Atruaghin

Atruaghin
Feathered serpent, or warbonnet and tomahawk
Aliases	Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent
Alignment	Lawful Good
Divine Rank	Hierarch Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Matter)
Portfolio	Atruaghin Clans, Azcans, Diplomacy, Wisdom, Balance, Truth, Fighting Evil
Domains	Matter, Law, Good, Knowledge, Persuasion
Home Plane	Azcan Plateau (Arcadia), Prime Material
Worshippers	Atruaghin Clan members, Azcan followers of the New Way
Favoured Weapon	Tomahawk

Atruaghin is the patron Immortal of the Atruaghin Clans and a former ruler of the Azcan Empire in the Hollow World.

History

Born as Atruatzin, he was chosen as the Priest-King of Azcans after his fathers death. Though he was a just and wise ruler, his reign coincided with the ascension of Atzanteotl, who had been lurking among the Azcans for a century and a half, and had begun corrupting the to his own ends. Atruatzin was also targeted by his corruption, but resisted.

Eventually, in his old age, he contracted the plague that had begun to spread throughout the city of Chitlacan, during which three Immortals visited him in his sleep. The first one told him that he would be forced to leave his city and people behind, for the forces that would seek kill him were too strong for him. The second one told him he would be able to rule for etenity, if he would bow down to him and acknowledge him as his equal. The third one told him that he would wander though the earth and emerge in a new land, he would never age, and return to his children eventually. Atruatzin rejected their sayings, and when he awakened, he had become fifty years younger. When he returned to his people, they had abandoned their faith in old gods and begun to worship Atzanteotl, claiming Atruatzin dead of the plague.

These events forced Atruatzin to escape from the city, along with a group still loyal to him to the city of Quauhnahuac, eventually being driven from there by the armies of Atzanteotls followers. In his escape he made his way into the realm of the fairy queen Xochiquetzal. She promised Atruatzin, whom she had fallen in love with, and his followers that they would be safe in her lands, if they promised to stay there for all eternity, which Atruatzin and his group rejected. Though dejected she still aided the group by helping them navigate throught the caverns. From there they came across the ruins of a city, which the group believed to be Mictlan, the city of the dead. Here they stayed in a ruined building they, which they consecrated for Kalaktatla and Otzitiotl. Atzanteotl however had directed a group of elves, the ancestors of the Schattenalf, to their location, leading to the demise of Atruatzin's followers.

Atruatzin then wandered the depths of the earth until one day he arrived to the surface world, where he met with the ancestors of the Atruaghin Clans, who adopted him, giving him the name Atruaghin. He lived among the clans, eventually uniting them peacefully and becoming their chieftain, bringing an era of peace much like he had in the Azcan Empire. Eventually though he and other members of the clans noticed how Atruaghin did not age at all, remaining in the peak of physical and mental development. Atruaghin decided to leave the clans behind, going to seek answers to his condition, leaving a governor in charge of each clan. His journeys took him around the Known World, even reaching the Northern Reaches, and distant Alphatia, and back into the Hollow World, where he created his Mystic Conveyor, which linked the Hollow World with the surface world, shrouding it with the magics he had learned.

With his journey completed he returned to the clans, who had been enslave by Orcs and other humanoids. He gathered a cadre of warriors around his side and waged war against the humanoids freeing the clans. In order to ensure the continued safety of the clans, Atruaghin called upon his patron Immortals, and with the magic he had learned, he raised a great plateau for the clans, which elevated him to Immortality. Meeting with his patrons, Ka and Ixion, both offered him a place in their respective sphere, with Atruaghin choosing the sphere of Matter.

Appearance

When ever he appears, Atruaghin is a middle-aged, copper-skinned cheiftain, wearing a bonnet with colorful feathers. In cases where needed, he also appears surrounded with fire.

Personality

Atruaghin is very kind, soft-spoken, patient, and understanding. Though he prefers diplomacy and talking things out, he understands that sometimes brute force is necessary to make some people listen. He beliefs that true strength comes from knowledge and determination. He never lies or resorts to deceit, respecting law and justice greatly.

The Flaws of Atruaghin's Laws

If you've ever read the Atruaghin Clans entry in the Known World Gazetteer series, you'll know it's not the best in the series. In fact, most Mystara fans consider it the worst of them all, as it was literally rushed into completion. So, fans took it upon themselves to write a brand new Atruaghin Clans Gazetteer, and this presents a slightly altered version of Atruaghin. Namely, this version calls out that as well-meaning as his efforts with the Laws he set down were, they were... pretty much a failure from the get go.

