Skylord Atah

* General Info
* Allegiances
* Relationships

**Skylord Atah** was an Evin warlord and the founder and first Skylord of the Fifth Evin Empire. Atah ruled as Skylord from 737 BW until his death in 719 BW. While something of a dark horse, Atah nevertheless rose to great prominence from nothing and was instrumental in spreading the thus far fringe Golden Sky Movement. He also put an end to the Two Hundred Years of Chaos, a period of disunity and warlordism during the War of Two Suns following the Fourth Empire's collapse in 941 BW.

Born to a dirt-poor family on Gingliao Island, all of Atah's clutchmates died during childhood, with him being the only one to reach adulthood. To try and get by, he turned to thieving and later to smuggling, making contacts amongst both the Laidaozhen and Guidaozhen. Noticing that they could cooperate if given a common goal, his smuggling days are most likely the source of Atah's deep-rooted belief in the Golden Sky Movement.

He moved to Qiu Island, which was more wealthy and politically important due to its central position amongst the Gemstone Islands. He moved into the Evin city of Bai Citu, then ruled by an independent Warlord by the name of Kerraw. Over time, Atah's connections made him more wealthy and influential, drawing the ire of Kerraw who sought to exile him in 740 BW. This plan backfired when Kerraw's troops were convinced or bribed to Atah's side, resulting in a coup that ousted Kerraw instead. Atah then took the position of Warlord of Bai Cipu.

From Bai Cipu, Atah's influence would expand rapidly. He was both a charismatic negotiator and a brilliant field commander when violence was necessary, resulting in a vast network of settlements and influential people falling in line behind Atah. Notably, he drew defectors from both the Laidaozhen and Guidaozhen, spreading the prominence of the Golden Dawn Movement. Over the next three years, Atah's rule surpassed Qiu and reached the other islands. For the first time in two centuries the Gemstone Islands had something resembling a central government in the city of Bai Cipu, and – urged on by his subordinates – Atah somewhat unceremoniously took the title of Skylord in 737 BW, giving birth to the Fifth Evin Empire.

While Atah and the Fifth Empire sought to unite the Guidaozhen and Laidaozhen, he was somewhat surprised to see them cooperating against him. An unlikely alliance formed between the two enemies to topple Atah's empire. They saw the Fifth Empire as an illegitimate entity and the Golden Sky Movement as being built on half-measures and naive lies. The resistance would have been overwhelming, were it not for Atah's military brilliance. More than once, he defeated the odds and drove back the Guidaozhen and Laidaozhen, yet Atah's biggest enemy proved to be mortality. Falling chronically ill in 721 BW, Atah became increasingly unable to lead and was eventually left bedridden. With Atah's blessing, more and more responsibilities were granted to one of his chief lieutenants: another Evin by the name of Rinkoth. When his illness finally claimed Atah in 719 BW, the Empire would pass on to Rinkoth in full, yet it was not long for this world.

With Rinkoth's death on the battlefield in 708 BW and a resulting lack of leadership, made worse by there being no heir to succeed Rinkoth, the Fifth Empire collapsed as unceremoniously as it had been created. This brought an end to the Golden Sky Movement and Bai Cipu's dominance and would pave the way for the War of Two Suns to continue. Despite this, however, Atah's legacy remained strong. He was – and still is – remembered by Evin as a visionary and perhaps the greatest chance at preventing the eventual decline of the Evin Empires as a whole. While controversial in his time, in the modern age, Atah is widely celebrated as a force of good.