In the Days of  the Drakes
by Lady Evialla Violetskye~Khyree |
~ In the Days of the Drakes - Supreme Rule ~
The Arkati are those we know today as the mysterious and powerful gods of Elanthia, but there was a time reaching far into the dim past, held only in the memories of our most ancient of ancestors, when this was not so.
In those dark and distant days, when the creatures and races that roamed the lands lived in constant dread and fear, these spirit-beings, the ancient humanoid race of the Arkati lived as mere servants to a much more powerful and equally ancient race, the Drakes.
These Drakes had powers far beyond even the Arkati, greater in numbers, and possesed of both great intelligence and a fiercly savage nature. Elanthia was theirs to rule as they saw fit. It was their desire to rule the lands unchallenged, and they would permit no other civilization to exist beyond their own.
The lesser races lived in miserable dread and at the mercy of the Drakes, huddled in dank, dark caves, hidden deep within the sheltering forests, or wandering the lands as nomads. That they were able to survive their harsh existence at all was due to the intervention of the Arkati, for in return for their servitude to the mighty Drakes, these lesser races were allowed to survive. None dared to challenge the supreme power and authority of the dragons. That is, until the coming of the Ur-Daemons.
~ The Challenge of the Ur-Daemon ~
Blasting their way through a portal they opened to Elanthia 100,000 years ago, the Ur-Daemons, thought to be a race of highly intelligent, extra-dimensional creatures, were poweful enough to challenge the ancient Drakes, and challenge they did.
Battles of horrendous proportions were fought between the Ur-Daemons and the Drakes in their struggle to gain control of the lands of Elanthia. The Ur-Daemons, hungry for the rich supply of mana contained in the natural mana foci of the lands, and that bound around all life, waged war on the drakes on a scale of unparalleled proportions. The bloodshed continued for a span of at least one thousand years.
The Drakes were slain nearly to the point of extinction in their struggle with these powerful challengers, and of those that managed to survive, many were driven mad with fear, something they had never before known or faced.
In the final battle, the landscape of Elanthia was blasted and left barren and lifeless for hundreds of miles out from the portal back to the dimension of the Ur-Daemons, where they made their final and unsuccesful stand against the Drakes.
Although the Ur-Daemons were driven back and defeated, the Drakes, seriously weakened and damaged beyond recovery in their quest for victory ultimately lost. Drake rule had come to an end, forever.
~ The Arkati Ascension ~
Slowly, the battle-ravaged lands began to recover from the devasting effects of war, with the Arkati working to heal it, having learned to manipulate mana due to their lengthy service to the Drakes. The Ddrakes, their numbers depleted and many being insane or in hiding, their control over the lands stripped, were no longer a threat to the Arkati, and certain of them began to mold and shape the land and those of the lesser races into their own likenesses. The Arkati, long the servants, were now the masters.
Unlike their former masters though, the Arkati did not remain unified in purpose. While many traveled the lands in these early healing years as teachers, nurturing leaders and guides to the lesser races, others of the Arkati had a different, darker vision.
Among those that chose to work to help rebuild and heal the lands, there was Imaera, Goddess of the Earth and of the Harvest and Autumn who took the people of the forests, teaching them to be one with the land. Eonak, the Smith of the Gods, taught the folk of the stone how to mine the mountains of Elanthia for their abundant riches. The wee folk of the valleys were taken into the care of Oleani, the Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Spring, who brought them the blessing of an appreciation of the joy of life and gave to them the knowledge of her special gift for growing things.
Some of these Arkati chose as their own seasons, emotions, or tasks. The powerful Kai, Lord of physical strength and athletic prowess accepted into his care and teaching warriors of all sorts. Lumnis became the Goddess embodying wisdom and learning, while Ronan became the God of the night, and the master of sleep and dreams. The handsome, golden-haired Phoen became God of the Sun, Summer, and of fatherhood.
While Imaera chose the autumn, Lorminstra reigned over winter, the dark cold season of death, becoming the Goddess of Death and also of Rebirth. Charl, The Destroyer, took control over the raging seas, and also of the fall season. Jastev became the God of the visual arts and magic, his followers developing a gift of prophecy. Cholen, the twin of Jastev, became the God of Festivals and Performing Arts. The messenger of the gods, due to his remarkable speed and determination, is Tonis.
Also among these are Akati, the beautiful and spirited warrioress, Leya, beloved daughter of Kai became the Patroness of Amazon warriors; Voaris, the Patron of young love; Tilamaire, Patron of Music and Dance; Kuon, Patron of herbs and flowers; Niima, the mistress of waters and patroness of sailors; Jaston, the follower of the four winds and patron of birds; and Voln the Liberator, freer of the undead.
Together, they are known as the Lords of Liabo, and reigning over them all, Koar, King of the Gods.
The darker spirited among the Arkati once freed of the dragons controlling them, began to strive against the others, lead by their queen Eorgina, Goddess of the dark, Queen of Lornan. Among these were Gosaena, the Goddess of death; "The "Soul Taker", Luukos, "he who feeds on souls"; Ivas, mistress of seduction, Goddess of jealousy and lust; Mularos, God of pleasure, pain and dominance, who twists and distorts love for his own purposes; Fash'lo'nae, master of the arcane arts, God of symbols and knowledge; Andelas the Cat, God of felines, whose joy is others' pain; V'tull, the dark warrior, God of bloodletting and warfare; The Goddess of vengence, Huntress; the Spider Queen Arachne "the betrayer" and the Patrons of spiders Aldemur, Carelin, Drevthrel, Folthre and Volnar; Sheru, God of nightmares and terror; Illoke, the cold God of stone; Onar, patron of assassins; the patron of sacrifice and bloodletting, Amasalen; Marlu, the patron of the Vruul, and Zelia, Goddess of the moons.