Let's be honest; only the Elk Clan actually benefited 100% from Atruaghin's laws. The Tiger Clan had already been corrupted by Atzanteotl, so they refuse to follow the laws. The Turtle Clan was left behind when the Great Plateau was raised, which also has the added effect that a) they're stuck with the bloodthirsty slavery and human sacrifice practicing Tiger Clan for neighbors, and b) they can't rely on their fellow Atruaghin Clans for help because they're all stuck on top of a 1000 foot plateau. The Horse Clan are a Proud Warrior Race Culture... who are now stuck on a plateau where there's nobody to fight except a very small population of monsters and their fellow Clansfolk - who they are not supposed to kill by religious decree, leaving them with no way to preserve their culture except through hunting and ritualized combat games. And then there's the Bear Clan, who are stuck in the barren, rocky, infertile part of the plateau, and have to literally carve a living into the sides of the giant fucking cliff-face.

...Yeah, no matter how you slice it, 1 out of 5 is a pretty piss-poor result.

In the canon Gazetteer, all the Clans (except the Tiger) are absolutely 100% happy with the Old Ways and refuse to change. In the fan-made Gazetteer, the fans called "bullshit". So, the Turtle Clan have largely begun abandoning the "Old Ways" in droves because they benefit more by integrating and evolving alongside their fellow seafarers, such as the Thyatians and the Irendi. The Bear Clan has become split between those who are eagerly embracing the new wealth and technology that their control over the World Elevator gives them, since some of the biggest empires on Mystara are going absolutely gaga for Bear Clan trade goods, and those who aren't directly benefiting from the wealth and so have responded by doubling down on their belief in the Old Ways. The Horse Clan have pretty much unanimously agreed "this place fucking sucks!" and are literally planning on packing their shit and leaving: having discovered a Purple Worm tunnel that leads from their neck of the plateau's face down to the "Lowlands", they're busily secretly reinforcing it before they start driving herds of buffalo down it as part of a complete migration of their entire ethnic group off of the Great Plateau. Only the Elk Clan are still 100% loyal to the Old Ways, and even they have dissenting individuals (and a whole tribe).

Atruaghin... isn't handling this rejection of his commandments very well. He doesn't want the Atruaghin Clans to change, and can't accept that it's inevitable. So he's come up with the "brilliant" idea of forcibly transporting the entirety of the Clans into the Hollow World, where the Spell of Preservation will force them to stay as they are and never change ever. Which the book all but spells out will be a fucking disaster, to the point that "stop Atruaghin before he tries this dumb shit" is literally one of the suggested adventures in the DM's portion of the Gazetteer.

Other Immortals of The Atruaghin Clans

Ahmanni Turtlerider

Ahmanni Turtlerider
Whaletooth necklace
Alignment	Lawful Good
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Thought)
Portfolio	Clan of the Turtle, Sea, Family, Sacrifice, Beauty
Domains	Thought, Law, Good, Sea, Family
Worshippers	Turtle Clan members
Favoured Weapon	Halfspear

Born to a whaling tribe living near the Sea of Dread, Ahmanni proved to have an unusual bond with the turtles her tribe hunted from a young age. She could freely move among then, even climb on top of them and be in no danger, earning her the last name Turtlerider. After becoming the leader, her clan became the Clan of the Turtle. After Atruaghin unified the clans, she went to meet and study with, eventually falling in love with him, and considered marrying him, but Atruaghin, due to his agelessness, refused. After Atruaghin left the clans, Ahmanni continued being the chief of the Clan of the Turtle, eventually dying in battle against the orcs. Atruaghin however did bring her back, with help from his patrons, and she continued following him, eventually following him to Immortality.

Ahmanni appears a tall and slender, dark-golden skinned woman with long, braided, dark hair, colorful designs on her face, and carrying a harpoon. When she manifests, it's usually heralded by cloud of warm, dense fog from the sea. She stands on a dugout canoe that she control with her mind. Personality wise she is like the sea, being calm one moment, raging the next.

Danel Tigerstripes

Danel Tigerstripes
Cat's eye
Alignment	Neutral Evil
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Entrophy)
Portfolio	Clan of the Tiger, Suffering, Pain, Revenge
Domains	Entropy, Male, Revenge, Pain
Worshippers	Tiger Clan members
Favoured Weapon	Shortsword

Danel was born after Atruaghin left, during the time when the various humanoids had enslaved the clans. His parents were brave warriors who had been killed by the humanoids, and after killing them, they proceeded to torture Danel, who was four at the time, leaving him with scars that resembled the stripes of a tiger. When Atruaghin returned, Danel joined him and fought in many battles, eventually becoming the leader of the Clan of the Tiger. One day however, minions of Atzanteotl came to Danel and began corrupting him, making him blame Atruaghin for his parents death, and making him a pawn of Atzanteotl. The minions taught them the arts of war and the ways of chaos, and eventually Danel, becoming more powerful and evil in his service, ascended to Immortality.

