Helicon Island (concept art)

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Helicon Island

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Danger: Normal

Inhabitants: Pegasi (Winged Centaurs), Centaurs, Slodames

Helicon Island is a breathtaking sight for those who are fortunate enough to see it. Sailing south of Iracal Island towards Helicon Island, adventurers will surely notice an increase in current strength and speed. That is due to an enormous maelstrom, or whirlpool, that swirls around the island of Helicon. The waters swirl at incredible speed and slopes down at nearly a 50 degree angle. The cause of this high velocity maelstrom is a complete mystery. As dangerous as this maelstrom is, strangely, there are no shipwrecks to be found beneath the rushing waters-- that is if there is even a sea floor at all. The fates of those ships are as mysterious as the maelstrom itself. Some scientists have theorized that the phenomenon is the result of some kind of magical enchantment or localized dimensional rift, and unrelated to the gravitational anomalies that Gaieochos Island is famed for. Even given the other peculiar phenomena within the archipelago, it manages to stand out because of its sheer size and of the island that it encircles.

Helicon Island's vertical sides, which would be completely submerged under water, is visible due to the maelstrom's depths. Ancient low and high reliefs of astounding size decorate the sides of the island, depicting significant moments in the history of an ancient civilization. At its base and just above the sea floor, the spiraling waters crash violently against the concrete-like material coating that never seems to wear down. Corinthian-style columns extend from that base to the island's top side where lush vegetation flows over its edge. Logic dictates that the only way to reach the island is to fly over the abysmal depths of the violent whirlpool, or scale the side of the island if one can avoid being sucked down into the waters.

Those who reach the topside of the island will undoubtedly be awestruck by nature's beauty and tranquility. Deep within that alluring world lies the well-preserved remains of an ancient civilization. Many treasures and artifacts are sure to be found there, and possibly answers to some of history's greatest mysteries. But while there are very few voracious predators to be weary of, there are many temples and unusual creatures patrolling the island to protect them. There seems to be a form of enchantment on the island which puts the certain people, or maybe just the weak of mind, in a state of bliss and eliminates their will to leave.

Among the few natural dangers to avoid, there are very slow moving, humanoid-sloth hybrid predators called *Slodames who will take advantage of the "bliss" inducing enchantment. Climbing down from their trees, the Slodames move very slowly towards the delirious humans, stuffing them away in her maw, and swallows their prey in a drawn out process that can take up to 30 minutes. There is also a society of winged Centauresses to be aware of. No one is quite sure if their wings are natural or magical, but they have a warrior culture and believe fervently that they were chosen to preserve the beauty and secrets of Helicon Island.

[Pegasi: The Winged Centaurs of Helicon Island]

Danger Level: Moderate

Occurrence: Rare (Common on Helicon Island)

It is a fairly well-known fact that giant Centaurs are not very numerous across Felarya and that they tend to live only in certain areas, this likely contributes to us knowing so little about their culture and magical talents. Few biologists dare go within observable range of the mighty predators because of the terrifying speeds at which they can run down a detected prey. All that we know was gathered from research left behind by the brave souls who gave their lives in the name of science, souls to whom we owe our deepest gratitude. They have followed the thunderous sounds of giant centaurs galloping across the Moyuk Hills and the Great Rocky Fields for many years, and have documented the predators' elemental magic affinities. Powerful magics summoning rain, lightning, and wind are very rare but astounding spectacles to witness; sometimes all at once. None of these magics are quite as incredible as the reported "wings of wind" that have given some centaurs the ability to fly. The mission to learn more about these centaurs and their magical wings had led one particular team of scientists on a journey across the Shimmering Sea to Helicon Island where the majority of the flying centaurs were rumored to have originated; there was also a strong belief that the Helicon centaurs were the only members of their species that knew this intriguing magic.

Sailing to the island would have been near impossible for the team due to the maelstrom that surrounded it, but fortunately they had the resources to arrange a flight in a small plane from the Myrodia Coast to Helicon; fortune would apparently continue to be with the team the rest of their journey. According to their logs, the flight was only a few kilometers from landing on the island when it was attacked by an air elemental called a Brizz. The small plane was plummeting to the sea below when it was snagged from its freefall by a centauress flying with luminous wings of wind magic. After capturing and then satisfying her hunger with the Brizz, she sought to satisfy her curiosity by examining the strange metal object that she had saved from a watery grave. The team of scientists were taken to the centauress' home and privately interrogated; one of them credited not being eaten to her fascination with human technology and remarked about how surreal the experience was, "Rarely does a scientists expect to find himself under examination by the very subject that he seeks to understand." Nevertheless, they were happy to be filling the predator's ears instead of her stomach. After they had fed the centauress' hungry mind with information, she returned the favor by inviting them into the world of the Helicon Pegasi, showing them around and detailing their history.

On that mysterious island, and even before it could be called an island, Centaurs had established a society with very strong values. They shared a close relationship with an ancient civilization of Elven giantesses that once ruled the region and learned what it took to build a strong society. Their education in magic led to the development of the luminous "wings of wind" that the Helicons are able to fly by. They also learned to harvest minerals from the land and forge both weapons and armor suitable for the warrior culture that they would inherit after the disappearance of the Elven giantesses. That warrior culture had a fiercely enforced code; "Honor was found entirely in the way a warrior fought and died, and had little to do with the actual cause that the warrior was fighting for. Showing cowardice in battle brought shame to all Helicons and was far worse than any death imaginable." Under the orders of their highest authorities, twin centauresses by the names of Myrine and Pontu , they would even hunt and imprison one of their own if they were known to have fled a battle in fear. These centaurs began referring to themselves as Pegasi.

Between the years 2600 BU and 145 BU, they could be found throughout Felarya acting either as mercenaries to hit a specific target or to simply join an army; it was not unthinkable that some of them could end up on opposite sides. The Helicon Pegasi had no qualms about this as indicated by one of their most famous sayings, "There are no friends on the battlefield." They were even known to have been contracted by humans as guards or escorts. Human clientele saw the Helicon Pegasi as extremely trustworthy warriors who could go for days without food and never give into the instinct to devour the humans they were commissioned to protect. Liaisons were made available to nearly every major civilization during the height of the Helicon employment. Presently, the Helicons rarely travel further west than the Myrodia Coast, instead they prefer to remain close to home and guard the island's many treasures accumulated over the centuries.

After absorbing all the information the centauress could divulge, the scientists were flown all the way back to the city of Negav where they shared the fantastic knowledge with their colleagues. If it were not for the many people bearing witness to seeing the flying centauress land near the city, the scientists' story would most likely have been too incredible to believe.