Human (Homo atlanticus)

***Homo atlantici*** are the native species that inhabit the continent of Atlantis. Not to be confused with the similarly aquatic race, merpeople (*Homo piscis*), the modern Atlanteans are descended from both ancient human ancestors (*Homo sapiens* and *Homo magi* respectively) who sank below the ocean along with the fabled continent and evolved to survive their new environment.

Atlanteans unto themselves are divided into numerous sub-groups and subspecies. Atlantean is the term generally applied to the collective groups of citizens who reside in the undersea continent known as Atlantis. Smaller, more distinctive subspecies such as the Tuatha De Danann (*Homo atlanticus hibernica*) refer to themselves simply by their tribe's name, and do not typically refer to themselves as Atlanteans.

## Atlanteans

### Relatives

Homo magus, Homo ergaster, Homo heidelbergansis, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapien, Homo hibilis, Homo erectus, Homo aquensis, Homo pisciensis

## Physical description

### Species

Homo atlanticus pinnulis, Homo atlanticus hibernica, Homo atlanticus viridipellis, Homo atlanticus fundamentali, Lurkers, Homo atlanticus onychi-pellis

## History

### Origin

Atlantis owed a lot of its development to the strong mystical energies intrinsically tied to the land. Over 145,000 years ago, two powerful mystics named Calculha and Majistra became the most powerful sorcerers in the world. Calculha, a follower of the light, manipulated White Magic, while his only living equal, Majistra was a practitioner of the dark arts. Through their influence, Atlantis flourished and grew into an advanced community unlike any other on the planet. Although magic was the dominant means of power throughout the continent, noted intellectuals began to recognize the wisdom of science. While the rest of the world had yet to benefit from inventions such as the wheel, the Atlanteans were already developing highly advanced technological wonders. Legend has it that the Atlanteans even managed to combine science and sorcery to create the world's first space-craft. This vessel is thought to have left the planet Earth some 50,000 years ago. Some have speculated that the crew of this craft may have populated the nearby human worlds of Rann, Thanagar and Krypton.

As the centuries passed, the sorcerers Calculha and Majistra decided to consolidate their mystical prowess and mate with one another. Their union produced twin offspring, Garn Daanuth and Arion. Calculha took Arion under his wing and apprenticed him in the arts of pure magic, while Majistra schooled Garn in the ways of evil. The children each grew up to become powerful mages in their own right, and the bitterest of enemies. Arion eventually defeated his brother, but at great cost to himself.

#### Great Deluge

**The Great Deluge** (sometimes referred to as the Great Flood) was a geological catastrophe that occurred some 9,600 years ago.

A giant skull-shaped meteor from outer space crashed into the Earth somewhere near the North Sea. The impact was so tremendous that it caused worldwide geological upheaval. Tectonic plates shifted, yielding massive flooding so intense that it caused the entire continent of **Atlantis** to sink beneath the waves. Though nearly all of Atlantean culture had been wiped away forever, those of the capital city of Poseidonis managed to survive due to the erection of a giant dome that shielded the entire city. It was believed by some, that the destruction of Atlantis was the result of Suula - Goddess of the Sky -- who took offense to the creation of the dome that cut Poseidonis off from the skies above. These Atlanteans managed to eke out a life for themselves, though they could never again leave the safety of their city.

Some Atlanteans however, found an alternative in the priest-mage known as Shalako. Shalako used his magic to protect his followers from the crushing pressure of the ocean depths, and they migrated from Poseidonis and re-established a colony in the ruins of the sister-city Tritonis.

A few short years after the calamity, Atlantis' monarch, King Orin, had his scientists develop a means so that his people could survive underwater, without having to stay within the city. The experiment was a success and the serum transformed the Atlanteans from normal human beings into aquatic amphibians who could survive the ocean depths and draw oxygen from water to breathe.

Most regarded Orin as a strong and benevolent leader, but there were those, including his brother, Shalako, who felt that Orin's compassion made him a weak ruler. Orin was the first to put together the Atlantis Chronicles and assigned Albart-Son-of-Yarrow of Ancinor the task of maintaining a faithful history of their home country.

Due to the machinations of Shalako, the citizens of Tritonis evolved into a race of Mer-people. At first, the former Shalakites adapted to this mutation, until they discovered that the changes were being passed down to their children. The most severe example of this effect was the Atlantean prince, Kordax. Kordax was born a hideous, green-scaled mutant with blond hair and the ability to telepathically control the creatures of the sea. The existence of Kordax caused a schism throughout Atlantis as by right of ascension, he was the first-born heir to the throne. This conflict erupted into a massive war between Poseidonis and Tritonis.