Danel appears as a slender and well-muscled man with the eyes of a great cat, covered in stripe-like scars. He is a cruel and sadistic person, having no mercy or compassion, and utter loyalty to Atzanteotl, believing that working for him will allow him to inflict the greatest amount of suffering on greatest amount of people.

Hattani Stoneclaw

Hattani Stoneclaw
Bear claw pendant
Alignment	Neutral Good
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Matter)
Portfolio	Clan of the Bear, Protecting Atruaghin and the Children of Atruaghin, Courage, Loyalty, Battle
Domains	Matter, Good, War, Protection, Courage
Worshippers	Bear Clan members
Favoured Weapon	Warhammer

Hattani was the ruler of what would become, the Clan of the Bear around the return of Atruaghin. After the fighting against the humanoids was over, his clans lands were devastated, so he led the clan to the newly created plateau, inhabiting the rock ledges. Years after Atruaghin ascended, he visited Hattani, telling him to go see Danel Tigerstripes who was being corrupted by Atzanteotl. But by the time Hattani and his warrior arrived it was too late, Danel and his clan had fallen to Atzanteotl. Danel ordered Hattani and his men to be killed, but Hattani broke through an challenged Danel to an eschxixi, a private battle. A week after the challenge was issued, Danel and Hattani fought alongside their respective warrior, with the two chiefs battling each other for a full night, but in the end Danel managed to slay Hattani. Atruaghin appeared to Hattani at the moment of his death, back to his people. And when danel threw Hattanis body to flesh-eating fish, he ascended to Immortality.

Hattani appears as a warrior chief, with a toned body, a lined and wise looking face marked in war paint, hair in a ponytail, and a bear claw talisman around his neck. Hattani is personality wise close to Atruaghin, with him referring to him as "my trusted war chief", with better grasp of war and tactics.

Mahmatti Running Elk

Mahmatti Running Elk
Clay pipe
Alignment	True Neutral
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Energy)
Portfolio	Clan of the Elk, Protecting the Children of Atruaghin, Wisdom, Nature, Magic
Domains	Energy, Magic, Plant, Animal
Worshippers	Elk Clan members
Favoured Weapon	Quarterstaff

Mahmatti was born several decades after Atruaghin ascended to the Clan of the Elk. He was a great shamani, who studied magic in all its known forms, in an effort to overthrow Atzanteotl's hold over the Clan of the Tiger. He was close to breaking it, but Atzanteotl sent his minions to have him be falsely accused of killing the least liked member of the clan. Mahmatti was convicted and to be executed, but he escaped using magic, and was instead exiled. He eventually left the plateau and started to wander the world like Atruaghin had, eventually ending up in Glantri, where he was trapped under spell of a magic-user, seeking to claim the secrets of the shamani, whilst absorbing his vitality. By the time he broke out of the spell he had the body of a man twice his age. Knowing he had little time, he returned to his homeland, and started seeking the people responsible for framing him, finally returning to his home with the last living criminal in tow and forced him to tell his deeds. As he was to be ritually welcomed back to the clan, he died at the rituals end, with a smile on his face. At the moment of his death, Atruaghin greeted him, and Mahmatti ascended to Immortality.

Mahmatti appears as a tall elderly man, with a warm, wise look in eyes, smoking tobacco from a clay pipe. He is very patient, but has a great thirst for magical knowledge, and will do anything to help the Atruaghin Clans.

Tahkati Stormtamer

Tahkati Stormtamer
Buffalo bone knife
Alignment	Chaotic Neutral
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Energy)
Portfolio	Clan of the Horse, Horses and cavalry, Protecting the Children of Atruaghin, Fighting, Revenge, Fierceness
Domains	Energy, Chaos, War, Strength, Animal
Worshippers	Horse Clan members
Favoured Weapon	Bone dagger

Tahkati was born before Atruaghin emerged from the depths of the earth, and was the first person to unite the tribes that would form the Clan of the Horse through force. His last name came from the feat of being the first to domesticate horses. Eventually he became know as the greatest warrior in the plains, and started his path to Immortality. Eventually word reached him of Atruaghin and his unification of the various tribes, and became disgusted that he preferred diplomacy to force of arms, causing him to turn to Atzanteotl, who promised him to be spared from the coming humanoid horde. His trust was however betrayed, and was almost killed by Atzanteotl when he attacked his minions. Atruaghin eventually returned and Tahkati joined him in seeking vengeance against the humanoids and Atzanteotl, eventually ascending to Immortality.

Tahkati is short compared most men, but is also wide and heavily muscled, with a long mane, wearing a loincloth made form the hair of defeated enemies, carrying a knife made from buffalo bone. He is a very determined and fierce person with an unbreakable will, leaving no challenge unanswered.