The Holyland of Adam

At the heart of Helea sleep Adam and Lilith. Around their tomb stand four castles, twelve altars and thirteen Blood Bibles — the lock, the key and the prize of the province.

The Tomb

The Holyland of Adam was raised by Adam himself to remember the death of Lilith. Where the two sleep, the four castles stand in a pattern that is not an accident: their positions set a magical net over the tomb, a seal meant to deny entrance to any intruder. The tombs of Adam and Lilith lie at the center, surrounded by the castles and their guardians.

The seal is not eternal. Every castle holds three Blood Bibles; if all twelve are gathered and set upon the altar at the center of the Holyland, the magical net breaks and the entrance to the tomb opens. Upon the twelve altars, a thirteenth Bloody Bible is revealed. Whoever holds the bibles holds the fate of the night itself — which is why the races go to war for them week after week.

The Four Castles

Each castle is protected by a holy animal, holds three Blood Bibles, offers sale and repair services, and can serve as a guild’s command center. Guilds and clans have fought more than once for the right to own one.

• Octavus (northwest) — once held by the vampires of old. It is guarded by Phraoros, a beast said to carry the power of ancient panthers and to know the defense against every evil power.
• Septimus (southwest) — protected by Arioch, the spirit of revenge, who avenges whoever harms his people. Fighting his followers is the same as fighting him.
• Quartus (southeast) — once owned by ancient vampires. Its holy animal is Immortality, a creature as large as an eagle with golden feathers; its cry, the myth says, sounded like music.
• Tertius (northeast) — guarded by Fafnir, whose poison cannot be cured or resisted. It harms only those who stand against it, and blesses those who keep faith.

The Castle Battle

When one race fights another for ownership of a castle, the battle centers on the underground dungeon. The holy symbol rests in the B2 dungeon; it must be carried to the altar on B1 while strong monsters guard every floor. Ownership of a castle is not a permanent thing — only the strength to hold it.

The Maze and the Twelve Altars

Between Octavus and Septimus lies a maze-like zone that must be crossed to reach the tomb of Adam and Lilith; it is never empty, and the monsters that roam it are not forgiving. At the center of the Holyland stand twelve holy altars, each marked with the sign of one Bloody Bible and each protected by a power of aura. When every altar is filled with the correct bible, the aura opens the thirteenth — and the way to the tomb.