h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Fact Sheet 1:

Atlantis

Two thousand years before-the birth of Christ the most powerful realm in the world was the island nation of Atlantis. The Atlanteans owed their power to a mastery of the rare science of magic. Atlantis was a land of wonders, and might have become a Utopia if things had been different. Unfortunately, Atlantis was ruled by a committee of black wizards - evil men who practised cruelty for sport and did not recognise the value of life (excepting their own lives, of course). They were power mad and greedy and not content with merely ruling Atlantis. They would not be happy until the black raven banner of Atlantis was raised on every continent. The black wizards of Atlantis had grand plans of world conquest.

The world was saved by the Atlantean underground, a small but dedicated band of white priests. They did not have the power to defeat the black wizards in a direct confrontation. Instead they created a spell that would rob the black wizards of all their power, but to do this it was necessary to drain Atlantis dry. And so, in a massive ritual the white priests drew all the magic of Atlantis, the very soul of the land, and stored it in a gem stone.

To save the world Atlantis had to be destroyed. No sooner had the ritual been completed than Atlantis began to subside. The population evacuated, and by 1200 B.C. the last traces of Atlantis were gone, lost deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The Black Raven Banner would fly no more.

The story does not end here. The white priests were pacifistic to a fault; they believed that their strength came from their philosophy of peace and any act of violence would cost them all them all their magic. They could not conceive of taking lives, even the lives of the black wizards. Instead, as part of their mighty ritual, the black wizards were placed in suspended animation. They remain with lost Atlantis at the bottom of the sea.

It has long been hoped someday a way would be found to cure the black wizards of their madness (if, indeed, evil is curable) so that Atlantis might be raised and the wizards safety received. The power to raise Atlantis does not exist, it is stored in the gem from the ritual, the Soulstone of Atlantis.

The Soulstone is held by the current High Priestess of Atlantis. This is a hereditary position, handed down from mother to daughter along with the guardianship of the Soulstone. This is all that remains of the white priesthood - perpetuated for centuries in the vain hope that someday Atlantis will rise again.

At least, that's how the legend goes.