Atala; polaris oceanus
Surrounded by the ocean, the island Atala used to be the home of one of the most prosperous and far advanced people we have ever known. This island with its tipical starshaped layout of roads and cities worked like a magnet to those who where not affraid of the unknown and who dared to cross the waters in order to trade knowledge and goods. Shall we take a closer look and follow their footsteps?
You are about to visit NGu, one of the bigger cities of Atala. If you close your eyes after reading this, you might be able to picture it for yourself. Let us walk together, we will take a road through fresh green fields surrounded by majestic mountains. See that sparkling glow in the distance? And when you come closer, do you see how the sun is caught in beautiful colors? It is like you are drawn to it.
NGu is very much alive, buzzing sounds of people will enter your ears, sweet and spicy smells will make you hungry but above all, the beauty unfolding in front of you will take your breath away. All your senses are overwhelmed. Let us take a small pause right here and sit down for a while and I will tell you the story of Atala and NG’u revealed by ancient tablets and artifacts we have found.
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At'alh
Blooming during the same time period as the Incas, Aztecs and ancient Egyptians, the island Atala was truly magnificent in all its glory. Besides the sheer beauty of the island, offering al sources a human being could ever use, the people of Atala build their cities like you have never seen before. We know they had 5 main cities scattered around in a starshape and roads connected these cities like the shape of a pentagon.
The center was reserved for their temple, dedicated to the Sun God At’alh. The temple had the shape of a pyramid and a giant crystal(like) sphere seemed to hover on top of it while metal plates surrounded the sphere like a lotus flower. (Remains of that temple are still waiting for more research, unfortunately no traces of the sphere or plates are found yet).
The walls of the pyramid where decorated with the brightest colors we can think of while goldpaint was used for inscriptions. The temple had 4 entrances, facing north, west, south and east and each entrance had 2 giant statues in a half human half animal shape, representing air/sky, earth, water and moon.
Only special trained high priests where allowed to actually enter, the story goes that At’alh had so much power that any mortal would be killed on the spot if he or she would face the Sun God. In some occasions At’alh was pictured as a human with a lionhead but we also know from evidence found elsewhere, leading us to this excursion, that in earlier days he was described as a dragon like lizard creature.
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...'When he, At’alh the Great Sun God, who’s name shall be honored, came to us, fire was all around him, the heat was tremendous and the sound he made was deafening. His body was covered with scales in colors of green and blue and his wings where gigantic, it would take more than 3 of us to measure the size. While he spoke I saw 2 tongues and his teeth where sharp like the teeth of a shark and when he spoke loudly his tail swung back and forth with enormous power. Have mercy on those who dare to cross him, praise us who will be protected by him’...
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While questions and eyebrows could be raised about the description of At’alh, given the time and circumstances he (it?) arrived on Atala, the fact remains that this was indeed a God to be thankful for. Artifacts show that Atalans not only had deep respect for At’alh, they also reveal that most of their advanced technology was handed over to them through teaching the high priests new and totally unknown skills. It makes me personally wonder how they could withstand the noise and heat as described above...
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Tsoakl
One of the lucky few who had direct contact with At’alh was the high priest Tsoakl. We do not know that much about himself but he did leave us a quite interesting cubic 'carved' block with writings, drawings and figures.
It seems that the crystal sphere on top of the pyramid temple served several purposes. Not only did it capture the sunlight in order to shed beautiful rayes of color, which ofcourse was a great spectacle, the sphere combined with its metal plates was absolutely used as an electrical power system. Yes, the Atalans had electrical power and they made use of it in ways we have just (re)discovered.
The stone cubic made by Tsoakl shows us that none of the carvings where made with the usage of stone tips, metal or any other tools. The ridges of the carvings are too neat, the shapes are too simular. We have reasons to believe they where actually made with the help of a laser like tool. As an investigator I can not go into depth by explaining the exact working of this tool, I do lack the professional knowledge, therefore our team will have to hand this over to those who can shed some light on it. Needless to say that at this point we are not that eager to do that yet, eventhough the public deserves to get all the right information we really wish to wait a little longer to see how much more we can detect and decifer ourselves.
It would also be of great interest to find out more about Tsoakl, I have the feeling this high priest had an important role. It is a picture I would really like to paint for you and I will certainly add any news about him in this space. Just keep a look out.
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NGu; radiant city
Oh, the sheer beauty of this city is almost unbelievable. Where to start? Well, let me see, I think the best startingpoint would be at the harbour. Are you ready for an other trip?
Already being captivated by the colorful lightshow in the distance, a ship attracted to Atala would wind up in the safe and busy harbour near NGu. Carefully moving forward, looking for an open spot to dock, the sounds of people, seagulls and sealions, bells, carts, sheep, goats and horses might confuse you for a second. Watch out though, there are also ships leaving and you don’t want to hit any of them. Look there, just right in front of you, you see it? Yes right there is a spot where you can safely put your ship to rest. It has been a long journey on the ocean and it is time to stretch your legs on real land. I will give you some time to get adjusted.
If you look to the left, you will see part of the mountains of Atala and on the right, if you could peek over the rocks protecting and creating the harbour, you would see the ocean waiting for you to bring you back home. Right in front of you is really a view you would have never dreamed of yourself. Or did you dream it and came here to see it with your own eyes?
