Atero

Atero, a shortening of it's true ancient name, Ateiropolis (ah-tay-yeer-oh-poh-lees), was one of the oldest and most important cities on Spherus Magna. It was the economic heart of Neala and it's de jure capital from thousands of years, from when the legendary hero, the green skrall Greani Ateir founded the city, to when the shadow worshiping Skrall sacked and destroyed the city during the Skrall War. During the Core War, Atero and it's surrounding lands were declared neutral and so was only damaged with the advent of The Shattering. It has since been replaced by the city of New Atero, alternatively called Aternea, which is located to the west of the ruins of the ancient capital. All that remains of Old Atero are the ruins of the urban center and the spared bridge across the Skrall River, the rest of the city and most of the island it was on burned and crumbled into the river or fell over the water fall.

Atero was built on an island-cliff in the wide Skrall River over a waterfall (after the shattering there was scarcely any water in the river and so it looked like rushing flowing sand), and had a lone bridge to it's western shore. It was a sprawling fortress with large walls made of otherworldly black stone and structures inside made of white marble and lined with copper, black stone castle towers that climbed to the sky. It's horizon from a distant vantage looked like a dark crown, and became a symbol of Neala, appearing on coins, sometimes reflected over water to make a unique symbol. It had inns for merchants, a large market area, a garrison grounds, a small keep for the ancient kings, and the Arena Magna built by the last king of Atero, Kertavus Magnus. The Arena Magna had spires to mimic the ancient castle towers on the wall. Outside of it's walls was a low walled urban center, the outer most region of the urban center near a bridge was littered with inns for weary travelers and poor merchants. The castle walls of Atero went out across the western shore in a shorter wall, where a castle tower looked over the entrance to a bridge that went west across the Skrall River, the bridge called Greani's Passage. The road that went through the bridge was called the Striped Road, named for it's white and black bricks layed down in rows, and when first constructed in the century proceeding Greani's death, was said to stretch from the shores of the Sea of Liquid Sand, to Atero, to the then-reclaimed city of Roxtus. Much of the path has been covered by nature over the many millennia, but the lands surrounding Atero and in some areas the road is still visible.

During the Battle of Bara Magna the Striped Road's eastern advances were destroyed (along with the Black Spike Mountains), however after the Battle, matoran and agori workers have rerouted the remnant of the road to lead through the Ruunic Plains to the new city of Neuropolis, which lies right outside the open skull of the Great Spirit Robot that houses the ruined holy city of Metru-Nui. This new road extension is made of artificial protodermis, and so is dubbed the Silver Road.

History
Atero was founded under the name of Ateiropolis approximately 14,400 years ago, some even say they have narrowed it down to 14,460 years. Legend has it that the man named Greani Ateir, a green skrall who had escaped infanticide as a child and grew up to be a rebel leader and later King of the Ateirotoi who contested against the mythological Age of Giants, founded the city after journeying into the empty abandoned lands west of the Barrier Desert, which Greani proceeded to name as Neateir, or the New Land (which was eventually corrupted to Neala). Down the giant river, which Greani named after himself by dubbing it the Skrall River, until they reached a great waterfall with a large cliff-island in the middle, and Greani felt that this is where his city would have its foundation. It was originally called The City, but the skrall and agori who had escaped the ruthless tyranny of the evil Giants and traveled the lifeless Barren Desert with Greani had felt blessed by their newfound capital, and so it was officially named Ateiropolis, the Unearthly City. The new nation decided to name themselves after their holy city as the Ateirotoi, or the Ateirites. Modern historians who give credit to these legends and myths also call these people the Proto-Nealites.

As the legends go, after the 'final battle' at the Battle of the River-Plains and Greani's death with it, the Ateirites marched to their lost city of Roshtakh, and after a hard fight with the dark forces that had settled there they retook the city. After retaking Roshtakh the Ateirites wanted a trophy of the vengeance for the death of their holy king and their victory, and so they made quarries and dug into the newly grown Black Spike Mountains and brought back the lightless stone to Ateiropolis. There they replaced the original wooden palisade with towering walls and castle towers and spires made of bricks carved from this pitch-black rock. The succeeding kings of Ateiropolis did not want the matter of demonic to house them, so the keep was still made of wood and common stone. Years later, as the Ateirite Crusades (also called the Nealite Crusades), adventurers from Ateiropolis that went west to map out the Skrall River found a coast and a sea in which the Skrall River empties into, many islands off the coast, and by going north up the coast they spotted the White Quartz Mountains. Eventually, the white stone of these dangerous lands were taken as a prize against the monsters that dwelt in those pale peaks and reflect the apparent holiness that runs through the blood of the heirs of Greani. Brick made from this white rock was used to construct the Keep of Kings, which the white walls were dotted with the every now and then turquoise brick from the aptly named Creep Canyon. Three white spires climbed to the sky tipped with spikes of silver, with one speckled tower emerging from the heart of the keep. By the hard work of slaves and the guidance of kings and engineers, Atero had grown to be the the marvel of the world, the black walls and white reflective of Neateir as a light in a world of darkness.

Unfortunately, the line of Ateirite kings had ended a century and a half after the death of Greani Ateir and generals fought for inheritance. All the world was aflame with war, as the crusader states fought surrounded by the remaining forces of shadow and their homeland was divided and pointlessly filled with bloodshed. Then, from the northwest rumors of gods among men spread far and wide, and they revealed themselves tot he world, these mystical scientist-kings dubbed the Great Beings, and most bowed before their glory. The fighting ceased, Ateiropolis was assigned a new king, and a new chapter in world history began.