"Where brilliance is good and madness is better..."
Helovia Info
Helovia opened in February 2012! We are an active fantasy equine RPG
Where once the world narrowed into naught but gray dust and desolation, the gods called for life. Wielding the elements of fire and light, dark and wind, earth and water, spark and time, they have created Helovia. The realm is set within the mythical globe of Loorien, a planet rich with all variety of creatures and blessed with all manner of magic. Originally populated by nomadic, tribal characters, they've since grown into massive empires saturated with culture and history. Separated into four distinct segments of Helovia, called "The Regions," each band of horse strong enough and capable enough, took up the power and responsibility of leadership. Unicorns, old, wise and mysterious, took to the north, hidden in forests of mists and shadows and rarely making themselves known beyond their cliffs of the World's Edge. Equines, vast, organized and militaristic, split into two, one group went north to the Windtossed Foothills and the other group went south to the Dragon's Throat. Pegasus remained nomadic, making their homes in various parts of The Wilds in a migratory manner. For many generations, the land was peaceful and calm, but peace was never the way of the gods. With a clash of argument, war and bloodshed massacred Helovia, and in the aftermath, the realm was eerily quiet. Now, as newcomers sweep into this land, they are met with the lingering bitterness of the gods and the struggle to reclaim what was lost. Nothing remains safe or certain while sorcerers and soldiers alike brood and bide their time for revenge, honor and glory.
Site Wide Plots
Kaos :: The Beginning of the End ☼ - 6/2017 - Kaos placed Helovia in a time-bubble for a short period of time, but the Helovian gods are fighting back. But Kaos is powerful- far more powerful than anyone thought. This may be the beginning of the end of Helovia as we know it.
Kisamoa :: A New Kind of Kaos ☼ - 3/2017 - Kisamoa asks Helovians to help him restore the Spectral Marsh. Which side will you choose?
Invasions :: All Out War ☼ - 5/2/16 - New layout and the brand new invasion rules are up! Thank you for your patience and we look forward to getting started with this new adventure.
The Rift :: Gods Do Die ☼ - 8/2015 - Helovia Gods are saving the Rift from corrupt gods! Can Helovians band together against these foreign deities?
The Literal Ship ☼ - 2/8/15 - Oh no! You have to pair up for Valentine's day!
Sky Island :: Murder ☼ - 10/25/14 - Vesta has been found dead on the island, and the gods have called to you to solve the murder!
Sky Island :: Peace ☼ - 7/7/14 - An island has appeared in the sky! Clouds carry Helovians from the Veins to the sky.
Restoration :: We Welcome the Dawn ☼ - 9/21/13 - The sun has finally risen on this day, giving the land new light, but the Time God and the Sun God have yet to be seen.
Endless Night :: Broken Magic Plot ☼ - 8/30/13 - The earth god has returned and is walking across Helovia to heal the land. Every area can now be considered lush and prosperous, but the sun has still not risen.
☼ - 7/19/13 - The moon has risen in the sky, heralding the return of the Goddess of the moon. Lamp trees which light the paths have grown brighter, moon flowers which grow in dark places have begun to grow and prosper and the world is brighter, filled with a new hope.
Endless Night :: Dead Magic Plot ☼ - 6/22/13 - The gods of Helovia, in order to protect the world, have disappeared into the rift, leaving the world sunless, moonless and magic-less in their absence. Only the herdlands have a source of light, but lamp-trees with glowing leaves and branches sporadically line the popular roads and paths from place to place.
Doppleganger Plot ☼ - 6/20/13 - The God of Time is still struggling to close the rift though which the dopplegangers have come. He has requested that his brothers and sister assist in closing this hole, but without knowing why it opened, the task is proving difficult. Magic still remains faulty and hard to control, but the herdlands continue to be places of refuge for those who are fortunate enough to call these lands home.
ORANGEMOON cools off the lands with a a viscious force. Colder than normal, a sign of things to come during Frostfall, Helovia is bathed in a rich tropical lushness - albiet a cold one. The coastlines of the Dragon's Throat are pelted constantly by tidal waves, and the desert climate is humid but chilly. Ice begins to form early in the Aurora Basin leaving the winding trails slick and dangerous. The mists of the World's Edge coat everything in a glistening crystalline shine which encourages mould to grow everywhere. The Spectral Marsh is the only area which remains fertile, blissfully temperature and lush.
