Athyr World History and Culture

From late 1997 to late 1998, I was assigned to develop the backstory and world history for an unannounced Sierra On-Line role-playing game. Sadly, as is sometimes the case with prototype titles, the game played better in theory than it did in practice, and the project was eventually halted.

Thanks to the good folks at Sierra, however, I have obtained permission to include select portions of the departed world's mythos and cultural information in this portfolio, as a demonstration of my worldcrafting skills. The following pieces are all written by Cindy Vanous, copyright Sierra On-Line, 1998.

The World of Athyr

Athyr is an old world. Civilizations have risen and fallen, new cities arising on the ruins of the old. Humans share the land with several non-human races, sometimes peaceably, sometimes less so. Although a single written and oral language is common throughout Athyr's eight major contemporary cultures, each of those societies has a very individual system of beliefs, practices, government, and history. Despite these differences, as in any world, there are certain universal elements which appear in the stories and myths of all cultures. One such thread linking the legends and history of the peoples of Athyr is a memory of the Night of Tears, when a wave of arcane power called the Mirabilis swept across the world and decimated everything in its path. This cataclysmic event, which occurred some eight hundred years ago, reduced the cities of Athyr to ashes and rubble in the space of a bare few minutes. The sorcerous wave killed multitudes of humans and nonhumans alike, and drove much of the remainder back to primitivism. In the struggle to survive and rebuild, few people had time for the old tales of history and legend, and so most of Athyr's past was lost, including the full story of the Night itself.

Cultures

Athyr is home to eight major contemporary cultures, plus a scattering of smaller tribes and races. Some of these modern civilizations have arisen since the Night of Tears, although many, including the Jhinari and Sivlingrat, still reckon their age from a time before the Mirabilis.

Sadly, several of Athyr's great cultures, including the Arcana'dir and Bohonuk, were destroyed in the cataclysm. Evidence suggests that some of the Mequali are originally of Arcana'dir and Fesbriar descent, and the Bohonuk survivors were likely absorbed by the Jhinari, their ancient rival. Modern scholars mourn the loss of Arcana'dir records and lore, since their wisdom and historical knowledge were legendary.

The civilizations of Athyr share a common language, albeit customized by regional dialects and colloquialisms. Remnants of older tongues live on in the names of places and families, and many cultures attempt to preserve their historic vernacular through spoken tales or written accounts. But the ancient languages are dying out, and have been since the Night of Tears, when mutual communication became vital to survival. The tongue which is now prevalent in the world of Athyr was once merely the common cant of traders, merchants, and travelers.

The nonhuman races of modern Athyr are another interesting area of study. These intelligent creatures are the product of magical experiments - new species created by the powerful sorcerers of ages gone by. Magic is a natural force on Athyr, and minor practitioners are common as frogs. The priestesses of the Jhinari can raise a wind or turn a storm. Shandrian astromancers purport to bring you visions of future events or give you the name of your predestined love. Denumbran herbalists can cure the ills of the body and the fevers of the brain. But true sorcerers who can bend the raw forces of magic to their will? Men and women of such power are rarer than three-headed rats, born so far between that few have ever met another like themselves. Still, throughout the centuries, these uncommon mages have molded a variety of servants, scouts, soldiers, and workers from the natural creatures of Athyr. Some few of their creations have proven stable enough to live and breed, and since have formed cultures of their own, sharing the world with humans and each other.

Here is a very basic primer on the major human and nonhuman civilizations of the world, with some notes on their governments, habits, religions, recent histories, and outlook.

Major modern cultures:

Major ancient cultures: Minor non-human cultures:
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