Stories from the Atlantian Age

[Boll Weevil]

Has anyone here run or played in a game set in the Atlantian Age? I don't see many posts here about it and I think it might be my favorite sourcebook. If you have, tell me all your stories! 

[Lord Liaden]

I'm also very fond of The Atlantean Age, although I must admit it's mostly for the concepts it presents which I can apply to other settings. I did try running a couple of campaigns set on the Atlanteans' subject continent of Pelasgar. Neither lasted very long, though. The longer campaign involved Atlantean heroes against a setting-based creation of mine, the Cult of Varkolak. In the official history Varkolak was an immense dragon of unknown origin which attacked the island of Atlan'elos, and was killed by Vondarien and two of his brothers after a tremendous battle. I decreed that Varkolak had been an avatar of The Dragon, the Hero Universe's ultimate source of human evil. The cultists worship Varkolak as a god, believing it lies trapped beneath the Sharakkian Mountain range, and strive to free it. Their secondary goal is the destruction of Atlantis as the center of order and stability in the world. The Cult's biggest plot for that involved reawakening Firemaw Mountain, the great volcano on Atlan'elos.

 

The other, shorter campaign cast the Atlanteans as opponents, because I really don't like their civilization. I find their arrogance and religious intolerance quite distasteful. The PCs were based in the subject realm of Therek, rebels against the Dominion of Atlantis for its brutal repression of their native religion. They sought allies against Atlantis, which went as far as the neighboring kingdom of Khirbet. The PCs' efforts included trying to contact the surviving powerful Khirbetan lamsara shamans, and winning the support of Khirbetans by slaying the gigantic magical eagle Rudara which plagued them.

[GDShore]

Like LL I do not play in the Atlantean Age, like him I dislike the culture, I will go further, I detest it. It's artogance and religious intolerance place in the same plane as slavery. I have lost friends over the issue of slavery and what qualifies as slavery Even one fight, not a pleasant experiance. 

[Lord Liaden]

For the sake of balance, I should point out that very few imperialist societies in history have been models of benevolence, certainly not by modern standards. Slavery of one form or another has also been a feature of civilization until quite recently, on the historical scale. Also, if any nation has a justification for arrogance, it's Atlantis. No insignificant number of them have actual divine blood in their veins, and wield greater powers than other men. Their rulers are literally the ageless sons of a god. Which undoubtedly contributes to their religious intolerance -- Atlantean gods aren't just their deities, they're family.

 

Nonetheless, I prefer to have my fantasy campaigns based out of a relative "good guy" nation, a cut above the historically accurate bog-standard. A place that PCs, and players, can feel good about defending. As a suggestion, there's no reason one couldn't jigger Atlantean society to be more enlightened, genuinely believing themselves to be bringing peace and prosperity to the betterment of the world. Eliminating slavery, making men and women legally equal, and replacing forced conversion with aggressive missionary work, would go a long way to reforming the Atlantean image in my eyes. Some smugness and pushiness would probably still be inevitable, but what can you do?

 

Oh, and Boll Weevil, I'm not trying to criticize you for liking what you like to play. These games are meant to be fun, so whatever you find fun is cool with me.

[Lord Liaden]

Since TAA is part of the overall Hero Universe time line, I'll just mention that the serpent-"god" Nama, who will become the patron of VIPER in the modern era, is supposed to be active and around this region of the world during this age. Nama is a classic trickster deity, who has been patron to heroes, as well as loosing dreadful monsters on the world, as the whim struck him. Adding him to the mix could make for interesting times.

[GDShore]

I have to admit that I have used arrogant, intolerant and even slave cultures usually as the "bad guys" in my campaigns. If you find it works for you, do so, the system is supposed to be fun.