Atlanteans (humans)

The **Atlanteans** are the people indigenous to the lost city of Atlantis. They were an advanced culture of people, discovering and harnessing advanced technologies thousands of years ago. They fell into mythology, when their city was destroyed by a cataclysm, until they were found by the Milo Expedition in 1914.

## History

The Atlanteans were once ordinary people. When a comet flew over the earth, a shard broke off and landed in Atlantis. They used the shard as a power source for the city, calling it the Heart of Atlantis. They built massive technologies, conquering surrounding lands and building a large empire. Eventually, a giant cataclysm wiped out most of the city. The center was protected by the Heart of Atlantis, after the queen bonded with it. King Kashekim had the Heart hidden and their texts destroyed, out of fear that the same thing would happen, again. Their history was forgotten. Though the Atlanteans survived, they grew weaker with every year.

In 1914, the Milo Expedition made contact with the Atlanteans. Members of the expedition tried to steal the Heart for profit, but Milo Thatch led a resistance to stop them. King Kashekim passed and his daughter, Kida, became queen in his stead. With Kida's leadership and Milo's help, the Atlanteans restored Atlantis, discovering their culture, once again. Atlantis was reborn and its people were reborn with it. Preston B. Whitmore kept it a secret, only allowing special visitors like Theodore Roosevelt and Edgar Rice Borroughs. In 1932, he used the League of Adventurers to go public with the expedition's findings and Atlantis' existence.

## Society

The Atlanteans were technologically advanced, mastering flight and creating great machines. A great Leviathan guarded the city, only letting friends of Atlantis through. Each Atlantean wears a necklace with a blue crystal hanging on the end. It can be used to heal wounds and power technology. They are powered by the Heart of Atlantis, the large shard that fell into Atlantis thousands of years ago. Only members of the royal family can interact with them - if someone else does, they will crystallize and die.

Atlanteans have a monarchy, overseen by a king or queen. They have absolute authority and few question or disobey it, even if the circumstances are dire. When the ruler dies, their face is carved into a stone and joins the Heart. Eleven kings and queens have ruled over Atlantis.

## Legacy

After the cataclysm, a shepherd called Aziz found his way into Atlantis, writing his findings in a journal. It was studied by scholars like Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, and Benjamin Franklin over the centuries. Many cultures would be influenced by the Atlanteans, thanks to the journal. In Arizona, ancient architecture and artifacts resembling Atlantean ones would be found. A Norse spear called the Gungnir was believed to be of Atlantean origins. The Shepherd's Journal was rediscovered in 1911 in Iceland, allowing for the Milo Expedition to take place. It remains in the possession of Milo Thatch, as he utilized it to rebuild Atlantis.

Eventually, Mary Oceaneer became aware of the Atlanteans and presumably learned their language. She inscribed an Atlantean phrase onto a diving bell of hers, reading "I come in peace" when translated. It resides in Blustery Bay, after the M.S. Salty IV crashed there.

The Royal Adventurer's Society became aware of the Atlanteans, as well. Their library in Epcot's World Showcase holds a book with the Atlantean language on its spine.