Architects

The Architects were the race that introduced magic to the Endless Ocean. They came from some other world of which only they know, settling for a time in the Endless Ocean before moving on and leaving some of their relics and culture behind as their legacy.

Architects were tall and slender, with pale skin and darker patterns across their bodies. They often wore elaborate robes or armour that bore the colours of their caste, as well as intricately carved masks. They were known to have an incredibly scientific mindset.

When they arrived, the Architects were incredibly curious about the world and investigated it intently. However, after discovering Derrite their meddling inadvertently caused the First Shattering, breaking the land of the Endless Ocean apart into the three continents of Ragna, Voy, and Tor, as well as countless islands. After this catastrophe the Architects constructed a floating continent called Atanui which was enchanted with a Great Spirit. From this refuge the Architects continued to study the world while minimizing their contact with it.

Hoping to learn more about the Endless Ocean from the natives they had taken with them onto Atanui, the Architects took it upon themselves to become benevolent protectors. Over time, aspects of their culture seeped into those of the natives and their bloodlines intermingled, allowing the natives access to the powerful magic that the Architects used.

Among other things, the Architects were responsible for introducing the art of mask-making, the caste system, and the rituals used to transform an individual into a Guardian. During their stay in the Endless Ocean they altered and changed many of the native lifeforms, creating some of the more exotic and dangerous creatures that now roam the world freely.

The Architects are responsible for establishing both the Brotherhood of Order and the Hand of the Architects.

Eventually, the Architects decided that they had taught the natives enough and withdrew into their sanctuaries. For a time they remained there, before vanishing from both the surface and Atanui. This disappearance is what triggered the War of Ruining.