Cotm
Character of the Month for
June, 2017
WEAVER, Corporal of the Aurora Basin, is a relatively recent addition to Helovia and has taken it by storm. Branded with the seal of Death on her chest, intrigue and interest follow both her past and present. Though she is assuredly beautiful, her sometimes sharp personality reveals that there is more to this uni-peg hybrid than meets the eye. Proving herself able on the battlefield in the Basin’s warrior ranks, we can’t wait to see her test her mettle against the looming Kaos happenings! Congratulations!
Helovia RPG was created by Tamme and Blu and coded by Tamme also known as Schwartze. All coding, palettes and imagery are copyrighted to the website and are not for use outside of Helovia. Thank you to our ServerMaster for hosting Helovia. A special thanks goes to Neo for all of her coding help and fixing Tamme's errors, Boom, for her loyal service and creation of the Time God, and to Ali for her consistent contributions and dedication.
Petra's hooves stumble beneath her as she trudges on in the relentless Tallsun heat. Part of her was grateful for the warmth and lack of rain, but she also knew her situation was getting dire. She licked her parched lips as a bead of sweat dripped off her temple. Normally, she would consider this weather fairly mild especially with the generous shade from the trees, but dehydration made it difficult to cope with even gentlely elevated temperatures. There must be something to drink around here. The same desperate thought again. It had been a constant refrain for as long as she could remember at this point, not that her memory could be relied upon anymore. Food. Water. Shelter. Forward. Always forward. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, or even if she was looking for anything. She just needed to get away. To not remember.
Her vision was hazy, clouded by fatigue and hunger, so she heard rather than saw the small babbling brook. Petra came to a slow, bumbling stop and perked her ears up and attempted to scan her surroundings with her heavily lidded eyes. She was almost afraid she was hallucinating. Or that it was some pesky squirrel masquerading as a stream. A ray of sun meandered through the leaves and glinted off the surface of the water, a signal so bright even Petra was able to see it. She shambled forward as fast as her feet would carry her, which was not fast enough as far as she was concerned. She stopped at the edge and carefully inspected the ground beneath her feet. She sniffed the ground suspiciously and stamped the dirt lightly with her front hoof. She tossed her head up and looked behind her, ears on high alert. After a moment she seemed satisfied and happily plunged her muzzle into the stream and gulped down the water gratefully. Even warmed by the sun, it was refreshing. She paused momentarily in her gluttony to breathe a sigh of relief. In that pause, exhaustion overtook her and her legs buckled beneath her. She lay beside the water, sides heaving, droplets of water dripping from her muzzle hairs.
[ooc: This is my first character, so forgive me if this is a somewhat rough start. Any guidance is greatly appreciated! I have no real preference about where she goes]
06-11-2014, 09:12 PM (This post was last modified: 06-11-2014, 09:13 PM by Kahlua.)
KAHLUA
There was one more stop on the queen's route before she went home. She had travelled north to the Basin and west to the Rotunda, now she traveled East to the Threshold. Anyone who had charted her path might wonder why she had taken such a roundabout trip. For the queen, it was all about time. The more she wasted time doubling back, turning around, passing the Edge again and again and again... The more she could escape the rigorous life that was expected of her. Truth be told, she had only been gone two days. Still... Kaj would be expecting her. They had positions and politics to talk, alliances to accept or reject, a backstabbing Seer to punish... Kahlua sighed. She had been so excited when the queendom had been gifted to her. Now she only felt like a prisoner in shackles, held inside of glass walls that did not want to let her free.
As she returned to the Threshold that she had grown to know and love- the Threshold she had been rather absent from as of late- the queen tried to let all of her troubles go. It was easy for her, in a way. She was a fool, so it was not too difficult for her brain to just drift off into some imagined world where she was both queen and happy at the same time. Could that dream become reality? Perhaps. So, with her heart lightened from some of her troubles, the queen set to humming herself a happy song.
