded for 2 rounds.

It is very difficult to say what It is

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