Atlantean Empire

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

“The Guild is Atlantis, and we will survive this time to rebuild a dominion that lasts a thousand years. We are Empire.” 

~Demi-magus Anunub, Commencement Day Ceremonies, Guild Technomental Academy, 428 Tz

The Atlantis Guild is without doubt one of the most influential factions known to The Land. The great mechanics of the Atlantean Empire are responsible for the magi-industrial revolution, which has brought so much to every race, kingdom and person. Without the Guild, people would live once again in the time of Warring Princes or possibly back within the mists of pre-civilization. Even the lowliest guardsman claims to believe that the Guild is nothing if not eternal.

That it will survive, strengthen, and subjugate The Land.

The Atlantean Empire knows its strengths. The ability to draw on a larger population allows the Guild to ignore any normal reliance on heavy armor or magical protections, at least with regard to the rank and file. They train their armies with techniques learned or stolen from a hundred different kingdoms, and equip deserving warriors with magical devices that are difficult to match. The end results may be an army with more urge than unity—more hubris than humor—but also the creation of a warrior with the simple ability to go and do.

Not conceited. Convinced.

~Maleficius

Leader: Emperor Nujarek 

When you think of Atlantis, think of the height of the Roman Empire, with its famed legions armed with lightning weapons and towering War Golems. While the mages of the Atlantis Guild once held control over the Empire with an iron fist, Emperor Nujarek’s public confirmation by Tezla’s Avatar makes him the most powerful man in the Empire. With his destiny laid before him, Nujarek seeks to reform Atlantis in Tezla’s name, and promises to lead humanity to conquest and victory.

The Atlantean Empire rules most of the western half of the Land, controlling hundreds of human city-states, kingdoms and small countries through economic, political or military force. The modern Empire is ruled over by Emperor Nujarek, appointed to the throne of Atlantis in 432 Tz by Prophet-Magus Osiras of the Atlantis Guild. While the mages once were the undisputed rulers of the Empire, with Nujarek’s sudden ascension from Guild puppet to respected Atlantean leader, what role the Technomages will play in leading the new Empire is uncertain.

Grand-Magus Tezla founded the Atlantis Guild more than 370 years ago to unify all forms of magic. Until Tezla’s time, Elementalism and Necromancy were opposing powers, and a mage could hope to only master one. Tezla, against all odds, mastered both schools and created Technomantic magic by harnessing the magical power of Magestone. With armies of Technomantic mages, war Golems and troops armed with magical weapons, Tezla’s Atlantean Empire quickly expanded throughout the western half of the Land. Today the Empire sprawls across thousands of miles and contains most of humanity under its rule. At the heart of the Empire lies the floating city of Atlantis, held aloft 500 feet above the ground by dozens of house-sized blocks of enchanted Magestone crystal. The floating city is the heart of the Atlantean Empire, and is the home to the most powerful human warriors and mages in the Land.

While each of the Empire’s dozens of client-states has its own rulers and royalty, every loyal Atlantean leader has a powerful Guild Magus acting as an “advisor” on their day-to-day affairs. With the aid of fanatically loyal soldiers, war Golems and Technomantic inventions sent from Atlantis, these “advisors” maintain control over the leaders of the client-states with an iron fist, ensuring that the loyal “governors” play their part in maintaining the glory of the Empire. However, as a recent development, under Emperor Nujarek’s order, military advisors are also being sent accompany the mages to ensure that the representatives of the Atlantis Guild does not overstep their authority.Because the might of the Atlantis Guild is fueled by Magestone, whenever a new deposit of Magestone is discovered the Guild dispatches troops and mages to conquer the area as quickly as possible. Anyone who gets in their way is imprisoned, enslaved and set to work in the mines—a dangerous and often fatal job. Even with Emperor Nujarek’s ascension to power, both Nujarek and the Technomancers grudgingly recognize they must work together in order to continue the flow of Magestone – and thus the Empire’s survival.

Subfaction: Imperial Legion
Leader: General Volkare 
Hand-chosen by the Emperor himself, the Imperial Legion is led by a group of trusted generals and warriors who loyally fought alongside Nujarek throughout the last fifteen bloody years of battling the Revolution. As veteran warriors, armed with the best Technomantic weapons the Atlantis Guild has to offer, the Imperial Legion is rapidly becoming the crushing fist of the Empire. As General Volkare is fanatically loyal to Emperor Nujarek, the Imperial Legion serves the Emperor’s will, ensuring that Nujarek keeps control away from the greedy Technomancers. Volkare is going to work hard to keep the mages politically in check, and will do his best to ensure that generals decide military strategy, rather than the mages of the Guild. 

Subfaction: Golemkore 

Leader: Magus Anunub 

Constructed of the brightest minds in the Empire, the Golemkore is a combination of a top-rank strike unit and a golem factory. Capable of stripping down and retrofitting Technomantic Golems on the field, the technicians and mages of the Golemkore create a reliable and deadly force that any of the Land’s armies will regret tangling with. Established by Tezla himself more than two hundred years ago, and very loyal to the mages of the Atlantis Guild, the newest leader of the Golemkore, Magus Anunub, ensures that the Golems created and maintained by his armies are the best they can be.

Subfaction: Delphana 
Leader: Magus Alment Lan
As Emporer Nujarek continues to tighten his control on the Atlantean mainland, many technomancers who were mainstays of the Atlantis Guild have moved their libraries and workshops to the island of Delphane. Dependent on the empire for a continued supply of magestone, the technomancers still answer the Emporer’s calls to arms. However, Guild traditionalists under the leadership of Magus Alment Lan now subtly declare their true loyalty by calling themselves the Delphana. For now, as the Delphana bring ever greater power to the battlefield, Nujarek excuses their disrespect--but both Emporer and Magus know that with ever-greater power comes an ever-greater chance that the mages will try to retake the throne.


Background

Racial Composition	Humans
Origin of Faction	Founded by Tezla in 63 Tz
Age of Faction	370 years
Geographic Control	A sizable portion of the western half of the Land
Religion	Reverence of Tezla, founder of the Guild and Empire
Magical Affinity	Technomancy, Magestone, and Golems
Political Loyalty	Tezla, Emperor Nujarek, and Empire

Official Position

Black Power Revolutionaries	A rival faction that must be destroyed at any cost
Draconum	Inhuman dragon-warrior with their own suspicious agendas
Elemental Freeholds	Their quest to to destroy our Magestone mines will be their downfall
Elven Lords	One-time allies that now attack our borders with impunity
Heroes	Useful pawns in the ongoing battle for control over the Land
Mage Spawn	Mutated monsters from the Blasted Lands; abominations from before Tezla's time
Necropolis Sect	Twisted Elven necromancers who seek to conquer the land with their Dark Crusade
Orc Khans	An evil, green-skinned, brutal menace from the northlands who should be shot and burned on sight
Shyft	Cowardly beast-tamers that are little better than the Mage Spawn they keep.
Solonavi	Enigmatic conquerors that pose the largest threat the Empire has ever faced