Counterhelix
The Counterhelix is a magnificent monolith compound in the Sanori Grasslands. It is shaped like two interlocking spirals. One spiral is all solar monoliths, and the other is all lunar monoliths.
It is almost perfectly symmetrical. Each spiral has fifteen notable spires, which decrease in height leading away from the leading spires. The leading spires, Kiza and Kiva, look exactly the same except for their coloration. A scatter of smaller monolith shards drift through the air around the compound.
The image of the spiral is an icon of the beauty and mystery of monoliths. It is likely the most easily recognized monolith compound in the known world.
Climate
The grasslands are brisk and always windy. For at least half of the Dusk year, they are covered in snow. The larger spires on the Counterhelix's warm half are hot enough to melt the snow that falls on them. The cold half is quickly coated in a thick sheath of ice, transforming them into lopsided white lumps. Kiva manages to resist the snow for longer than her companions thanks to Kiza's radiating warmth.
When the Dawn year arrives, the snow melts away and the spires of the cold half can once again be appreciated. The latter end of the Dawn year can get uncomfortably hot, especially among the solar spires, but the lunar spires radiate a welcome chill that keeps the surrounding area tolerable.
The strangest temperature experience is to stand directly between Kiza and Kiva at any type of year. Kiva's freezing cold on one side and Kiza's blazing heat on the other is quite the thrill for the senses.
History
The exact date the Counterhelix was discovered has been lost to time. It was known by locals well before the Darkness, and was a location of spiritual and political import for thousands of years. It didn't become popular to tourists until the last century or so, after advances in communications technology allowed word to spread of its beauty.
The Kingdom of Harte currently claims ownership of the compound, though their legitimacy is questionable. Who can own something so timeless? The Counterhelix existed well before the Empire, and it will continue to exist for long after it has fallen.
Tourism
Harte allows a limited amount of tourists to visit the Counterhelix. Citizens of the Empire can come and go as they choose, but foreigners have to jump through a few bureaucratic hoops.
The compound gets hundreds of visiters every year. It is most popular during Dawn years, when the weather is more pleasant. It is a must-see location for anyone with a special interest in monoliths.
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