"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.
It always comes back to this, doesn’t it? You find yourself at the beach again, staring at the waves. Last time you were here, it was all heat—the sand radiated warmth, and your lungs burned just as hot as your anger as you fought that pumped-up, pathetic excuse for a warrior. But today, your breath clouds around you in the chilly Frostfall air, and you’re not entertaining any ideas about going for a swim. Still, the sound of the ocean comforts you. It’s the one thing you miss about home. Heck, you think with a terse laugh, with how scarce food has been around here this season, you might as well be back there. At least this year, you don’t have to watch them drop off one by one.
You don’t miss herd life—that’s what you’ve told yourself over and over ever since you left. Who would miss that, the bickering, the hunger, the death? No siree, not you, that’s for sure. You’re free now; you don’t have to worry about anyone else but yourself. Maybe it gets a little lonely at times, but it’s a heck of a lot easier this way. You can go wherever you want, eat whatever you want, and bed whomever you want, no strings attached. Maybe some poor suckers get all sentimental about family, but the only family you ever had is—well, let’s not bring down the mood, shall we? It’s already grim enough out here, you think with a slight shake of your head. No need to get all deep and broody.
OOC: Come show Gull what real family means! Tagging those who expressed interest in bringing Gull to the Throat c:
What was to come would not be easy. The task given to the Wildfire by his patron deity, the God of the Sun, would take all of his strength both physically and mentally. However knowing that it was done for the good of his herd, his family made the entire endeavour worthwhile. What was the point of all that he did, if it wasn't for them?
Souring from the sky on wings laced with fire, the dun descended upon the sands. These were not as red or warm as the sands of the Throat, but landing upon them gave him a certain sense of comfort, of home. Perhaps that is why the God told him to begin here, so that he would not lose sight of his goal. Just down the beach from him a naturally-varnished stallion moved. Gaucho's stormy gaze narrowed somewhat - the creature was a pegasus but not of his herd. He vaguely wondered why his species did not flock with the others in the Throat as they used to. What pulled them apart? In his antlers, Mara sleepily poked her head through his forelock as her bonded moved closer down the beach towards the stallion. Her black gaze was dull and her body sluggish from the Frostfall chill. She longed for the warmth of Birdsong as much as anyone else.
"Hello." Gaucho called by way of greeting, his voice deep but rough sounding. He stood taller than Gull, and was marked by both magic and unnatural colours in stark contrast to the naturally-hued stallion. His fiery wings folded lightly against his flanks as he peered down, the glowing markings on his antlers casting an ominous glow around his dark eyes.
HOLY---! You don’t even have time to finish the thought as your wings flare up in alarm, every feather standing on end. One second, you were looking at the sky, and the next, oh hey look! A massive pegasus is dropping out of it! ON FIRE. A hoarse yell escapes your throat, and you back a few steps, eyes rolling wildly. What the actual---
But just as you start to notice that the interloper doesn’t seem to care that he’s burning, another realization comes crashing down into that thick skull of yours, and this one’s enough to short-circuit your already-struggling brain: horns. He—it—has horns. And wings. Together. And wait…is his face glowing?!
You’re so confused that for once in your life, you’re rendered speechless. Only a choked and incomprehensible muttering can be heard as you try to reconcile the giant inconsistencies before you. Horns and wings, wings and horns, glowing?? Snake? It’s too much! You’ve seen some downright unnatural things in this place (horses, anyone? Floating islands? Or how about that trippy fruit that made you hallucinate flies for weeks afterwards?), but this…THIS takes the cake. You don’t even know how this beast can be possible. If it wasn’t for the fire and the glowing, you’d eventually arrive at the conclusion that this enigma was the result of some horrendous war crime—the rape of a pegasus mare, perhaps—but for now, the possibility doesn’t even cross your mind.
