Hellea

The peninsula of Hellea sits at the western edge of the Chaska Sea. The region is home to a diverse group of people with a long history.

The states and people of Hellea share many aspects of their culture and history. This page is intended to cover many of the common aspects of the region. The details here apply to Eretrebus, Alyma, Ersas, Ephardia, Halakros, Iaramnae, Karnosea, Magnia, Metrya, and the Philiraki peninsula. See the page for each nation for more specific regional information.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Though rare, some sightings have been reported over the centuries of cerynitis in Hellea. Despite their intelligence, some hunt these magical beasts for their extremely valuable horns and golden pelt. Others view these animals as worthy of respect and even seek them out for advice, sometimes leading to conflict with those who hunt them.

History

Timeline

• Y3552 - Eurykrates is born somewhere in what is now Ephardia. The actual location is now unknown, though many towns lay claim. The first of the year is commonly commemorated in Hellea as his birthday, though this was likely not the actual day. Some accounts claim that Eurykrates was human, while others claim he was aasimar.
• Y3572 - Full of ambition, following a cyclopean prophecy, and some say guided by the gods, Eurykrates begins his campaigns to unite, in one way or another, the disparate kingdoms and city states of Hellea. These campaigns lasted essentially non-stop for the next 18 years, until his Grand Empire of Hellea stretched from the Tanerde Gates and parts of what is now Ertan and Hkarzda in the east, to the islands of the south, north to the Sentinel Peaks, and to the Galevo River in the west. Though likely exaggerated to a degree in modern accounts, Eurykrates became legendary for fulfilling each of the Argead Enigmas. Indecipherable even by the standards of cyclopean prophecies, before Eurykrates only the meaning of the first was understood: that one day, the entire land of Hellea would be united under one ruler. Through these exploits Eurykrates gained the status of a hero-god, in addition to controlling the largest empire Hellea had ever seen.
• Y3592 - After announcing his intent to conquer the lands of Mildrheim, Eurykrates travels with his army to the frontier at the Galevo River, near the modern town of Third Bridge. Following yet another prophecy, Eurykrates set off alone into the forests, believing a great power was there that could aid him in his next conquest. Instead, he met his end after he was unceremoniously slain by a tribe of giants.
• Y3593 - As his army retreated in disarray, Eurykrates’ empire fragmented into 26 diadochi states, as each of his generals claimed legitimate succession and used the forces loyal to them to carve out a part of the only briefly united peninsula. While some of these states would later reunify, Hellea has never since been under the control of one flag.

Demographics

Broadly speaking, the population of Hellea is predominantly human, but this varies by specific sub-region. Dwarves, half elves, half orcs, undine, sylph, aasimar, tieflings, tengu, and others are all relatively widespread as well. There is also a much smaller population of cyclops.

Hellea is the motherland of the centaurs, though today they mostly live around the margins of the peninsula as other races have encroached into what was once their land.

Culture

Hero-gods occupy a central role in the religion of those in Hellea. See the hero-god page for more details. However, while these hero-gods are an important aspect of Hellean religious life, they do not usurp the position of the higher deities. Erastil, Sheyln, Irori, Gozreh, and Desna are all frequently worshipped, with churches, temples, and devout priests throughout the lands. Other gods are also venerated, mostly those of the common or dwarven pantheons. The deities of Khapesh have also gained some followers in Hellea, particularly in the city states around the Sea of Ersas.

Helleans generally have a somewhat unique conception of deities compared to the rest of the world. Helleans tend to view gods not as cosmic forces, frequently unknowable and inscrutable, but rather as individuals who, while unfathomably powerful, still retain strongly mortal-like virtues and failings. Some believe this view to be tied to the disproportionate prevalence of hero-gods in Hellea, who, despite their divinity, also clearly are not above mortal flaws.

The dominant language of the inhabitants of the peninsula is Hellean, although a number of others are often heard as well. It is not rare to be bilingual in Thadrian, Common, or Telan. Travellers are also likely to hear Dwarven, Elven, Sylvan, Aquan, Gnomish, Tengu, Celestial, and Infernal, depending on who they are talking to and where they are located. Hellean itself has multiple distinct dialects, though they are generally understandable without excessive difficulty by all native speakers of the language. Modern use of the language has mostly coalesced around what is referred to as Standard Hellean, a semi-constructed language designed to pull influences from a number of regional dialects and vocabularies. Those living in smaller communities in the islands of the Ersas, however, have long been resistant to adopt these modifications to their language, and instead staunchly maintain their own version of Ersas Hellean. Only used in academic contexts these days, Old Hellean is an archaic form of the language.

