Imagine a world of white sand beaches holding back wine and sapphire seas from slate gray cliff sides. Bright white-washed houses with bright clay roofs dot the harbors. It is a land of linen, coral, clay, bronze, wood, and sand.  Imagine a place where elemental energies are harnessed to make life easier, but also to destroy.  It is a place of deep beauty, fantastical adventures, and powerful battles.  Where empyrean mystics delve mysteries of the elemental planes and great warriors risk everything in struggles against terrible powers.

Alatha is in many ways not your typical fantasy or role-playing world, born of Tolkien and tempered by Dungeons & Dragons®.  It has a deeply Mediterranean flavor, with settings more akin to ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, North Africa, and the Middle East.  It is ancient, not medieval, only just pushing out of the Bronze Age.  Centurions, Greek sages and Spartans, Magi and Persian mystics, Pharaohs, and Babylonian heroes are closer to the image of the Alathan world than chivalrous knights in heavy armor.  In addition, magic is somewhat different.  All “magic” is both divine and elemental, communing, manipulating, or tapping into the mystical realms of one or more of the demi-god rulers of the elemental planes.

 

The world of Alatha is actually the overlap of twelve different planes. Each plane is composed entirely of a specific type of elemental energy, thus there is a plane of fire, water, time, light, etc. Physical existence is actually the intersection of each of these planes and physical objects are composed of various amounts of the different elemental energies. (Thus a creature is made up of all the energies, but might have a higher level of life cycle energy, whereas a rock will probably have higher levels of earth energy.) These planes are created from and ruled over by powerful beings known as Aygeema (or Aygeemya in plural). Within their respective planes, they hold total control. Within the “physical” world, or “prime” plane, they are worshiped as gods.

 

 

There are three primary races that walk on the face of Alatha: the diverse and adaptable Alathans, the mystical Remnant, and the tribal Melali.

    The most numerous race in Alatha is the one it is named after: Alathan.  Alathans, or Alathaya in their native tongue, are a humanoid species with somewhat reptilian features. They possess wide strong jaws, short flat-fronted snouts, thick eye ridges, and prominent fins on their heads. The fins are dyed according to the color of the Aygeema they serve at a dedication ceremony in childhood, but may be changed if an adult finds more meaning serving a different Aygeema. The dorsal fin is far larger on males. Their skin ranges in shades of green from quite gray to vibrant and Alathans have four digits on each hand.

Alathans are an industrious and inventive species and much of the technological development that exists is owed to their ingenuity. The least conventional species, they also have the widest span of views and roles and are continually adapting. They are drawn to the water and control most of the world’s seas and trade ports.  There are two major Alathan nations, each with a quite different approach on governance and world relations. The Council of Dafsomet in Ir Alatha, is the governing body of much of Southern Alatha, based on an opt-in system and the value of freedom, any population base that chooses to join the Council is allowed in.  Unfortunately such idealism and votes open to anyone, they can be slow to respond and riddled by corruption. For the glory of the Empire, and its Empress Jakabosa, those of the Northern Empire issue forth from the citadels of Narathet to the ends of Alatha. Marked by a sturdy and modern optimism, no doubt bolstered by its rapid rise to power and expansion, the Northern Empire is a model of order and efficiency, if also occasional oppression. 

The Remnant are the oldest species on Alatha and actually the last vestiges of humanity itself. They appear as gray skinned humans with no facial features aside from large white eyes under heavy brows, often with pronounced cheekbones. Remnant have the ability to communicate by radiant telepathy, through either words or pictures.

The Remnant are a suspicious, mystical, and conservative people. They were nearly wiped out in a series of disastrous events that only the oldest manuscripts hint at. The Remnant were the first race to have made contact with the Aygeemya and may be the cause of the manifestations of the Aygeemya themselves, although essentially all of human history is lost to the Remnant. Much of Remnant society is based around tightly controlled traditional and religious patterns.  Their head is the immensely powerful God-King Khulanayen, who allocates most of the actual rule to a group of Elders. Most major aspects of a Remnant’s life are regulated by the Elders, including occupation, when offspring may be produced, and outside contact. Nearly all Remnant settlements are vast underground cities and Remnant share some affinity with the caves and rocks of their homes. The motto of the Remnant, memorized at an early age is “Panos energon, regulaton energos impartion imperium, imperium nix chaos”. This translates to something like “Everything is energy, channeling the energy gains control, control prevents destruction.” This concept is one of the cornerstones of Remnant thought.