But before you have time to jump to conclusions about who (or what?) this stranger actually is, he speaks. His voice seems to resonate with a faint boom—or maybe that’s just you losing consciousness, who knows—and just when you thought this day couldn’t get any weirder, Flamethrower here makes it happen. “Hello,” he rumbles conversationally. You can only gape at him. Sure, his manner is a little rough, but you were expecting something more along the lines of him charging you or giving you a divine order or summoning an army of his flamethrower friends—anything! But hello? It’s so unexpected that you can’t help but laugh in disbelief. “Who…who are you?” you reply, not daring to come any closer. You don’t think he’ll hurt you, but at this point, you don’t really want to take your chances.
It feels good to be out flying, stretching my wings and relaxing. Or, I should say relaxing as much as possible considering I've left Ryuu in the Throat. As time has gone by I've become more comfortable there and Cera has constantly reassured me that nothing will happen to my son while he is there. Someone will always be looking out for him. Cera also points out that Ryuu is growing and has to learn to be on his own from time to time. As much as I don't like to admit it I know that my brother is right. Knowing that he is right, though, does not make me frown any less when he tells me. I guess I'm just not ready for him to grow up just yet.
The wind whistles in my ears as I fly, but over the sound of it I can hear the ocean and I remember the last time I was here was when I found Ryuu. How appropriate to be thinking about him and end up on the beach. I tilt my wings down, angling myself toward the sand and as I get closer I stretch out my forelegs. The sand is deep and offers a good bit of cushion that keeps the jarring that accompanies landing minimal. Somewhere ahead of my I can hear the soft whisper of voices, and it piques my interest enough that I begin walking in that direction and that's when I see you gawking at Gaucho. I smile to myself because I think I had the same reaction when I met him for the first time. Gow-Gow is certainly one that commands a certain amount of respect even without verbally demanding it. And he conveys a very strong feeling of safety and I think that is probably the main reason that I've stayed in the Throat for as long as I have.
I continue walking toward you and my Sultan, a smile on lips as I approach. "Hello, Gaucho." I am tempted to touch my muzzle to Gaucho's shoulder by I refrain and, instead, look to Mara. "And Mara. You're looking as beautiful as ever." And then I turn my head to you. "Hello. I'm Ranjiri, who are you?"
Gaucho only vaguely understood why he typically received the reaction that he did from others. He was big, yes. His body was covered with bright symbols, yes. His wings burned with magical fire, and his antlers were covered in strange glowing symbols, okay sure. And alright, there was a snake who seemed to be fond of him who had taken up residence in his antlers. Was all of that really so frightening ? As he thought about this, the bone that pierced his dark muzzle danced slightly. In his antlers, Mara hissed with reptilian laughter. Yesssss. You are sssssscary she mentally projected, rubbing her steel-coloured head against his blocky one.
"I Gaucho the Wildfire. Sultan of Dragon's Throat." He offered, not usually using his full title. But why not?
His gaze turned from the pale coloured stallion to the skies, where a rapidly descending familiar face had appeared. A broad smile parted Gaucho's dark lips upon seeing the no-longer filly. Gaucho could remember the first time they had met, flying in the Throat with an overprotected Midas scowling from the sidelines, not wanting his little girl to be hurt. The Sultan could barely believe how much she had grown - she was no longer the child that he had once played with, but a mare, beautiful in her own right. Although of course, to him she would always be jiji; regardless if she had eaten the dreamcatcher that once belonged in his antlers.
"Jiji" He returned, having no second thoughts about touching her. His large nose reached towards her wither, exhaling a warm breath as he tried to gently brush against her dark fur in greeting. At the sound of her name, Mara peered out once again from the tangle of black mane that she hid herself in. Her scaly lips parted in a smile, as she slithered down Gaucho's neck, winding her tail around his antlers so that she could easily dangle. Her forked tongue extended towards Ranjiri as she hissed in greeting.
