Helias

Legend has it that the majority of helias boarded boats ten thousand years ago and sailed away to never return. Those who exist today live for the most part in Argantael, a minority with a rich culture and complex economic traditions.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bipedal with two arms attached to a central trunk topped by a head and neck.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Female: Annik, Jenifry, Eseld, Briallen
Male: Brioc, Daveth, Jori, Wurgent
Neutral: Pasca, Berl, Guen, Aedoc
Family: Nance, Bawden, Pinc, Meheneck

The family name comes first.

Major Organizations

The guilds that run Argantael are many and varied, working together only to the extent that is required to maintain the oligarchy.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The most notable thing about the helias as far as other species are concerned is the Code of Batistin, which contains dozens of rules governing life from the minutia of daily life to broad societal decrees.

Show spoiler

Somewhere, there exists the remainder of the Code, consisting of hundreds of such rules inscribed on granite slabs. These are the proof of the age of their culture for which some helias have been searching.

History

Vessunan scholars scoff at the idea that helias have an older culture than theirs, but Argantish tradition holds that they were around long before everyone else, and it was only a catastrophe that reduced their numbers so drastically. Other species point out that there seems to be no evidence of an ancient helian society; this has changed no one's mind.