Chronicles of Atys

h1. Being Zoraï

h2. Who am I?

You are a young homin refugee. You have wisely responded to the calling of your people in taking the long and perilous journey from the old lands. For the last forty four years we have been rebuilding the foundations of our society in these new lands of promise, we need your help. After a period of training, you will be able to put your skills to good use and help rebuild our civilization.

h2. Who are my ancestors?

Your ancestors built a society structured around magnetic temple-cities where grand ceremonies were orchestrated for spiritual enlightenment. It is up to your generation now to rekindle that flame, to make our civilization shine again as the true spiritual leader. You were brought up in the wilds where your grandparents took refuge from the kitin onslaughts of 2481. Your parents did right in urging you to quit your hapless life and take the great road to join the rest of your people. You have traveled for many years but now you have found us. Your new life has just begun.

h2. Who is our chief?

Mabreka, the Great Sage, is our spiritual leader. Where he leads, you must follow, his aura shines like a beacon in the night and guides our souls. Follow his light and you too will shine among your people. Consider it a great honor if you are chosen to carry out a mission on his demand, the outcome will illustrate your worthiness. Cuan Sa-Ki and Shon Wo-Can are the great gurus that, having attained merit, give him guidance.

h2. What is our faith?

We worship the superior life energy which created Atys, he is called Ma-Duk. Ma-Duk manifests his presence on Atys through the Kamis who watch over his creation. Remember, homin, the Kamis must be protected, it is through them that you will gain merit to accede to full enlightenment. Give them offerings and do them favors whenever you can, and they will impart their magic to you.

h2. What do we value?

To be fully reborn as a true Zoraï you must structure your new life on the fundamental cornerstones of wisdom, spiritual accomplishment and respect of nature.

Wisdom: To better serve the Kamis it is important you learn about yourself, your people and about Atys. By gaining knowledge you will also learn how to better defend Atys, the Kamis and your peoples against barbarity.

Spiritual accomplishment: You must seek to gain merit for your soul to reach enlightenment. For this you must not only fortify your individual relationship with the Kamis but also spread the word of Kamis enlightenment to other homins so they too may share the ultimate bliss.

Respect of nature: Our culture is built on a deep respect for nature. You must guard against over-exploitation and fire, and at all costs fight against the goo which the Kamis are powerless to repel.

h2. What are our prohibitions?

* You must never have dealings with the Karavan. They are the enemy of the Kamis and try to stop us in our task of eradicating the goo. By gathering raw materials for the Karavan, you will be guilty of raping the planet we have been made to cherish. The Karavan are responsible for the gradual depletion of resources and environmental damage.

* Never mock or oppose the Kamis. The Kamis act for the good of Atys.

* It is forbidden to spread fire over the lands. It strips the land of its wealth and leaves it sterile.

* Never carry out missions for enemy tribes.

h2. What are our goals?

For the last forty four years we have been diligently building the bases of our civilization to build from. Now we must :

* Develop our individual strengths and skills

* Make our dynasty shine and promote spiritual awareness throughout the newfound lands centered around Kami worship

* Build strong guilds to free hominkind from the influence of the Karavan. Then we may all join forces in our crusade against the Goo to make this world a better place

* Build alliances with the Trykers

* Retrieve the knowledge lost during the Great Swarming. If you discover this knowledge you will be able to open the doors to the secrets of the past.

h2. Who are our friends?

Since the Peace Treaty signed at Fairhaven in 2515, we have been at peace with the other homin peoples. But ten years of peace could never erase the many years of barbarity that was rife in other homin lands. And we find still that some homins have more merit than others.

* Fyros: The Fyros are brash though valiant warriors who in recent times have proved worthy of our trust. They have been making good progress in their spiritual development and have clearly chosen the way of the Kamis.

* Tryker: The minds of the Trykers have not yet evolved sufficiently to be able to accept Kami enlightenment. They are of little spiritual worth. Not only are they said to have treated the Kamis with frivolity in the past, but they venerate the Karavan who are hostile to the Kamis.

* Matis: We must try to free the Matis from the influence of the Karavan and bring them round to the Kami way of living. This is why, in 2509, the present Matis king, Yrkanis, was given refuge in Zora and helped to muster an army to depose the ultra-Karavan monarch and install a more tolerant government. This was the first step to coax the Matis into the Kami world. But word has got out that there is growing opposition against Yrkanis within his own kingdom. We must remain vigilant!

* Friendly tribes include: The Barkers, The Dune Riders, The Beachcombers, The Icon Worshipers, The Tutors, The Hamazans of the Dead Seed, The Ecowarriors, The Oasis Diggers, The Sacred Sap, The Siblings of the Weeds.

h2. Who are our enemies?

* The Karavan: They are hostile to the Kamis, and among the weaker minds have imposed blind adherence to their goddess, Jena. Our forefathers, and more recently, the Fyros, managed to break away from their hold. We must help the other peoples to do likewise.

* The Kitins: These gigantic insects massacred many thousands of Zoraïs and devastated our dynasty in the lands of old.

* The Goo: This is a cancer to our planet. It offends the Kamis and must be eradicated.

* Enemy tribes include: The Cockroaches, The Chlorogoos, The Lawless, The Scorchers, The Lagoon Brothers, The Masters of the goo, The Antikamis, The Goo-heads, The Woven Bridles, The Darkening Sap.

* Bandits: Beware of outlaws, thieves and cutthroats, young homin. They won't spare your life if there's any profit to be had.

* Animal predators: The jungle is home to many wild animals, many of them will attack homins on sight!

h2. How can I help my people?

*To be able to build our temple cities and play our role as spiritual leaders of Atys, we must be strong enough to resist opposition. For this we must recruit more crafters, harvesters, magicians and warriors.

* We need warriors to defend our territory and establish new centers for kami worship.

* We need crafters to produce everyday objects and weapons; and harvesters to gather the raw materials for food and manufacture.

* We need magicians to enchant crafted items, protect harvesters, and heal warriors in combat and keep the enemy in check.

h2. What can I expect of my people?

* Training from our expert trainers.

* Our people is defended by guilds who may come to your aide once you've joined one.

* The more you act for the good of our people the more you're noble deeds will be rewarded.

h2. What is our new land?

After resurfacing from the Prime Roots of the new lands in 2483, we secured new sites in the middle of the jungle where the Kamis most need us. The jungle is the most enchanted place on Atys, but one that needs caring for, it is here that the goo is most rife. Since 2487 we have been continually rejoined by refugees having taken the road from the old lands, the very road you have courageously taken, homin.

h2. What can I expect from Atys, our world?

Atys offers a wealth of natural riches, young homin, you may help yourself to further your development provided that you respect the environent. If you don't, the Kamis will be down on you like thunder! As you become skilled in the ways of the world you will learn the lay of the land, an all important rite of passage if you are to lay claim to new territory, homin.