Ah, so Flamethrower has a name it seems. “I Gaucho the Wildfire, Sultan of Dragon’s Throat,” he replies evenly, unfazed by your awkward reception. Of course, none of it means anything to you—you get that Gaucho must be his name, and the fire bit makes sense, but sultan? Dragon’s Throat? They’re words as foreign to you as the stranger himself. No, wait—a memory begins to stir at the mention of this “Dragon’s Throat”…hadn’t you heard it somewhere before, somewhere—
But before your mind has time to connect the trail of dots between Dalibor and Gaucho, your entire sense of reality goes to pieces. For out of the sky swoops another stranger, one who would have caught your eye with her beautiful gold–tipped wings, were she not sporting the mark of the devil upon her forehead. Yes, there, protruding wickedly from her skull, is a single pointed horn. She lands with the kind of light thud and beautiful flourish of feathers that ordinarily would have sent your heart into your throat, but you find that you can only make a strangled noise, unable to comprehend this atrocity. Blue eyes dart from wings to horn, not understanding…what—no, how…? How is this possible? You don’t know whether to loathe her or to pity her, but thankfully in that moment you cannot summon the capacity to do either. You only feel numb, nearly dumbfounded with shock.
Naturally, Flamethrower—er, Gaucho, takes it all in stride. You’re barely even surprised when it becomes apparent that he knows her. Of course he does, you think, suppressing a hysterical giggle as you watch them greet each other. What’s next, will some talking seal come crawling out of the sea? Why not? And maybe then it can rain feathers and the sky will turn green! You chuckle darkly under your breath to no one in particular.
You must appear like a lunatic to the pair, standing there with your feathers askew, with your wild eyes and your occasional mutter, but the mare chances a greeting anyway. “Hello,” she begins, even more casually than Gaucho, “I’m Ranjiri, who are you?”
A cleverer pegasus might have lied, and a kinder one might have returned the pleasantries. But you are only Gull, and a very confused Gull at that, and thus your terse (but true) response is really all you can manage at the moment. “Gull,” you murmur numbly, still staring at her horn in horrified fascination. “I’m Gull.”
I stood still and watched you as I allowed Gaucho to touch my shoulder. I was still unsure of where I stood with the Sultan at that point because I had wronged him when a sickness had overtaken Helovia. It made me wonder if I had wronged you and didn't remember it, judging only from the way you were looking at me. I was on the verge of apologizing to you if I had, but I thought better of it. If I had I would allow you to speak of it and then I would offer whatever apology was necessary. For the moment I turned my attention to Gaucho and touched my muzzle to his since he didn't seem to be upset with me for destroying his dream catcher.
When my greeting with my Sultan was complete I turned my full attention back to you, my ears tilted forward as I waited for you to introduce yourself. Gull was what you called yourself as you stared at my horn. It was not difficult for me to tell where you were looking, you see. Your eyes were looking above my own and the look on your face seemed to be one of disapproval. Did you not approve of my lineage?
"Pleased to meet you, Gull." I said easily because it takes more than someone staring to ruffle my feathers. I could not resist teasing you, though. "My eyes are down here." I laughed softly so you would know that I was only teasing. Whether or not you took it that way was completely up to you, but I do think that if you were offended you need to develop a sense of humor.
Mara peered with interest through Gaucho's forelock as Gull's eyes fixated upon Ranjiri's horn. Although Gaucho did not notice, she certainly was aware of how Gull's gaze wavered, how he chuckled somewhat darkly under his breath, and how he didn't seem ... quite at ease around the two? What was the problem? Gaucho sported a pair of antlers upon his brow, and while not nearly as impressive as Ranjiri's golden spiral, his antlers did glow. That was something after all. Then again, just about everything related to Gaucho was something worth noticing. So what was it? Was it racism? Was it fear? Uncertainty?
Mara hissed with approval at Ranjiri's remark, slithering higher in Gaucho's antlers to have a better view. ssssssomething issss wwwrong Mara mentally projected into Gaucho's mind, alerting the dun to her concerns about Gull. Her bonded simply snorted, his stoic gaze revealing none of their conversation. Gaucho disagreed, but then again he wasn't as finely tuned in to facial movements as was Mara. Such things were far too detailed for his simplistic mind to acknowledge. Gull seemed perfectly fine to him.