After a time, the queen became thirsty and altered her course to head towards a stream of water that was well known to her. She knew these woods almost as well as she knew the Edge itself, after all. When she finally arrived, the queen was not surprised to find another soul gathered by the waters- especially considering the heat of the summer; however, the queen had rarely known anyone to lay beside the water here in the Threshold for fun. Also, though Resplendence had been able to teach her very little, the queen had come to learn that a laying horse was often not a healthy horse. With genuine concern etched on her face, the child queen nickered a friendly greeting and trotted towards the grounded buckskin, all thoughts of her own thirst temporarily forgotten. “Hello friend, are you alright? I'm Kahlua, can I help you?” As her dancing soprano filled the air, the queen finally halted near the mare, blue eyes settling upon the stranger as she waited for a response.
OOC| Probably not important to you Peak, but for anybody else- this is set before Aurelia challenged Kahlua :D
Petra's eyes fluttered as she sensed a shadow being cast above her and heard a high, fluttering voice address her. Blinking furiously to force herself into lucid conciousness, she gazed upwards at the figure that had approached her. It took a moment for her eyes to readjust to the brightness of the day and allow her to fully appraise her surroundings. She remembered the forest, the trees, the heat, the spring. Yes. Then she turned her eyes back to the one who had found her. Seeing the lovely paint with such radiant blue eyes made her peculiarly aware of her own appearance. Her long mane and tail were painfully tangled, she was stained with all manner of mud and muck, and by the looks of her protruding ribs she could probably guess the rest of her was just as gaunt and emaciated. Becoming increasingly self concious, she started to lift herself off the ground, her legs dangerously shaky. The water had clearly not been enough. Petra attempted to gently shake off the loose dust and forest floor debris that had no doubt accumulated on her, although the overall effect on her appearance was negligible given the dirt still caked on. Finally, she slowly lifted her head and allowed her brown eyes to meet the paint's blue ones.
Hello. Her voice sounded deeper and raspier than she had anticipated. She paused and cleared her throat. I'm P-p-petra, she stammered out, her voice clearer but still with a deep, rich timbre. Her eyes flicked down to ground as she was briefly lost in thought, considering the mare's offer of help, knowing logically that survival would not be a given without it. She didn't want to appear weak or helpless, but neither did she want to be left in the clutches of a strange land to potentially die alone. A quick decision was reached. Her eyes again met the other's. Where am I?
“The Threshold of Helova,” she responded informatively enough, just now taking the time to look more thoroughly over the mare she had happened across. She was a tall mare who might have been beautiful if she had taken the time to properly care for herself. But then, Kahlua thought that everyone was pretty or handsome in their own right. She was certain that all Petra needed was a good cleansing from the dirt and grime that covered her hide. And perhaps some food to help fill her out... But then, there was little to worry about. As far as Kahlua was concerned, Helovia had everything a girl could ever want or need. Well... almost everything.
Looking at Petra almost made the foolish queen feel like she was looking at herself. Petra wanted to be beautiful, wanted to stand tall and take care of herself, but the environment beat her down into submission. All the queen wanted was to be loved as a benevolent ruler, to bring peace to Helovia and to be able to wander about freely when it suited her fancy. Now there was always pretense and context to be aware of. She needed to think of her every word before she said it to be sure it did not portray the Edge in an unfortunate light, act just so, and so many other demands on her fragile heart. Yes, perhaps they faced different demons, but maybe her and Petra had something in common.
Or perhaps Petra just liked being a skinny mess of mare. Kahlua had been known to be wrong before- often.
Still, in the end, it just felt right to unburden herself on this stranger. Kahlua had never really been shy about her feelings. “Do you ever feel like you want something and don't want it at the same time? I've been feeling that way a lot lately... I just don't know what to do.” So with a dramatic sigh, Kahlua tossed her head to the side, encouraging Petra to walk along. This just seemed like the type of conversation that needed motion. Besides, better to start heading out of these woods. Petra might have better luck finding grass in the meadow beyond.
Petra distantly remembered the name Helovia, but she couldn't recall in what context. Perhaps someone in her previous herd had been here or knew of it. Her mind prickled at the thought of her former family. She shook her head, trying to erase the echos of the crying voices from her mind.