The various squabbling states of Hellea put aside their differences every four years for the Trials of Kurgess. Even ongoing wars will be paused for this month-long event. The Trials are an opportunity for athletes and adventurers from across Hellea to test their skills against their peers.

The prophecies of Hellea are the creations of the cyclopean myth-speakers, who mostly reside in isolated caves and villages on the islands of the Alyma Archipelago. Though most cyclopes are not born with the boon of myth-speaking, those that do usually live isolated, ascetic lives in order to focus on their gift. These prophecies are byzantine and inscrutable, and frequently only understood once they have already come to pass. Prophecies tend to go unheard or unwritten. These prophecies usually grant hero-god status to those who fulfill them, though this isn’t always the case. One does not have to know they have fulfilled a prophecy in order to do so; one famous Hellean hero-god is Drokalion, who is a literal lion.

Aside from their role as myth-speakers, cyclopes generally hold esteemed positions within Hellean society. Viewed as wise and blessed with the gifts of past ages, it is fairly common to find cyclopes serving as judges, teachers, or orators. Despite their importance to Hellea, the cyclops population has been in continual slow decline, and some worry how many Hellean traditions will continue in their presumably eventual absence.

As in most regions of the world, magic of many forms is practiced in Hellea. However, oracles as well as wizards and sorcerers who focus on divination are particularly prevalent.

Hellea has a long tradition of oration, in multiple forms. Most larger settlements feature amphitheaters in which public debates and speeches are held, open, at least theoretically, to any who wish to attend. The debates can last for days, weeks, or even longer - the end is marked by either one side conceding, or a neutral judge, agreed to by both sides, declaring a winner. Epic poems are also a prized cultural tradition of Hellea, recounting legendary tales of hero-gods, great figures, and past tragedies. These poems are passed through generations through memorization - while some are written down, the written forms are viewed as pale imitations to hearing the tale as recounted by a skilled storyteller.

Hellean architecture takes a variety of forms, depending on the purpose of the building. Most immediately striking are the palaces and temples of the region, with their tall marble columns, grand arches, gabled roofs, and detailed reliefs carved in the walls. More mundane buildings are usually built of stone, brick, and stucco. Whether buildings are ceremonial or domestic, Hellean architecture emphasizes open space - tall hallways, paths, and courtyards are all common. Floors, at least for those who can afford them, are usually made of polished stone or mosaics. These mosaics generally depict something related to the purpose of the building. An apothecary’s shop, for example, might have a mosaic showing plants sold there or the owner of the shop tending to them.

The art of Hellea takes many forms, but of particular emphasis are the statues carved of stone. Hellean artists are famous for their extremely lifelike statues, carved into highly realistic depictions of their subjects. For statues of famous individuals or hero-gods, creating a work with a great resemblance to reality is seen as an immense sign of respect or worship. Some artists even work with local mages (or are mages themselves) in order to animate their statues and increase the realism further.

Guilds are central to Hellean society. Guilds exist for most skilled trades, though guilds generally only have loose affiliations with their counterparts in neighboring cities. These organizations are highly influential in the day to day governance in much of Hellea, and exert influence to attempt to particularly favor the interests of the guild members.

A number of magical creatures are known to have originated in Hellea, in particular the pegasus, harpy, hydra, medusa, and chimera.

Though this can vary widely by location, in general hospitality is strongly valued within Hellea. Visitors to someone’s home can expect to be offered whatever food their host can provide, even if they do not have enough for themselves, or the use of their host’s only bed if the visitor needs a place to stay the night. Some travellers have remarked with annoyance that they had to repeatedly turn down offers of more food even after they had just been served a large meal.

Many Hellean cities are built upon much older settlements. In some of the larger cities of the peninsula and major islands, complex labyrinths can be found underneath the streets. Treacherous to navigate, it is very easy to become lost in these underground mazes, and even if one knows their bearing encounters with dangerous beasts are still probable. However, those who survive the labyrinths and become skilled in traversing them can reap great rewards, as these frequently connect via secret passageways to the older structures in a city, including temples, palaces, and prisons.

Hellean cuisine encompasses a wide variety of ingredients native to the region, and through the centuries has incorporated many influences from elsewhere as well. Lamb and goat are the primary livestock raised in Hellea, and are supplemented with rabbit and poultry. Olives are central to the diet of the inhabitants of the peninsula, whether eaten fresh, preserved, or made into oil. Other common ingredients include rice, wheat, lemon, cheese, grapes, lentils, nuts, and fish. A variety of herbs are also used, such as basil, oregano, sage, dill, and thyme. Class divides in Hellean cuisine are relatively low - while those that can afford it are likely to eat ingredients of a better quality, they are unlikely to eat food completely unavailable to poorer people.