The Arkati aligned under Koar saw the lands as a trust and responsibility which had come to be theirs, and the lesser races as children in their keeping to be taught and nurtured. Those of the Arkati in the company of Eorgina thought of the land as a stage for the fulfillment of their own sinister desires, its inhabitants as their playthings, food, or worse.
The two groups grew ever further apart, as it was clear each regarded the land and its inhabitants in a very different light. Although greatly at odds, the opposing groups have yet to come into open conflict with one another. Perhaps neither side trusts in its strength to triumph over the other. Or, could it be that they simply wait for the time to come to pass?
End.
Return to Index of Background and History
The Arkati
by GM, Lord Stump Stumblebum
The Arkati are mysterious and powerful humanoid beings, only corporeal by will, dwelling always half in the Spirit realm, and said to have been born from the breath of the Great Drakes. Whether this is true, or the Drakes merely focused the nebulous Arkati, each Arkati came into awareness with the birth of a Drake.
Through the years, as the Drake grew in strength and power, so too did its Arkati grow. The Arkati was in many ways an extension of the Drake's soul,acting more or less at its
commands and in its interests, and at the death of the Drake, its Arkati usually, though not always, dissipated.
Arkati, being spirit beings, cannot be killed by mortal means, including magic. When in physical form, they can be injured, but such injuries are passing and can do no more than force them into their spirit form for a time. Only beings of immense power, such as the Drakes or other Arkati, can have any lasting affect upon an Arkati. In theory, an Arkati could be "killed" by extreme dissipation, but this result rarely occurs from external
forces.
As spirit beings, Arkati have never followed the same psychology as mortals. They were almost literally, the spiritual breath of their creator, and as such, their personality, powers, and appearance mirrored the accumulated traits of their creator, rather than developing as the personalities of other creatures do. Thus, the Arkati of a malignant Drake would appear as a dark cloud, delight in torture and pain, and have great powers of
destruction. One whose Drake favored a forest region might appear to have leaves for hair, and have power to commune with plants.
From time to time, when a Drake expired for natural or unnatural reasons, its Arkati did not dissipate, but became a free spirit. These free Arkati continued to exist, drawing their
life-essence not from one Drake, but from Drakes generally, and in some cases, from the collected spirits of the lessor races. When the great War between the Drakes and the Ur-
Daemons came, it was primarily these Arkati who survived.
With the passing of the Age of the Drakes, the Arkati who remained found themselves drawing sustenance from the spirits of lesser mortals. The remaining Arkati, few in number compared to earlier days, found that they were nourished and shaped now by
mortal desires and emotions, rather than those of Drakes. Some Arkati found their new roles mirroring those of their earlier lives, while others found themselves almost fully reborn into new and different beings, a traumatic process to say the least.
Different Arkati took different views of their newfound symbiosis with the mortals. All drew strength from these lesser beings in proportion to the number of beings with whom
they experienced resonance and the force of their spirits. In some cases, the Arkati viewed these mortals as their charges, to be protected and guided gently towards a greater degree of harmony with them throughout a lifetime.
Other Arkati found that they received the greatest sustenance from mortal souls in the grip of some great passion such as love, hate, or death. The mortals worshipped many of the Arkati as gods, erecting temples to them, pledging their lives to them, and dying in great wars for what they believed to be the wishes of the Arkati. Other Arkati were feared and propitiated with offerings, in hopes that they would not devour the mortals. The
Arkati, for their part, are the spiritual mirrors of the aspirations of mortals, both sinister and celestial.
In short, the Arkati are the gods of Elanthia. While they come in many forms, they can be divided roughly into Greater Gods, Lesser Gods, and Spirits. The Greater Gods are divided among what mortals call the Gods of Light and the Gods of Dark. Among the Gods of Light are Arkati who typify what mortals most often view as "good," including virtues, good-fortune, strength, growth, and life. These Gods draw their strength most commonly from the faith of their worshippers, although some draw strength from some more abstract source.
The Gods of Darkness typify in many cases darker mortal emotions, and forces of nature that are destructive, or at least feared by mortals. More of the Dark Gods are of the latter sort of deity, drawing their strength not primarily from worshippers, but from mortals who have entered their sphere of influence, voluntarily or otherwise. Thus, Luukos devours the souls of the dying, Mularos delights in jealousy and ill fated desire, and
Andelas revels in pain. Some of the Dark Gods are worshipped, although often in secret, and these are more likely to protect and nurture their charges, although not always with so gentle a touch. Mortals often view these Gods as "evil." As the word was coined by mortals and not Gods, it will be left to them to define it. Still, it is important to remember that the Dark Gods need sustenance as much as the Gods of Light, and therefore even
those with large appetites do not often rush to devour all the mortals of Elanthia.
Not all Arkati were created, or have remained, equal. There are many of a stature below the Greater Gods. Some of these are Lesser Gods or Demi-Gods, of a nature similar to the Greater Gods, but subordinate to them, or simply of lesser stature. Voln and Onar are two such Lesser Gods, powerful in their own way, but limited in scope. There are also many Arkati who are only a shadow of what they once were. Such Spirits may be localized and debased almost below awareness, little more than will-o-the-wisps, while others are avatars to the Gods, and still others have retained great power, but have lost focus over
the years, settling into the land and becoming the spirit of a forest, a mountain range, or the night sky.
GM Stump Stumblebum
December 12, 1996