She saw the mare toss her head, beckoning Petra to her side. Petra fell in step beside her, trusting in her kindness. "Do you ever feel like you want something and don't want it at the same time? I've been feeling that way a lot lately... I just don't know what to do." Kahlua's mind seemed as burdened as her own. Petra allowed the full weight of those words to slowly seep in, considering them carefully.
She had always been different from those around her. Her friends, family, the other members of old herd, so many allowed themselves to be ruled by their heart. Their emotions consistantly taking precedence over their better logical sense. Sentimentality is foolish. Time and again, she saw the fallout that occurred from such irrationality. But by that same token, she too had suffered from her decisions. While she didn't always find herself with disastrous consequences, she quite frequently felt the sting of heartbreak, loneliness, and sadness. There were many times she wished she could be foolish. Just once, allow herself to follow where her heart might lead. For in others, she had seen such a spark of happiness and genuine joy from acting on their passion - albeit brief. She had often wondered what that felt like. Yes, yes I do. There have been many times I have struggled with the same thoughts. I have often found it helpful to seek the advice of others. A different perspective, a clearer mind is sometimes needed. What troubles you?
[ooc: sorry it took so long! got swamped with work :/ people gotta stop dying!]
Smiling as her new friend (everyone Kahlua met was her friend, after all) fell in beside her, Kahlua set them in a direction that would take them out of the woods and into and open field in time. However, had Petra known the childish queen's heart, she would have known that Kahlua was as sentimental as the very best of them. Her whims came from the beat in her chest, no mind payed to the sparks that fired in her brain. If she wanted to run, she ran. If she wanted to laugh, she laughed. If she wanted to spill her heart to a stranger, she talked. Except that living a carefree life had caused a great deal of strife between her and Kaj. When she wanted to shirk her responsibilities and run about the land... well, she trusted in Kaj immensely, but even the painted queen could see that he was not as brilliant as he used to be. Her Stormbringer, her Rock... What had she done?
As Petra began to speak, Kahlua listened to the buckskin with the same intensity she had listened to Evangeline. She had been avoiding learning for her entire life, avoiding thinking with all the passion that she had in her body, but she could not live that way forever. She had come to find that, even if she did not get in trouble, that others looked down upon her for her lack of knowledge and understanding and that troubled her some. At least, it troubled her when she could be bothered to think about it.
A soft breeze and the chirping birds seemed to mock Kahlua as she tried to ponder how much she could tell this stranger, this horse that was presumably new to Helovia, without once again playing the fool. In the end, she decided she didn't care. She was going to say what she wanted. “I'm Queen of the Edge, one of the herds here... And I love my herd and I would do anything for them except...” she paused to sigh again- she was a dramatic but lovable soul, innocent of heart and intention. “Except sometimes it seems like nobody cares that I have feelings too and that I want to be able to leave the Edge and go have fun every now and then, and that I want to be able to do things for myself as well as them, and they all need me to stay home and make sure everything is perfect all the time, except how can I meet my goal of peace in Helovia if I can't even leave the forest ever, and I've got horses I trusted to my council attacking other herds without provocation and mysterious outcast bands trying to take over and I just want a break sometimes!” And so, with one exceptionally long run on sentence that was spoken way too fast, the queen unloaded her troubles onto this gentle girl that she walked with, unashamed at her dramatic display.
OOC| No worries at all, take all the time you need! I'm not usually this fast, you just keep catching me at good times :D
Petra felt the breeze pulling her few strands of unmatted hair in it's direction, light wisps of hair fluttered in front of her eyes. She ambled next to Kahlua at a carefully calculated distance - close enough to be able to hear the mare talking and to attempt to convey a sense of trust, but yet distant enough to give a sense of propriety and politeness given that they had just met. The twigs and leaves crunched beneath her hooves in a slow cadence.
