Helas Vessel

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Helas Vessels are colossal purplish-black spires made of a crystal that seems to waver in and out of reality. They were built in the Dawn Era by a primordial lord named Beldileck. In the Creation War (1486 DE - 8777 DE), they moved primordial armies between a system's worlds and moons. The difficulty in opening rifts, made Helas Vessels an economical choice when a commander wanted to attack a world's moon. When the primordials were defeated, rather than see them become Covenant war prizes, Beldileck set them adrift in the Void.

In the Lith-Crillion Era, roughly seven thousand years later, four of these ships entered Osâchar's atmosphere. In an area of Durkoth civilization, a people then very tribal, these ancient primordial-built vessels came to rest. They were hundreds of miles from each other. The villages built near them were to grow into towns and cities. It would be centuries before Durkoth explorers and researchers found a way to get inside them, yet that time of trial and failure profoundly affected Durkoth civilization. During this time, the study of mystical arts and sciences became schooled. Their knowledge of math was pushed forward four centuries after they breached the alien vessel's hull, entering a series of chambers. It would take a decade to find a way to reach the next group of chambers. This was because the ship had adapted to the magic used to breach the first chambers. Thereafter, each series of chambers they entered provided a wealth of knowledge. These findings along with changes in study, applied training, and other advances would eventually give the Durkoth the edge to dominate those around them.

In the Torc Wars, the Spires came to be palaces, then religion centers for the Saints of Maen.

When the Horgon Empire (159 HE - 537 HE) was attacked in the Second Suellk Invasion, the Saints of Maen and Molakh-Búle took a select number of their people aboard Beldileck's arks. They abandoned their home work, journeying into the Void. Three centuries later, in 862 HE, the Helas Vessels arrived on the world of Bal-Kriav. As they entered this world's atmosphere, hibernating passengers, numbering 15,000 to 30,000 in each voidship, emerged from their deep sleep, preparing for their new home.

The Shiphis Helas drifted the Void for centuries, the journey ending with the breaking of Bal-Kriav's clouds. The ship's hibernation chambers cooled, releasing me and my crew. No choice in where it came down, we ended up on a jungle isle, a poor spot to build a civilization.

From the bowels of the Dawn forged structure, we Durkoth were followed by the Hydrocur legions, and a proud Sussgurd workforce.

- Molakh-Búle, excerpt from his journal - "The New World"

On Bal-Kriav, the Spires that make-up the Helas Vessels are commonly called by the name of the Durkoth leader who led the ship's crew. Three of these leaders, Krak-Oth, Neld-Rac and Rioch Tetrax went on to become Higher Powers.

The Helas Vessels are structures of unimaginable size - 2000' high, a base of 3000' diameter, tapering to a 500' flat roof. Inside these voidships are hundreds of chambers with the largest being the Hibernation Bay. This area is where the crew of the vessel can go into deep sleep for long voyages across the Void.

Late in the Creation War, primordial artificers learned how to use the blood flowing in hibernating firenewts to put others in a hibernating state. This transfusion process was put to use in the hibernation tanks that ring the central axis of each Helas Vessel.

- unknown, from the Horgon Chronicles - "Firenewt Blood"

Helas Vessels radiate immense magic. Some have speculated that sleeping primordials, mighty war machines and artifacts, and powerful abominations are locked away in these super-secure vaults.