Category:The History Of Athia

Name Description
A City Grows in Avoalet A great river runs through Avoalet. and at its mouth stands the castle in which its rulers have long dwelt. Grain from the lands upriver was sent down to the city beneath the castle, and then onward out to sea.

In time, it grew to be a vibrant trading hub, its cheerful, lively atmosphere standing in stark contrast to the severity of the castle—a fact often remarked upon by those brave enough to make such an observation.

A City Grows in Praenost Praenost Castle was built around a century ago—a great fortress atop a forbidding precipice, as befits a realm dedicated to War. At first, the Tanta would descend into the lands below to rule her people, but in time, the castle itself attracted smiths and those who supplied them, and a city quickly sprang up around it.
A City Grows in Visoria Visoria it's the largest of Athia's Realms, and as a result, the slowest to develop.

It's capital city has gradually moved over the centuries from the grazing lands close to Cipal across the great plains, eventually ending up where it is today. Having finally reached something approaching stability, the city has stood in the same place for over one hundred years now, and has grown to a considerable size.

A Praenostian Outpost An old record found in an outpost in Praenost. It shows that at one point, a general name Calista Keen submitted a request to be transferred to Junoon. Her communiqué indicated that she had hopes of collaborating with the Cognoscents their on research into improving Athia's defenses.
Ancient Altar: Inscription 1 To those who would seek to serve Athia:

Once, the people of Rheddah were our allies.

This changed the day they sent a demon to our land.

It fed on our people's pain, and would stop at nothing short of our destruction.

Ancient Altar: Inscription 2 To those who would seek to serve Athia:

Susurrus filled our skies with fire and ash.

The mere sound of the creature's wings filled our hearts with cold terror.

Athia suffered. Athia burned.

Ancient Altar: Inscription 3 To those who would seek to serve Athia:

For 6 days and six nights, I fought the demon.

The fields around us blazed like last seas of fire.

Finally, I dealt him a decisive blow.

Susurrus was defeated and Athia saved.

Ancient Altar: Inscription 4 To those who would seek to serve Athia:

Though Susurrus was weakened, he was not yet destroyed.

I contained him for a time so that the people might rebuild.

I patched their walls and mended their broken bones.

Before long, they came to call me "Tanta."

Ancient Altar: Inscription 5 To those who would seek to serve Athia:

If given the chance, Susurrus will return.

But I will not let this come to pass.

I shall construct these labyrinths across the land.

Let them serve as reminders of what is at stake should our defenses fall.

Ancient Altar: Inscription 6 To those who would seek to serve Athia—my Tantas:

Susurrus is sealed within this chamber and others like it throughout the land.

I pray that my binds hold fast. But all is not lost should he return.

I am but the first of you. Your might may well surpass my own.

I trust that you will save our home.

That you will protect our people.

Avoalet by Night While one might have expected Avoalet to insist on a certain level of austerity from its people, they were actually free to drink, and even gamble, ad they pleased—as long as the letter of the law was upheld. Among the many hostelries at which such delights were offered, one in particular earned itself a place in the people's hearts for its unique, spice-infused concoctions, affectionately christened "grog."
Avoalet: The Good Old Days A painting of a large, shivering Lake in Avoalet. A small town can be seen on the far shore.

Avoalet's crystal clear water was perhaps its most valuable commodity. Its high mineral content gave it a unique flavor, and it was highly prized in Athia's other realms. It was particularly popular in Praenost, where it was said to compliment the harsh regions meat-heavy cuisine especially well.

Cipal: Better Days A painting of a much quieter Cipal in the days before it became the Athians' last bastion.

Back then, the city's main purpose was still to provide the Tantas with a neutral meeting place, as was originally intended. He's meetings took place several times a year, and would bring the town to life. The streets were decorated with colorful flowers, and excited subjects would sing and dance in the squares to celebrate their rulers' arrival. It was customary to hold a sumptuous banquet after each meeting was concluded, and the Tantas are said to have enjoyed the festivities as much as any of the common folk.

Crime and Punishment in Athia A painting of the courtroom of Avoalet Castle. Its austere grandeur is so beautifully captured by the artist that it is almost chilling to behold..

As one might expect, the courtroom played host to only the most high-profile trials, all of which were presided over by Tanta Prav herself. In the event that a criminal was sentenced to imprisonment, they would be removed to the castle dungeons below. Less important cases were usually handled in smaller regional courts by arbiters who would then report their findings back to the capital.