"Ranjiri from Throat too." The Sultan offered. Helovia was a large place. Was it strange to just happen to run into someone you knew on the shores? Gaucho wasn't certain, and perhaps the cause of perceived distress from Gull was simply that it seemed he was interrupting something.
"Gaucho come to begin Sun Gods quest ... Why you here?" The first part of his statement was clearly meant for Jiji, as Gull couldn't possibly know about his quest, the Island, or his plans for the Throat. The latter question however seemed to be equally directed towards each of them.
You haven’t exactly tried to hide your stares. After all, you’re the kind of guy inclined to wear your heart on your sleeve and the corresponding expression on your face, be it lust or disgust. As for subtlety? You’re about as subtle as a runaway freight train, so it is not surprising when Ranjiri notices your gaze. “My eyes are down here,” she coos, laughing softly. Still, you are caught off guard, and your expression is sheepish as you lower wide blue eyes to meet her own. You offer no apology (in truth, you don’t think to—manners are not your forté either), but you can take a hint. Horn aside, she still is quite a pretty girl, you realize. For the moment, her beauty placates you—something like her couldn’t be all bad, could it?
“Ranjiri from Throat too,” Gaucho explains, diverting your attention from the mare. What is this Throat business? Is it a herd? A place? You can only imagine what that must be like if that’s the case. Privately, you picture several variations of Gaucho and Ramjiri milling about, every one of them sporting this baffling wing and horn combination. Is this normal here? Are there thousands of them hidden away in some secret place? Are they born like this, and do they breed like this? Or are they a band of outcasts, who come from the tragic lineage that you imagined earlier? There are so many unanswered questions, and you still can’t seem to wrap your mind around it! “Gaucho come to begin sun god’s quest…why you here?” the massive stallion asks, and your ears loll to the side in bewilderment. “Sun god?” you repeat weakly, not understanding yet another thing that this creature so foreign speaks of. You forget to answer his question in your confusion, for suddenly, you’ve decided that you have to know: “Are…are there more of you?” you ask haltingly, directing question of your own at both Gaucho and Ranjiri. You mean more horned pegasi, but they have no way of knowing that from such a broad inquiry, and you have no way of knowing that you tread on potentially dangerous grounds. Hopefully Gaucho doesn’t skewer you alive for any perceived threat to his family.
I smile at the look on your face when Gaucho speaks and I almost laugh at the bewilderment that is so obvious. Either he is much harder to understand or you are completely unfamiliar with places in Helovia and the gods. When you repeat 'Sun god' I have my answer without even having to ask. "The Sun God is the patron god of the Dragon's Throat." I answer. "Each land has its own gods. The God of Time rules over the Aurora Basin herd, The Moon God watches over the World's Edge herd, and the God of the Earth guides the Hidden Falls herd." To me it is so simple, but I was born and raised in Helovia and familiar with its gods and lore. After I explain that much to you, however I look to my Sultan. "What quest?"
You ask a question that brings my attention back to you and leaves me wondering what you mean by 'more of you'. "More of who?" I ask you, my head tilting delicately. "More Dragon's Throat residents?" I sincerely hope that this is what you mean, but it was only moments before that you were staring at my horn. "Or more like me? Hybrids." I am not angered by your question but I do feel like my feelings have been pinched. Am I that different? Am I that strange?
"There are quite a few of us living in the throat, but I haven't noticed anyone besides Gaucho and I that have horns." I muse. "My son does, but he is unicorn." I amend and I am eager to leave this conversation in the dust. It leaves me uncomfortable about being so different. "I like the beach." I decided to go back to Gaucho's question about why I was there. "I wanted to come here to relax."
