Moving quietly through the night, a pale-skinned nomad creeps into a cave and away from the pouring rain and crashing thunder outside. Safe in the dark, damp shelter, the monk removes his porcelain mask to reveal ghastly, black eyes with violet irises. As he wipes the rain off the mask, the nomad stares towards the cave opening with eyes unblinking, prepared for any sort of danger that may approach.

In ancient history, long forgotten, there lived a grand civilization of those who distrusted the gods, seeing them as liars or meddlers in mortal affairs. When their ideals began to spread, the gods acted in retribution, cursing the heretics into shameful, mask-wearing monsters. But their stubbornness lived on, and over time what was once monsters evolved into an intelligent race once again. Now, the infantile ator seek to reclaim and rebuild a forgotten culture in the far reaches of the world.

Monstrous Heritage The few who see ator describe them as monstrous, warper humans. Ator tend to be shorter and burlier than humans, with more rounder or rough features. All ator possess hair and skin that comes only in shades of black, white, and grey; thick, black nails, sharp teeth, pointed ears, and pitch-black eyes save for the irises, which come in any color but most commonly warm shades of red and yellow. Despite all this, the most unsettling feature of ator to other races is their bright yellow organs, muscles, and blood. Other monstrous features randomly appear as well, such as thick hair across the body, callous skin on their back and shoulders, or even horns and tails. Like the monsters before them, the ator are varied in their appearances and odd mutations.

Muted Emotions It's rare that monsters need emotion, asides from rage or life-saving fear. This carries over to the ator, despite regaining their intelligence and culture. When an ator feels emotion, they are less likely to react to it, simply taking it in as information. This lack of emotion is present in their resolute, emotionless faces. Emotion is not always absent from the ator, and for some it can lash out like a wild animal. Whether it be through remembering past events, embracing an art, or other triggers, an ator can quickly go from stoic and calm to energetic and expressive. The most common reason for sudden bursts of emotion is when an ator is separated from their masquerade.

The Shameful Curse A carry over from the ancient curse placed on the ator is their shame, only quelled by wearing a masquerade. Ranging from masks, to veils, and even cowls or other unorthodox coverings, nearly every ator wears a masquerade. The reliance on a masquerade has influenced what little culture the ator have as well. They take pride in beautifully crafted masks, seeing them as a status symbol. Though, they view an uncovered face as unnerving, even among other races.