### Evolution

As the different city-states began to divide, mutated humans began to pass their genes to later generation. This culminated into the species that would be later named *Homo atlanticus*. Thanks to their adaptations to their new environments and each group began to diverge from the main line into several subspecies that came about to different undersea reasons such as culture. The *Homo atlantici* of Poseidonis evolved fins on their calves which gave the name Homo *atlanticus pinnulis*. The *H. atlantici* of the Outposts of Venturia and Aurania did not evolve any outwardly visible mutations that would distinguish them from their mutated ancestors, thus were given the name *Homo atlanticus fundamentali*. The tribe of Thuada De Danann rejected science after their adaption and focused on the practicing of magic. They evolved into a subspecies with golden-orange skin and aqua-green hair and thus were named *Homo atlanicus hybernica/aureusoreangupellis*. Some *H. atlanticus* evolved green skin and were dubbed *Homo atlanticus viriripellis* for this reason.

#### The Modern Era

Although the submerged continent grew and prospered, the civilizations of the surface world remained largely ignorant of Atlantis for many centuries. In recent years however, Atlantis has found itself pushed to the forefront of public awareness. Their most notable monarch to date, King Orin, reintroduced Atlantis to the modern world when he took the sobriquet, Aquaman, and became one of the founding members of the famous Justice League of America.

Atlantis has never been a nation to know peace for very long. Over the span of four-thousand wars, it has seen conflict from the surface world, from within its own borders and even from beyond the stars.

#### The Zodiac Crystals

Several years ago, Atlantis nearly declared war upon the surface world when they believed that the humans had stolen the Atlantean Royal Seal. In fact, they were only partially correct. Though the thief was indeed an air-breather, he was actually Aquaman's half-brother, the Ocean Master. Ocean Master stole the seal as part of a quest to find twelve ancient Zodiac Crystals from which he would gain ultimate power. Aquaman defeated Ocean Master and the armies of Atlantis held back their assault against the surface world.

#### Jellyfish Invasion

The next serious attack came from a race of highly evolved giant jellyfish. These creatures despised the notion that the seas were dominated by the humanoid Atlanteans, and embarked upon an ambitious plan to insure racial purity in their territories. They bided their time until Atlantis was at its most vulnerable, when its capital city Poseidonis was under the command of an inept leader named Pletus. The Jellyfish commandeered ships and transport craft and began their invasion. They always concealed themselves within metal shells, so that nobody ever knew what the invaders actually looked like.

In times of war, it was customary to bequeath complete authority in Atlantis to the highest ranking military commander. Although the general fought valiantly, he was killed in the first attack, thereby solidifying Pletus' bid for power. Taking control of the military, his poor judgment misdirected battles and caused a severe drop in troop morale. Ultimately, he surrendered Atlantis to the jellyfish and was summarily drawn and quartered. The Atlantean ruling council were then apprehended and torn to shreds, their remains left floating in the Atlantean waters. The jellyfish rounded up as many dignitaries as they could find and incarcerated them at the Aquarium as political prisoners. To strengthen their own army, the jellyfish found nomadic tribes from the outlying settlements around the continent and pressed them into service. Although these men had no desire to wage war against their fellow Atlanteans, they feared that the jellyfish would execute their families if they tried to resist.

At the height of their occupation, Atlantis' former king, Aquaman, returned to his home after having been away for several years. He was captured by the rebel army and placed inside Aquarium. Aquaman conspired with the other prisoners to lead a rebellion against the invaders. He knew of secret aqueducts that could be used to leave Aquarium and get back to the royal palace.

They soon discovered that the invaders were rounding up random Atlantean families and taking them to a processing plant where they were being executed. Aquaman soon determined the true nature of the invaders and realized that they were in fact sentient jellyfish. He rounded up as many resistance members as he could and had them mass produce canisters containing a poisoned specially designed to kill jellyfish. They placed them at strategic locations around the royal palace and detonated them. Though the poison was deadly to jellyfish, it was harmless to other sea life. All of the invaders inside the capital city were killed instantly. Some managed to escape and retreated back behind the dome perimeter. The invaders were not finished however. Although they no longer controlled Poseidonis, they were able to erect a blockade around the domed city, cutting Atlantis off from their supply chains. If they couldn't kill the Atlanteans directly, then they would starve them out.

An Atlantean general led the charge to push the invaders back, but the opposing force was too strong. They simply didn't have the military strength to press forward. Aquaman ascended the highest point in the city and broadcast a telepathic command to every fish, cephalopod and marine mammal that he could summon. Taxing himself beyond measure, he succeeded in raising an army that obliterated the opposing forces once and for all. Atlantis was liberated.

