* I have used Latin to highlight some of the keywords within this story to help define the 'time' and civilization that was believed to be Atlantis. I do apologize if the translations are not exactly correct as I used Google translator... The names I used for my Characters are Greek as it is believed the continent was located near Greece and The Pillar of Hercules and I felt that it suited the theme of the story. *
- Aerith: Originated in FF VII and means 'Earth'
- Aestas: 'Summer'
- ALTHAIA (Greek: Αλθαία): Original Greek form of Latin Althea, possibly meaning "healing."
- Annorum: 'Year'
- DEMETRA: Variant of Greek Demeter, meaning "earth mother."
- DESMA: Greek name meaning "pledge, vow."
- Hibernia Latebra: 'Hibernation'
- Locus: 'Space'
- Magis: 'Mages'
- Maria: 'Seas'
-Terra: 'Earth'
-Oceanum Atlanticum: Atlantic Ocean
2348 BC: Oceanum Atlanticum
Althaia, an Alantian of 21 turns of the Wheel, sat on the railing of the uppermost sanctuary lost deep in thought. And while the rains continued to fall and the waters of the Oceanum steadily rose, She waited for word of which party she would be assigned to when they evacuated their home.
All of the coastal areas had already been evacuated to the upper levels of the city and were now completely flooded. Still, there was no ending to the rains that poured from the heavens. It was as if the Gods and the Goddesses in the Realm of Eternity; were all crying in unison.
Althaia sighed. All the thinking, talking, meetings and rituals could not come up with a reasonable answer for this deluge to be happening on top of all the other severe weather changes. It seems their civilization was doomed as the continent was such a low land mass.
Atlantica had survived thousands of years undisturbed, surrounded by the waters so vast that only those who could pilot the larger boats ever ventured to other distant shores. Those trips where normally few and far apart, as the people from other lands didn't have much to offer in the way of Trade, Knowledge or Spiritual growth.
The Empress and Secular Leaders of their land, also felt that their presence would more often than not be viewed in hostility or they would be seen as hostiles. So to maintain peace, these voyages were usually reserved for exploration and scientific research purposes.
The weather patterns had become increasingly erratic over the last thirty to forty annorum. Temperatures seemed to be increasing at a consistent rate; Severe storms would blow up with no warnings and there had been long periods where there hadn't been any rains. So quite a few teams had been sent out to see what might have been causing these disturbances.
Althaia, being apart of the scientific community; even though she had enough talent to touch and manipulate the tamer Energy Streams, had been able to go on one of those missions, just the previous aestas.
The conclusion was that this was a natural phenomenon, the world was shifting into a state of flux. So the people had begun to prepare for the worst.
The Spiritual community had started to gather and store magical energy, that they had gathered from the Greater Energy Streams that circled Terra, imbuing plants, animals, and humans with the essence of life.
The Scientific community had focused their attention on the development of ships that could travel Locus and Maria.
And Those of the Trades and Craftsmen communities pooled their efforts and resources to build the large ships to carry their people and the supplies they would need to their new destinations.
Demerta, The Empress and Desma, her chosen successor; were still with their counsel, deciding how best to divide people so that each party would have a balance of all the communities and a sustainable amount of the populous, to help support and appropriate a new civilization.
So lost in thought about what the future might hold, that Althaia nearly fell off the rail, when the Bells began to toll across the city; announcing that the council had reached a decision. It was time to leave their home... It was time to seek a new life! A tear sliding down her face, she slips off the railing and heads to the council chamber.
Three days later they were ready to leave. The ships had been packed; the populace divided. Those who were to travel into Locas embarked their ship first and enter the area that held the Hibernia Latebra pods.
Althaia hugged and kissed her parents and older brother goodbye, they had been chosen to stay on Terra! She joined the group of people, Desma included, heading to the ship and went to her Hiberna Larerbra pod.
Those left who where Magis began to cast the spells needed to first send their people into a deep sleep. The second was to activate the Magis crystal, that would store, cycle and recycle, the magic energy that had been transferred and stored in it.
