A Land of Ash and Rock Ɪ
In the dust of a shattered civilization Antakorra was not formed, but simply came by necessity. Possibly hundreds of years ago, the region was ravaged by a storm known as the Arra-Vesca. The storm wasn't normal by any means. It existed in three stages. The first was a swarm of insects, likely fleeing the area as the coming disaster made itself apparent to them. The bugs destroyed crops, and left some homes unusable due to holes. The second was a sandstorm. The area knew sandstorms well. There was no sandstorm they thought they could not handle. They held out for a long time. After 3 months, then came the final stage. Molten rocks began to fall from the sky, and the surface cleared up mostly, however the sky was orange with sand far, far above them. Yet, despite the sky cluttered with dust, the rocks continued. The sand acted as if it was a blanket, allowing heat from the sun to enter and then never exit. The surface became unbearably warm, the once standing proud towns and cities reduced to rubble, some burning, some suffered as the heat caused glass storms, and others simply eroding with the passage of time.
One thing was clear. The surface was unstable and unusable. Panicked citizens fled from city to city, only to flee from those too. Eventually, it was clear that nothing would be safe above ground. That's why they migrated to the underground. For a long, long time, they lived there.
(Pay attention to this title! When you see this that means you'll learn more about the pre-storm era!)
The Mending and Mutilation of Gaia Ɪ
At first, it was a lot to get used to. People from all sorts of places around Antakorra's old landscape had to gather around the center of the desert. They labeled themselves the Gaia-Noouta, which essentially meant the "Siblings of the Sand". This name was less for making history, and more for morale. Those who were rescued and had to be brought underground to the pathways of sandstone and brick needed something to hold on to. Life seemed hopeless at the time, thus hope was given out like food to a starving beggar. Slowly, over the years, the Gaia-Noouta began to expand quite a lot, eventually spanning almost the entire area. All people were raised there, and were told about how the ground above was hostile. Unlivable. None dared to venture out.
With the sandstorm as a factor, and having very few natural lakes or rivers that were not contaminated, water was always an issue in the Gaia-Noouta. As was food. Magic could only do so much in those regards. Starving and dying from thirst was a very common cause of death early on. A solution was found eventually, but water always remained something to be cherished. Giving another Antakkoran water almost equated to giving them gold.
(Pay attention to this title! When you see this that means you'll learn more about the underground era!)
The Dawns Arrival Ɪ
Nobody would move back to the surface and come back to tell the tale. Kids would make up stories of it, but none would dare even think to even try leaving. The tunnels to the surface were long since sealed off, with magic seals strong enough to keep a flood from breaking through. Despite all the preventative measures, one day a brave person got to the surface. A crack had formed in the wall. Then multiple. As it broke, someone saw a glistening light far above, and took the opportunity to dig their way out. The surface was beautiful, the sky now clear and a glorious shade of blue. The sun, while still warm, was comfortable. They returned, only to be met by condemnation. But he kept going, and eventually others ventured up to see the surface themselves. Some brought back 'photos', others with paintings or stories of the surface. It took years, for the first of the society to accept that the surface was safe again, and then even more years for some to start a new settlement on the above ground.
Its been 10 years. The capital, Evva-Kkama now stands tall, a building in the very middle flying the Antakkoran flag. Antakorra has not been a very.. Sociable country thus far. They're still getting used to a lot that is going on in the world. For a long time they were trapped down below... Perhaps a little bit of sun is exactly what they needed to wake up.
(Pay attention to this title! When you see this that means you'll learn more about the modern, above ground times!)