Junoon Castle: Better Times A painting of a fortress, with Junoon Castle's Majestic silhouette visible in the distance.

The people of Junoon greatly valued artistic pursuits of all kinds. Evidence of this could be found all over the realm, and even a fortress such as this one would have been alive with this sounds of song and laughter throughout the day and night.

Junoon: Foremost among Realms "It is my firm belief that Junoon is, objectively and undeniably, the greatest of the realms of Athia. Its people's innovations in the fields of art and medicine have done more to improve the well-being of the citizenry than almost any other factor, and without the latter in particular, the fight against the Rheddig may well not have ended as it did. We must take pride in our position as the foremost of Athia's nations, and be conscious of the great responsibility such a position confers."
Junoon: The Good Old Days A painting depicting the idyllic countryside of a Junoon long-since Lost. Farmers' houses stand Upon a hillside as a river flows gently by in the foreground.

Junoon was blessed with a temperate climate, and was pleasant all year round, even as the seasons change. The milder weather meant perfect conditions for agriculture, although the region's farms tended to be limited in size due to the hilly terrain and large forests which characterize the region still.

Justice In Avoalet Avoalet was the realm where all matters related to the law were ultimately litigated and judged. No matter the quarrel, Prav would weigh upon the arguments placed before her, and settle each dispute exactly as the law dictated. Records from the time indicate that her knowledge of Athia's statutes was unmatched, and her interpretation of their intricacies infallible. Though her judgments, once made, were final and absolute, very few of their subjects had reason to complain that they had been poorly treated.
Memories of Cinta A portrait of Tanta Cinta in happier times. She is depicted wearing a flowering dress, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

To the people of Junoon, Cinta was both cherished leader and beloved mother. She treated all her subjects equally, and showered them with unconditional love. Under her nurturing influence, the people were taught that failure is but a teacher, and that all of us are capable of great things.

Memories of Olas A portrait of Tanta Olas in happier times. Her come yet piercing intelligent gaze might almost make one believe she could see into the future.

Her people certainly believed in her prescience, and took great joy in seeking out the wisdom they believed to lurk beneath her every utterance. To them, there was no greater pleasure or honor than to hear their ruler hold forth.

Memories of Prav NowhereA painting of Tanta Prav in happier times. She appears calm, collected, and perfectly poised.

While Prav was primarily known for her no-nonsense demeanor in the courtroom, those who had the privilege to interact with her privately reported that she was surprisingly gentle, and an excellent listener. Her fairness and honesty earned her the full Trust of her subjects, which in turn cemented their faith in every verdict she handed down.

Memories of Sila A portrait of Tanta Sila in happier times. Even on canvas, her dignified bearing and warriors pride are palpable.

While her subjects admired her for her considerable skill on the battlefield, it could be argued that Sila's true strength lay not in her sword arm, but in her mind. Her will was indomitable, no matter how trying the circumstances, and she instilled courage in the hearts of every one of her soldiers.

Olas: Polymath "Tanta Olas has authored countless tomes on countless subjects. And yet, in spite of this great breadth of subject matter, two key themes unite her work: firstly, the unique clarity and creativity of her prose, and secondly, the fact that to read one of her books is to be granted the answer to one question, while having the door opened to countless others. After all, as she herself has said, it is curiosity that leads mankind ever onward."
Praenost Remembered A painting depicting a small fishing Village on the coast of Praenost. This was once an idyllic place, where parents walked hand-in-hand with their children, and local fishermen hauled in great catches from which the regions must-admired cuisine was made.

While the scene may seem to be one of breezy Tranquility, in reality it would have been accompanied by a hot, dry wind blowing in from the nearby mountains and a sweltering midsummer heat.

Praenost: The Good Old Days A painting of Praenost by night, in which craggy rock formations soar over the sands beneath.

Praenost was always a realm of extremes, and even now, the soaring daytime temperatures can be relied upon to plummet the moment the sun goes down. Thought this made it difficult for all but the hardiest of life-forms to survive, a surprising variety of organisms still made their home in the desert, and the region teemed with life in the days before the Break.