Gaucho leaned slightly, digging his hoof into the sands as he casually shifted his weight. "Gaucho go to Sun God for quest. Quest to protect Throat. To protect family." He emphasized, flaring his nostrils and snorting slightly, which caused the bone that lingered in the black flesh to twitch and dance. "Step one is gather oil. Buce and Cera make Gaucho buckets. One bucket for Sun God celebration. Other bucket for quest." He wasn't entirely sure if he ought to mention the idea of making the Throat into the island with the stranger present. While Gaucho didn't think anything of him, Mara's subtle curiosity and suspicion was enough to make Gaucho hold his tongue.
Gaucho listened to Ranjiri's clarification, looking to Gull for follow up. However as she mentioned that he had horns as well, he shrugged his blue-striped shoulders. "Gaucho not born with antlers." He began. Did Ranjiri know that? Did the rest of Helovia assume he was a hybrid because of his antlers? "Antlers gift from Gods. Gaucho get when first get magic." He recalled the incident well - finding the orb, receiving the gift, and sparring with a wolf after. The wolf .. she was a female, although Gaucho couldn't remember her name. He had liked her. Snorting, he continued with a smirk. "Used to have dream-catcher in antlers. But someone ate it. While covered in gold, too." Gaucho was shocked Ranjiri hadn't broken her teeth during that little display. Then again, she had been a wraith. He had turned his head to look at Ranjiri with a smirk. He was actually sort of relieved that the dream-catcher was gone, as was Mara. With nothing in between his antlers she was much more free to move back and forth.
"Why you here?" He inquired roughly, shifting his gaze back to Gull after mildly shrugging when Ranjiri explained that she just liked the beach. What was there to like? Sand and water? The Throat had those. Why not stay in the Throat? But ... ah well. Not everyone's blood was quite as orange as Gaucho's, but that was alright.
You knew this land was strange before, but you never guessed how strange until today. In a few simple phrases, Ranjiri offers more information to you than you have been able to gather during the span of nearly three seasons since your arrival. There are lands? They have gods? You yourself have never considered the existence of gods so concrete and specific; only the whims of the ever-elusive and abstract Lady Luck have guided your wanderings—more mere superstition than faith. Without intending to, you snort softly in surprise, and mousy gray ears tilt toward the girl with new interest. What are these tales she tells?
Your attention only sharpens when Ranjiri answers your query with surprising accuracy, given the vague nature of your question. “I haven’t noticed anyone besides Gaucho and I that have horns…” she replies, and you feel your heart begin to rise like a warm sun in the chest that has laid dark and still for so long. Hope lingers on the horizon, tentative at first, but growing stronger as your excitement builds with every word she speaks. Are your winged brothers well? Do they thrive in this Throat place? Memories shift and stir, and you feel yourself suddenly tremble with unexpected emotion.
And then, betrayal. With a single admittance, the stranger shatters it all. “…my son does, but he is a unicorn,” she finishes, shifting her gaze to Gaucho to answer his question in turn. But you do not hear his response, nor anything else he may say or ask you—it is all lost upon you in the pure horror and loathing that flood your heart in that moment. Perhaps it would not have been so bad if you hadn’t been caught at your weakest, reminded of those you had loved once…and of their killers in the same breath; perhaps if the timing had been different, you still would have hated her for it but wouldn’t have taken it so personally…but the damage is done. She has mothered one of them.
Your face contorts in pain and rage, and every feather on your body stands on end as you back away. “How could you!” you hiss, voice low, choking on the breath that burns so hot in constricted lungs. The same wings that were just beginning to remind you of your mothers’ keep you from rushing at her, but to know that they cradle an infant murderer…you cannot stay here; you cannot trust these Throat-creatures, not with their horned heads and horned children.
And so you flee from your pain, flee from your betrayer, just as you did from your home only three seasons ago, launching yourself into the sky and hating yourself for the salty liquid that courses down your face as you fly across the sea…because it isn’t ocean spray.
OOC: So Gull basically couldn’t handle that and took off because he has issues that he hasn’t dealt with as of yet. I apologize—I wanted him to go to the Throat, I really did, but I couldn’t force him into it.
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