The Chosen of Atûn - Etûletal, Voletal, and Thûnetal

The Etûletal, or dwellers of Etal, were created by their deity Atûn with his Eshara combined with the essence of the celestial bodies in Vussalas. He, like the other deities of creation, crafted his people as agents of his will in the olûndari realm. He put them on the unoccupied continent of Etal, which was his home during Olûn, and bid they settle and thrive in that land. He showed great love to his people, living among them and imparting on them his great wisdom and leadership, unlike Aebaster or the other Alor'eshan. In return for his direct assistance in their affairs, the Etayen themselves played an important role in his wider machinations. They were his source of life and power. The relationship between them was that as the Etayen grew in number, Atûn's own power was grow alongside them. He was them and they were he, no difference between them. The brilliance was that, in time, he could achieve nearly infinite power through their multiplication. The price in the short term was that only a small population was born of this genesis generation. Perhaps only 1,000 Etûletal lived throughout the entirely of Etal in those early days, which made it a dangerous gamble. Any disease or disaster could have wiped out the nascent race entirely. Danger and calamity did follow, but that is not to be written of here. Suffice to say, Atûn preServed his people throughout the Awakening and watched them develop. Etayen civilization flourished across the continent. The foundations of great cities were put to soil, monuments were built in the name of Atûn, and the race itself expanded until there were tens of thousands of them. All the while, Atûn's power grew as the reservoir of available energy grew with every Etayen birth.

In terms of appearance, the Etayen span a wide variety of characteristics. Without doubt, they are taller, more slender, and glowing upon their wide, unnaturally appearing horned heads. These variations makes them somewhat comparable to other first tier olundi. However, the significant alterations arise from the close connection the Etayen possess with Eshanic power. It is greater in them than any other race in Qadal. As a result, there is an equally powerful connection between the emotional and mental dimensions of the Etayen and their physical appearance. In short, their bodies change in accordance with their moods and mind. It is an extraordinary manifestation of creative power placed in the hands of unconscious olûndi. They warp and shift reality in accordance to the reality which they perceive for themselves. When a member of the race is overcome with sorrow, their appearance will become grey, weaker, sullen along the muscles, and stooped. In spirits of confidence and strength, the Etayen are a grand race with lush skin, towering stature, powerful limbs, and voluminous manes. Their skin comes closer to gold. During a phase of transition, their skin becomes a marbled mix of golds and grey, beautiful in its imperfect or harsh to the unprepared eyes. These differences may be witnessed among individuals in response to tribulations or triumphs in personal life. It might also be witnessed across the whole race. After Atûn’s unexpected death in the year zero, the entire Etayen people were hurled into complete despondency and silence. This initiated their steep decline as a civilization. The people became withered and catatonic wretches while the Aemar and other races moved against them. At least 200 years, or the remainder of that generation’s lifespam, passed before the Etayen returned to some measure of confidence and grim acceptance.

“The wordbearer arrived in Sedar breathless and worried. He bore with him news that Aemardic tribes were rising in the north, gathering here or there, and arming themselves against our dominion. The room was soon erupting with unladen emotions- anger and bewilderment, excitement and sadness. A war was coming that many foretold in casual conversation, but none could place a precise date. One could tell by the changing colors of flesh how we would respond. Gold was the shade of the warlords, eager to prove themselves, while black turned the flesh of the wary, thinking sort, who foresaw the miseries which could come from Eshanic conflict, for anyone could tell the Aemar did not act alone.”

Nikresaur of Sedar upon the news of Corgastor’s War beginning
Memories of Jequasghal - -14

The children of Atûn continued to differ from their Eshanic brethren beyond simple diversity in physiology. Aemar, Daorhu, and other peoples were born numerous and weak. The Etayen, on the other hand, were bred in bewilderingly small numbers, perhaps only 1,000 esseythu among the first generation. Atûn calculated this with cunning and for long term effect. While vulnerable for centuries, the Etayen were isolated and secure in Etal, and possessed far greater Eshanic esseythu within their olûndari bodies. This energy helped foster the Etayen to become faster, stronger, and often smarter than those they encountered. Greater still was the extended Etayen lifespan, which could endure for some 300 to 400 years in proper cases. Lesser olûndi feared and despised them once the race broke forth during the Ascension era. Conquests were peasant’s work and colonization the reward to be reaped. Perhaps with good cause the Etayen therefore vaunted themselves as superior beings, but in some sense the consciousness of their strength was misunderstood. They were mere actors within machinations far larger than themselves. Every race in Qadal shares that fate. Aemarda, the Axodraharik, the Daorhu, Odyrzid, and others might appear insignificant, but the Etayen themselves discovered internal flaws within their race unknown until generations later. Foremost among them was a concept known as ‘nekri’ to the Etayen, meaning forgetfulness. As the Etayen mind ages, information begins to fade from memory. The phenomenon is most commonly experienced after 200 or more years of life, when events from early existence like childhood and youth deteriorate into vague recognition without recollection. It is like attempting to remember a dream- the dreamer knows the event occurred, but cannot possibly draw any detail or meaning from it. No other race suffers from such an ailment, especially something so severe halfway through one’s lifetime. Attempts to remedy or delay nekri have consumed the careers of many Etayen scholars and thinkers, but nothing satisfactory has been discovered. In the meantime, Etayen prepare themselves for the inevitable through means such as exhaustive personal histories and robust journals detailing the literal passing of centuries. Others dedicate to memory select events which should survive before all others- particularly important births, deaths, celebrations, and others.