Pride of Praenost Praenostian soldiers were deployed to fortresses throughout the Realms, and charged with keeping the peace. While in practice this may have meant helping the locals in solving minor disputes, they never lost sight of their true purpose: the protection of Athia from outside invasion. With this in mind, they made sure to maintain their skills through constant training under Tanta Sila's watchful eye.
The Dreaded Trial by Water Tanta Prav once strove to offer justice to those deemed incontrovertibly guilty. All were given the right to a Trial by Water in place of the punishment for the crime of which they were accused.

The Trial was a chance to prove one's innocence once and for all, but so feared was it that few were brave enough to face it, choosing instead to see out their sentence, no matter how harsh.

The Gardens of Junoon A painting of one of Junoon's many psychic Gardens, where a wide array of medicinal herbs were grown for both local consumption and export to the other realms.

The people of Junoon were hugely knowledgeable in the field of Botany, particularly when it came to species with Curative properties. Most families would plant their own herbs in gardens like this one, and use them to brew ointments or medicines for everyday injuries or illnesses. Herbs also featured heavily in the traditional cuisine of the realm.

The Legend of Tanta Sila There was a time when Tanta Sila would have drawn her sword in defense of Athia without a moment's hesitation, no matter who or what the threat to her beloved land might be. Her greatest victory came with the Purge of the Rheddig, and from it grew her reputation as a warrior possessed of a sword and armor so finally constructed that neither could be so much as scratched, and a vengeance so swift and deadly that to fight her was to die in the blink of an eye.
The Medicines of Junoon In the days before the Break, Tanta Cinta was known for her great interest in the field of medicine it was under her guidance—and thanks to Junoon's mild climate—that the realms psychic gardens flourished, and research into the development of new medicines progressed. In its prime, Junoon was not only the source of most of Athia's medicinal herbs, but also its knowledge of their preparation and application.
The Schools of Visoria A painting in which municipal buildings rise above the Visorian plain. The castle, with its iconic tower, can be seen in the distance.

The best known and best loved of Visoria's buildings were of course the schools in which the people's thirst for knowledge was nurtured. It was said that the first school was established when the Tanta of that time ordered that a room in the castle be set aside for the education of the nation's children. The practice soon spread, and with it, the Visorian's love of learning.

Visions in Visoria A painting of a farmer tending to his livestock on the windswept Visorian plains.

The majority of Visoria has always consisted of vast, open grasslands such as these, with little in the way of forest or mountains to speak of. This, in combination with the warm sea air blowing Inland all year long, made it around particularly suited to the rearing of livestock in the days before the Break.

Visions of Avoalet A painting of an enormous bridge in Avoalet. Several people can be seen crossing it, including a merchant hauling their Wares to market.

In the days before the Break, Athian we're free to travel between the Realms as they please, and lenient regulations allowed trade to flourish. Merchants would simply declare their goods at checkpoints, and inspections were brief, if not nonexistent. Well it was theoretically possible for merchants to make dishonest declarations under such lax enforcement, very few dare to break the law so close to the home of the Tanta of Justice herself.

Visions of Praenost A letter written in an almost painfully precise hand by someone who signs off as "Calista Keen."

In it, she tells her parents in Praenost of her recent marriage to a man in Junoon. While it involves a lot of very dry description of the specifics of the ceremony and how she met her partner, it's clear from the tone that she's very happy indeed. She signs off by thanking her parents for raising her, and asking for the recipe for a certain cake.

Visoria's Gift to Athia In the old days, Tanta Olas would often speak to her subjects of the vital role of education in the pursuit of a brighter future. She practiced what she preached by erecting libraries all over Athia, filling them with books containing wisdom from every one of the Realms. Many and Athian learned about the world around them from the pages of these painstakingly curated books, returning to their homes and communities to share the priceless knowledge they had garnered.
Visoria: The Good Old Days A painting of Visoria's oldest and most venerated Library.

The Visorians so knowledge as a resource more valuable than any other, and build institutions such as this one in order that the people might have the best chance of acquiring at so high was the overall level of education that even the smallest children in the most far-flung villages were able to read, and took great pleasure in doing so.

Visorian Castle: Towering Edifice Visoria Castle Towers imposingly over the land beneath it, visible for miles around.

Within its walls resides the bulk of the great scholarly works of Athia, making it a storehouse of Knowledge from across the centuries. As the number of books and the need for storage grew over the years, so did the great tower of the castle, until finally it was toppled by an earthquake, or so the stories say.