November 27, 2011

Atlantis 3

It was a time, when the earth was wild and cruel. Civilization had not yet advanced beyond its primal stages and most people still lived in caves. The few primitive villages around had to live in constant fear of being attacked by wild animals or barbarians. There was no rule of law. The only law that counted was the law of the strongest. In these dark ages, tribes were constantly competing with each other for food and land. As a result, war became part of everyday life and people did not expect to live very long. Indeed, life was very hard and dangerous for everyone.

Then one day, out of nowhere, they came from the skies in their flying ships. The visitors told the people that they had come from far away to bring peace and prosperity to their world, just like they had done many times before. They went to every corner of the earth and everywhere they went, they brought knowledge that would make things better for all. They taught the people how to build stronger houses so that they would have better shelter against wild animals and the forces of nature that threatened them. Soon the first cities began to form, primarily along the coastline. The people were also shown how to cultivate the land and eradicate famine that devastated the land. The people quickly embraced the visitors from the heavens and out of gratitude and in awe of what they were able to accomplish, began to refer to them as the “Gods”.

These same Gods created the continent of Atlantis. One tale tells how the mighty Gods lifted the ocean floor and thus created the huge continent of Atlantis, located between the continents of Europe, Africa and North and South America. Its soil was extremely fertile and well adapted at growing a vast array of crops. The ground also possessed in abundance every single mineral resource needed to sustain a large economy. This rich continent would eventually become populated by a race of people called the Atlanteans.

The origin of the Atlanteans is shrouded in mystery. Nobody really knows where they came from. Some say that they are the descendants of a lost tribe of pirates and mercenaries. It is also whispered that they too were created by the Gods because they were first seen only after the Gods had created Atlantis. There are rumors that the Gods created the Atlanteans from the large apes that were living in the forests of Atlantis. Those who believe these rumors point to the extraordinary size of the people of Atlantis. Every single one of them stood over seven feet tall. Most people tend to believe this theory. However, this story has never been confirmed.

Whatever their origins may have been, the Atlanteans were, without a doubt, a great race that successfully transformed the once undeveloped island of Atlantis into the most powerful and technologically advanced nation in the world. There were other achievements as well. The people were governed by the rule of law. Unlike other nations at the time, Atlantis was democratic and the people had the right to elect their own rulers. Every four year, the Atlanteans would vote to determine who would represent them in their congress, the Council, as it was called.

The rest of the world had developed into four separate gothic kingdoms or “the four outer realms”. The Western Kingdom was located to the west of Atlantis in what is now North and South America. Their ruler was called Klamath. To the northeast of Atlantis in present-day Europe was the Northern Kingdom. Its leader was Akula. To the east and southeast of Atlantis in ancient Africa was the Southern Kingdom and it was led by Kano. Finally to the far east in Asia was the Eastern Kingdom. The power was in the hands of Liu Tzu.

For many years, these four kingdoms and Atlantis lived in peace and harmony with one another. It was a great age of prosperity, a period, unlike the world had ever known before. Unfortunately, as time went by, things gradually began to change. Tensions rose between the various regions. Ethnic groups that had once lived peacefully side by side, now began to fight each other for farmland and mining regions. There was unrest everywhere, even in Atlantis itself. There were widespread allegations of corruption in Atlantis by government officials. Members of the Council were accused of accepting bribes in return for all kinds of favors. Civil war soon began to erupt in the various realms and violence reached an all-time peak.

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 Click on Part 4 for what happens next in this series.

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