Post by Demeter on Jan 23, 2006 20:52:45 GMT -5
Long ago, there lived a race of beings that lived in harmony with nature and with each other. They became known as the Alati or, simply, The Winged. Like the human race, they were spread across the globe and known by many different names but the Latin title of Alati was the common title they are shared. The Alati had their own cities and they can claim such places as Avalon, Buyan, Shambhala, Shangri-la, Quivira and Cibola, El Dorado, Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, Ys, Eden, Cantre’r Gwaelod and Horai Island as their own. They lived in these supposedly mythical lands and developed cultures based on their unique regions.
They also followed the traditions of those regions. Those who lived in Avalon considered themselves to be part of the Celtic tradition while those who claimed Horai Island were part of the Asian cultures now identified as Chinese and Japanese. Those who resided in Atlantis followed the ways of the ancient Grecian world and, as such, worshipped the deities of the Greek Pantheon. All the Alati had a closer relationship to the gods than the humans they lived with. While the humans worshipped the gods, the Alati worked for their chosen deities in a variety of roles.
Though there were many differences in the multitude of cultures, there were some things that were the same. Across the world, the Alati were identified as belonging to one of five houses. The houses of Ignis (fire), Unda (water), Aether (air), Terra (earth) or Animulus (soul/spirit). The heads of these houses were typically devoted to a deity whose attributes matched the title of the house. For example, in Atlantis, the head of the House of Ignis was typically devoted to Prometheus while the head of the House of Unda would be a follower of Oceanus. The others who belonged to these houses were allowed to devote themselves to a deity who could fall under the categories of the elements but an Alati was not forbidden from changing their house alliance if they felt called to a deity of another element.
The Alati were further separated by what type of wings they had. There were the Custos (guardians), the Curantis (caregivers) and the Ibrida (the halflings). The Custos bore scaled wings and the Curantis had feathered wings. The Ibrida were the offspring of a Custos and a Curantis and were considered to be hybrids until the age of maturity when their dominate nature proved to either be a guardian or a caregiver.
The Custos were the warriors who protected the ways and the cities of the Alati from invaders. The Curantis were those who nurtured the culture and the people. The Ibrida studied both ways of life and had wings of both materials until their heritage was determined at the age of 18 years. After maturity the Ibrida were often called Custos-Ibrida or Curantis-Ibrida and they were recognized as being from both bloodlines. From then on they were primarily a Custos or a Curantis but could, if they had the training, still access the lesser of their two heritages. For example, if a Ibrida who’s dominate nature was a Curantis ended up in a situation where they had to defend themselves, they had the ability to call forth their Custos form and the training experienced in that form.
The Alati’s system of government was simple. The head of a family answered the head of the house that was part of a council made up of the leaders from each house. Each city also had a royal couple. One couple made up of a Custos and a Curantis were selected from each house on a rotating fifty year term. This couple was an example to the city as a whole on how to live in harmony. And for thousands of years, this method of government worked.
Of all the cities, Atlantis became the chief among them. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, it was a center for the world of the Alati, much like how locates like New York, London or Tokyo are for the modern mortal world. It had the finest libraries, the best technology, the greatest warriors and superior scholars. The younger children of families all over the world were sent to Atlantis to gain an education while tutors were brought from Atlantis to educate the heirs to the greatest families the world over.
But then the Great Rift happened. It happened slowly and the resulting chaos came fast and no one could have predicted what would happen to the great city of Atlantis. It was little things, like the Custos complaining about how the Curantis never helped in the protection of the city. And the Curantis disliking the bloody was of the Custos and how they rarely assisted in the day to day ordeals of the city. Those who were Ibrida were caught in the middle, torn as they watched friends and family squabble about their way of life and being demanded to know what side they were on.
The conflict built slowly, growing from arguments to rallies and finally to outright battles. One bloody night, when the Custos and the Curantis were fighting each other over who would rule Atlantis, the gods looked down and determined that they had to punish those who served them because this was not how they were supposed to behave. The gods struck down Atlantis, washing it from history and into legend. Those Alati still living scrambled for safety by taking to the air or to the sea for those who were devoted to a god of water. After Atlantis sank into the sea in one night, those who survived looked for new places to live.
Those of the House of Unda found refuge in the sea with the water elementals who welcomed them into their watery world. Over time, the Alati who gave up their wings for permanent fins mated with the elementals and most of the Atlantian House of Unda died out. Some who are still of the ancient bloodlines can be found but they are rare.
Those of the House of Ignis wandered over the world. Same found and lived with the dragons and together they formed the Brood race. Others settled into isolated areas and have remained as such, hidden away from the world and living the ways of the old world. Others have remained in the public eye, such as the dragon riders of the Custos. These are the men and women who have a close bond with the dragons of Atlantis. Those who are now known as Incubi and Succubae are suspected of being descendants of the House of Ignis.
Those of the houses of Aether and Terra are the two houses that have survived and they are the ones who spread the rift to the other Alati cities. One by one, they saw the great cities fall into discord and chaos and saw the end of the great Alati civilization. For thousands of years, the two houses fought against each other. Anyone suspected of being Ibrida were killed as halflings were no longer desired.
Those of the house of Animulus fled south, to the deserted continent of Antarctica. Those loyal to the house remained loyal to their way of life and their gods granted them the ability to survive in such a harsh climate. As the other cities fell, they welcomed their brothers and sisters into their house where differences were put aside and they worked together as they always had. It was the House of Animulus were the ones who brokered a type of peace for everyone. They created the new government system. They formed a council of 14 lords and ladies to rule the Alati race. There were two for each continent and one space for a Custos and one space for a Curantis from those continents. And they decided that there would be one overlord per country and multiple lords and ladies under that lord. They lived in a rough sort of peace.