## Attributes

### Powers

* **Magic**: Like their *Homo magi* ancestors, Atlanteans descended from them can naturally perform magic.
* **Marine Telepathy**: In addition, Atlanteans can developed low-level psychic communal capability which they use to broadcast and receive thoughts between certain forms of oceanic Animalia. Some Atlanteans, such as Aquaman, have a higher level of mariner telepathy and can use it to communicate with other forms of sea life; even extending it to creatures whom evolved from which seamlessly, a power considered rare.
* **Mutation**: Some Atlanteans have further evolved to resemble oceanic fauna due to the magic of their lands. This is seen as a less desirable mutation amongst Atlanteans. Enabling the development of special powers and appearances resembling marine animals than humanoids.
* **Atlantean Physiology**: The physiological make-up of the average Atlantean is dramatically different from that of a normal human being. Although a splinter species of baseline humanity, Atlanteans have evolved over the centuries and have adapted physical characteristics that make them more suited for life beneath the sea. This grants them them:
	+ **Amphibious Nature**: Atlanteans are capable of breathing while submerge underwater, possessing a set of gills on their body.
	+ **Superhuman Strength**: Because they live in some of the deepest parts of the ocean, Atlantean bodies are capable of moving with ease even with 1086 (approximately over half a ton) pounds of pressure applied to them. They possess muscle density ten times that of a human being.
	+ **Superhuman Durability**: Atlanteans can withstand the pressure of the ocean with ease, their skin is considered nearly bullet-proof, and they are naturally resistant against heat and energy.
	+ **Enhanced Senses**: Atlanteans possess natural senses attuned for living in the ocean, granting them a natural advantage on land.
		- **Enhanced Hearing**: Atlantean's hearing is more acute than most land-dwellers.
		- **Enhanced Vision**: Their vision allows them to see in the dark depths of the ocean.
		- **Enhanced Sense of Smell**: Atlanteans possess a keener sense of smell compared to ordinary H. sapiens.
	+ **Superhuman Speed**: They are capable of moving, reacting, running and swimming at superhuman speeds.
	+ **Superhuman Agility**: Atlanteans perfect balance, bodily coordination, and/or perfect equilibrium to a point far in excess to that of a normal human being on Earth, their bodies being able to coordinate easily while under the pressure of the ocean.
	+ **Superhuman Stamina**: Atlanteans have the ability to maintain continuous physical actions for an undefined period longer than an ordinary human.

### Abilities

* **Swimming**: Atlanteans are capable of naturally swimming.
* **Diving**: Atlanteans are natural divers.

### Weaknesses

* **Accelerated Dehydration**: Atlanteans dehydrate at an accelerated rate compared to their land-dwelling cousins. Though Atlanteans possess lungs enabling them to breathe air, Atlanteans not acclimated to dry land become exhausted after a limited amount of time, requiring a level of training to breathe air at a rate comparable to their cousins.
* **Metamorphis Curse Vulnerability**: Like their *H. magi* ancestors, curses like those of the nosferatu and Red Curse affect this species exceptionally more than their relatives, the *Homo sapiens*.
	+ **Vampirism**: While the mystical enzymes in the saliva of the nosferatu will change *H. sapiens* into vampyr within 36 hours, said same enzymes will complete the change in less time.
	+ **The Curse of the Red**: Because this curse originated from the Darkhold or Necrocomicon, the *H. magi* will fall to this curse in less than time than H. sapiens.
		- **Lycanthrope**
* **Vulnerability to Sensory Overlord**: With their enhanced senses, an Atlantean can be overtaxed to from external stimuli. Sunlight is noted to be difficult for Atlanteans to get used to, sometimes requiring them to wear thick goggles. Hypersonics are also capable of disorienting their senses.

## Miscellaneous

### Type of Government:

Parliamentary republic, formerly monarchy

### Cultural Traits:

* Atlantean traditional colors include orange/green.

## Representatives:

### Representees

* Atlan
* Atlanna
* Rodunn
* Tula
* Murk
* Vulko
* Nuada Silverhand
* Pomoxis
* Ronal
* Stamar
* Storm
* Garth
* Dolphin
* Corum Rath
* Urcell
* Ocean Master
* Cetea
* Ondine
* Kadaver
* Corumr Rath
* Kordax

### Sea Changed Atlanteans

* Dolphin
* Pilot
* Kadaver
* Krush

### Half/Partial Atlantean

* Aquaman
* Jackson Hyde
* Koryak
* Andrina Curry

### Species/Subspecies/Ancestal groups

* *Homo magi* (parent species)
* *Homo sapiens* (direct ancestors)
* Poseidonians (Homo atlanticus pinnulis)
* Tuatha De Danann (subspecies)
* Xebelians (cousin)
* Trench
* Maarzon
* Deserters
* Tritonians (cousin)
* Brine
* Sea Lights
* Wrights
* Idylists
* Lurkers
* Sea Changed (subspecies)