With Petra's gentle prompting, the black and white mare seemed to break open the dam that had been holding in her steam of thoughts. Petra listened keenly, trying to hear between the words spoken. She was momentarily nonplussed when Kahlua revealed she was a queen and made a mental note to keep her manners reverential, although she purposefully avoiding being overly obsequious. However, the revelation also made her more self concious than ever. As the mare unburdened herself of her thoughts, Petra felt a twinge of pity. Kahlua sounded as if she was surrounded by others, yet still seemed so isolated. It struck Petra as an awfully lonely existence, and not one that she would ever want. The stream of consciousness continued and Petra was exponentially overwhelmed by all that the queen was going through. It was a string of hurts, fears, and concerns. All the responsibility that the queen was burdened with. All of it entertwined with the separation and distance that was often put upon those at the top of a hierarchy. For a moment, Petra forgot her own concerns. It must be hard to not have the freedom to seek your own happiness, she said hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure it was her place to discuss events in a land she had never been to or heard of until now, but she figured that the queen probably had very few unbiased or honest voices around her. If it's not too forward of me to ask, is that what you're doing here? Taking a break?
06-15-2014, 02:13 PM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2014, 02:18 PM by Kahlua.)
KAHLUA
Petra was too kind for Kahlua, too worried about formalities and niceties and respect. Kahlua would have just as soon walked shoulder to shoulder with her as stand a distance apart, but she had learned over time that not all were so keen to huddle so closely to a stranger. All in all, Kahlua did not mind. Just to take a break, to be near somebody who did not call the Edge home and who was willing to listen to her babble about her 'poor me' nonsense was stress relief in and of itself.
And indeed, Petra's kind shoulder and an empathetic listening was exactly what the queen had needed. Even if it was only for a moment, to explode her emotions out into the air and make a complete fool of herself in front of this stranger, Kahlua felt better. It was freeing, to unload her burdens onto another. It was also selfish, perhaps, but the child queen was unaware of any disrespect she had given. Or perhaps she did not consider it disrespect, as she just as soon would have listened to any troubles that Petra might have as well.
“I'm happy.... sometimes. I'm just confused,” she responded at first, not wanting Petra to feel like she did not care for her herd. Once more, it was a game of politics that the queen was not prepared for or interested in playing. “Nothing's too forward,” she added at first. She wanted an open line of communication. Even her friends, her very best friends that she considered family, still hemmed and hawed around her sometimes, afraid to say something that might anger their queen. Why couldn't Kahlua just be a mare? “Yes, I was taking a break, but I fear I've been gone too long... I should head back. You could join me, if you like?” Then she paused, considering a moment, before finishing, “We would pass through a meadow on the way, we could stop to eat. I was so hungry when I got here...” And it was the truth, but also the most polite way she could think of to say that Petra had seen better days. “Even if you don't want to join our peaceful band, we could offer you shelter for a while. Our walls are open to tired travelers.”
OOC| Also, I just wanted to let you know that your writing is beautiful and I love Petra. I'm so glad you decided to join Helovia, I hope we get to enjoy your writing for a long time to come!!
The champagne mare slowed her pace further, and even came to a short, subtle stop when the young queen made her offer. A scampering squirrel flitting about the forest floor easily outpaced her. Petra was conflicted. She had been without a proper home for some time now. She missed the companionship and security a herd offered; she longed for consistency and stability again. But she also knew that she may not be fit to be around others in her current state, and it wasn't just the filth she was covered in – which she was still acutely aware of. At the same time, she had enjoyed the sense of camaraderie she had felt during this brief interlude. Petra hoped Kahlua's mind was slightly more at ease now.
“We would pass through a meadow on the way, we could stop to eat. I was so hungry when I got here...”
Petra was somewhat flustered when her stomach chose that exact moment to elicit a long, loud, gnawing rumble. She shuffled her hooves and flicked her tail nervously, hoping to conceal the embarrassing noise. Why now? Although she should hardly have been surprised, going with little to no food for weeks on end would naturally give that response. Perhaps it was finally time to allow herself the luxury of eating. Eating would be good. I'm *ahem* starving as well, she said nervously with the lightest touch playfulness, a bemused expression in her eyes. Ah... frivolity. She had missed that too.
It was decided. Petra would follow Kahlua to, was it the Edge that she had called it? The Edge. It sounded somewhat ominous. But maybe she needed to go to the edge to find her happiness again. Petra tossed her head a bit, flecks of dust raining down, and used her remaining stores of energy to surge forward. For the first time in a long time she felt a glimmer of hope. She turned her head back to Kahlua, her eyes now sparkling. And yes, I'd love to join you at the Edge.
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