Everything. About. Gate Callers. Is bloody. Complicated! We knew very early on that we wanted the At’aasi to be an eccentric and academic people. So we put extra effort into weaving meaningful depth and complexity into every aspect of their design. For example, while other Essence forms primarily attain strength through training and transference, the people of At’aasi focus on study, discipline, and enlightenment, so much so that it affects their Essence on a biological level.
The name Gate Caller comes from the fact that they open dimensional wormholes – or “gates” – in space-time. The size, distance, capacity, physics, and even range of gates possible is linked to what class level and what concentration applies to that particular Gater. This is why Gate is the only Essence form with more than one Sigil. Gaters are a very hierarchical people. This extends to their abilities, which are anatomically locked behind three tiers of ascension. This breaks down as follows:
Student Class (M'finzi or square) is the beginner class. Their Sigil represents accessing only the simplest of gates, M’taee. If you’ve ever played Portal or watched Doctor Strange use a sling ring, you’ve got an idea what this looks like.
Senior Class (M’dizi or triangle) is the advanced class. Sharpened and honed. One gate, L’orien, accelerates healing. Another, Molaao, briefly slows time immediately around anyone who passes through it. There’s also a secret gate accessible to a rare few Senior Class variants, forbidden from any use, and staining the name of the wielder.
And finally, there is the Superior Class (M’kuu or circle). Their abilities and understanding have ascended to the level of master, refined and polished to be seamless. These scholars of At’aasi are capable of the most difficult and restricted of gates, able to command forces beyond the imagination of most.
Gate Callers were IMMENSELY satisfying to design and develop. Fun fact, we were originally going to make them have blue skin. However, we both felt that A. was silly and B. would make them look too much like Dr. Manhattan, who is already an inspiration for T’araan. That said, we believe we managed to create something unique and interesting that respectfully blends science, magic, and culture in a way that’s JUST complicated enough to be fun to figure out. Many have seen a thunderstorm or heavy rain. You may have stroked the fur of a beast or watered a plant. And, we’ve all gazed upon the stars. However, “You have never seen the summoning of a Gate before,” until you have seen one called by the At’asaai.
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