Atûn desired something greater for his people, a means by which they could shine more brightly than any olûndari race. Atûn endeavored to circumvent the Divine Mandates, granting power to his chosen peoples without angering Ácoltius and manipulating Qadal with his Eshara. Atûn created Vojûn to solve that dilemma, being the permanent manifestation of his Eshara in Qadal, at the beginning of the Ascension era for the Etûletal to utilize during times of war and peace to build and destroy. His gift fostered the glory years of Etayen civilization, from around -1500 to zero, where they reigned supreme among all races of the world. As a race, the Etûletal developed Etal throughout the luscious heart of their continent, ringed by impenetrable jungle populated by constructs of Vojûn. As they spread to the rest of Qadal, they used Vojûn and the guidance of Atûn to dominate all those they encountered. Those early days of colonization was the height of Etûletal power in Qadal. Within a few decades, however, things began to muddy and complicate as Etayen settled outside Etal, departing from their sacred ancestry.

Amongst the Etayen there are two unique cultures. In Etal the Etayen are known as the Etûletal, a term simply meaning the Etayen of Etal. They were the first beings created by Atûn following the First Feud and are most strongly endowed with the Vojûn he created. They are a mysterious people, remaining isolated from the other races of Qadal on their home continent. It is a rare thing to see them settled outside of Etal, and if that is the case then it is often in close knit burgs within the larger community. The Etûletal are as well known to be an aggressive people, especially toward Aemar that they view as natural enemies since the days of Olûn, when the Eshan walked the olûndari realm. For this reason, they maintain a constant political rivalry with the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor and the kingdoms that preceded it, culminating most recently in the invasion of Grathem that ignited the Drakayen War.

The second and lesser regarded breed of Atun’s children in Qadal is the Voletal, known as the Etayen beyond the homeland. They were once one in the same as the Etûletal, sharing the same native homeland and culture. The split occurred in the early years of the Atûnassus Vyndal, when the Etayen were expanding beyond Etal and into the world at large. The rapid change it brought strained the political and cultural structures of the Etayen people as they encountered other races with entirely different cultures, languages, and demeanors. The question was soon raised as to what could be done about these new peoples they encountered, many of whom were weak and lacked any affinity for nemeshir. The reigning leadership of Etal desired to conquer and enslave those they encountered for the greater power of their domain. The dissenting nobility desired an Etal that took a more measured approach to expansion and used trade and diplomacy to take control of the lands beyond their shores.

The divisive nature of the conflict broke society apart, with the dissenters leaving Etal to settle in the newly discovered land of Nathrovas. That was the beginning of their differences, but the Great Conflict deepened it further. The destruction of Nathrovas literally blackened their skin and altered them greatly, so that they were no longer comparable to the Etayen. The loss of their homeland also meant an end to any semblance of an economy or government. Those who survived and live in the Fringe, as Nathrovas is now known, settled in small fortified towns. These communities trade ancient Etayen artifacts and Ebon stone in exchange for food, manufactured goods, and other things that would otherwise be unattainable to them. Despite the difficulties of such a life, especially among Vojûnic abominations and pirates, the denizens of their land feel that their independence is more valuable than relative comfort. The alternative would be their submission to the Etayen realm, or their entry into the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor, neither of which would accept them nor treat them equally.

It would only return to harm him when the Etayen began to die in great numbers during Corgastor's bloody war of liberation in Everos. In desperation, Atûn called upon his own limited reserves of Eshanic power to alter the tide. This was a successful measure for a short time, but the Eshara of Aebaster was the greater. Centuries of gathered Aemardic esseythu increased his power with each passing generation. Atûn was thus overpowered within months and the deaths of his Etûletal continued under the swords of Corgastor and his Nathrovayen allies. The youngest of the Alor’eshan was so weakened by his endeavors to empower the Etayen that his owe strength began to wane. In time, his physical form began to wither and die. According to legend, the processThis was an unexpected and fortunate windfall for the Aemar of Everos that prevented immediate retaliation against them by the angered Etayen. Despite his untimely demise, the Etayen have continued to survive without the assistance of Atûn and work tirelessly to bring about his return. His energy continues to give them strength as well, though its effect has gone beyond Etal.