This is real. Look and you will see white, wide paths leading to buildings pulled up out of white marble, decorated with painted ornaments, made with great craftmanship, while colorful statues are standing guard in front of them. Feel the droplets of one of the huge fountains scattered around and see how the sun is playing a colorful game with the water. And there are so many green trees, carying sweet smelling fruit and offering shade on those who walk or rest underneith them, it is impossible to not feel overwhelmed. Don’t be embarrassed, you are not the first person coping with so much information in one moment.
Wait, I feel a slight pang in my stomach. Why don’t we walk over to those stands right behind that fountain and get something to eat? How about a mixed fruit dish with some figs, olives and cheese accompanied by delightful honey tea or would you rather have something more spicy? Take some time to look around and find something you would like to eat while I just sit here and enjoy my meal underneith this blue striped canopy.
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Balance; how it started
Ah, good, you’re back. You might find it interesting to know that the Atalans imported most of their goods. Besides mountains, lakes, rivers, birds, insects and lots of land, more or less protected by the ocean, the island did not have that much to offer. What you see now is the result of hard work and dedication mainly due to the help or guidelines of At’alh. Like I’ve told you at the start, every city is connected to the next one in a very specific way and the temple in the center (amongst many other purposes) provides all energy. It is like one single force at work with only one goal: unite. These people came from different parts in the world and where driven by curiosity and hope for a better life and once they set foot on the island they where captured by the greatness of what already had been started. So, in the beginning there was nothing, just like in the end. But I am getting ahead of myself.
In order to set up a community one has to study the outcome of changes to natural environment. Introducing people, live stock, trees and what you have, might damage the balance established by nature itself. Only few realized this and at this point At’alh comes in sight. The knowledge of this Sun God was far beyond the knowledge of the common people and it was because of this fact that Atala became a success.
Due to the harbour and easy access, NGu was one of the first cities build. At the same time the temple took shape too. The first year must have been quite harsh for the workers and families since most had their ‘home’ in the caves close to the newly build city. While construction sites rose all over, the high priests where trained to learn the secrets of At’alh. It was a very busy time and the future of Atala was slowly revealed.
Are you ready to leave this wonderful place and walk slowly toward the temple? Ofcourse we can not go inside but at least you will be able to feel the enormous power from a safe distance. We will be approaching the temple in such a way that the north side is facing us.
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The Gods
North; where the eagles soar
The north side was dedicated to the God of the sky called Quychu, represented by the almighty eagle. Or, in this case, a human with an eagle head. Two of those statues where build on each side of the north entrance and, as you will see for yourself, they are very impressive. These giant birds do not belong here on Atala so it is clear that someone knew how they looked like. It is just one of those clues you get if you dwell here long enough.
The eagle was choosen for its abilities of having very sharp eyes, while soaring the skies looking down on earth, it was capable of seeing any changes in nature and the eagle was also close to all the Gods in heaven. This gave it an opportunity to ‘listen’ to both sides and the Atalans knew how important that fact was and they welcomed the almighty eagle as their God of the north. They where sure that the Eagle God Quychu would protect and warn them in time if the heavens would turn against them.
Ah, there it is! What a wonderful walk don’t you think? We have entered the the second protective ‘circle’ of Atala and are now close enough to the temple to clearly see the magnificence of the building itself and we will have a clear view on the statues. This is the last part we are allowed to walk on, the sacred inner ‘circle’ is only to be walked on by high priests. So, let us walk around the temple while I will try to explain a little more about the other three Gods.
West; where the elephants roam
Mhigoa, God of the Earth is represented by the great elephant. She is the mother of all mothers, great protector of the herd with skills to find the way to waterholes burried deep under the dry land, only known to her. The God Mhigoa was choosen for all these qualities and also for her infinite wisdom, her unbeatable memory, enormous strength, power and drive. There has never been an elephant on Atala but yet the statues are almost real. Mind me, there are many cases and stories in which an elephant has played an important role and even today we can still find traces in some religions.
South; where the dolphins play
Watching a group of dolphins jumping out of the water is a great pleasure and one wishes to be part of them. Divers can enjoy their playfulness and discover that their intelligent curiosity is the most beautiful song of all. Yioxyi, God of the Water, will understand that humans still have a lot to learn. The Atalans choose her as protector of the south because of all of this and also because the dolphin embodies mystical powers. If you have ever been close to one in the wild, you will know what I am talking about. But be careful, sometimes they wish to be left alone and they will let you know one way or an other.
East; where the wolves cry
The Moon God, protector of the east is Tnosheq the great grey wolf. He is a fine leader, a strong swift hunter and brings forth a powerful pack. His communicating skills are tremendous and he only needs a whiff to know what is going on. Tracking, protecting, deciding, never fearful and always at the right place at the right time, Tnosheq can cry to the moon because he knows the truth. The Atalans liked to think of themselves in the same way and choose him as their protector of the east.
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Secrets of the temple
If you don’t mind I would like to sit down on that bench so we can enjoy the shade of the trees and I can continue my story while taking a break. A great side effect of this island is that it seems you have all the time in the world. After the short introduction of the protective Gods of Atala I would like to tell you a little more about the temple.
to be continued
All names in a row
Short list protective Gods:
At'alh: lion - center - sun - male || dragon/lizard - surrounding all - fire - male
Quychu: eagle - north - sky - male
Mhigoa: elephant - west - earth - female
Tnosheq: wolf - east - moon - male
Yioxyi: dolphin - south - water - female
The one they fear, God of war and damnation:
Buejoz: scorpion - the core - metal - male
Other names:
Tsoakl: high priest who left lots of information for us
NGu: biggest city on Atala, close to the harbour