    The Melali are a race of sentient plants evolved by an ancient group of Remnant to the point of consciousness and development of a full soul. They are far less developed technologically than the Remnant or Alathans, being only at the latter end of Stone Age technology for the most part. Melali have a pale golden skin and large amounts of grass-like hair protruding from the top of their head. They have a linear mouth, large green eyes, five fingers, and thick knotted feet reminiscent of the roots they will eventually put out. They live almost entirely in tribes on the main or outlying islands of Moa’loli. The six tribal groups are categorized by shared rituals and often by dwelling type. Unlike the other two races, especially the homogeneous Remnant society, the Melali tribes often war amongst each other, even occasionally within a tribe. Melali tribal leaders are called chiefs or chieftains, who are often supported by various gatherings of sub-chiefs and elders within the tribe, as well as tribal shamans who consort with the spirits of ancestors. All Melali revere honey deeply and the name Melali itself means “[Those] of the honey tree”.

Adventuring

The world of Alatha has many professions. There are those who produce and sell goods, the farmers, artisans, and merchants. There are those who sail, those who run the temples, those who comprise the army, those who rule the lands, and those outside the law on the far fringes of the known world. Then there are those who want something more. They are the adventurers, the Dayokhlan.

 

 

“You are a Dayokhlan, one who seeks after heroism, adventure, and glory. You may dabble in the realms that others pour their lives into; physical labor, mental training, political cunning, religious duties, military rankings, but these are not the constants of your life nor the things you live for. Perhaps it is greed that drives you; there are large treasures to be found. Perhaps it is wanderlust; there is much to see. Perhaps ambition, great powers will be yours to wield. Perhaps it is discovery that drives you; much of the world has never been seen and there are artifacts unlike any your kind ever laid eyes upon. You do odd jobs to earn a living, one day a body guard or mercenary the next a messenger and the day after a treasure seeker. Go then and bring glory to your name and the realm of your Aygeema. Be as the Kushi’daya, the great heroes of old, those of renown.”

Anyone can train in whatever combinations of classes they choose, however, classes are often tied to the specific racial cultures, usually with long traditions of teaching among the racial homelands.  However, there are those few adventurers of classes not normally associated with their race.  In addition to the main races, the classes of the goblin-like homunculi and the non-race specific heretical abomination classes are listed below.  Classes are grouped below by category.

Alathan Classes

Body-Based (Melee) Classes

·      Assassins use whatever is necessary, usually daggers, short blowguns, and poisons, to kill single targets very quickly from concealed positions, then slink away unnoticed.

·      Bladesmen use finesse with swords, daggers, and polearms to parry any attacks, then stab or slash into those who dare come near the flurry of metal. They prefer precision and swift nimble attacks, becoming one with their bonded blade.

·      Brawlers rely on physical force and blunt heavy weapons to batter through opponents, take countless hits with little effect, and crack through skulls, armor, or anything else in their way. 

·      Marksmen use bows, khirkas (gun-like bows), and blowguns to precisely hit their targets from a great distance away. Keeping themselves safe and taking a few turns to line up a perfect hit, they are capable of doing more damage than almost any other class.

·      Martial Artists hone their bodies themselves into weapons. Discipline and long training allow them to strike blows with tremendous force and use their attackers’ force against them, while shrugging off attacks and moving quickly across the battlefield.

Spirit-Based (Caster) Classes

·      Elementalists take direct control of the realms of the most physical Aygeemya and use the destructive elemental forces of fire, water, and rock to pummel, incinerate, stop, or simply repel those coming against them. 

·      Illusionists use the power of their minds to control a situation, creating realistic images, dominating others, or simply sending them running in fear. They also excel at simply toying with opponents minds and getting into and out of almost any situation without the need for combat. 

·      Necromancers embrace death and pain, projecting their own suffering on others. They debilitate opponents to the effectiveness of children then raise corpses to fight with them from the bodies of the fallen. 

·      Priests are the voice of the people to the gods. They perform rituals and chants and offer up sacrifices and prayers to bless themselves and their allies, adding almost overwhelming benefits to any group while also being able to dish out damage. 

·      Prophets are seers who gain divine glimpses of the past, future, or distant locations. Foreseeing and avoiding danger, they are the voice of the gods to the people and occasional instruments of their wrath. 

Mind-Based and Combination Classes

·      Agents use their mastery over perception to charm, infiltrate, and avoid. Paired with a quick blade, high evasion, and deft technical skills, they are preeminent spies and saboteurs, as well as nobles.

·      Cabalists employ esoteric teachings, underhanded actions, effigy puppets, and fortune telling, using fate and chance to their literally stack the deck in their favor.