Slowly, things have started to heal but it is rough sort of going but the House and Animulus and the clans of Asia, for whom the rift didn’t affect as badly as the others, are leading the charge to bring things back into order. The Ibrida, whom were thought to be gone, are making a reappearance as more and more of the Custos and the Curantis mingle their bloodlines together again.
They also followed the traditions of those regions. Those who lived in Avalon considered themselves to be part of the Celtic tradition while those who claimed Horai Island were part of the Asian cultures now identified as Chinese and Japanese. Those who resided in Atlantis followed the ways of the ancient Grecian world and, as such, worshipped the deities of the Greek Pantheon. All the Alati had a closer relationship to the gods than the humans they lived with. While the humans worshipped the gods, the Alati worked for their chosen deities in a variety of roles.
Though there were many differences in the multitude of cultures, there were some things that were the same. Across the world, the Alati were identified as belonging to one of five houses. The houses of Ignis (fire), Unda (water), Aether (air), Terra (earth) or Animulus (soul/spirit). The heads of these houses were typically devoted to a deity whose attributes matched the title of the house. For example, in Atlantis, the head of the House of Ignis was typically devoted to Prometheus while the head of the House of Unda would be a follower of Oceanus. The others who belonged to these houses were allowed to devote themselves to a deity who could fall under the categories of the elements but an Alati was not forbidden from changing their house alliance if they felt called to a deity of another element.
The Alati were further separated by what type of wings they had. There were the Custos (guardians), the Curantis (caregivers) and the Ibrida (the halflings). The Custos bore scaled wings and the Curantis had feathered wings. The Ibrida were the offspring of a Custos and a Curantis and were considered to be hybrids until the age of maturity when their dominate nature proved to either be a guardian or a caregiver.
The Custos were the warriors who protected the ways and the cities of the Alati from invaders. The Curantis were those who nurtured the culture and the people. The Ibrida studied both ways of life and had wings of both materials until their heritage was determined at the age of 18 years. After maturity the Ibrida were often called Custos-Ibrida or Curantis-Ibrida and they were recognized as being from both bloodlines. From then on they were primarily a Custos or a Curantis but could, if they had the training, still access the lesser of their two heritages. For example, if a Ibrida who’s dominate nature was a Curantis ended up in a situation where they had to defend themselves, they had the ability to call forth their Custos form and the training experienced in that form.
The Alati’s system of government was simple. The head of a family answered the head of the house that was part of a council made up of the leaders from each house. Each city also had a royal couple. One couple made up of a Custos and a Curantis were selected from each house on a rotating fifty year term. This couple was an example to the city as a whole on how to live in harmony. And for thousands of years, this method of government worked.
Of all the cities, Atlantis became the chief among them. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, it was a center for the world of the Alati, much like how locates like New York, London or Tokyo are for the modern mortal world. It had the finest libraries, the best technology, the greatest warriors and superior scholars. The younger children of families all over the world were sent to Atlantis to gain an education while tutors were brought from Atlantis to educate the heirs to the greatest families the world over.
But then the Great Rift happened. It happened slowly and the resulting chaos came fast and no one could have predicted what would happen to the great city of Atlantis. It was little things, like the Custos complaining about how the Curantis never helped in the protection of the city. And the Curantis disliking the bloody was of the Custos and how they rarely assisted in the day to day ordeals of the city. Those who were Ibrida were caught in the middle, torn as they watched friends and family squabble about their way of life and being demanded to know what side they were on.
The conflict built slowly, growing from arguments to rallies and finally to outright battles. One bloody night, when the Custos and the Curantis were fighting each other over who would rule Atlantis, the gods looked down and determined that they had to punish those who served them because this was not how they were supposed to behave. The gods struck down Atlantis, washing it from history and into legend. Those Alati still living scrambled for safety by taking to the air or to the sea for those who were devoted to a god of water. After Atlantis sank into the sea in one night, those who survived looked for new places to live.
Those of the House of Unda found refuge in the sea with the water elementals who welcomed them into their watery world. Over time, the Alati who gave up their wings for permanent fins mated with the elementals and most of the Atlantian House of Unda died out. Some who are still of the ancient bloodlines can be found but they are rare.
Those of the House of Ignis wandered over the world. Same found and lived with the dragons and together they formed the Brood race. Others settled into isolated areas and have remained as such, hidden away from the world and living the ways of the old world. Others have remained in the public eye, such as the dragon riders of the Custos. These are the men and women who have a close bond with the dragons of Atlantis. Those who are now known as Incubi and Succubae are suspected of being descendants of the House of Ignis.
Those of the houses of Aether and Terra are the two houses that have survived and they are the ones who spread the rift to the other Alati cities. One by one, they saw the great cities fall into discord and chaos and saw the end of the great Alati civilization. For thousands of years, the two houses fought against each other. Anyone suspected of being Ibrida were killed as halflings were no longer desired.
Those of the house of Animulus fled south, to the deserted continent of Antarctica. Those loyal to the house remained loyal to their way of life and their gods granted them the ability to survive in such a harsh climate. As the other cities fell, they welcomed their brothers and sisters into their house where differences were put aside and they worked together as they always had. It was the House of Animulus were the ones who brokered a type of peace for everyone. They created the new government system. They formed a council of 14 lords and ladies to rule the Alati race. There were two for each continent and one space for a Custos and one space for a Curantis from those continents. And they decided that there would be one overlord per country and multiple lords and ladies under that lord. They lived in a rough sort of peace.
Slowly, things have started to heal but it is rough sort of going but the House and Animulus and the clans of Asia, for whom the rift didn’t affect as badly as the others, are leading the charge to bring things back into order. The Ibrida, whom were thought to be gone, are making a reappearance as more and more of the Custos and the Curantis mingle their bloodlines together again.