The ship had been designed to function solely off of the Magis energy. Being untested though, all knew that this voyage could end up being a death sentence. So that was why it had been the council to decide who would stay and who would go. It had been a fair decision, that all had excepted.
As the filaments of light and dark blue energy swirled and passed through Althaia, she sent up a prayer to the Mother and the Father of the Gods that all would be safe and arrive at their new destinations in one piece. Then she fell into slumber so deep that one would think she was truly dead.
Those left on Atlantis, watched in quiet tribute as the ship begun to ascend into the heavens to start its journey through Locas. It's destination unknown.
The years pass without acknowledgment as the Alantian Ship traveled through the Cosmos. Seeking a world on which The People would be able to build anew. The Mage Energy, having taken on a life of its own as it controlled and directed the ships' functions and ensured the safety of Its' precious cargo. The instructions that had been blueprinted in the initial casting, was Its' guideline to finding a new world.
At long last It had found a world, so similar to the original one, it could have been a twin planet.
Once It had landed and deemed the environment safe; It started the sequence to wake up the sleeping Atlantians and ground their magical energies with those of this planet.
One by one they all begun to wake and step out of the pods. Silently at first but as more begun wake up, a quiet conversation begun to break out among the occupants as they gathered up the supplies and headed out of the ship.
Once they were out in the open, smiles broke out on many of their faces. Not only were they alive but the planet on which they had landed had energy streams similar to those on Terra but they different; they were stronger and carried the memories of those who had lived and died here. Althaia was comforted by the familiarity and the acceptance this world seemed to give.
And so, The Alantians began to build a new community in the area where the had landed. Homes and buildings were made out of a corral like substance, that glowed faintly at night. Creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
In Tribute to Atlantica, that in all probability now resided deep under the sea and to the Divine Mother and Father. A temple was created using the ship and an underwater cavern.
The small community began to grow and thrive.
Time marched forward. The people who had been Alantians started to change as time went on. They grew stronger as Magi, as they learned how to use, what they now called the Lifestream, to enhance their magical capabilities.
Although they continued to recognize the male aspect of the Divine; their spirituality becomes more Matriarchal in structure and they named the Divine Feminine, Minerva.
The defined lines that had originally separated the communities begun to blur and The People become a whole.
The original language too begun to change as the Alantians became the Cetra.
Althaia eventually found the man of her heart and settled down to married life and the joys of raising a family. Their first child was a girl, whom they named Aerith, a name that continued down through the generations.
Hundreds of years pass, as the Wheel of the Seasons continued to turn and The Cetra now inhabited many regions of the world, alongside those who already lived on the planet. The different Clans keeping in touch with each other through mage screens that would project their images and voices enabling them to stay in constant contact with each other.
Then one day, A large mass could be seen in the sky and many rejoiced. As they thought it was those who were descendants from the Mother world, come to reunite with them... That was not to be! It was a destroyer; A calamity from the skies. A Being whose sole purpose was to wipe the planet of all sentient life...
TO BE CONTINUED!
A/N: I want to first thank Chaosmoon75, whos' story 'Even Demons can be Saved' gave me the fertile ground to finally realize this nagging concept that I have had about the Cetra and how the could have been descendants of Earth's Atlantis.
I credit: Mercedes Lackey (Heralds of Valdemar: The Hawkbrothers) for the concept of the Energy Crystal (Heart Stone)
Palladium RP source book Rifts for the concept of Energy Stream (Lee Lines and Lee Nexus) This is also the connection to the Lifestream
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (The Death Gate Cycle) for the concept of magical controlled Hibernation or stasis pods (the Sartans)
I would also like to note that I have borrowed terms like 'The People' Native American reference to the collective population, clans, and tribes. And that I draw inspiration from my own Spiritual beliefs as a Wiccan
At some point, I may expand on this story but for now, I hope you enjoy this and would love to hear any thoughts, opinions or questions you may have.