·      Demiurges use neither mystical spells nor physical prowess to gain advantages, but rather use their master crafting abilities to create traps and potions, enchant or modify weapons and armor, and unleash powerful golems. 

·      Frost Wardens combines dexterous physical combat with mystical spells. They use the power of ice, frost, and snow to debilitate enemies, then attack with ice spells or magically enhanced polearms. 

·      Lore Keepers draw on the vast history and great stories of the Alathaya to inspire whole groups to even greater achievements themselves and destroy the resolve of their opponents. 

Remnant Classes

Channelers
Remnant elemental based casters. Each take on the persona, strengths, & weaknesses of a specific element, using its full powers for an immense range of casting, melee, buffs, and effects, through mastery of eleven diverse forms.

·      Aeromancer The whirling channeler of air energy

·      Biomancer The resilient channeler of life cycle energy

·      Chronomancer The disorienting channeler of time energy

·      Cryomancer The resolute channeler of cold energy

·      Geomancer The solid channeler of earth energy

·      Hydromancer The adaptable channeler of water energy

·      Morphomancer The teleporting channeler of spatial energy

·      Photomancer The blinding channeler of light energy

·      Pyromancer The scorching channeler of fire energy

Other Remnant Classes

·      Inquisitor Religious but cutting themselves off from the mystical world, inquisitors use holy artifacts, rituals, and an arsenal of weapons to hunt down heretics and those who would misuse the powers of the Aygeemya. They are capable of nearly shutting down casters and are quite effective against unnatural creatures.

·      Templar The Templar are the physical and military guardians of the Remnant people and their sacred homeland. With commanding auras, thick armor, and heavy shields they protect and inspire their brethren while using their tactical knowledge to gain decisive advantages.  None compare to the templar's indomitable ability to mitigate damage that would quickly fell any other mortal.

·      Sentinal The great rocky basin above the underground Remnant cities has long been patrolled by the elite and reclusive Sentinals.  Wary skirmishers, the fleet sentinals harass intruders from a distance via mastery of terrain, concealment, movement, and deadly javelins, while never allowing their targets to get close.

Melali Classes

·      Beastmaster Studying and attracting all manner of creatures, beastmasters use their animal companions and the methods learned by watching them to become fearsome beings themselves. Beastmasters call upon the spirits of the animal world to give themselves savage claws, powerful charges, perceptive eyes, and other features of beasts both great and small.

·      Berserker The most common devotion, berserkers are often the greatest warriors in Melali raids. They are quick and chaotic, their twin tomahawks whirling about in a savage frenzy as they leap from enemy to enemy, leaving nothing but rent bodies and destruction in their rapid paths.

·      Druids often live monastic lives with other druids in the wilderness where they commune with the plants around them and protect sacred places. They are capable of summoning all manner of plants to their aid, shielding themselves, inflicting lethal damage, and quite often manipulating enemies to where ever is easiest for the druid to deal with them. Druids carry a sickle as a symbol of their devotion.

·      Ranger As at home in the woods and wilderness, rangers make use of traditional axe staves as well as deadly throwing axes as they use their advantages in terrain to swiftly deal with opponents. They are able to track through areas anyone else would find impassable and leave no tracks themselves.

·      Shaman Capable of becoming part of the elemental spirit world of their ancestors, there is at least one who practices the way of the shaman in every village. They are often healers and sages and bolster the spirits of their tribes with the spirits of ancestors or even possess friendly Melali to allow great deeds. Shamans often wear large wooden or leaf masks, similar to those worn by chieftains, and carry drums and or rattles to channel their energies.

Homunculi Classes

·      Scrappers are dirty fighting, ankle biting, head conking, impishly mischievous, razor slashing, furious, and hard to pin down homunculi. They get their name from both their fighting style as well as the fact that they’re commonly found searching through junk heaps for a new piece of metal to sharpen into their savage war razors or perhaps just something shiny or interesting.

·      Witches learn dark curses, and the ability to brew anything from root liquor and frenzy potions to exploding concoction grenades and even other homunculi. Witches are often seen riding on branches or followed by the walking cauldrons they brew with.

Abominations

·      Zoarch Declared Heretics after losing in the great schism, the few remaining Zoarchs practice their bio-modification and evolutionary magics in hiding.

·      Nechrarch Created from a combination of Necromancy and Zoarchy, nechrarchy manipulates the powers of pestilence, plagues, and corruption.

 

All images created for Alatha (with the exception of the few obviously photoshopped Remnant serving as placeholders).  Please do not use without express written permission.